Videos Chats on El Salvador by Father Dean Brackley

Marie Karam, a faculty member from the University of Scranton, alerted CRISPAZ to a series of video talks (about 12 minutes each) recorded with Jesuit Father Dean Brackley, professor of theology and ethics at the  University of Central America and produced by the University of Scranton Bridges to El Salvador Program.

Marie was in El Salvador for the 20th anniversary of the Jesuit Martyrs in November 2009, and she joined the CRISPAZ 25th anniversary delegation for a day to visit a cooperative in La Libertad where finance students from Scranton have been supporting a group of women in the same community where CRISPAZ is facilitating the distribution of micro loans to women to develop small business ventures thanks to a grant from the Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati.

The following videos are available for download as podcasts, but are also available on YouTube. Links are provided for both.

1.  OVERALL INTRODUCTION  to videos
 Universidad Centroamericana / UCA- El Salvador   (9 min.)
Unique aspects of this young Jesuit University explained including legacy of UCA martyrs killed in 1989
Podcast: http://atctest.scranton.edu/ramgen/karam/uca.rm
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=od078hYStAQ&feature=PlayList&p=279B45A1BCF80377&index=1

“Greetings from El Salvador and the community of the Universidad Centroamericana (UCA) your sister-university in the global Jesuit education network.  Thanks for friends at the University of Scranton these brief video messages provide an overview of the reality of El Salvador and summary accounts of two dramatic issues, Religion in El Salvador and Migration.  We hope that these snapshots can help our friends in the U.S. learn more about this reality, with characteristics, in some ways, so typical of most countries in the world.  We also hope in this way to strengthen even more the ties that bind us in the work to build a more human world.”

2.  COUNTRY OVERVIEW:  EL SALVADOR
Podcast: http://atctest.scranton.edu/ramgen/karam/country_overview.rm
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=noe0bi7Y0LY&feature=channel

“This video provides an overview of the social, economic, political and cultural reality of the Central American country of El Salvador, which is in many ways “average and “typical” among poor countries. On the other hand, the country is characterized by extraordinary injustice, as well as the extraordinary faith, hope and generosity of many inspiring people.”

3.  RELIGION:  EL SALVADOR
Podcast: http://atctest.scranton.edu/ramgen/karam/religion.rm
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CeVqiUacgFg&feature=channel

“This video provides a summary description of the religious drama of El Salvador, a country where everyone believes in God, but where ideas of God and faith clash dramatically.  El Salvador is justly famous for the many heroic Christians who spoke out in defense of the poor and who even paid with their lives for their commitment.”

4.  MIGRATION:  EL SALVADOR TO U.S.
Podcast: http://atctest.scranton.edu/ramgen/karam/migration.rm
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=630D6v5iZRY&feature=channel

“This video summarizes the extraordinary drama of migration from El Salvador to the United States.  It explains why people leave and how very many are being deported back.”