A bill to overhaul Costa Rica’s immigrationlaws received 221 motions forchange while on the floor of the LegislativeAssembly last month. Approximately90% of the motions were submittedby the Libertarian Movement Party.Despite the large number of motions,the bill will be sent from commission –where the motions are debated – back tothe Assembly floor for vote “very soon,”according to Assembly spokeswomanShirley Gutiérrez.In its present form, the bill wouldeffectively make residency possible onlyfor those with a pension of around $3,000a month or willing to make at least a$50,000 investment here (TT, June 11).However, one motion by congressmanCarlos Avendaño of the Costa RicanRenovation Party, calls for the maintenanceof the current rentista category –which allows residency for peoplebetween the ages of 45 and 60 who candeposit $60,000 in the bank – guaranteeingan income of $1,000 a month for atleast five years.

EDUCATORS in Central America arehoping to raise the level of higher educationto internationally competitive standardsthrough the implementation of aregion-wide accreditation program.In the making for more than threeyears, the Central American AccreditationCouncil (CCA) recently selected its firstexecutive director, Marianela Aguilar, whoofficially began the council’s work lastweek. Aguilar is the former director of theAcademic Evaluation Center at theUniversity of Costa Rica (UCR).Officials say an accreditation systemwill create minimum qualification standardsand facilitate an exchange of ideas to thebenefit of the region’s approximately700,000 university students.“BY raising the academic standards ofCentral American higher education towardinternational standards, our universitieswill gradually integrate more and moreinto the world economy,” said Councilvice-president Alejandro Cruz.“This is important not just for the globalizationof dollars, but also for what isheld very dearly at the university level –the globalization of knowledge,” he added.The regional accreditation programcould also allow for the greater mobility ofstudents and professionals between countries,according to Cruz. It will provide aminimum quality for university degrees,recognized across borders.IN 1985, there were fewer than 40 privateuniversities in Central America, accordingto CCA statistics. In less than 20 yearsthat number has more than tripled to 139.In Costa Rica, the number of degreeprograms also more than tripled, from 400in 1985 to 1,400 in 2000. The country nowboasts more than 200,000 students in 50private and four public universities.While these numbers mean higher educationis now available to a much largerpopulation, for many in the educationalfield the time has come to improve quality,not quantity.“When you speak of educational coveragehere, I believe we have already satisfied(the need). We are over-saturated,”said Sergio Calvo, executive director of theNational Council of Superior Education inPrivate Universities (CONESUP).“NOW what we need to do is improvethe quality of the institutions we alreadyhave. This is my new mission,” said Calvo,who recently took over the director position.CONESUP operates under the Ministryof Education, and inspects privateuniversities to determine if they have completedlegal requirements to open.However, CONESUP is not an accreditationprogram. Limited resources oftenrestrict its capacity to re-inspect schools toensure they are still maintaining minimumrequirements, Calvo said.BEYOND certification by CONESUP,Costa Rican public and private universitiescan apply for accreditation from the HigherEducation National Accreditation System(SINAES). However, SINAES accreditsdegree programs, not entire universities.Since the system was started five yearsago, officials have accredited 18 programs.The accreditation lasts for four years, afterwhich universities must reapply.The goal of SINAES is to give CostaRicans more confidence in their universities,according to director Mayra Alvarado.Programs that have applied but beendenied SINAES approval are working toimprove, she said.María José Lopez, a 23-year-old studentof dentistry at Universidad Latina, aSINAES-accredited degree, said, “Our programis stronger now that it has been accredited,and has much more credibility.”RATHER than duplicate the role ofSINAES, the CCA will work as an umbrellaorganization over pre-existing accreditationprograms within each Central Americancountry. The council will also work to createaccreditation systems within countries thatdo not already have established systems.“It’s unusual for a degree program toask itself how it is doing, how it can betteritself, how it can form a long-term plan toarrive at its goals,” Alvarado said. Butaccreditation forces these questions to beanswered, she added.Much can be learned in the accreditationprocess itself, agreed Kenneth Carpio,a student representative on the CCA andMaster’s degree candidate at UCR.UNDER the regional accreditationcouncil, university programs undergo aninternal evaluation and an external evaluation,Carpio explained.The internal evaluation is performed bypeople within the country’s university system,and familiar with the parameters ordemands in the national context.People familiar with the program ofstudy, but not necessarily the individualuniversity, perform the external evaluation.This allows for an outsider’s perspective,Carpio said.Nevertheless, Carpio, who is writinghis thesis on accreditation, is not sure thesystem is the best tool to use in improvingeducation, particularly in other CentralAmerican countries.“When you have schools in Guatemalathat indigenous students aren’t evenallowed to attend, how is this going tohelp?” he asked.ACCREDITATION is more valuablefor engineers and doctors than for thosestudying sociology or art, he added.“It’s a system of control, but it reallydepends on the career,” agreed 22-year-oldEsteban Arce, also a dentistry student atUniversidad Latina.The CCA will likely establish separateengineering and agriculture accreditationprograms, said Cruz, who was formerly thepresident of the Technology Institute ofCosta Rica (ITCR).The Federated Association of Architectsand Engineers is holding a forum onengineering accreditation Aug. 11-13, Cruzsaid.“With the free-trade agreement (withthe United States), engineering will be oneof the most affected careers, with the transferof jobs between countries,” he said.The council will begin with a budget ofapproximately $70,000. The council officewill be based at the UCR Faculty ofEducation, until next year when they hope toobtain funding for new headquarters.The council was established lastNovember at a meeting of the CentralAmerican Superior Council of Universities(CSUCA) and ratified in March at a meetingfor Central American Education andCultural Cooperation in San José. Sincethen, the council has begun initial work innearly every participating country.While the hope is to improve highereducation in all Central America, the goalis not to create homogenous institutions,Cruz said, adding that the process mustrespect the individual qualities of eachinstitution and country.

NO official word has been given onhow many votes the Central AmericanFree-Trade Agreement (CAFTA) with theUnited States needs to be approved byCosta Rica’s Legislative Assembly.Some legislators and constitutional lawspecialists say CAFTA requires a simplemajority of 29 of 57 congressional deputies,while others say it needs a two thirdsmajority of 38.The key to deciphering how manyvotes CAFTA must have is Article 121 ofCosta Rica’s Constitution, which grants theassembly power to approve or reject internationaltreaties. Under the article, treatiesthat transfer government powers to supranationalentities for the purpose of achievingcommon regional objectives requireapproval by no less than two-thirds of theLegislative Assembly.A supranational entity is one that iscapable of making decisions contrary tothe will of the States that form part of it.Compliance with the entity’s rulings ismandatory for all parties. An example isthe United Nations Security Council.Experts consulted by The Tico Timesdisagreed about whether CAFTA transferspowers to a supranational organ.A constitutional scholar who has writtenseveral textbooks on Costa Rican constitutionallaw, Rubén Hernández, saidCAFTA does not transfer governmentpowers and should need only a simplemajority to be ratified.“That problem is resolved,” he explained.“It’s very clear, there’s nothingto discuss. Other free-trade agreements,such as those with Mexico and Canada,have been approved by simple majority.”When the assembly studied CostaRica’s free-trade agreement with Canada,the same question was raised. The matterwas taken before the ConstitutionalChamber of the Supreme Court (Sala IV),which ruled that only a simple majoritywas needed, according to Hernández.Marvin Carvajal, a professor of constitutionallaw at the University of CostaRica (UCR), disagrees with this interpretation.Carvajal said CAFTA transfers governmentpowers to a supranational entity;namely CAFTA’s Free-Trade Commission.The commission, which is required to meetat least once a year after CAFTA goes intoeffect, is in charge of reviewing variousaspects of the trade agreement’s implementation,he explained.The commission has the power to makereforms to the treaty – a power, Carvajalsaid, it receives from the executive branchesof the countries involved.“It is valid under the Constitution tocreate organs of this nature, but it requiresa qualified (two-thirds) majority, as nationalpowers are being transferred to communityorgans,” he explained.“In any case, it would be ideal for it torequire 38 votes, because it is a veryimportant treaty – for better or worse – forthe future of the country. The greater theconsensus in regard to the treaty, the morepeaceful and effective its implementationwill be.”The final decision on the number ofvotes CAFTA needs will be made by thepresident of the Legislative Assembly(elected each May 1) when the issue goesto vote.However, Carvajal pointed out, thatdecision can be appealed before the SalaIV.BEFORE it can be voted on, CAFTAmust go through the LegislativeAssembly’s Permanent Commission onForeign Relations, a multiparty nine-membercommission in charge of studying allinternational conventions, treaties and resolutionsfor Costa Rica.The commission has no time limit, andcan study CAFTA and other treaties for aslong as committee members consider itnecessary.The Foreign Trade Ministry(COMEX), whose representatives negotiatedCAFTA, has said it will submit thetrade agreement to the commission as soonas Costa Rica and the other CentralAmerican countries finish negotiating withthe Dominican Republic the terms of theirrelationship under CAFTA (TT, June 18).The Dominican Republic is expected tobecome the seventh country in the agreement.Although last month trade officials saidthey expected to submit CAFTA to the legislativecommission this month, PresidentAbel Pacheco this week dodged the question.He told reporters at his weekly Cabinetmeeting Tuesday that in any case, CAFTA isnot likely to be submitted to the U.S.Congress this year. He also expressed doubtsabout CAFTA’s future in the United States,especially if U.S. President George W. Bushloses the upcoming presidential elections(TT, June 4). His comments drew criticismfrom CAFTA supporters this week.THE legislative commission beganinvestigating CAFTA last year by studyingnews reports and information supplied byCOMEX. Costa Rican legislators were notgiven access to drafts of the CAFTA textsuntil after the country finished negotiatingthe treaty in January (TT, Jan. 30).Despite outcry and claims of lack oftransparency from several groups (TT,Sept. 26, 2003), trade officials kept theCAFTA texts under wraps, saying theyconstituted confidential information. TheSala IV backed them on the issue.Since February, the commission hasbeen studying parts of the drafts of thenegotiating texts, and then began studyingthe final version of the CAFTA texts afterit was signed in May (TT, May 28). Thefinal texts are available online at:www.ustr.gov/ new/fta/Cafta/final.“It’s hard to tell how long it will be studiedby the commission,” said Liliana Salas,a Social Christian Unity Party congresswomanand the commission’s secretary.“Time varies. Some projects have beenthere for years. I don’t expect it will takeless than nine months or a year to discuss.”Once the commission finishes studyingCAFTA, it will issue a report to the rest ofthe assembly with its impressions. If there isdisagreement within the commission, partiescan issue minority reports.“What is important is to begin ademocratic discussion on the treaty assoon as possible in order to debate all theissues in depth,” Salas explained. “Thereneeds to be opportunities for commissionmembers to express their doubts and havethem clarified by government officialsand other experts.”ONCE it leaves the commission,CAFTA will be sent to the floor of theLegislative Assembly.Deputies are not allowed to propose anychanges. However, each of the 57 deputieswill be allowed an hour to refer to the treatybefore the rest of the assembly. Once thedeputies have spoken, CAFTA will be votedon for the first of two times.As with all international agreementsthat the assembly votes on, after the firstvote, CAFTA must be sent to the Sala IVfor a constitutional review that may notexceed one month’s time. However,experts say a month may not be enoughtime to properly look over the 2,400 pagesthat make up CAFTA’s text.“The Sala will have a very intense jobto do,” Carvajal said. “It would be convenientfor the Sala to begin studying itnow.”If the Sala IV justices find that parts ofCAFTA violate the country’s constitution,the text will be sent back the LegislativeAssembly. Legislators can agree on analternate interpretation of the parts in question.However, the governments of bothCosta Rica and the United States mustagree on the interpretation for it to be valid,according to Carvajal.Once the text is reviewed by Sala IV,CAFTAwould be voted on for a second andfinal time. Legislators can either approve orreject it, but by how many votes?Only time will tell.

THE Federated Association ofEngineers and Architects (CFIA) hasjoined several government institutions toform a special commission to find ways toreduce damage caused by the floods thatravage the country’s Caribbean region severaltimes a year.The idea of creating the commissionwas proposed by CFIA after conducting apreliminary study of the causes of thefloods.Edwin Patterson, a legislative deputywho represents the eastern province ofLimón for the Citizen Action Party, earlierin the year asked the CFIA board of directorsto conduct the study.Ateam of four engineers conducted thestudy. In addition to theoretical analysis onthe causes of the flooding, the engineersconducted two field visits to observe theBanano, Barbilla, Blanco, Chirripó,Estrella, Pacuare, Pacuarito, Siquirres andSixaola rivers.The increasing frequency of floods inthe Caribbean – up to three times a year insome places – threatens the social and economicwell being of the zone by causingserious damage to the region’s infrastructure– roads, bridges, homes, electrical andphone services, schools and health-carefacilities, according to Olman Vargas,executive director of CFIA.MOST recently, during the secondweek of May, flooding affected parts ofSarapiquí in north-central Costa Rica andthe lowland areas of Limón province,including the town of Matina and the portcity of Limón.Area rivers were engorged by the fallof nearly 600 millimeters (23.6 inches) ofrain in one week. More than 1,000 homeswere flooded, forcing nearly 2,200 peopleinto temporary shelters. The water sweptaway, made impassable or otherwise damaged50 bridges in the region (TT, May14).In recent years, the Caribbean coast hasbeen subjected to an increasing number ofcold fronts caused by the “El Niño” weatherpattern. This has increased the numberof temporales – storms that cause rain tofall continually for more than two days.Within two or three days, constant, unrelentingtemporal rains can deliver on averagebetween 200 millimeters (7.9 inches)and 300 mm (13.5 inches) of water, accordingto the study. In many cases, this isenough to cause rivers to overflow and floodnearby lowlands and wash away poorlyplanned settlements along the banks ofrivers.Toward the end of 2002, for example,the city of Limón received 300 millimeters(13.5 inches) of rain in just one day.The amount of rain received in November2003 marked the highest monthly amountreported during the past 50 years, accordingto the study.THE region’s propensity for floodingwas also increased by the 1991 Limónearthquake, which modified the paths ofmany area rivers. This, in addition to erosionalong the banks of some rivers andobstruction of the natural flow of others bymanmade projects, has worsened the problemof flooding.Residents and businesses have tried toprotect themselves from flooding by raisingthe riverbanks and attempting to change therivers’ paths without taking into account thenegative side effects this could have.“On repeated occasions, the infrastructurecreated to protect against flooding hascaused more harm, rather than the benefitthat was expected,” the report states. “Itshould not be immediately accepted thatcontrolling the flood is the best or the onlyoption [to deal with floods].”The most effective measures, the studystates, are preventive measures, such asemergency plans, improved weather andflooding predictions, alert systems andrestrictions on land use.THE report criticized national andlocal governments for failing to properlyplan and take into account the region’s situationwhen building infrastructure in theregion. As an example, the study mentionedthe road to Matina, which is locatedbetween the Pacuare and Barbilla rivers.Being close to two rivers makes the roadtwice as likely to flood.Most infrastructure has been built tosolve specific problems without taking intoaccount the effects it could have on the naturalflow of rivers. These isolated effortsare not subject to any type of regulation,and suggest a lack of technical criteria andclear policies on how to protect the region,according to the study.In most emergencies, the governmentcreates temporary infrastructure projectsthat end up being permanent, which createsadditional safety concerns, the study states.Damaged infrastructure that is rebuiltis usually rebuilt in its original location,even if the location is prone to floodingand deemed high-risk.“There are protection projects that arecollapsing and aren’t being properly maintained,”said CFIA president IreneCampos. “Each rainy season will contributeto making them further collapse orbecome less efficient. Nothing can be doneabout the climatic conditions. There needsto be planning and proper maintenance ofprojects.”AS immediate measures, the studyrecommended creating a commission thatincludes CFIA as well as the PublicWorks and Transport Ministry (MOPT),the National Emergency Commission(CNE) and the Atlantic Port Authority(JAPDEVA) to issue recommendations tothe government.The study also proposes the creation ofa regional development plan for theCaribbean.Officials also are called on to enforcethe country’s Environmental Code and limitbuilding in regions prone to flooding.The study stresses the need to create adatabase of hydro-meteorological activity –the behavior of rivers in response to weatherpatterns. This would make it easier to planconstruction projects in the region, the studyconcludes.

MONDO Gelato, a small ice creamstore tucked away in a nondescript shoppingmall in Escazú, satisfies the cravingsof both the casual ice cream sampler andthe experimental enthusiast with an excitingcombination of traditional and unconventionalflavors.Owners Esteban Céspedes and EdwardFlorian have learned to please all palateswith a range of flavors from chocolate andvanilla to passion fruit and rosemary.The store appears to be just a stall witha few tables in this mall, in the suburbsouthwest of San José, but the contents ofMondo Gelato’s freezer are enough to drawanyone in.Twelve daily flavorsglisten in rectangular bins,waiting to be scooped intocones or cups and toppedwith a shard of macadamiacookie.While most ice creamshops have a variety of thetraditional staple flavors –vanilla, chocolate andstrawberry – Mondo Gelatoprides itself on its uniquefrozen offerings.EXPERIMENTATIONis rewarded at Mondo Gelato.Sesame, a flavor of the day, managed toretain the main ingredient’s essence whilestill being unmistakably ice cream, rich andsweet. Rosemary, a flavor of the week, wasalmost a sherbet, sweet but slightly tart.Other strange offerings that MondoGelato rotates in to its stable of favoritesinclude beer, sparkling wine, mascarponecheese, and orange juice with hot chile.So how far will the pair go?“In other parts of the world they sellfish, or meat (ice cream), but I haven’t gonethat far because the palate here is very conservative,”Florian said. “You can’t go toooverboard.”THE pair does, however, take flavorsuggestions from customers.“We don’t try to stop a customer whowants to experiment,” Florian said.In order to convince the reluctant, theyare generous with free samples.“That’s very important, because manypeople say they would never have thoughtof a flavor,” Florian said. “We educate peoplethat ice cream can be any flavor.”Jennifer García, 19, a student fromEscazú, is a fan of Mondo Gelato’s nontraditionalapproach.“When I want to eat ice cream I comehere,” she said. “It’s one of the best places.”García surveyed the freezer, shaking herhead at offers of sesame and rosemary icecream.“I like it because it’s really weird. Youdon’t get that in a lot of places,” she said.They offer both “traditional and nontraditional(flavors) – we try to make everyonehappy,” Florian said.THE flavors aren’t the only thing differentabout this store. There are three maindifferences between gelato and traditionalice cream.“The first difference is that gelato is lessthan 25% air,” Florian said. “Commercialice cream is about 50%. Another differenceis that our gelato is made fresh every day;that’s why it is so creamy. The third differenceis that it’s low fat, between 8-10% fat,while regular commercialice cream is more than30% fat.”Mondo Gelato makesthe day’s batches fresh at 8a.m. and the shop opens at11 a.m.THE store has becomeincreasing popular since itsopening in February 2003.The business startedwhen Florian returned toCosta Rica after severalyears working in theUnited States and Europe,where a friend in the business taught him tomake gelato. Céspedes, 25, and Florian,26, who have been friends for more thaneight years, saw the opportunity to takeadvantage of a niche market in their nativeSan José.Mondo Gelato soon opened its doorswith Florian as the chef and Céspedes asbusiness manager.“I’d never seen a gelato shop before,”Céspedes said. “Edward was the one whocame with the idea; he had the know-howof the business, and we came together.”NOW, about 600 customers a weeksample the shop’s wares.“At the beginning we didn’t have publicity,it was word-of-mouth,” Céspedessaid. And that form of advertising servedthem well as the pair seem happy to besharing what Florian calls their “world offlavors.”A small cone or cup is ¢600 ($1.40), amedium ¢750 ($1.70), a large ¢900 ($2.05).A pint costs ¢1,700 ($3.88), while a quartergallon is ¢3,200 ($7.30). Ice cream cakescan be purchased for ¢6,500 ($14.85). Theshop also offers cappuccino and espresso.Mondo Gelato is located in MulticentroPaco, San Rafael de Escazú.For more info, call 228-7741, e-mailmondogelato@racsa.co.cr

AT first glance, it may seem a bit on thehokey side, but soldiers (teachers) in thePeace Army soon end up converts of theirleader, Dr. Rita Marie Johnson, and hertechniques, which include puppets and fingersensors.Johnson’s primary focus is “to reallycreate one country where the children learnto be peacemakers.” To do that, Johnson ,from the United States, created the PeaceArmy, which is working to slowly changesocial and emotional learning in schoolsacross the country.The army chose the Desamparados elementaryschool, Escuela Excelencia ElíasJiménez Castro, as its first battleground toteach peace.The Peace Army’s efforts, which beganin October, are aimed at 21 of the school’steachers, who will then teach the army’sideas to the students.DARY Vargas, a 25-year-old armyrecruit, teaches second grade and is in herfirst year of teaching.“This program has helped me deal withall the stress of teaching and being a newteacher,” she said during a Peace Armymeeting.“This has helped me so much. It hashelped me teach the kids better by seeingwhat they need and getting to know themas human beings,” Vargas said. “With allthe teaching standards and regulations, it’shard to see what the individual studentneeds.”The program teaches two differentmethods.The first is called “Freeze Framer,”which was developed by the Institute ofHeartMath, a non-profit research organizationbased in California that tries to helppeople find balance between heart andmind. The computer program is designed toteach people to “feel peace” and build emotionalintelligence.THE school has 10 computers with theprogram installed. It works by using a fingersensor that monitors heart rhythms. Theuser tries to align their heart and mind,which generates a peaceful feeling.The second method, which the armyhas just started teaching, is non-violentcommunication – learning to identify theemotions of yourself and others.In this form of communication, theteachers role-play by using real-life situationsthey have experienced in the previousweek. They explain the situation and then astudent tries to guess – not ask – their emotion.Once the emotion is discovered, theythen guess what is needed to resolve theemotion – whether it be love, understandingor order.After role-playing, Juan Carlos López,a young Desamparados teacher, explainedthat once his role-playing partner discoveredhis emotion, he felt understanding.Without acting, his wide face had changedfrom looking slightly hurt to relieved.“MY need isn’t just in my mind,” hesays. “It’s real. Real enough that you couldfigure it out and it validated my need.”The program helps the students get intouch with basic universal needs.“Once you get in touch with the feelingand the universal need, that’s really whenthe moment of peace begins,” Johnsonsaid. “Then you can say, ‘Oh, that’s why Iwas frustrated. I had a need to contribute,or whatever it is, and I wasn’t finding astrategy to do it.’ ”These techniques are not part of a curriculumthat is taught once and then forgotten.It is something that is used every day,proponents say. The principles are so basicthey are something many people overlook:being nice to oneself and others and havingself-control.The first method is about feeling peaceand the second is speaking peace.THANKS to a donation, the PeaceArmy could supply each teacher with twohand puppets and two headbands – both ofa giraffe and a jackal – to demonstrate nonviolentcommunication. The headbands canbe worn either forward or backward, indicatingthat the wearer is either speaking to themselves or others.As shy seven-year-old Jerry Alfaro puts on theheadbands and explains, “The giraffe says prettythings and the jackal says mean things.”Alfaro added that his teachers are nicer this yearthan they were last year and because of it, he has triedto behave better. He hasn’t been in trouble at all thisyear, whereas last year he got into trouble for misbehavingand running in the halls.Vargas says at first she wasn’t very convinced anddecided to join the group mostly out of curiosity.“I wondered if it could actually work,” she saidraising her eyebrows and making a questioning face.“They showed us the computer program with the fingermonitor and I think a lot of us were skeptical. Butjust seeing Rita Marie and her husband always smiling,and seeming so peaceful piqued my curiosity.”NOW, Vargas is visibly excited about the program.She speaks quickly andexpressively.“I used to have a problem witha very aggressive student in myclass,” she said. “He is 11 and thestudents in second grade are 7.He’s been pegged as a problem student– he steals and fights withother kids. He was always walkingaround with his hands in fists.”The student was a product ofhis home environment, she said.“He comes from a problemhome and after school he neverwants to go home. You can see thesadness in his eyes. He just needssomeone to love him. And I am so,so proud to be able to say that hetrusts me,” she said with a hugesmile.The student not only trusts Vargas, he has developeda strong bond with her as well.“He calls me mami,” Vargas said, smiling ear toear, “and the other kids made fun of him. I told themI see them more than their mothers do during the weekand I am their second mom. I had such a beautifulexperience because he told me I am not his secondmom, I am his first mom.”“THAT, for me, was the greatest,” she said, herblue eyeshadowed eyes a little moist when she finishedher story.The teachers have devoted nine Saturdays withoutpay to the project and spend their Wednesday lunchhour in the school library or auditorium working withthe Peace Army.“Even though Saturday is family time for them,it’s worth it,” said volunteer Sylvia de Pérez, turningin her seat to look at Vargas. “Just look at Dary, she isso happy.”But even the Peace Army has worries –but it’s agood problem.“My only concern about the Peace Army is that itwill grow too fast,” Johnson said. “People want tojump in and help but they want me to go to this schoolor that school, but what we have to do is do it reallywell in one school first and prove that it works. Wehave to walk our talk.”EVENTUALLY, Johnson wants to be able toprove her army works and then spread to each andevery school in Costa Rica.Cynthia Rojas teaches secondgrade and also gives afternoonclasses to women in theBuen Pastor jail. She has noticeda difference in using the techniquesshe has learned throughthe Peace Army with the womenand her other students.“Every experience leaves amark, whether it’s good or bad,”she said on her way to the jail.“The women at the jail are moreresentful of themselves and societyand it’s much harder to teachthem about non-violent communicationand controlling theiranger.”Although the women in jailare tough, the elementary schoolstudents are not always angels.“My second graders are pretty wild,” Rojas said.“When someone acts out, I ask the whole class ‘Howhas that student acted?’ And everyone says ‘they’reacting like the jackal.’ ”ROJAS summed up the whole project very succinctly:“Our lives are bombarded everyday with violenceand hatred and we are learning to bombard otherswith non-violence.”For more info, call Johnson at 282-6576 or e-mailrasur@mail.com

THE new Contemporary PhotographyMuseum of Costa Rica is showing adiverse series of photographs by museumfounder Faustino Desinach.The 380 photographs, on displaythrough July 31, encompass many aspectsof the Costa Rican way of life.Some portraits address topics of age –“the childhood, adolescence, and maturityof the Costa Rican individual,” Desinachsaid – while others capture landscapes andthe country’s flora and fauna.“The central idea of the museum isthe cultural and social rescue of CostaRica, a rescue of historical facts throughphotography,” the photographer said.Desinach, 45, has been taking photographsof his native Costa Rica sinceage 28. He has worked as a painter and awriter, but he was inspired by photographygalleries and museums while workingin New York City in the 1990s anddecided to focus solely on photography.UPON his return to Costa Rica severalyears ago, he decided to open a museum.“I wanted photography to have itsown space,” Desinach said. “Here inCosta Rica, the museums have given aspace to photography from time to time.But they only get the space one or twotimes a year and not every year.”The museum, which opened June 15,will have permanent galleries and rotatingexhibits, according to the museum’sWeb site http://faustinodesinachcr.tripod.comStarting Aug. 3, the museum will runwork by professors and students ofColegio Universitario de Alajuela(CUNA). In October and November, ageneral exhibition of photographs bynature and press photographers is scheduled.The museum is located 100 meterseast and 25 meters north of Plaza de laCultura, on the west side of the BalmoralHotel. It is open Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Entrance is ¢500. For more info,call 221-5552.

INDEPENDENCE Day celebrationsmay have been a day early, but U.S. citizensand their families celebrated with gusto allthe same, the American spirit heightened bythe presence of two U.S. senators.July 3 was bright and warm, perfect forthe American Colony Committee’s festivalcelebrating the 228th anniversary of U.S.independence.An estimated 5,000 people wanderedamong tents and around booths from 8 a.m.to noon, choosing among dozens of activitiesand food offerings, said Spencer Manners,president of the American ColonyCommittee.And everything on the grounds ofCervecería Costa Rica in Alajuela, northwestof San José, was free thanks to the fund-raisingefforts of the colony committee.Attendees noshed on bagels, popcorn,frozen yogurt, and piles of hot dogs. Theysipped beer, milk, cappuccino, and soda. Itwas American excess, full of fun.UNCLE Sam prowled the crowd, posingfor photographs and handing out Americanflags, while country line dancers swung theirflag-print skirts and invited onlookers to joinin.Others rested under the trees with friendsand family, napping with hands crossed overred, white and blue t-shirts.For the kids, there was face painting, sackraces, a playground, crafts, and rides includinga small roller coaster. Some of the adultsparticipated in the kids’ activities as well.Randall Calvo, 22, a sportsbook workerfrom Heredia, won the water balloon toss.“It’s a kid’s activity but everybody canenjoy it. There’s no age limit to have fun,”Calvo said, adding that the activities were“amazing.”Adriana Barriga, a 4th grade schoolteacherfrom Illinois, relaxed with herdaughters by the Café Britt booth and enjoyinga rare visit to her native country.“I attended this event 15 years ago, whenmy daughter was about 6 months old, andthe party was a garden party at theAmbassador’s house and President BushSenior was there, with Dan Quayle,” Barrigasaid (TT, July 7, 1989). “This is so much biggernow. It was a small garden party then.There’s more people now, better food, a lotof freebies, a lot of fun. The kids are havinga good time.”HER daughter, Miranda Green, 8,agreed.“I tried to win the sack races, but noteven halfway through, I fell,” Green saidgood-naturedly. “And now we’re going toget our faces painted.”During the official flag-raising ceremony,two Marines formally presented a flagthat had flown over the U.S. Capitol. Theflag was raised to half-mast in respect for therecent passing of former U.S. PresidentRonald Reagan.The crowd proudly sung both the CostaRican and the U.S. national anthems, thendug deep into its elementary school past forthe Pledge of Allegiance, many with onehand over their heart and the other handclutching a cup of beer.Though in a different country now, thespeeches of Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) andSen. Richard Shelby (R-Alabama) appearedto instill patriotism in the crowd (see separatestory).“Senator Cornyn and I have only beenhere a few hours, but we feel at homebecause we’ve been welcomed by so manypeople. We feel like this is a great Americanpresence here,” Shelby said.IN Guanacaste, between Liberia andPlayas del Coco, another festivity tookplace. While the party has traditionally beenheld and organized by Laura Hahn, this yearthe celebration was organized by the Boyand Girl Scout troop of Liberia.The festivities, held on the Hahn’s property,included traditional Costa Ricandances, volleyball, children’s games andhorseshoe tossing. It was rumored there weremore Canadians in attendance, but hand-heldAmerican flags were prevalent. Aside fromthe dominant English being spoken, Spanishand German could also be heard amongstparty-goers. The all-day party came to aclose with a fireworks display as soon as thesky darkened.(Tico Times Reporter Betsy Yagla contributedto this report from Guanacaste).

THE Magic Flute, the opera, will be performed by Opera Novaat Teatro Mozart Saturday, Sunday and Monday evening.The masterpiece opera, by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, is sungin German and dialogues will be spoken in Spanish.Karen Esquivel, founder and director of Opera Nova, said whileaudience members may not understand the words to the songs, itwould be difficult to misunderstand what’s happening on stage.Mozart wrote the opera in 1791, between the FrenchRevolution and his death. The work’s complicated plot is full ofsymbols, ideals and ideas of the Masons as well as fantasy elements,like a magical flute, sorcerers and a dragon.“I’m not a Mason,” Esquivel said, laughing. “We’ve adapted alittle bit of that Masonic stuff, and played up more of the fairy-taleaspect of the work.”THREE genies will serve as narrators and describe what ishappening in the opera as if they were reading a fairy tale.The Magic Flute has become one of the most widely performedoperas, but it has never been performed in Costa Rica before, shesaid.“It’s a very important work and it’s very fun,” Esquivel said.“Really, it’s for children, the opera is very fantastic with a very badwitch character, a unicorn and other magic animals and lots of glitter.Basically, it’s a love story and the fight between good and evil.”Opera Nova designed all the props, set pieces and costumes.The group’s goal, apart from providing quality opera productionsto the public, is to train young, talented singers.Not only do their opera students learn voice techniques andhow to put together a stage, but they also participate in the operas.EVEN though they’re students, Esquivel said they have veryprofessional voices.“The girl who plays the princess is great and the queen is magnificent.When she sings, it’s like fireworks,” she said.The opera will not be performed in its entirety, only excerpts.Esquivel said she cut out the “boring” or slow parts and left in themost “fun and exciting” scenes. The show will take a little morethan two hours with an intermission.THIS will be the group’s second performance. Last year, forthe first show, Esquivel said they were expecting about 100 peopletotal over the course of two days. Instead, they had a full house andhad to turn people away and ended up performing an extra night.The opera begins at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday and Monday and at5 p.m. on Sunday at the Teatro Mozart in San Francisco de DosRíos. Tickets are ¢3,000 ($7) for the general public or ¢2,000($4.60) for students and senior citizens. For more info or to requesttickets, call 836-4920 or e-mail divamom@racsa.co.cr

LOVED for his lyrical edge and musicaltalent, Ismael Serrano is bringing hismusic and its fame to a fund-raiser for theconstruction of a school in a lower-classneighborhood in Alajuelita.During his second visit to Costa Rica,the acclaimed, and in some circles legendary,Spanish singer/songwriter will performin San José July 15 and 16 with hisentire 12-piece band.One of the new generation of singersingrained in a 30-year-old tradition ofprotest songs that pierced a Spanish dictatorship,Serrano is a poet of social movements.Ticket sales for the twonights are expected to raise$27,000 toward the purchaseof a plot of land forthe Alajuelita school. Thetotal price is $80,000,according to Luis Mata,director of the Adopt-a-School Association. Heenvisions a “modern”school with Internet connectionsin every classroom,a stocked library anda capacity for 1,200 studentsin a lower class neighborhood.Through an arrangement with theMinistry of Education, construction shouldbegin by the end of August, Mata said.To rope Serrano in on the fundraiser, hesimply wrote the singer an e-mail throughhis Web site.“I knew he was interested in social causesand he wanted to help,” Mata said.SERRANO’S fame has swelled on hisinterest in social causes. With a style thatcould be described as mature, electric andacoustic Spanish folk with sharply tippedlyrics aimed at the usual targets – governments,and war, with some respite for a lovesong or two – Serrano has taken to the forefrontof a revival of Spanish discontent.His is a tradition that was nursed back ina series of bars and cafés that opened inMadrid in the early 1990s. They lent a spaceand an audience to a group of youngsinger/songwriters who were weaned onmusic that defied the political climate of 20years before. The country was wallowingunder the dictatorship of Francisco Francowhen those forebears to Serrano’s generationtook to the stage, and was a governmentthat armed the singers with abundant reasonsfor complaint.Serrano’s music and the new wave ofpolitically charged songs found audiencesthat were aware that the country was different,but believed that they should remainattentive.Serrano champions the “second greatsuperpower,” a phrase perhapscoined by the Spanishwriter José Saramago afterthe worldwide demonstrationsFebruary 15, 2003 –meaning that there are nowtwo superpowers in theworld: the United States,and the force of publicopinion.HIS last album,released in September2003, is a double set featureof his most likedsongs and six that werepreviously unrecorded, and includes a songwritten to that second superpower, “ZonaCero” (Ground Zero).The song is a tour of sites of suffering inthe world, all of which Serrano calls “groundzero.” It opens with the attack on the WorldTrade Center and then criticizes the militantwest’s reaction in one brilliant line: “Thesons of decline armed themselves inresponse.”Atreatise for peace follows: “It’s a shamethat you don’t know how to share yourmercy./ Each wound in the skin of this planetis also a ground zero that cries./ And you openanother wound, repeating the same mistake.”The song then hauls listeners on a poeticvisit to other ground zeros: Kabul, Palestineand an undefined “south” where “there are noSeptembers, nor regrets for this land piercedby fire.” And there are others such as India,Grozni, and a poignant vision of Africa where“ground zero distends stomachs and fills bedswith shadows and delirium.”But the sentiment climaxes in the choruswhen the “you” is revealed and Serranochallenges the religious terminology used tojustify the war in Iraq: “And now you, mylove,/ little great superpower/ wake up/ andtell me… that you will plant flowers aroundthe city./ That you will make me tremble./…Let’s go out on the street early/ to shout/that in our name they must not cut/ the handsthat plant seeds/ that nurture./ And if it is inHis name,/ I curse God.”ANOTHER of the “oldies” in his repertoirehas been brought up to date to take aswing at the war in Iraq, but retains most ofits original dissentious appeal.The song, first released on his first albumin 1997, has the unfortunate name “Papácuéntame otra vez” (Dad tell me again), butmakes interesting use of it: “Dad tell me againthat pretty story/ of police and fascists/ andstudents with bangs/ and the sweet urbanguerrillas in bell-bottom pants/ and songs ofthe Rolling Stones, and girls in mini-skirts/Dad tell me again of how you had fun ruiningthe old age of rusty dictators…”The song ambles like that through nostalgiafor rebellion and regret for the futility ofprotests in the streets, spilt blood, police barricades,and the loss of “locos” and pariahs.“Jean Paul Sartre is far away, Paris is faraway,/ and at times I think/ that everything isthe same./ Those who talk too much arebeaten./ And there are the same deaths, rottenby cruelty./ Yesterday they died inBosnia, now they die in Baghdad…”The messages that he does not deliver inhis music, he publishes in newspapers or onhis Web site. The last two articles he wrotedenounce the invasion of Iraq and theattempts of former Spanish President JoséMaría Aznar and his ruling Popular Party tosquelch the news that the bombers of Madridhad ties to Al Qaeda before the presidentialelection days after.He will perform at the NationalAuditorium in the Children’s Museum inSan José at 8 p.m. July 15 and 16.Tickets cost ¢10,000 ($22.85) at thedoor, ¢8,000 ($18.28) in advance and ¢7,000($16) for students with identification. Formore info or to purchase tickets, call theNational Auditorium at 222-7647 or theAdopt-a-School Association at 280-7541.For info on Ismael Serrano, to read hisarticles (in Spanish) and see photos, visit hisWeb site at www.ismaelserrano.com.