“In the Shadow of the United States: The Nicaraguan Experience in the Face of Militarization and Globalization”
Holman Moraga, when he visited Bard, was a young leader from rural Nicaragua and a university student and a member of the Arenal Solidarity Group, which confronts the direct effects of neoliberal policy on the community through education and advocacy.
Holman and his community have experienced first-hand the effects of neoliberal policy, militarism and globalization. Born during the Sandinista Revolution, Holman has come of age as neoliberalism has taken hold of Nicaragua. As small farmers lost their support and technical assistance, community members organized to ensure that their agricultural cooperative was able to keep the land it received as part of the Agrarian Reform. Now privatization of public services and free trade are the biggest threats to the rural community.
As a Free Trade Agreement with United States (CAFTA) looms over Central America, Holman’s dedication to protecting the livelihood of his community has led him to participate in organizing against free trade and the neoliberal agenda. Locally, the Solidarity Group continues to work to improve the quality of the community’s health care and education, now providing medical laboratory services, a children’s library and scholarships for university students.
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