IMG_0379 IMG_0381

What’s up fellow glimpsers’ families and amigos,

Coming live from the beautiful Constanza, Dominican Republic, Soha and Angela are here to update you with the activities and lessons learned from the day, Politics Day! Today we went to the Binational Youth Forum to meet the mayor elect and discuss different topics in regards to politics and government with local youth from the community. We were very excited to meet the mayor but did not anticipate to wait nearly an hour – 45 minutes to be exact – for his arrival. We know of the Dominican time (fashionably 15-20 minutes late), however, it was upsetting that a local politician would care so little about a youth forum to better his community. Additionally, his scripted speech was only five minutes long and he rushed out without time for us to ask him any questions. His presence upset both us glimpsers and the local youth because it demonstrated how little politicians, like the mayor, care for the input of voices and opinions of the community. We then worked along with the local youth to talk about the issues that affect their lives in regards to education, health, security, and the environment and then presented in front of the forum members. We gained more experience of Dominican Politics by listening to our local youth and were able to connect politics here to politics back home. It was very obvious that the peoples’ needs are not being met, yet the mayor is doing little to nothing about it. It’s also very interesting to know and discuss common day politics and the limits of corrupt government – this does not exclude western nations like the United States.

Later we ventured out into the streets in small groups and visited boutiques, restaurants, and ice cream parlors. All in all it was a very great day and we learned a lot both as glimpsers and leaders of the day!

Blessings and goodnight to your families, take care. We love you all very much.

Signing off,

Soha and Angela