Learning from Changemakers Across the Globe

At The Spark Movement we’re really passionate about creating a movement of changemakers who are leaving a legacy for the next generation. All over the world, people are waking up to their personal power and the realisation that they can be a conduit for change. Rather than waiting for big organisations, governments and leaders to do what’s right, increasingly it is individuals, small groups and communities who are leading the change.

There’s so much we can learn from one another to seed and ignite this kind of people-driven change. Last month we packed our bags and travelled to Guatemala in Central America to do just that, working on a very special project with some incredible changemakers, learning and sharing skills in storytelling and filmmaking to capture unique stories.

It’s been a life-changing experience in more ways than one. In this blog post we’ll share the stories of these changemakers, while the short documentary films we’ve been making get finalised, alongside some reflections about travelling with purpose.

We joined a US-based organisation, Actuality Abroad, to participate in this trip, alongside a local social enterprise, Etnica, which specialises in helping people to engage in ethical and responsible tourism.

Actuality Abroad helps impact-driven storytellers get the training, experience and support they need to travel the world and tell stories that matter. Their documentary travel experiences explore nonfiction mediamaking, ethical storytelling and responsible travel. In each destination, they partner with local changemakers and co-create media content that amplifies their work, together learning how to tell better stories about real life around the world. Learn more here.

We were working deep in the Guatemalan jungle in a community called Uaxactún. This remote village is in the heart of the Mayan Biosphere Reserve, 35 miles from the nearest town and accessible only by one road, surrounded by lush jungle filled with parrots, monkeys, jaguars and toucans. But this community is even more unique: it’s situated in the heart of the ancient Mayan archaeological sites, some of which date back as far as the fourth century BC.

Over the course of a week, we spent countless hours working with and learning from this community, understanding their challenges and their successes, much of which were centred around universal themes of protecting the natural environment, becoming economically sustainable as a community, and ensuring the next generation can flourish – themes we can all relate to.

Guardians of the Forest

Our group of nine had travelled from across the world to take part in the project, and we were welcomed and hosted by an incredible man, Don Erwin, Deputy Mayor of Uaxactún and community leader.

From Mayan descent, Don Erwin came to this small community many years ago, drawn by the promise of work, collecting natural gum from the cedar trees, a job he started doing at just 7 years old. He described his childhood as being deeply connected to the forest, spending his days amongst the trees which would come to profoundly influence his path in life. He described experiencing a ‘spark’ of purpose one day and began learning about sustainability, taking qualifications to build his knowledge, despite receiving no schooling and not being able to read or write. Now he helps to preserve the forest that he had come to love, rising to become Deputy Mayor of Uaxactún and today helps to lead this unique community with passion and dedication.

Under his guidance, the community have developed sustainable logging processes which bring a much-needed income, whilst helping to maintain the biosphere. The community members catalogue every single tree and work with local cooperatives to ensure that the process of logging protects the overall forest, preventing illegal logging practices and mitigating the impact of climate change, which is a growing problem.

To say Don Erwin is a changemaker is an understatement. I would describe him as a guardian of the forest, bringing his legacy of ancient Mayan wisdom to his role as protector, conservationist and community leader. Don Erwin shared his passion for ensuring the next generation continue this vital work: “I think the task I have is to leave a notable legacy in Uaxactún so that young people never lose sight of what we worked for.”

Later in the week we worked with another inspiring man, Don Emilio, who at 68 years young still climbs the trees of the lush tropical rainforest to conduct a unique process of extracting natural gum from the trees, which can be sold to make products such as chewing gum.

We met Don Emilio deep in the jungle, and watched wide-eyed as he swung his machete to carve deep grooves in the bark, allowing him to skillfully ascend the tree trunk in seconds. With just a thin rope slung around his waist and metal grips in his boots, Don Emilio climbed higher and higher without breaking a sweat, all the while slashing deep grooves into the tree to release its precious sap, which collects at the base of the trunk.

Later this liquid is boiled until it becomes thick and viscose, stretching before our eyes like putty, until its cooled and placed into moulds. Later it will be sold to companies who will use it to make chewing gum and other products, although sadly the community have lost many of their long-standing buyers, losing a vital income stream.

This simple process might seem archaic, yet for indigenous communities it provides essential work and income. What’s more, there’s a natural symbiosis with the forest, never taking more than they need – a habit most Western countries seem to have forgotten, as we use and abuse our natural resources.

Finally, we worked alongside an incredibly passionate woman, Doña Nerea, who is a self-appointed protector of the ancient Mayan archaeological sites situated all around this unique village, many of which are thousands of years old and steeped in mystery.

Did you ever hear those rumours that ‘the world was due to end in 2012’ because of the end of the Mayan calendar? Well, that ancient calendar was created in this tiny community. Their incredible Mayan ancestors built temples that were perfectly coordinated to the solar system, creating one of the world’s first calendars dating back to at least the 5th century BC.

Now, Doña Nerea and others are striving to protect these ancient monuments and the dozens of artefacts that have been found during the excavations. Alongside her brother, she’s collected over 500 precious ancient artefacts, rescuing them from looters who seek to destroy the sites and take what they can for commercial gain.

With her brother, Doña Neria has created a museum in the tiny village that we were lucky enough to visit. She said, “We want to tell future generations that this is a legacy that our ancestors left us, and that we are leaving it to them to continue protecting, conserving and admiring it. Because it is not only ours, it belongs to the whole world.”

A Legacy of Change

In a country that has been plagued by corruption, civil war and now the growing challenges brought by a changing climate, this work is vital – not just for Guatemala but for all of us. Whether we realise it or not, we all rely on the dedication of these guardians of nature around the globe: those who refuse to let the natural world be destroyed by big corporations and corrupt governments who willingly destroy our planet in favour of making money – money that rarely gets shared with the communities they affect.

When we begin our efforts as a changemaker, we often can’t see the finishing line – we don’t know if we’ll achieve our goals, and we can easily be plagued by self-doubt, fear and frustration. What this incredible community taught me was that this work that we undertake isn’t for us, and it isn’t really about us, either. We won’t ever know the full impact of our efforts and sometimes we won’t live to see the change we’ve strived for being completely realised. We do this work with a sense of faith that it will all be worthwhile, and that it will create a legacy for those who will come after us. For me, it is always ultimately about our children and youth, and the children of the future. What kind of world will they inherit? What foundations are we laying now, for them to walk upon later?

To be able to travel is a gift that we should feel very privileged to have. It opens up our minds and our hearts to new perspectives and new realities. In a world that’s becoming increasingly polarised and an echo-chamber which doesn’t allow for disagreement or alternative viewpoints, that shift in perspective becomes even more essential.

You may not be able to jet off to the other side of the world, but could you create change in your daily routine, or put yourself in a new space or situation to create that opportunity to see the world differently – and to see yourself differently?  The benefits are truly life-changing, and can set us on a new trajectory that leads us to discover more of ourselves, finding that inner Spark of passion and purpose that the world truly needs.

You can learn more about the incredible work this community are doing in Uaxactún, and the opportunities to visit the mind-blowing Mayan temples through their community tourism offers at https://visituaxactun.com/

Watch this space to see the final documentary films about this incredible community, and we’ll be sharing the stories of more changemakers in our upcoming podcast, launching this September.