OFF THE CUFF“Yes We Can” – Lessons learned from World Youth Day

Anyone, who  strolled along the Cinta Costera  last week and witnessed the exuberance of scores of thousands of young pilgrims during the The World Youth Day (WYD/JMJ) celebrations or saw happy groups, clustered around their national flags as  they brought deserted streets back to  joyous life  without the need for alcohol stimulus that bedevils  Carnival,  realized that, if only for a few days there was a “Yes We Can” feeling in the air. If it can be extended during the upcoming election campaign it might aid the “No to reelection” movement, and rid Panama of self-serving thieves disguised as lawmakers.

On Wednesday, January 30   Rodrigo Noriega listed in La Prensa some of the insights gained during the event.

*  Possibilities – There are no more excuses for not taking on big projects that involve us all equally. we can all make it possible.  

*  Volunteers are a sleeping giant. Some 18,000 volunteers, of which about( 80% Panamanians) made possible the human action that from Chiriquí to Darién mobilized, received, attended, fed, guided and guided the hundreds of thousands of visitors. The volunteers had to put money out of their pocket and find their own means to achieve these ends.  Imagine what could be achieved using this force for other laudable purposes, such as eradicating illiteracy, organizing communities to improve their style and quality of life and defeating the nefarious criminal gangs.  

*  WYD would not have been a success without the logistics of public transport. I do not imagine the “red devils” carrying pilgrims safely and efficiently. Lines 1 and 2 of the Metro mobilized more than 497 thousand people daily. However, taxis are still the missing link in this system. We need to address this issue, otherwise, sooner or later we will pass the bill. 

*  Air tickets are strangling tourism The Guatemalan delegation, said that their group would be made up of more than 2,000 pilgrims, but a ticket price increase in the tickets left half behind. Some pilgrims from Costa Rica preferred to charter a ship to come to Panama by sea they were joined by pilgrims from Mexico and Europe. It is cheaper to fly from Costa Rica to Mexico, than to Panama.

*   Tourism can be the great economic activity that raises the whole country, but cannot be the model of “Canal and casino”, but tourism that takes advantage of and empowers the country, reaching all the provinces and regions. 

*   Culture was the great absentee of WYD. No one found out that the city of Panama, celebrates its 500th anniversary in 2019, There were no museums available for pilgrims since the Canal Museum in Casco Viejo Antiguo inaccessible due to the events on the Cinta Costera which also affected the Biomuseo., the Museum of Contemporary Art is not friendly to pedestrians and backpackers. Pilgrims wanted to bring books and music from Panama, but there was no offer.

* Deputies were publicly rejected. It is clear that even the Vatican knows their its antics. 

* State Protocol and Ceremonial should be professionalized. The officers charged with the responsibility must be invisible and learn to say no. On at least three occasions, the security of Pope Francis was set aside when deputies wanted to get closer For example, when it was wanted to allow the proximity of the deputies to the exit of the church San Francisco de Asís, and the Cathedral Basilica Santa María la Antigua, and the arrival and the farewell at Tocumen.airport  Protocol officers have to learn to say “no” to politicians.  

*  Pope Francis brought an inclusive message. He embraced and effusively celebrated the representatives of the different religions practiced in Panama. The pontiff visited a center for juvenile offenders and a facility that serves people with HIV / AIDS. The discriminatory discourse against the United Nations, ranting against Sandra Sandoval and attacking the gay lobby comes from local priests who are tuned to another agenda. Take care they don’t lose all the goodwill that the Catholic Church received.

Aftermath Now we return to the country of before. Hopefully, we do not fall back The obstacles are a lack of courtesy in handling chat, aggressiveness, and disorder. The absence of good manners in public offices is a personal decision, as is throwing garbage into the street or other barbarities typical of our daily lives. The sun dad (Saint Francis of Assisi, was called the “sun brother”) brought us an opportunity to know the best side of Panamanians, the only influencers that can change that for good or for bad this reality are ourselves.