La Guerre Silencieuse

Structural Violence as Farmer points out creates much suffering for the inhabitants that fall victim to it. In Pathologies of power he discusses the key factor that most suffering continues to circle back to is poverty, poverty and a lack of knowledge of what is happening. Poverty leads the poor to believe they have no rights, and must do ‘what needs be done’ to get by, while on the other hand gives authoritative figures this sense of dictatorship. While telling Acephies story he comments on how Acephies tragedy began, “…and so when Acephies good looks caught the eye of Captain Honorat…she returned his gaze” (Farmer 33). In context this quote is demonstrating that even though she does not wish to be with, or succumb to the Captain, due to her social status and the possibly of a “step up” or maybe even food it could bring to the table, she allows herself to be taken advantage of by him. She says, “It was a way out, that’s how I saw it” (Farmer 34).

Unfortunately Acephie’s story as we know ends tragically, but it doesn’t/didn’t have to: By addressing structural violence Farmer hopes to end political, economical, and social strife. Rather then sending money to these poverty ridden countries he sets up institutions (hospitals) such as the one in Haiti that give the people of the country a chance to proser as well as help their countrymen. The problem is the insitutions that run Haiti many of them are corrupt and take from the people. Farmer staffs, or as much as he can, with local Haitians this way he is one creating local sustainable jobs, two creating a sustainable health care system that does not rely on western doctors, and finally creating a sustainable program that can continue to flourish after the “Farmers” are gone. The key to ending structural violence is creating a new SUSTAINABLE structure in which can replace the old. A Dr. who graduated from Harvard now works at the hospital in Haiti when asked if he though the program would continue after all the Paul Farmers were out of the picture, he replied with a confident yes. Not only has Paul Farmer created a sustainable program but he has also filled it with people with like minded goals.

In Farmers book he states, “In many societies, crimes of domestic violence and rape are not even discussed and thus invisible” (Farmer 45). Because of this he continues to reiterate that in order to bring change we must first bring knowledge, as well as relate ability. In the chapter Farmer explains that many people do not acknowledge suffering because one many societies just do not discuss or broadcast the true suffering and two many people can not understand suffering because they do not relate. For this reason he chooses two not anecdotal stories that are the worst of the worst, but rather two stories that are more than common in Haiti, they are life. In this way we can bring awareness and hopefully change to countries who are truly suffering, where they should not have to be.

Unfortunately I am currently left with out a “permanent service” but I hope to be substituting with the canal alliance. If I am to work with them in the near future I think being open/listening will be a very difficult task, as these children speak very little english if any at all. Because of that I feel it would be my duty to teach them the best I can the correct tools and words in order to communicate with people their strife and structural violence they are submitted to. By helping them communicate their troubles then hopefully they can help me and the people around them understand and help their situations.

“Life for the Haitian peasant of today…,is abject misery and a rank familariarity with death” (Farmer 30).

“Where every day life has felt, often enough, like war” (Farmer 31).

“…and so when Acephies good looks caught the eye of Captain Honorat…she returned his gaze” (farmer 33).

“It was a way out, that’s how I saw it” (Farmer 34).

“We both need diapers now she remarked bitterly towards the end of her life” (Farmer 35)

“…aproximate 23,000 Haitains applied for political assylum in the U.S. Eight applications were approved” (Farmer 36).

“…at no point in the commentary was Aristides name invoked” (Farmer 370.

“In many societies, crimes of domestic violence and rape are not even discussed and thus invisible” (Farmer 45).