Open Letter - Introduction - George Pardo

Dear Friends,

I would like to take this opportunity to answer some questions that have been posed to me and some that I feel may be asked of me in the future. I am the chairman of the FSF60K Nicaragua Committee. At one of the first meetings of the Nicaragua Committee, Peter White said that the committee should have a chairman. Being fluent in Spanish and not seeing an overwhelming response to his request, I decided to volunteer. I ran unopposed for this position and was quickly confirmed by those present. I could be wrong but I don't think anyone else wanted the position. If anyone else wants to be considered to chair this committee or even co-chair please come forth and ask to be considered. I would certainly have no objection.

I have been asked by more than one person why I am willing to volunteer my time and energy to the needy in Nicaragua? What's in it for me? After all no one does something for nothing. I believe I have been already paid, and I am just working to repay what has been given to me. I have been paid in opportunity, blessed with a wonderful family and the ability learn. I was born in Cuba and up age five ate what the ration book allowed me to, used newspaper as toilet paper and had no toys because they simply did not exist. That was only the beginning of what would have been a life of poverty of material things but also a poverty of freedom. Instead, God chose to bring me to the United States, truly a land of opportunity and wealth, by world standards. Not to say that we are not plagued with our own problems in this country, but in spite of whatever problems we may have, we live in a great country. Having been given this great opportunity, the least I can do is to help others gain the opportunity to help themselves as I have been helped. I believe that with the knowledge and technology that the world has today there is no reason that poverty should exist from a resource point of view. I believe the problem is the distribution of resources and technology not the availability or quantity of resources.
I believe being chairman carries with it duties and responsibilities and I take responsibilities very seriously. The most important thing that the chairman can do is to keep everyone informed so everyone can feel part of the club's activities whether they are currently active or not. We all have busy lives with varying obligations. To that end I have set up this blog, so that at least once a month I will post the status of our current projects and and any other important information. I am also trying to establish discussion boards on the Internet to help us more efficiently discuss issues in light of our time limitations and geographic locations. Of course the chairman needs to help facilitate projects also. In addition, the chairman needs to establish the mission of the committee, as a reflection of the interests of the committee members. After various meetings it was decided that the focus of the the committee was economic development and sustainability. This would be in contrast to SF60K that focuses on relief. Needs are so great that sometimes it is required to provide relief before you can even start development efforts. Common sense, compassion and respect of the individual must be the basis of our efforts. Our mission should also be alive with the capability to change if required. This is a short introduction to very complex endeavors and issues but hopefully it has established a flavor for what we wish to do.

I also invite you to post your opinions, views or comments on this blog. Please let me know if you need help doing this.

Let me close this letter, by thanking all of you, for giving me the opportunity to be of service and work with such an outstanding group of citizens of the planet. May God bless our work and all of you.