On Dec. 26 2009 the delegation of international marchers arrived in Arica, the northern-most Chilean city at the border with Peru. As the video shows, the international marchers were met at the border by local media, World March supporters and the Viajeros por la Paz, who arrived the night before. The marchers then traveled in caravan to the Plaza Vicuna Mackenna, which included cars, motorcycles, and the 'Women for Peace' truck. There they held a rally that include speeches and dance performances. Later that day the caravan continued its journey south through other Chilean cities.
The testimonios we feature in this section of the exhibit are by local organizers from Arica on the eve of the arrival. The night before, the bus with the Memoscopio team and the Viajeros por la Paz bus had arrived from La Paz after long hours of travel. Many of us meet about two-dozen local organizers, who were busy at a downtown office planning the logistics of the next day's events. There, Milena, Eddie, and Cristian found a moment to share their reflections. Later in that evening, Nelson, Any and Rosita took a break from setting up the stage at Plaza Vicuna Mackenna, and shared their testimonios.
These six testimonios explore some of the themes that appear throughout the archive, such as : 1. The March as responding to a long-life search. 2. The March not as an end, but a start. 3. Their despair and suffering from feeling violence, dehumanization, and injustice are impossible to overcome. 4. The feeling of hope and possibility that Marchers get from the year of work, from reaching out to others in organizing and through their testimonio. 5. The connection between the personal and the social. 6. The issue of borders and exclusion, versus solidarity and inclusion across places. 7. A growing sense of belonging to a community of people to believe peace is possible. 8. The development of a definition of nonviolence.