I chose to make a visual list showing my perspective of Mexico. I relearned what I had forgotten. There are many more positive elements in Mexican history and culture than there are unacceptable imperfections. There is great hope.

We are pleased to announce that Liliana is doing much better. While recovering and against all odds, she earned her bachelors degree in education. She invited us to her graduation ceremony and celebration. A few months later she landed a teaching job at an elementary school in Cd. Juarez. This young woman is a survivor and an inspiration. Her recovery has a long way to go but we are confident that with your help, we can continue to help her heal.

Below is a testimony submitted by Liliana on her recovery.

Dentro de mi recuperación sobre el atentado que afecto a mi persona la recuperación ha sido lenta pero gracias el apoyo que solidariamente han aportado las asociaciones de Pastoral Obrera  a si como la asociación de Estados Unidos  PEACE OF ART quienes han estado al pendiente paso a paso de mi recuperación y sobretodo al pendiente de lo que necesite a lo largo de ella.

El medicamento era demasiado costoso a si como el tratamiento de las mallas compresivas pero ahora que he estado usando ese material  mi estado ha mejorado las cicatrización es mejor aun y las secuelas que han dejado en algunas otras partes de mi cuerpo han disminuido considerablemente.

Aunque se que el proceso es largo estoy muy agradecida con el apoyo brindado puesto que no hubiera conseguido ese material por mi propia cuenta por se una persona de bajos recursos ; a lo cual estoy muy agradecida por las atenciones brindadas..

Gracias Sandra y Gaby por estar al pendiente saludos y sobretodo gracias a estas asociaciones que apoyan a personas que son victimas de cosas que desgraciadamente no deberían de pasar de ninguna manera.

Atte C. Liliana

Peace of Art: Design for Change is an exhibit that presents posters of social protest designed by professional and student designers to create awareness of the situation of violence in Cd, Juarez. To give a face to the violence and help people understand that the violence changes people’s lives. It is a display of Peace and/or protest on both sides of the border.

More importantly, Peace of Art will raise funds that will aid Cd. Juarez victims and their families.

We are happy to announce that this project has grown much since last year. The exhibit has traveled to many cities including EP, Austin, Tucson, Las Cruces, Cd.Juarez, Mexico CIty, Aguascalientes, etc... We have taken the exhibit to various colleges and universities where we exhibit the artwork and lecture about the situation of violence. We give a face to the violence and ask students to think about their role in the cycle of violence. We also touch on the importance that art, specifically graphic design can play when there are situations of social injustice.

We have been very successful when it comes to creating awareness and educating people on both the U.S. and Mexico, but we are struggling with raising funds to help out people. We have managed to raise enough money to help out a young woman named Liliana. Below is a summary of her story.

The evening of July 8th, 2010 as we, peace of art, were gathered to see the POA exhibit, Liliana, a college student, went to a pharmacy in Cd. Juarez. While shopping, two armed men came into the store and asked everyone to go down to the flo...or. They proceeded to spray the entire place and the people in it with gasoline, locked everyone inside and burned the place down. The other two people in the store died. Liliana managed to get up and jumped through a window, cutting her arms in order to escape from the flames. She survived. Most of her body was burned except her face. She had 1st, 2nd and 3rd degree burns throughout her body.

She got basic medical treatment because she is from lower class. The treatment she received was not the kind a burned patient would need. Nevertheless, she survived. She was in the hospital for months in excruciating pain. At the time, she had been attending college but due to her injuries that caused her to be absent, she was dropped from the school. Afraid she would lose the year, she risked her life by leaving her house risking infection, went to the school and asked the dean to let her continue the semester from her house. A house that she shares with ten other people. The dean, her classmates and professors all agreed to assist her and so last May, she courageously finished her degree in education and is now teacher looking for employment.

Unfortunately, she has not had the appropriate treatment and has managed with the little she has. Her skin has not healed appropriately and so she has much scar tissue and her skin is still quite weak and risks infection, especially in her arms, hands and feet. She has gone to various organizations including public ones, asking for help but she has been turned down because she never went to the authorities to declare or accuse the people who did this to her. Of course, she is too afraid of retaliation from these criminals. She finally came to Pastoral Obrera, our sister organization in Cd. Juarez.

As you all may know, Peace of Art is about creating awareness of the situation of violence in the US/MEX border, but most importantly, it is about helping people. Liliana needs some special gloves and silicon patches in order to restore her skin and Peace of Art Fund will be providing this for her.

Please help us in aiding people like Liliana who is like she called it, "Collateral damage of this senseless violence."

Here is Liliana's story as she wrote it in her application.

Ser un daño colateral

Liliana Elizabeth

Soy Liliana, una joven que emigró de una zona rural  a Ciudad Juárez para estudiar en la universidad y seguir con sus sueños  profesionales.   A mediados de 2010, estaba por concluir mi sexto semestre de la carrera de maestra en educación y todo iba favorable, con la rutina normal de la escuela  y algo cansada por ser fin de ciclo escolar.  Me encontraba realizando el servicio social y los trabajos de campo en algunas escuelas y centros comunitarios de la ciudad, en mi futuro se veían muchas cosas buenas, hasta que llegó  el día 10 de julio del año 2010 y mi vida cambió como nunca pude imaginar.

Ese día, ocurrió algo trascendental e inexplicable en mi vida, me ví envuelta en un hecho violento efectuado por la delincuencia organizada de Cd. Juárez.  A causa de ese acto delictivo, me convertí en una víctima y en parte de las estadísticas de la violencia en Juárez.

Ese día de julio, camino a casa, aproximadamente a las 3 de la tarde, entré a una farmacia a comprar un medicamento, en ese mismo momento, entraron dos sujetos armados y nos apuntaron al dueño del negocio y a mi, dando la orden de  tirarnos al suelo.  Cuando lo hicimos, rápidamente empezaron a rosear gasolina sobre el local, los muebles y nosotros mismo… y prender fuego.

En cuestión de segundos, todo empezó a incendiarse, resultamos gravemente heridos.  El dueño de la farmacia, después de agonizar por unos pocos días, falleció a causa de las quemaduras.

Yo estuve hospitalizada por 20 días con lesiones muy graves, tuve quemaduras en todo mi cuerpo, de 1º., 2º., y 3er. grado.  Tuve afectaciones en mis pies, mis dos brazos completos, el torzo y la cara.  Fueron días muy difíciles e inexplicables, el dolor era insoportable y tenían que drogarme para poder soportarlo.

Al paso del tiempo, me he dado cuenta de lo devastador, terrible e injusto que es convertirse en parte de las estadísticas, de las cifras de violencia y sobretodo, de ser inocente de toda la inseguridad que vivimos y pasar a ser un daño colateral que afecta y cambia la vida propia y de la familia en muchos aspectos.

Además de arriesgar la vida en Juárez por la violencia, se crea un sentimiento de impotencia, porque es difícil aceptar ser una víctima, solo por presenciar un hecho que esas personas llevan a cabo sin ningún temor a nada.

Tuve que pasar por una larga recuperación de las heridas  en casa, a pesar de que el riesgo de una infección era muy latente.  Al salir del hospital y buscar mi material de rehabilitación, me encontré con otra realidad que deja la violencia, los medicamentos, el tratamiento y los materiales de curación eran caros, necesitaba 18 mil pesos que no tenía, y simplemente no pude comprarlos y si tuve que asumir las consecuencias de no contar con el tratamiento necesario para mis terribles quemaduras.

He sido una estudiante de bajos recursos económicos, en un tiempo, trabajé de afanadora en una maquila para continuar mis estudios, el sueldo eran 500 pesos por semana, y apenas alcanzaba para seguir estudiando.  Tuve que dejar ese trabajo, porque cada vez la universidad era mas pesada.  Mis padres no cuentan con los recursos económicos para mi rehabilitación, de los propietarios de la farmacia no recibí nada, por parte del municipio, fui a pedir apoyo pero no me lo brindaron, también acudí al Centro de Atención a Víctimas de la Violencia, organización del gobierno y la condición para un poco de ayuda era interponer la denuncia.  Por motivo del miedo y temor de represalias, a mi persona y mi familia, decidimos no denunciar, y de esa oficina, tampoco recibí nada.

Hoy en día, hace un año ya de los hechos, me han realizado una cirugía y falta aún un largo camino para mi curación.  Sigue siendo urgente que utilice mallas de compresión en brazos, pies y dedos, para una mejor cicatrización, y sigo buscando quién me apoye con mi material de curación.

Este año 2011, con muchos problemas que tuve que sortear en la universidad y algunos profesores, me gradué, soy maestra en educación.  Acabo de presentar un exámen de oposición para ocupar el puesto de maestra y con gran alegría he pasado a la segunda etapa, en que de 300 maestros y maestras, sólo 80 habremos de seguir con el proceso.  Asumí con valor que la vida sigue y mi decisión, a pesar de todo el dolor y toda la injustcia, es continuar construyendo mi presente y futuro.

In current American politics the phrase, "God Bless America" and the infusion of Church into State has become rampant. Basic compassion towards other societies and races seems to have been lost in the quest for the "American Dream". Therefore I ask, why should God just bless America and not others, like Mexico?

Reception will be held on

THURSDAY JANUARY 26th, 4-6 pm.

How to get here:

Eastside of El Paso:
Take I-10 west; Exit at the Downtown Exit, proceed west on Missouri cross Santa Fe, continue west on Missouri, left on Durango, The public parking lot will be located to your right at the corner of Durango and Franklin.

Westside of El Paso:
Take I-10 East; exit right at the Porfirio Diaz Exit; continue on access road to Porfirio Diaz and turn right on Franklin, proceed to the public parking located on you left side at the corner of Franklin and Durango.

Northeast El Paso:
Take US 54 South to Las Cruces Exit which leads to I-10 West, proceed on I-10 West; exit at the Downtown Exit, proceed west on Missouri crossing Santa Fe to Durango to Porfirio Diaz where the Public Parking lot will be located to your right at the corner of Durango and Franklin.

JOIN US!

The phrase "Unity Creates Strength" is a powerful phrase that invite us to reflect on our lives. Unity is a social value that creates harmony and therefore a peaceful environment.  As citizens, we need to be clear on our objective, PEACE. Through a human chain we all need to share our ideas, our heart and fight for the same cause. In my poster, the chain has lights symbolizing people, hope and peace. Parts of the chain are empty and dark. These dark spaces represent the missing people, people who are still not part of the movement. We must take initiative and be part of the movement to complete the human chain and obtain our objective of restoring peace in our lives.

For this poster I decided to use two elements; the first one is a symbol of peace and love, and the second one is a hand. The hand is not fully extended and the symbol of peace can be also interpreted as money.

This image indicates that peace is as valuable as money, and we should share it hand by hand among each other.

This poster represents a citizen's complaint against corruption, which is causing a big problem in our society. Our silence is making us slaves of this situation of corruption and violence.

The figure that is unlocked represents those who raise their voice, fighting to get back peace. This figure is making a difference if we compare it with the rest of the figures that are locked by silence. If we share our feelings, thoughts and opinions, it will be easy to make a change in our society.

The most important thing is to participate, leave fear behind us and do something to make the difference.

This poster talks about the violence against women. We need to raise awareness about this situation that has been affecting our society. This poster is a call for help to end with this problem that has been growing specially in Ciudad Juárez. Is time to raise our voices and say “No More Violence". In this poster a man’s foot symbolizes violence, and the group of ants represent female unity that creates strength. There are many associations giving support to the victims of violence, yet is time to do something for ourselves and as a women fight for our rights.