“Where there is no vision, the people perish” Proverbs 29:18 KJV
As our venture develops, let us keep focus on the larger purpose of Los Sueños: The Dreams. Initially the vision was simple – provide houses for families that deserved a house but could not afford them. While this tenant remains, it is part of a larger vision – community, or community development. And it is more than placing people in houses, it is about making it their home.
People, particularly islanders, deserve shelter of their own, which enhances dignity. They deserve a piece of their own island – one where the cost of living is ever-increasing, and the chance of home ownership has become a distant dream.
However, the vision encompasses something larger – one which greater social value is achieved through relational connections. This is originally demonstrated through the site plan configuration. There is no row housing or two-level apartments. Instead, it has warm, inviting sub-communities which are intentionally shaped in circular patterns promoting communication and relationship development. Secondly, the homeowners are will become members of and manage their own community with specific standards and expectations for maintaining a safe and comfortable environment. Homeowners will participate in meetings and serve on boards, which encourages involvement in community affairs. The Solid Rock Church provides a place of worship and critical spiritual connectivity. The Solid Rock School, and the future library\computer center will increase access to educational opportunities. Additionally, the development of park facilities is an essential component of the overall vision.
Plato is quoted as saying “You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than a year of conversation.“ Parks in the USA are essential for solid family development, serving as hubs for both kids and adults. This is true for both the Los Sueños and surrounding community. It is not ALF’s, the central government’s or the municipality’s responsibility to solve all problems and issues that arise in the local area. However, if we create a space where connection and communication can occur, people will learn from and encourage each other toward growth.
One of the growing social issues is the enlargement of the Spanish mainlander population coming to Roatan for jobs and to find a safer place to live. As tourism grows this trend is expected to continue. The islanders and Spanish mainlanders have different cultures. They compete for the limited jobs available on the island. Islanders have also historically maintained an independent spirit that can, at times, create fertile grounds for tensions to rise among differing people groups. So how can Los Sueños: The Dreams be a model for positive relationship between differing groups?
To answer that, we’ll look at two central concepts of Catholic social teaching: solidarity and subsidiarity. Both have been influential beyond Catholic circles, including in European Union law, which considers them key principles.
Pope John Paul II defined solidarity as “a firm and persevering determination to commit oneself to the common good; that is to say to the good of all and of each individual, because we are all really responsible for all.”
The second concept, subsidiarity, is generally understood as the principle that social and political activities should be organized insofar as possible at the local level. Or in the words of John Paul II, “a community of a higher order should not interfere in the internal life of a community of a lower order, depriving the latter of its functions, but rather should support it in case of need and help to coordinate its activity with the activities of the rest of society, always with a view to the common good.” (my emphasis)
Los Sueños: The Dreams seeks to integrate these two concepts into the fabric of our community. We are building a space where families and individuals can act in solidarity with one-another, supporting the common good before self through service the community and respecting the established community standards. We also promote subsidiarity by designing a community that manages itself at the local level. Standards are created and upheld from within the community itself. Neighbors will hold each other responsible for maintaining the integrity of the community without outside intervention to the highest degree possible. We believe that a community founded upon these two principles will facilitate positive relationships between all members of the community, allowing people to experience life together regardless of their differences.
The community development model we are structuring is very important with the Los Sueños: The Dreams community, and also Roatan and Honduras as a whole. We envision this positively impacting the surrounding communities of Gravels Bay, Pensacola and Flowers Bay. We hope that this model will prove accessible and desirable to local islanders, and become the prototype for similar communities elsewhere on the island and beyond.
David and Brenda Dachner