Books, Cultura de la interoceanidad

Cultura de la Interoceanidad: Narrativas de la identidad nacional (1990-2002)
by Ana Elena Porras
Panama, University Editorial

What's in a metaphor... "Birds of a feather flock together." Your certainly don't want to be called that, especially if you find yourself in the company of shady people.

Very closely related was a recent press article in Panama, the author among other things, stated: "We see how the rest of the world tries to be united in economic and political blocks by promoting cultural, scientific and commercial interchange, while we in Latin America, with relatively similar cultures and customs, are separated by fictitious borders imposed to create nationalistic prides that restrain our interchange"

Let me begin with this: to speak with another person about a subject for which one already holds an opinion loaded with its own prejudices, is one thing, to write a literary review under the same influences is another thing. Nevertheless, to produce a work that manages to penetrate so delicate a subject as the social psychology of Panama --- and to deliver such work with the majesty and impartiality of the great writers --- makes “Cultura de la Interoceanidad” one of those works that will affect both sides of the social debate in Panama, as well as several disciplines in the country’s education system.

Written by Ana Elena Porras, Cultura de la Interoceanidad is about what was previously stated, what follows and then some.

In chapter IV (Metaphors of the State) the work outlines two Panamanian ideological schools, the products of two distinct anthropological regions in the country and the resources they bring to the table. Panama has always been a peaceful country. The only type of violence one can speak of is that of the social communications tactics of some media that are exclusionary even when they try to be inclusive. This is where the war takes place.

In Panama, The Panama Canal has become “the big boy and a symbol of national identity” since 1999 just before the turnover of the canal by the Americans. This has caused a feeling of exclusion by those who don’t live near the canal.

In Panama’s metaphor battles we can find winners and losers on both sides of the equation, but if we want to be realistic, the root of the problem is related to a fight for power on the basis of the resources of production of each region.

On the one hand, those excluded from the “Canal’s related metaphors and its popularity have been traditionally the ones projected as the country’s autochthonous people for the longest time, specifically, since the end of the colonial era in 1821.”

This does not sit well with the people of the “pro mundi beneficio region” --- also an autochthonous people for a long time now.

On the other hand, the pro mundi beneficio people have managed to construct the prettiest capital in Central America while at the same time they have also managed to undermine the development of their ideological and geographical neighbors, and other sectors in their own country, the “deep country” included. Those are the results of a centralized government.

The one region appears to be intolerant and prone to upholding nationalistic ideologies from years gone by. The other region is unwilling to engage in hard farm work as a way of life, thus appears lazy to the first region. They need to learn from each other.

There is a legend about Panama that goes like this: God, seated on the throne of his kingdom next to his most faithful angel, decided to create the most beautiful country in the world. God gave Panama a divine sky; a spectacular geography with beautiful plains; a canal that will join two beautiful oceans that are good for fishing, tourism and research and a diversity of intelligent people who are able to deal with adversity.

The legend has been updated. Not long ago the angel who was next to God during his creation of Panama asked God: “Tell me, Sir, why you put such effort into creating Panama. Why did you give so much to create a country where all we hear about are corruption, poverty, nepotism, opportunism and determinism?

God answered: "Take it easy my faithful friend. My dear friend, I see that you are blind and understand very little --- I know about the difficulties and backward progress Panama is undergoing, but I have the hope that its inhabitants (known today as Panamanians) will become aware and see what a wonderful country I have given them and they will learn to value their luck to have been born in such a wonderful place like Panama.

Speaking on the creator, we must always remember that "HE" put before us the following: "I put before you life and death; choose wisely." To Panama I say: “I put before you the cultural diversity and nationalism, choose wisely.”

Panama needs a unifying metaphor, one that will bring the people and the resources throughout the land under one umbrella. "PANAMA AND ITS PEOPLE FIRST" sounds good, but it makes no mention of a unifying theme for the country’s diverse resources.

Cultura de la Interoceanidad appears to be the mother of all works written in Panama about the country’s social psychology. The product of academic research, it presents all the ingredients associated with such work. From the introduction to the final reflections, each chapter maintains a structure of thesis, introduction, argument, analysis and conclusion. It took pure investigative and literary guts on the part of the author to present a work that could quickly update or refresh those knowledgeable (or not) about Panama’s social psychology. It is the kind of material social scientist like to research and that travelers like to know about before visiting a country, so they can look and act world savvy when engaging the population there.

Build a home in Las Cumbres with Villa Concordia --- http://www.thepanamanews.com/pn/site/pages/concordia.html
Make the Executive Hotel your headquarters in Panama City --- http://www.executivehotel-panama.com
Find the boat of your dreams through Evermarine --- http://www.evermarine.com