Last Sunday I joined a small group of women who’d gathered at the charming 19th century kiosk in Parque Benito Juarez to stitch fabric eyes onto small fabric squares. This may seem like a strange way to spend some time on a sunny Sunday in beautiful San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, but it was great fun – and for an especially worthwhile cause.
(The charming kiosk in San Miguel’s Parque Juarez)
The purpose of this gathering – or “stitch-in,” as we called it – was to make prayer flags for Palestine – each strand containing seven cloth squares, with unique, hand-embroidered, open-eye motifs on them — to be sold to support the people of Palestine in their urgent need.
As San Miguel artist and activist Lena Bartula explained it, “Mainly, we support Médicos sin Fronteras, Palestinian Children’s Relief Fund, and Middle East Children’s Alliance. Buyers donate directly to the organization of their choice, send us a receipt, and we ship the art. One hundred percent of every purchase benefits the Palestinian people.”
(One of the unique prayer flags on display at the kiosk)
Why prayer flags? “Traditional Tibetan prayer flags are used to promote peace, compassion, strength, and wisdom,” Lena told me. “These flags – with eyes – represent a call to see, and never look away from the plight of the Palestinian people. Our prayer is that they spread hope and compassion to all spaces where we place them.”
(Lena Bartula at Sunday’s “stitch-in” in Parque Juarez)
Yo Te Veo, the name of Lena’s two-year-old solidarity project for Palestine, means “I see you” in Spanish. Since its inception, Yo Te Veo-SMA (there are other chapter groups in other cities now, she told me), hundreds of volunteers have helped to stitch eye-themed squares, to be used in textile art projects, mostly wall quilts, and now prayer flags.
“All these eyes,” Lena said, “are reminders that we’re watching the suffering, while at the same time watching the perpetrators. It’s about our staying awake and keeping our eyes open, not going back to sleep.”
Several days a week Yo Te Veo-SMA participants meet in small groups at the sewing table in Lena’s sunny art studio in Colonia Guadalupe in San Miguel. “At other times,” she said, “we stitch in public to create more awareness and invite more people to join us. More public events are planned for September and October — to be announced soon.”
In March of last year I published my first WOW post about Lena’s inspired project (https://blog.bonnieleeblack.com/I-See-You/ ). This WOW post, “I Still See You,” is meant to remind us all that we must continue to see – and DO – whatever we can to take a stand for the people of Palestine.
“Come stitch with us,” Lena says. “We provide all the materials. Just bring your voice, your heart, and your hands to this grand project by local supporters of a Free Palestine.”
(San Miguel por Palestina’s Lulu Guerrero at Sunday’s “stitch-in”)
(One of the stitchers, Nicole Gelpi)
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
For more information about Yo Te Veo-SMA and how to get involved, contact Lena Bartula at www.lenabartula@gmail.com or 52-415-111-3039. To follow Yo Te Veo-SMA on Instagram, go to @yoteveosma.
find me on facebook