Some, with politics, had a relationship of love and hate. Others have chosen it, and then abandoned because of too many disappointments; finally, others have chosen it again, driven by the strong conviction that fraternity can become a doctrine, but also a category of thought and political action.

by Cesar Romero-Paraguay

Paraguay has a rich history, the result not only of wars, conquests and revolutions, but also of the meeting between the Guarani aboriginal culture and the European one. We are a bilingual country, with strong differences between countryside and city, between development and poverty, culture and ignorance.

My first job was at 14, then came the corridors of the university, and the meeting with a group of young people, whose ideal was universal fraternity, then the marches against a long dictatorship, and the first steps in party politics.

Then I experienced a second phase, the disappointment due to betrayal, inconsistencies, my own inability in political activity. I had this strong feeling of not being able to do anything.

Finally, the third phase: that of the choice, the choice of love, that kept on pushing me towards an active political action, as a mean of social transformation.

In 2000, after a long ordeal, along with a group of friends already involved in sustainable development, we founded an organization. This is how the "Fundación Yvy Pora” (Beatiful Earth) was born; it has promoted the development of dozens of projects around Paraguay, supporting communities of small entrepreneurs, farmers, artisans, indigenous, in rural and urban centers.

But still it was not enough for me. I felt the desire to let the whole society in my country know about the possibilities, that fraternity can give to politics. I invited many Latin American mayors in a meeting sponsored by the Political Movement for Unity, which has precisely this goal.

These same mayors, with their enthusiastic participation, in July 30, 2005 have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding and Fraternal Support, in order to promote the exchange of local development policies. It is an unprecedented agreement for Paraguay, with the signing of 22 municipalities.

In this way we started regular meetings, whose goal is study of the doctrine of brotherhood among politicians, in such a way giving birth also to a school of civic education for young people.