Restoring hidden Argentine beauty
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In Argentina, prevalent printed political propaganda pollutes the visual landscape like graffiti on steroids.
Political campaigns will frequently print thousands of poster-sized advertisements and then use a starchy liquid to plaster them onto flat surfaces such as the outer walls of buildings. Even after elections are over, the ads remain posted, bereft of any purpose and stains on the natural beauty of Argentina.
Church members, working under the fine-tuned Mormon Helping Hands program, helped last month to rid more than 30 miles of roadway in a major Argentine city of obsolete political ads. On Sept. 26, 172 Church members, including 24 missionaries, teamed up with another 50 volunteers from a community program called the Clean City Foundation for a day of service called "Zero Posters" that literally gave a face lift to Resistencia, capital city of the province of Chaco.
"We started by filling up buckets of water," said Elder Eric Eliason, a Mormon missionary from Cottonwood Heights, Utah. "A few went ahead with the water to wet everything down, and then a couple went right behind scratching it all off and taking it off as much as we could. We used paint scrapers or knives or forks, whatever we had, to peel it off, scratch it off, scrape it off.
"Every time the buckets of water ran out, we knocked on a door and said, 'Hey, we're trying to take down these signs. We need some water. Can you help us?' Everyone got involved, and it was really good."
On Sept. 23, the Resistencia Argentina Stake held a press conference to announce "Zero Posters." Radio stations and print-media publicized the event. On Sept. 24 and 25, a public-access television station broadcast throughout Chaco showed commercials reminding citizens of the service project.
Martin Fernandez, first counselor in the stake presidency of the Resistencia Stake, coordinated the Church's outreach efforts. Among others, President Fernandez communicated directly with Resistencia mayor Alda Ayala and Jorge Luis del Castillo, president of the Argentina Resistencia Mission.
"It felt good to clean the city and watch the city clean the city, also," Elder Eliason said. "It was nice to see a coordinated effort between the government, a service organization and the Church. It made me realize the Church is really impressive in its public relations and how we can organize service projects that are really big and helpful, that help the city and help the public. It felt good to set apart a Saturday morning and do service. It was fun to participate and get involved with the missionaries. We had a good time, all of us."
