The last days had been very important for us. We checked our cultural program of the trip by visiting the San Ignacio ruins, so we are free now. From 1608 San Ignacio was one of the Jesutis missions for evangelizing the originals, the Guarani, located at incredibly remote area.
The interesting part is that the Jesuits had been different from the other europeans. They spread their believes by humanity instead of gun power. The Jesuit missions normally consists of only 2 european priests teaching the Guarani agriculture, education, music and christian values. The settlements had been self-organized by the Guarani based on original christian values like helping each other and equal sharing food. As the Jesuit missions could protect the Guarani from colonial slavery, they grown well. Until 1767 the king Carlo III banned the Jesuits as their work don’t match his plan to exploit the new world. Without the protection from colonial forces, the Gurani gave up the settlements soon and returned into the forests.
Today the missions are reconstructed as ruins which covered by huge old trees. They make this place to a peaceful cool park for taking rest and hidding from the burning sun. There are now only old stones, ruins of long gone time which telling a story of a different society, a well-working communistic society. It was an extremely successful proof of concept not at another planet but just here on earth with normal humans. What had been their secret to a fair sharing society?
