Global Voices » Argentina

Argentina: Transforming a Neighborhood Through a Cultural Shed

Juliana Rincón Parra — Wed, 16 May 2012 21:20:57 +0000

The Piedrabuenarte Cultural Shed in the outskirts of Buenos Aires, Argentina is transforming the neighborhood through culture, arts and citizen media. Formerly a warehouse for discarded scenery and sets for the Colon Theater, the space was transformed by artists in the community into a center for arts. Through their YouTube channel they are telling the world about it.

Eddie Avila, on a Rising Voices article from 2011, included this note before a video interview with the founders:

There are plans to work more closely with the youth in the neighborhood, showing them how they can use the cameras on their mobile phones to contribute to the YouTube channel. This would allow for additional perspectives on the diverse Piedrabuena neighborhood. In the following video, two of the founding members of the Shed, Juan “Pepi” Garachico and Lucian Garramuño, talk about what the Shed means to the residents and how they use citizen media to tell the stories of Piedrabuena.

So what have they been up to? On their YouTube channel, Piedrabuenartv is an artistic show that gives us images of daily activities in the Cultural Shed as well as being an artistic outlet for the community to express themselves through video. The next video shows the transformation of an empty lot into a cultural city, where relocated playground equipment found a new home, and an open air theater stage is being built, all of this surrounded by the high rise apartment blocks where much of the community lives.

Other episodes of the show feature neighbors talking about their expectations regarding the cultural transformation of the neighborhood, or like this next one, a look back to when they first opened the bricked up windows after 30 years.

Argentina: Lawmakers Approve Gender Identity Law

L. Finch — Sat, 12 May 2012 00:05:30 +0000

[All links lead to Spanish-language websites unless otherwise noted]

On May 9, 2012, after two hours of debate, the Argentine Senate approved the Law of Gender Identity with 55 votes in favor and 1 abstention. The law recognizes the right of transsexual people to an identity that corresponds with their expression of gender.

The publication AG Magazine recounted the history behind the push for such a law:

El proyecto de ley de Identidad de Género ingresó por primera vez al Parlamento argentino de la mano de la Federación Argentina LGBT y la Asociación de Travestis, transexuales y transgéneros de Argentina (ATTTA) en el año 2007. El texto aprobado, que es el mismo que obtuviera media sanción en Diputados en noviembre de 2011, contempla el reconocimiento de la identidad de las personas trans en su documentación personal, así como el acceso a la atención sanitaria integral en el sistema de Salud.

The plan for a Gender Identity law was submitted for the first time to the Argentine Parliament by the Argentinian LGBT Federation and the Association of Transvestites, Transsexuals and Transgender People of Argentina (ATTTA) in the year 2007. The approved text, which is the same as the one that obtained preliminary approval in the lower house of Congress in November 2011, provides for the recognition of the identity of transgender people in their personal documentation, as well as access to comprehensive health care within the health care system.

The National Front for the Gender Identity Law (FNLIG), formed in 2010 with the purpose of working toward the passage of the law, commented on the reason why it is so important on their website:

photo: Laura Schneider

Con este paso, Argentina inicia el proceso de reparación histórica y democrática con toda la población trans del país, cuyos derechos más elementales, como el derecho a la identidad y a la salud integral, han sido sistemáticamente vulnerados. El proyecto prevé tanto el acceso a los cambios registrales como el acceso integral a la salud. Este tratamiento no diferido de todos los derechos enunciados fue el logro más importante que sostenemos desde el Frente Nacional por la Ley de Identidad de Género (FNLIG), que elaboró el proyecto en el que fue basado el dictamen firmado tanto por las comisiones de diputadxs como de senadorxs.

With this passage, Argentina begins the process of historic and democratic reparation with the entire trans population in this country, whose most elemental rights, such as the right to identity and to comprehensive health care, have been systematically vulnerable. The law provides both access to registry changes and access to comprehensive health care. Having treatment that is no different than what all stated rights mandate was the most important success that keeps us going here at the National Front for the Gender Identity Law (FNLIG), which devised the law in which was based on the signed opinion of both the lower house commissions and the senators.

Access to comprehensive health care

One of the items in the new law to consider is access to comprehensive health care, which includes access for those over 18 years old to partial and total surgical interventions and/or comprehensive hormonal treatments to alter the body, including genitalia, without the need of obtaining judicial or administrative permission.

The webpage for the Ministry of Health for the Province of Buenos Aires, whose province was a pioneer in sexual reassignment surgery, posted an interview with the Provincial Minister of Health, Alejandro Collia:

“La Provincia es pionera en garantizar, a través del acceso a la salud pública, el derecho de las personas a su identidad de género. La adecuación genital a la identidad de género percibida por cada persona es un derecho que venimos garantizando desde el hospital Gutiérrez”, afirma el ministro de Salud provincial, Alejandro Collia.

El Hospital Gutiérrez de la Provincia es el único efector público, junto con el Hospital Duran en la ciudad de Buenos Aires, en realizar cirugías de reasignación genital.

The Province is a pioneer in guaranteeing, through access to public health care, people's right to their gender identity. The conforming of genitalia to perceived gender identity for each person is a right that we continue guaranteeing within the Gutiérrez hospital,” the Provincial Minister of Public Health Alejandro Collia, affirmed.

The Provincial Gutiérrez Hospital is the only public provider, together with the Duran Hospital in the city of Buenos Aires, to perform genital reassignment surgeries.

One of the first criticisms, [es] before the law's approval, came from Daniel Fernández, bishop of the Diocese of Jujuy, in Argentina:

“La iglesia desde un principio hizo conocer su opinión, creemos que el ser humano es creado por Dios, varón o mujer, que viene constituido con nuestra naturaleza humana y a partir de ahí queremos empezar a dialogar, con respeto, sin ningún tipo de intolerancia, manifestando nuestra opinión, que en este caso, es contraria a la de tantos”, ha manifestado el religioso.

“La identidad viene dada por el sexo que recibimos y por la identidad que traemos desde el seno de nuestra madre”, defendió el obispo argentino, condenando el avance de la Ley de Identidad de Género.

“The church from the beginning has made its opinion known, we believe that the human being is created by God, male or female, and comes established with our human nature and from there we want to start to dialogue, with respect, without any type of intolerance, expressing our opinion, that in this case, it is contrary to that of many”, the bishop has said.

“Identity is given from the sex that we receive and from the identity that we take from our mother's womb”, the Argentine bishop said, condemning the advance of the Law of Gender Identity.

On the other side, the blog Unificacionistas, in its post “Equality for few” wrote about the rights of minorities in Argentina:

de seguro las minorías irían rápidamente por más y más derechos, ya que se ve hoy día un terreno más que fértil para conseguir esas leyes que durmieron en oscuros cajones por décadas. A pesar de criticar las formas, en mi caso y en el de muchos, avalamos en principio que todo ciudadano tenga derechos y sea contemplado como un igual por otros ciudadanos ante la ley. El problema es que, me temo, esa igualdad no pareciera ser aplicable en todos los casos.

for sure the minorities would quickly go for more and more rights, inasmuch that nowadays one can see that the ground is more than fertile for acquiring those laws which slept in dark drawers for decades. Despite criticizing the form, in my case and in the case of many, we endorse in principle that every citizen has rights and is considered equal to other citizens in the eyes of the law. The problem is that, I fear, that equality would not be applicable in all cases.

Reactions on social networking sites

Once word spread of the law's passage, users across the social networking spectrum echoed the reactions of the citizenry. Some, such as Juancho (@Juanx1984), want more rights, while Jose Castiglione (@JoseCastiglione) wrote:

Me parece una aberración la Ley de#IdentidadDeGenero. Que me disculpen los q resulten ofendidos por el comentario, pero esto es INADMISIBLE

The Law of #IdentidadDeGenero [Gender Identity] seems to me to be an aberration. To those who are offended by the comment, pardon me, but this is INADMISSIBLE.

However, Paulo Yudewitz (@Pauloyudewitz) celebrated the law's approval:

#IdentidadDeGenero Felicidades para todos! Otro día histórico!

#IdentidadDeGenero [Gender Identity] Congratulations to all! Another historic day!

Finally, on Facebook the page “I am in favor of the law of gender identity” celebrated:

Amig@s, es imposible transmitir toda la alegría que sentimos por esta conquista!

Friends, it is impossible to relate just how much happiness we feel because of this victory!

Argentina Approves Death with Dignity Law

Chellsy Alis Manning — Fri, 11 May 2012 15:20:23 +0000

After four hours of debate in the Argentine Senate [es], on May 9, 2012, the Death with Dignity [es] project was converted into law with wide-ranging support, even from the opposition.

The newspaper Infobae [es] reported just after the law was passed:

Tras más de cuatro horas de debate, el Senado convirtió en ley por 55 votos a favor el proyecto de muerte digna que reconoce el derecho de los pacientes “a aceptar o rechazar determinadas terapias o procedimientos médicos o biológicos con o sin expresión de causa, así como también a revocar posteriormente su manifestación de voluntad”.

La iniciativa indica que el paciente terminal puede rechazar procedimientos, cirugías y “medidas de soporte vital, cuando sean extraordinarias o desproporcionadas en relación a las perspectivas de mejoría” pero lo obliga a expresar su postura al facultativo, quien antes lo habrá informado sobre su real estado de salud, los tratamientos posibles y sus consecuencias.

After more than four hours of debate, with 55 votes in favour, the Senate passed the death with dignity law which recognises patients' rights “to accept or reject particular treatments or medical or biological procedures with or without justification, as well as revoking their past wishes”. The initiative indicates that a patient with a terminal disease can reject procedures, surgery and “vital support methods, when they are extraordinary or disproportionate in relation to the chances of improvement”. The patient is obliged to express their wishes to their doctor, who beforehand should tell the patient about their true state of health, the possible treatment options and their consequences.

The debate surrounding dying with dignity is even more important now following the wishes of the parents of Camila, a two-year old girl who has been in a vegetative state since her birth. The website Legislarweb [es] reports on the case:

Camila es un caso emblemático de la situación por la que atraviesan muchas familias y que hasta ahora encontraban un vacío legal sobre el tema de la muerte digna. […]

Tres comités de bioética aseguraron que su estado es irreversible, pero los médicos dicen que, sin legislación, no pueden desconectarla

Camila is emblematic of the current situation facing many families who up until now have found a loophole regarding dying with dignity. Three bioethic committees have assured that Camila's state is irreversible, however the doctors say that without legislation it is not possible to disconnect her from her life support.

The website continues quoting Camila's parents:

“La situación por la que estamos pasando como familia es desgastante y dolorosa, considerando que tenemos una beba de 2 años y 3 meses en Estado Vegetativo Permanente. La situación de mi hija es irrecuperable e irreversible, y hay un vacío legal que impide retirar el soporte vital”, decía en varias oportunidades la madre de la pequeña, Selva Herbón.

“What we are going through as a family is both exhausting and painful, considering that we have a baby of 2 years and 3 months currently in a Permanent Vegetative State. My daughter's condition is irretrievable and irreversible and there is a loophole that is preventing us from withdrawing her life support” as said by the girl's mother, Selva Herbón, on several occasions.

But this has not been the only case in Argentina. Susana Bustamante, the mother of Melina Gonzalez, has also fought until the end for her daughter. The news agency Telam [es] tells of Susana's situation:

“Ella me dijo que durar conectada a un respirador artificial no es voluntad de Dios sino el capricho del hombre” y que “cuando una persona llega a un estado terminal e irreversible se debe permitir que acontezca el hecho natural” de la muerte, recordó Bustamante.

Melina, quien falleció el 2 de marzo de 2011, a los 19 años, padecía neurofibromatosis, una enfermedad degenerativa del sistema nervioso e incurable que afecta principalmente el desarrollo, que le paralizó totalmente el cuerpo y redujo su peso a sólo 20 kilos.

“She told me that to survive by being hooked up to a ventilator is not the will of God, more that it is the wish of the man” and that “when someone reaches the terminal and irreversible stage one must allow the natural event to happen after” meaning death, Bustamante recalled. Melina died on March 2, 2011, aged just 19 years old. She had neurofibromatosis, a degenerative disease of the nervous system. It is incurable and principally affects the nervous system. An incurable disease, it paralised her body completely and made her drop to weighing just 20 kilos.

On Twitter the hashtag #Muertedigna (death with dignity) became a local trending topic after news broke out about the new law. There have been many different opinions. Twitter user Lean Fernández (@leanfe4) [es] says that the passing of this law is an historical event, and Lou A. Salomé [es] (@Lou_A_S) tweets:

Vivir es un derecho, no una obligación #muertedigna

Living is a right, but not an obligation #muertedigna

However, Martin Ferro (@Martin_Ferro), similarly to other Twitter users, expresses his discomfort:

Autorizar el retiro de alimentación e hidratación no es #MuerteDigna, es #Eutanasia, estaba seguro q iban a votar cualquier cosa

Allowing the withdrawal of food and drink is not #MuerteDigna (death with dignity), it is #Eutanasia (Euthanasia). I was sure they were going to vote whatever.

Argentina finds itself on a list of countries that have a law about dying with dignity. According to the newspaper Clarin [es]:

Holanda, Bélgica, Luxemburgo fueron de los primeros países en reglamentarla. Tres Estados de EE.UU la permiten. También Suiza. En Colombia fue autorizada por la Corte.

Holland, Belgium and Luxembourg were the first countries to rule for it. Three states in the USA allow it, also in Switzerland. In Colombia a law was authorized by the Court.

Argentina: The ‘Mothers of Plaza de Mayo' Turn 35

Silvia Viñas — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 13:47:06 +0000

Lillie Langtry from the blog Memory in Latin America writes about the 35th anniversary of the Mothers of Plaza de Mayo in Argentina: “On Thursday, 30 April 1977, a small group of women met in the Plaza de Mayo with the aim of handing over a letter to then-president Jorge Videla, appealing for information about the whereabouts of their children, detained by the military regime.”

Argentina: Bloggers React to Announcement of Nationalization of Oil Company YPF

Jorge Gobbi — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 13:51:16 +0000

The announcement of the nationalization of the oil company YPF, controlled by Spain's Repsol, and the transfer of 51% of its shares to the Argentinean government, sparked many reaction on the Argentinean blogosphere, both in favor and against. In general, as with other issues in Argentina, opinions are divided between those in favor and those opposed to the government of Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner.

In ArtePolítica [es], a blog close to Kirchner party, Sebastian says that “Repsol-YPF was always a shame” and states that,

El modelo Petrobras parece a priori el más adecuado: capital mixto y parte en la bolsa, gestión muy profesionalizada, y control accionario mayoritario por parte del estado nacional y de las provincias petroleras.

The Petrobras [a semi-public Brazilian energy corporation] model seems the most appropriate: joint venture and partially in the stock market, a very professionalized management, and stock control majority by the national state and oil provinces.

Photo by Flickr user Christian Córdova (CC BY 2.0)

In IndiePolitik [es] they make a selection of quotes by politicians and newspaper columnists that are against the measure, although in an ironic context based on the question,

¿Qué dudas caben de que la expropiación de YPF es una medida, además de histórica, correcta, si los que se oponen son el FMI, Macri, Carrió, La Nación, la UCR dependiente, De Narváez y Clarín?.

What doubt is there that the expropriation of YPF is a correct and historical measure when the opponents are the IMF, Macri, Carrio, The Nation, the UCR dependent, De Narváez and Clarin?.

The Agenda Digital [es] blog, from the official news agency Telam, summarized the impact of the news on Twitter.

At Saber Leyes no es Saber Derecho [es], some of the consequences of the nationalization are discussed, particularly from a legal point of view of the corresponding bill the President sent to Congress, which is currently under discussion.

Economía Posible [es] indicates that during the Kirchner governments there was a significant drop in production, and wonders if “the same responsible people for the energy policies of the past nine years say they're going to 'save us'”.

Among the blogs linked to the Union Civica Radical (Radical Civic Union), a traditional Argentinean party and the opposition today, Hernán Haynes [es] said that the nationalization of YPF goes against the Argentinean Constitution.

In Comunicación Ambiental [es] Eduardo Soler wonders why the announcement of nationalization had no further reference to clean energy while it did mention “unconventional oil”, which usually requires more complex technology for extraction.

Finally, looking beyond the impact of the nationalization of YPF on Argentina, Vaca.org [es] analyzes the case in the context of changes in the global economic system from the rise of China and developing nations.

Argentina: “I Don't Believe in Schools but I do Believe in Education”

Juliana Rincón Parra — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 22:51:26 +0000

Educación Viva (Live Education) has released the first of their videos challenging traditional education systems, titled I Don't Believe in Schools but I do Believe in Education. In the subtitled video, more than 20 men and women read aloud a poem on the educational system and how it is different from what they believe education is.

¿Qué pasa si te digo que saber no necesariamente es comprender?
Que conocimiento es importante,
pero solo absorber información nos hace más ignorantes.
Comprender es haberlo vivido y experimentado.
Saber es simplemente poder acumularlo.
La Educación sirve para crecer y desarrollarnos,
la Escuela para aprobar el examen y graduarnos como esclavos.

What happens if I tell you that knowing is not necessarily understanding?
That knowledge is important,
but just absorbing information makes us more ignorant.
Understanding is having lived it and experienced it.
Knowing is just being able to accumulate it.
Education allows us to grow and develop,
Schools to pass exams and graduate as slaves.

With their campaign, they are trying to get more people to send in their own video responses of the poem. The poem should be clearly understood and they suggest using the same music released under Creative Commons for their videos. A second part of the video will be released at a future date.

Internet Campaigns Invite Tourists to Visit Latin America

Jon Lindsay Miles — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 11:43:16 +0000

The people of Latin America boast of their land's fine and varied geography, with its beaches, forests and mountains; they are proud of the inheritance left them by the peoples who inhabited these lands in pre-Hispanic times, and which are standing today in the form of its archeological remains, the wonders of which are scattered all across the continent; and then there is the rich mixture of races and cultures that make up the modern cities of the region.

But if this part of the world is so magical, why isn't it also the most visited?

According to statistics of the most visited countries in 2010, Mexico has the highest ranking among Latin American nations, in tenth place on the list, followed by Argentina, which is at number 43. And if we take into account that France, which heads the list, receives 79.3 million tourists, compared with the 22.6 million that put Mexico in tenth place, and the 5.2 million that visit Argentina, it becomes clear that Latin America is not chosen by large numbers of people as a tourist destination.

However, if we look at these statistics from a historical perspective, tourism to Latin America has increased, and, even if not dramatically so, certainly enough to provide governments with reason to grant more importance to the sector. As mentioned [es] in a statement on EnlaRedRadio, there are various challenges for the region when it comes to increasing tourism:

Marco Antonio Serrato, director general de Educación Ejecutiva en el TEC de Monterrey en México, comenta que entre los temas que determinan el debate actual sobre el turismo en la región, destacan “el rol que la industria juega como motor del desarrollo económico y social en los países de América Latina; la puesta en valor de los activos, sean naturales, culturales, arqueológicos o humanos, con los que nuestros países cuentan para posicionar la actividad turística y las marcas país a nivel internacional; y la diversificación del turismo en variantes no solo de playa, sino de naturaleza, cultura, negocios, salud y congresos”.

Serrato añade que “el desarrollo de estrategias e infraestructuras que promuevan y faciliten un turismo sostenible y la mejora de servicios complementarios como los gastronómicos, telefonía móvil, renta de vehículos y hospitalarios, además de la profesionalización de los trabajadores que atienden a los usuarios, al igual que garantizar la seguridad de los turistas y reforzar la percepción de esta, son tareas que vienen aparejadas con los lineamientos de desarrollo más generales”.

Marco Antonio Serrato, Executive Director General of Education at the Monterrey TEC in Mexico, notes that key issues that shape the current debate about tourism in the region include, “the role the industry plays as the engine of economic and social development in the countries of Latin America; attaching a true value to the assets our countries possess, whether these be natural, cultural, archeological or in terms of its people, and which will allow us to locate our tourist activity and national brands at an international level; and the diversification of tourism into activities that move beyond simple beach holidays into offering the experience of our natural environment, and other activities related to culture, business, health and the staging of conferences”.

Serrato adds that, “the development of strategies and infrastructures that stimulate sustainable tourism, the improvement of complementary services in gastronomy, in the mobile telephone network, vehicle rental and hospitality services, as well as the professional training of the workforce that deals with tourists, guaranteeing their safety and security and increasing their perception of the same - all these are tasks that are entailed in the development of the most general of plans.”

Jorge Gobbi, Global Voices author and blogger specialising in tourist matters, wrote [es] in early 2012 about this growth trend in tourism in Latin America in his Blog de Viajes (Travel Blog) [es]:

se pueden señalar al menos dos cosas. La primera, las cifras de crecimiento de las naciones sudamericanas se ubica entre el 8 al 14%, dos a tres veces más que la tasa de crecimiento mundial. Segundo, buena parte de ese crecimiento se está dando gracias al aumento del turismo regional. Lo que es una muy buena consecuencia de la mejor situación económica y del aumento del consumo en nuestros países.

Con esas perspectivas, es de esperar que para este 2012 los organismos de turismo sudamericanos se van a concentrar en incrementar su promoción en otros países de la región, sin apuntar tanto a América del Norte y Europa. Esperemos que 2012 sea la consolidación de una tendencia de crecimiento económico a mediano y largo plazo en América del Sur, ya que las perspectivas globales no parecen demasiado positivas.

at least two points can be identified. First, growth figures of between 8% and 14% among South American nations, which are between two and three times the rate for the world as a whole. Second, a good part of this growth is due to tourism within the region itself. This is one very positive consequence of the improved economic situation and the growth in consumption within our countries.

From this perspective, it is to be hoped that tourist organisations across South America are going to focus in 2012 on increasing their promotional activities in other countries in the region, and not give so much attention to the North American and European markets. Let's hope that 2012 will be the year of consolidation towards both a medium and long term trend in economic growth in South America, particularly as the global picture isn't particularly positive.

A question follows: What concrete actions are governments or businesses taking to increase the flow of tourists into their countries? Apart from the infrastructure works and service sector training that needs to be carried out, one of the most common strategies is that of the publicity campaign.

Colombia is host to one of the most well-known tourist promotion campaigns, with its slogan, “Colombia, the danger is you'll want to stay“, which was preceded by the establishment of the country brand: “Colombia is passion” [es]. There is an official travel guide to accompany the campaign, which has produced various promotional videos:

Neighbouring Venezuela is also attempting to attract tourists through its Venezuela Turismo, since the country possesses many interesting [es] destinations.

Another Colombian neighbour, Panama, has recently launched [es] its “Disfruta Panamá” or “Enjoy Panama” campaign, which makes use of a YouTube channel and Facebook pages in both Spanish and English, as well as Twitter accounts, also in Spanish and English. The website Visit Panama provides an additional resource.

As for Central America, although there is a regional campaign to promote tourism within the region, several of its countries have their own campaigns, as in the case of Guatemala with its “Corazón del Mundo Maya” [Heart of the Mayan World], or Costa Rica's “Sin Ingredientes Artificiales” (No Artificial Ingredients).

Mexico is running several campaigns, one of which, Mundo Maya 2012 [Mayan World 2012, es], places the same emphasis as Guatemala on the ancient Mayan civilisation. Another is Visit Mexico. The Federal Executive Authority in this country has its own Ministry of Tourism, which initiates the development of tourist destinations and activities at the same time as promoting these among both Mexicans and those from abroad. And then there is the Mexican Tourist Board (also an arm of the Federal Government), which coordinates, designs and develops both national strategies and those targeting the overseas market.

Moving south, we find “Chile es tuyo” [Chile belongs to you, es], a campaign mainly targeted at the internal tourist market. Something similar can be found in Argentina's “Viajá por tu país” [Travel your own land, es]. But we also come across local initiatives here, as in the case of that of the Tourist Secretariat of Santa Cruz Patagonia [es] or that of Mendoza [es].

In neighbouring Uruguay there are several websites that promote tourism in the country, including Tourists Club Uruguay, Viaje a Uruguay [Journey to Uruguay, es] and Turismo en Uruguay [es].

Several campaigns have been put into motion in Peru as part of the activity that takes place within its country brand, with the launch of a new campaign [es] in the coming days. One of its previous campaigns, “Perú: Vive la leyenda” [Peru: Live the Legend] was a prizewinner in Brazil last year. This is the video:

I had the opportunity earlier this year to speak with the Argentinian journalist and blogger previously cited in this article, Jorge Gobbi, and we recorded a short podcast [es] about tourism in Latin America today.

Although the above is not an exhaustive survey, it does give a rough idea of how the promotion of tourism is currently taking place in a region with an infinite number of attractions to offer to both local and international visitors.

Thanks to our Latin American collegues at Global Voices for the information and links they provided.

Post originally [es] published in Juan Arellano's personal blog.

The small image of Machu Picchu is from the Flickr account of Benjamin Dumas, used under license Atribución-NoComercial-CompartirIgual 2.0 Genérica (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)

Argentina: Documentary on Urban Natives Looking for Subtitles

Juliana Rincón Parra — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 22:55:26 +0000

This post is part of our special coverage Indigenous Rights.

The previously featured Creative Commons documentary Runa Kuti on the identity of urban dwelling indigenous descendants in the city of Buenos Aires is looking for volunteers to help them subtitle the documentary into indigenous languages found in Argentina such Quechua, Aymara, Mapuche and Guaraní as well as into English.

On their blog they've posted their call for volunteers:

Quien quiera, tenga ganas, tiempo, ocio, curiosidad, computadora, internet y otros idiomas para apoyarnos se los agradeceremos añadiendolos a los créditos del documental y mandándoles buenas vibras, donde quiera que estemos y donde quiera que estén.

Todos los idiomas son bienvenidos pero guardamos un especial interés por el quechua, aymara y guaraní.

Whomever wants to, feels like it, has time, as a hobby, out of curiousity, has a computer, internet and other languages to help us we will thank them by adding them to the documentary credits and sending good vibes their way, wherever we are and wherever they are.

All languages are welcome but we hold a special interest for Quechua, Aymara and Guaraní.

The trailer has been subtitled into Spanish, French, English and Portuguese, the full length documentary has the full transcription in Spanish.

This post is part of our special coverage Indigenous Rights.

Argentina: Interviews from the Mapuche Nation's Meeting on Environmental Conflicts

Juliana Rincón Parra — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 23:13:59 +0000

Deep Dish Waves of Change shares a video of interviews [es] recorded during the first encounter of the indigenous Mapuche group regarding environmental conflicts during February 2012 in Argentina.

Argentina: The Price of the Popular Yerba Mate Goes Up

Greg Ahlswede — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 14:11:36 +0000

Starting on April 1, 2012, the price of yerba mate increased from 50 to 100%. An increase which directly hurts Argentinians' wallets. On Twitter, Sebas (@pepinorios) commented:

Hasta la tradición nos están haciendo difícil acceder. #Yerba

Now they're even making it difficult for us to stick to tradition. #Yerba

Mate Culture

But why is yerba mate so important for Argentinians? The page Argentinian Mate [es] explains:

La Yerba mate es un árbol que crece en las cuencas de los ríos Paraná, Uruguay y Paraguay, en una región que abarca la zona limítrofe entre los países de Argentina, Brasil y Paraguay(triple frontera). Los indígenas de esa zona, los Guaraníes, usaron este vegetal por sus propiedades alimenticias y curativas.

Hoy el uso de la Yerba mate difiere de la antigua manera de consumirla de los Guaraníes, quienes maceraban sus hojas por días y luego bebían esa preparación como un curativo para diversas enfermedades (reumáticas, intestinales, etc.) y como un elíxir reconfortante que les brindaba fuerza y energía.

Yerba mate is a tree that grows in the Paraná, Uruguay and Paraguay river basins; the region where Argentina's, Brazil's, and Paraguay's three borders meet. The indigenous people of that area, the Guarani, used this plant for its nutrition and healing effects.

Yerba mate's use today is different from the old Guarani method of consuming it. They would marinate the leaves for days and then drink the liquid as medicine to cure a variety of diseases (rheumatic, intestinal, etc.) and as a comforting elixir that would provide them with strength and energy.

The page continues to explain how it is consumed:

el mate se toma de diferentes maneras(gustos), de acuerdo a las tradiciones y gustos en las diferentes regiones del país agregándole a la yerba, azúcar negro, cascarillas de naranja o hierbas que varían de región en región como por ej:manzanilla, café, menta, etc.

Mate is drank in a variety of ways, according to the traditions and tastes of different areas of the country, by adding to the drink either brown sugar, orange peels or herbs that vary from region to region. For example: chamomile, coffee, mint, etc.

Argentinian Mate, photo by Laura Schneider

Mate is a deep-rooted tradition in Argentina that begins in adolescence and continues on through adulthood. The Informative Blog [es] explains:

Se trata de una infusión que parte de su encanto radica en el pequeño ritual que se crea en torno a él. Para quienes no lo sepan la palabra mate tiene su origen en el vocablo quechua mathi que significa vaso o recipiente hecho de calabaza para beber. Bueno, pues eso es el mate. Se coloca yerba mate en su interior y una bombilla, que es una especie de pajilla con un filtro en el extremo inferior. El acto de rellenar con agua caliente (nunca hirviendo) se denomina cebar.

It's all about an infusion that finds part of its charm in the small ritual which surrounds it. For those who do not know, the word mate originated from the Quechua term mathi, which means a cup or container from which to drink and made out of a gourd. And that is the mate. Yerba mate and a bombilla, which is a type of straw with a filter on the lower end, are placed into it. The act of refilling it with hot water (never boiling) is called steeping.

Reactions to the Price Increase

The Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fish [es], announced through a press release [es], the new prices that are being set for the produce, that is to say for the producer:

El ministro de Agricultura, Ganadería y Pesca de la Nación, Norberto Yauhar, firmó el precio para la yerba verde en $1,70 y de $6,90 para la canchada, que entrarán en vigencia a partir del 1 de abril. “Fijamos un laudo que comprende el pedido de todos los eslabones de la cadena. Defendiendo no sólo a productores, sino también a los consumidores”

The nation's minister of Agriculture, Livestock, and Fish, Norberto Yauhar, set the price for green yerba at $1.70 and $6.90 for the canchada. The prices will go into effect starting April 1. “We have made a decision that covers all the bases. We're defending not only producers, but consumers as well.”

The prices before the increase were fixed at $0.90 per kilo of green yerba and $3.30 for the canchada placed out to dry. Thus the increase is around 88%.

But if one takes into account the production cycle of yerba mate, the final product increases would begin starting June of 2012. However, storekeepers applied the increase on April 1 for the final product already on the shelves.

On April 3 the hashtag #yerba [es] began to trend locally. Many used it to express their outrage, anger and even solutions to the increase, such as Analía Roca ‏(@AnaliaRoca) [es]:

“Hágalo Ud. Mismo” Manual para cultivar #yerba mate en su casa. Incluye secadora de hojas. Sin subsidio. PSP $5.500.- #librospermitidos

“Do it yourself” Manual to grow #yerba mate in your home. Includes leaf dryer. Unsubsidized. Only $5,500.- #permittedbooks

Pablo Sanchez (@decadente83) [es] proposes another solution:

Ya vuelvo, voy a poner un poco de #yerba usada arriba del techo para volver a usarla cuando se seque.

Be right back, I'm going to put a bit of already used #yerba up on the roof to use again when it dries.

Caro Hernandez (@CaroHernandezC) [es] shares a photo and comments:

Vamos disminuyendo el consumo de #yerba en esta casa! Con 4 mates por mañana, nos fundimos en dias! http://yfrog.com/nw3shrtj

We are starting to use less #yerba in our house! With 4 mates each morning, we'll be broke in a few days! http://yfrog.com/nw3shrtj

Controversy Caused by the Secretary of Trade

However, the controversy surrounding yerba mate arose before the price increase, when yerba mate producers from the Misiones province [es] requested from the Secretary of Domestic Trade Guillermo Moreno a renegotiation of the yerba price. According to the webpage AIM Digital [es], the following was the Secretary's response:

“Estoy cansado de los polacos pelotudos del interior que vienen a Buenos Aires a hacer reclamos. El precio (de la yerba) lo defino yo y al que no le gusta que se ponga en cuatro”

“I am tired of these dumb*** Poles from the provinces that come to Buenos Aires to file complaints. I decide what the price (of yerba) is and screw anyone that doesn't like it”

The Polish community in Argentina did not take long to react. Gustavo Sterczek, a historian of polish descent and member of the Polish Association of Argentina, sent a letter, which several of the country's media groups have published, that was in reaction to the Domestic Trade Secretary's words.The webpage of the station Misiones Cuatro [es] published it:

Sus declaraciones ofenden no sólo a ellos en particular, sino a todos los que llevamos orgullosamente su origen. Mi abuelo fue uno de esos inmigrantes que arribó a este gran país, como tantos otros, era una persona humilde, pero culta y con valores. Se ofreció de voluntario en la segunda guerra mundial para poder pelear por su amada patria invadida por los nazis. No se si usted escucha música, pero le recomiendo a un tal Chopin, considerado uno de los más grandes compositores de la historia, era polaco, pero no pelotudo.

Your statements not only offend them in particular, but also all of us who are proud of our heritage. My grandfather was one of those immigrants that came to this great country. He, like many others, was a humble man, but he was educated and had values. He volunteered in World War II to fight for his beloved homeland that was invaded by the Nazis. I do not know if you listen to music, but I recommend you listen to a Mr. Chopin. He is considered one of the greatest composers in history. He was polish, but not a dumb***.

The Polish ambassador to Argentina, Jacek Bazanski, also sent a letter to the Secretary of Domestic Trade, expressing the community's pain. The newspaper La Razon[es] writes:

El embajador polaco presentó en la mesa de entradas de la Secretaría que conduce Moreno la carta en la que se muestra “profundamente dolido por las palabras expresadas para con el pueblo polaco durante una reunión con industriales yerbateros y aún más sorprendido por tratarse de la expresión verbal de un funcionario público”.

“The polish ambassador delivered a letter to the inbox of the Secretary post occupied by Moreno. In the letter the ambassador describes how he was “deeply hurt by the words expressed toward the polish people during a meeting with industrial yerba producers, and even more surprised that they were pronounced by a government official.”

The Chamber of Deputies released a statement, rejecting [es] Moreno's words. While users on Facebook the group “Solidarity with the polish yerba farmers” [es] also showed their outrage.

Between the controversy caused by Moreno's declarations and the price increase, today mate tastes even more bitter to Argentinians. Keky Criante Gómez (@‏KekyCG) [es] concludes:

A Moreno le dicen “Agua hervida” [el agua para el mate no debe hervir, ya que el calor quema la yerba] porque nos cagó el mate #yerba

They're calling Moreno “Boiled water” [water for mate shouldn't be boiled because the heat burns the leaf] because he ruined our mate #yerba

Argentina and the Falkland Islands: 30 Years After the Armed Conflict

Kathryn Morgan — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 13:14:35 +0000

Thirty years after Argentinian troops landed in the Falkland Islands on 2 April, 1982, Argentina remembers the beginning of a war for the sovereignty of the Islands that left 649 Argentinians dead.

The Voces Escritas [es] (Written Voices) website provides a summary of the statistics:

En total, fueron 649 argentinos los que dejaron la vida en Malvinas durante la guerra, y hubo 1188 heridos. Pero las consecuencias continuaron: más de 500 excombatientes se suicidaron en los años posteriores a la guerra, en medio de la indiferencia de la sociedad, y el abandono de los gobiernos democráticos.

In total, 649 Argentinians lost their lives and 1188 were injured in the Falklands during the war. But the consequences did not stop there: more than 500 former-servicemen committed suicide in the years following the war, amid societal indifference and neglect from democratic governments.

Monument the those who fell in the Falklands War. Ushuaia, Argentina. image from Flickr user Jorge Andrade. used under licence (CC BY 2.0)

There were also British casualties. El Malvinense [es] conducted an investigation which has been updated and has finally released a statistic for the casualties from Great Britain and the loss of military resources suffered:

Total caidos: 1029 (estimados)

Total buques dañados o perdidos: 31

Total aeronaves perdidas: 45

Gran Bretaña nunca declaró el verdadero numero de bajas de sus tropas ni la pérdida de numeroso armamento. Queda demostrado el gran daño sufrido, que supera ampliamente al que recibió Argentina.

Total deaths: 1,029 (estimated)

Total vessels damaged or lost: 31

Total aircraft lost: 45

Great Britain never declared the true quantity of loss to troops or weapons. This goes to show the great damaged suffered, that far exceeds that received by Argentina.

On the other hand, the blog Diálogos [es], in a special post by Marcos Brincci, publishes alternative statistics:

La guerra no se olvida, aquellos 74 días desde el 2 de abril de 1982 dejan la honra por los casi 650 argentinos y unos 250 británicos muertos. Las Malvinas tienen vestigios de aquellos terribles días.

The war will not be forgotten, those 74 days from the 2 Abril 1982 took the lives of almost 650 Argentinians and some 250 Britons. The Falklands carry traces of those terrible days.

In Argentina on April 2, President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner led a ceremony to mark the 30th anniversary of the Falklands War. The official news agency Telam [es] has published part of her speech:

“es una injusticia en pleno siglo XXI todavía subsistan enclaves coloniales como los que tenemos aquí, a pocos kilómetros de distancia”, en referencia a las Islas Malvinas.

“it is unjust that in the 21st century Colonial enclaves, like that which we have here, still remain just a few kilometers away” - In reference to the Falkland Islands.

She then remarks:

”de los 16 enclaves coloniales que existen en el mundo, diez de ellos son del Reino Unido” y afirmó que “resulta absurdo pretender el dominio” sobre las islas.

“of the 16 colonial enclaves that exist in the world, 10 of them belong to Great Britain” and she affirmed that “it is absurd to expect control” over the islands.

The BBC also writes about the president's speech and transcribes the words of David Cameron, the British Prime-Minister.

Britain remains staunchly committed to upholding the right of the Falkland Islanders, and of the Falkland Islanders alone, to determine their own future.

On Twitter, Falklands Island Gov (@falklandsgov) reflects on the date:

Today is a day for reflection rather than celebration. 30 years on, we are proud to see such strong support for the Islands across the world

During the weekend prior to April 2, the hashtag #MalvinasArgentinas [es] (Argentina Falklands) became a local trending topic.

Gwaa (@TheNorthGwaa) [es] writes:

Si no hubieran encontrado petróleo en#MalvinasArgentinas no estarían pidiendo la intervención de la ONU para renegociar las tierras.

If they hadn't found oil in #MalvinasArgentinas, they would not be demanding UN intervention for a renegotiation of the land.

At the same time, Francisco Angulo (@fran_spg ) [es] disapproves of the chants from the crowds during football matches during the weekend:

#MalvinasArgentinas Está bien recordar a los ex combatientes, pero todo un estadio cantando “El que no salta es un inglés” me da escalofríos

#MalvinasArgentinas It's good to remember former servicemen, but a whole stadium chanting “Whoever doesn't jump is an Englishman” gave me chills.

On the other hand, Marcelo P (@my_silver10) [es], criticises the current government:

Todo esto de #MalvinasArgentinas es un circo de Cristina para distraer de la #Inflacion, la#Inseguridad y las politicas Argenzuelisticas

All this #MalvinasArgentina stuff is Cristina's circus to distract from #Inflacion (inflation), #Inseguridad (insecurity) and Argentinian policies.

Also via Twitter, Natalia Rodriguez (@manatu15) [es], quotes some lyrics from a song by renowned Argentinian singer-songwriter Atahualpa Yupanqu's [es], with reference to the Falkland Islands:

Seguirán las mil banderas del mar, azules y blancas, pero queremos ver una sobre tus piedras clavada. (A. Yupanqui) #MalvinasArgentinas

Thousands of flags of the sea, blue and white, will continue, but we want to see one on your stones, nailed. (A. Yupanqui) #MalvinasArgentinas

The Defonline [es] webpage provides a transcript of a discussion with Martin Balza, former chief of the Argentinian military and Falklands War veteran who was present throughout the conflict. With regard to the diplomacy between Argentina and Great Britain and in response to the question ”should the Kelpers [islanders] also take part in negotiations?”, Balza states that:

No estoy de acuerdo en absoluto cuando alguien dice que se deben respetar los deseos de los isleños. Sí se deben respetar sus intereses: forma de vida, propiedades, idioma, religión, etc. Los ingleses no respetaron los deseos de los argentinos en 1833. Además, por expresa disposición de las Naciones Unidas, sobre todo a partir de 1965 con el Comité de Descolonización, en el caso Malvinas no rige el Principio de Autodeterminación de los Pueblos, que atañe a los pueblos originarios. En Malvinas se echó a los que estaban y se implantó a los que están.

I do not agree at all when someone says that the wishes of the islanders should be respected. Their interests should be respected: way of life, property, language, religion, e.t.c. The British did not respect the wishes of the Argentinians in 1833. Also, by specific provision of the United Nations, especially after 1965 with the Decolonization Committee, the case of the Falklands is not governed by the Principle of the Self-determination of Peoples, that concerns indigenous people. The Falklands have thrown out those who once were, and introduced those who are now.

However, Roger Edwards, a resident of the Falkland Islands and a veteran of the war in 1982, comments in The Guardian:

The Falkland Islanders are a peaceful, hard-working and resilient people. Our society is thriving and forward-looking. All we ask is to be left in peace to choose our own future, and responsibly develop our home for our children and generations to come. We would ask, particularly of those who take it upon themselves to comment from a standpoint of ignorance on our future, that our rights, and our points of view, and above all our wishes are respected and considered as enshrined in the UN charter.

Among the complaints, articles, netizen reactions and protests, Adrian Bono (@AdrianBono) [es] inquires:

Mientras en Argentina es trending topi c#MalvinasArgentinas, en Twitter Gran Bretaña el tema ni aparece. ¿Queda claro, no?

While in Argentina #MalvinasArgentinas is a trending topic, on Twitter in Great Britain the issue isn't even mentioned. That's clear enough, isn't it?

Argentina: Covering the 30th Anniversary of the Falklands War

Silvia Viñas — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 22:00:55 +0000

Lillie Langtry from the blog Memory in Latin America looks at the Argentine media coverage of the 30th anniversary of the start of the Falklands War. Lillie also shares some cartoons on the anniversary by Pagina/12 cartoonist Miguel Rep.

Argentinians Ask to #Freethebooks

Marianna Breytman — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 14:15:56 +0000

New restrictions on the importation of books have spurred outraged on social networks in Argentina. With Regulation 28/2012 [es] (created on February 28, 2012), the Argentine Ministry of Economics and Public Finance [es] has, via the Secretariat of Internal Commerce, stipulated new measures that will apply to the importation and national manufacture of commodities that contain printer ink, as well as shellac and lacquer, for the graphic industry.

The measure includes books, which means that although Argentina has its own graphic industry, it also covers the importation of those books that are not edited on the national level. Foreign publications will have to certify that the ink used in graphic products does not contain more than 0.06% lead.

Book fair in the streets - Photo: Laura Schneider

Hernan Casciari [es], Argentinian writer and journalist based in Barcelona, received a call from a Spanish radio station along with many questions, as he comments on his blog [es]:

Querían saber por qué, desde hoy, los argentinos no podemos recibir publicaciones literarias extranjeras, ni revistas científicas, ni novelas, ni ensayos, ni cualquier tipo de libro, en nuestros domicilios particulares, ni en nuestras universidades, ni en nuestros laboratorios.

They wanted to know why, starting today, we Argentinians could not receive foreign literary publications, nor scientific magazines, novels, essays, nor any type of book at our home addresses, our universities, or our laboratories.

Diego Tirelli shows his astonishment in the blog Según el cristal con que se mire [es]:

Sólo faltaba el aislamiento cultural (no me digas que van a prohibir los Simpsons!!! Se pudre). Llegó (nooooooooooo). La última decisión de Moreno, que frenó la importación de libros y su compra por Internet, es una de las más autoritarias que tomó la democracia argentina (no frenó la compra en internet, frenó la impostación. El libro lo podes leer en un ebook reader fabricado en Tierra del Fuego). Los pretextos que respaldan esa decisión son embusteros

The only thing missing is cultural isolation (don't tell me they're going to ban The Simpsons!!! It rots). It arrived (nooooooooooo). Moreno's last decision, which curbed the importation of books and their online purchase, is one of the most authoritarian that the Argentine democracy has taken (it didn't curb online purchase, it curbed the taxing. You can read the book on an eReader made in Tierra del Fuego.) The pretexts that support this decision are false.

Diego continues [es]:

Los libros no son de consumo masivo, es cierto, pero son un símbolo de la libertad.(los libros son un simbolo de libertad. Frase que va a mi Top Ten de bolufrases históricas) ¿Sabe la Presidenta que las restricciones a los libros (y, por lo tanto, a la cultura y al conocimiento) son una vieja expresión del oscurantismo político? ¿Aspira a que ese sea el legado de su presidencia? Los libros aparecen, así, como otro enemigo en la larga saga presidencial de batallas culturales y de guerras políticas

Books are not mass consumed, that's true, but they are a symbol of freedom. (books are a symbol of freedom. A quote I saw on my Top Ten historic Boluquotes) Does the President know that the restrictions on books (and consequently on culture and knowledge) are an antiquated expression of political obscurantism? Does she aspire to make this her presidency's legacy? Books appear, as such, as another enemy in the long presidential saga of cultural battles and political wars.

Early on March 26, the hashtag #liberenloslibros [es] (#freethebooks) started trending in Argenina.

User @arrietakevin [es] writes:

No se dan cuenta que nuestra presidenta le convienen mas a los analfabetos que educación, #LiberenLosLibros

They don't realize that our president is more interested in illiteracy than education, #FreeTheBooks

Lari Gahan (@larigahan) [es] reacts in a similar way:

ahora retienen libros? no logro entender, de que les sirve!! ah si cierto, una población mas ignorante.. dejame de joder #liberenloslibros

now they're withholding books? I will never understand what they're trying to achieve!! Oh, right. A more ignorant population.. give me a break #freethebooks

Nik Gaturro (@nikgaturro) [es] also comments on the government's role:

En el tema editorial, este gobierno está dejando una pésima impresión. #LiberenLosLibros

With respect to the editorial topic, this government is leaving a dreadful impression. #FreeTheBooks

Meanwhile Paula Campo (@pabula1414) [es] tweets:

Este pais es gracioso, nos preocupamos del + 0,06% de plomo en tintas de libros y no de la mineria a cielo abierto. #LiberenLosLibros

This country is funny, we worry about +0.06% lead in the ink in books and not about open-pit mining. #FreeTheBooks

In a recent radio interview, Alberto Cassano, researcher at the National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET) [es] — an organization dedicated to promoting science and technology in Argentina – commented [es]:

A mí no me preocupa mi problema personal, me preocupa la faltante de libros en inglés que son utilizados para el estudio. Es decir, que junto a la faltante de medicamentos, también faltan libros extranjeros”. ……”yo creo que estas políticas atrasan. Les recuerdo que los libros se traducen al español luego de 6 u 8 años. Los científicos suelen comprar los libros en el idioma de origen o se atrasan 8 años”.

I do not worry about my personal problems, I worry about the lack of books in English that are used for studies. That is to say that, together with the lack of medication, there is also a lack of foreign books.” …… “I believe that these policies put us back. I remind you that books are translated into Spanish six to eight years after they are published. Scientists tend to buy books in their original language or they are delayed by eight years.”

On April 19, like every year, the International Book Fair [es] will be held in Argentina. This year it will count on the presence of international invitees like Eduardo Galeano, David Grossman, Stephen Holmes, and other distinguished authors [es]. Some Twitter users, like Dante Augusto Palma (@palmadante) [es], have already approached a new controversy, writing:

Los que creen que lo de #liberenloslibros es una opereta para politizar Feria del Libro como se hizo el año pasado son muy bien pensados

Those who think that #freethebooks is an operetta to politicize the Book Fair like last year are thinking along the correct lines

Finally, remembering a quote from Peruvian writer Mario Vargas Llosa, Claudia Elizabeth Sosa(@clausclaude) [es] tweets:

“Nada enriquece tanto los sentidos, la sensibilidad, los deseos humanos cómo la lectura.” Mario Vargas Llosa. #LiberenLosLibros

“Nothing enriches the senses, sensibility, and human desires like reading.” Mario Vargas Llosa. #FreeTheBooks

‘Mujeres Construyendo': Empowering Women, One Blog at a Time

Kathryn Morgan — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 10:00:34 +0000

“Una bloguera es, ante todo, una mujer valiente, que se atreve y se compromete. ¿Por qué? Porque a través de su blog se expresa, dice lo que piensa, siente, lo que es. Si tiene miedo de hablar o darle cuerpo a sus ideas, enfrenta ese miedo y lo supera.”

- “¿Quién es una bloguera?”, Mujeres Construyendo

A female blogger is, first and foremost, a brave woman, one who dares and one who commits. Why? Because through her blog she expresses herself, she says what she thinks, what she feels, what she is. If she is afraid to speak of or shape her ideas, she confronts this fear and overcomes it.

- “¿Quién es una bloguera?” [es] (Who is a female blogger?), Mujeres Construyendo

Women make up almost half of Latin America's Internet users. However, in spite of their high web-presence, women are mainly content consumers. Mujeres Construyendo [es], the first platform for female bloggers in Spanish, wants to transform Hispanic women into creators, not just consumers, of internet content.

Its founder, Claudia Calvin, answered some questions about this platform and community of Hispanic female bloggers.

Global Voices: How and when was Mujeres Construyendo created?

Claudia Calvin: Mujeres Construyendo surge como proyecto en el 2008, después de un tiempo de haberme hecho bloguera. Su origen se encuentra principalmente en mis andares por internet y después de descubrir una realidad que llamó profundamente mi atención: que las mujeres de habla hispana que participamos en internet seguimos transmitiendo en este espacio una creencia profundamente arraigada en nuestra cultura. ¿Cuál es? Aquella que nos inculcaron de niñas y en la que nos decían que “calladitas nos veíamos más bonitas”. Descubrí que nuestra participación como blogueras era muy distinta a la participación de las blogueras estadounidenses: ellas en la actualidad representan casi un 60% de los blogueros en su país y las blogueras en internet de habla hispana representamos un escaso 27%. Cuando inicié Mujeres Construyendo, la cifra era más desalentadora aún: 15%.

Busqué afanosamente un espacio de convergencia de mujeres blogueras, un espacio que no fuese un directorio, sino un lugar de convivencia, una comunidad como tal. Al no encontrarla, decidí hacerla, y así es como surge Mujeres Construyendo.

Hablé con unos amigos desarrolladores y lograron darle vida a esta idea que tenía en mi mente. La plataforma Mujeres Construyendo surge como tal en el 2009.

Claudia Calvin: Mujeres Construyendo came about in 2008, after a period of establishing myself as a blogger. It came from my internet browsing and the discovery of a reality that really caught my attention: Spanish speaking women who contribute to the internet continue to transmit a profound belief that is deeply-rooted in our culture. What was it? The belief that has been instilled in us since we were girls, the idea that “the quieter we are, the more beautiful we are”. I discovered that our contributions as bloggers were very distinct to that of American women. They currently constitute almost 60% of bloggers in their country and Spanish speaking female bloggers make up just 27%. When I began Mujeres Construyendo, the figure was even more discouraging… 15%.

I frantically looked for a space where female bloggers could get together, a space that wasn't a directory, but rather a place of coexistence, a community, as it were. After failing to find this, I decided to make it myself, and that is how Mujeres Construyendo came about.

I spoke with some developer friends and they managed to bring the idea I had in mind to life. And so the Mujeres Construyendo platform sprung to life in 2009.

GV: What is Mujeres Construyendo's mission? What does it want to achieve with this female blogging platform?

CC: El objetivo de Mujeres Construyendo es que las mujeres aprendamos a hacer uso de las nuevas tecnologías y las herramientas que brinda internet para empoderarnos, crecer, desarrollarnos. Los blogs son una herramienta de empoderamiento para nosotras: nos permite comunicar lo que hacemos, pensamos, visualizamos y participar en un diálogo central en el nuevo espacio público, que es internet.

Hemos participado más como observadoras y consumidoras de contenido que como proveedoras y en este espacio vacío se está perdiendo una enorme oportunidad para construir una realidad que refleje nuestros intereses y manera de entender y participar en el mundo, tanto en el ámbito de lo social, como lo político y empresarial, y ni qué decir de lo personal y familiar.

Las mujeres vivimos muchos tipos de marginación en el mundo, no necesitamos sumar una más a las existentes: la digital.

CC: The objective of Mujeres Construyendo is for women to learn to make use of new technologies and tools that the internet offers in order to be empowered, to grow and to develop. Blogs are empowering tools for us - they enable us to communicate what we do, what we think, what we see. They allow us to participate in a central dialogue in the new public space, the internet.

We have been more involved as observers and consumers of content than providers. We are missing out on a great opportunity to construct a reality that reflects our interests and way of understanding and participating in the world, in a social sense, as well as a political and business sense, not to mention the personal and familial.

Women deal with many types of marginalisation in society, we don't need to add digital marginalisation to those that already exist.

GV: Why is it important for women to have a blog?

CC: Como mencionaba anteriormente, los blogs son una herramienta de empoderamiento en la medida en que posibilitan que las mujeres puedan comunicarse, expresar, proponer y dialogar en internet y con ello contribuir a la definición y construcción de una realidad que refleje sus intereses y visión. Las voces de mujeres en la blogósfera son importantes porque son el reflejo de la mitad de los habitantes del planeta y en el medida en que sean actores sociales, políticos, voten, consuman, tomen decisiones y vivan de manera cotidiana los diversos contextos de su entorno (desde violencia, hasta crisis económicas, pasando por desastres naturales o guerras) su voz es importante. Son actores de la vida cotidiana y su visión y mirada cuentan, valen, reflejan una circunstancia. Su silencio resulta -sin que ellas mismas los sepan- cómplices de realidades sexistas o que marginan y en la medida en que paulatinamente vayan apareciendo y expresando su voz…irá cambiando el entorno. El silencio jamás ha sido socio del empoderamiento.

CC: As I mentioned before, blogs are tools of empowerment insofar as they make it possible for women to be able to communicate and express themselves, make suggestions and converse on the internet. They are tools with which women contribute to the definition and construction of a reality that represents their interests and vision. Women's voices, in the blogosphere, are important because they reflect half of the planet's inhabitants. Their voices are important in the sense that they are social players, politicians, they vote, they act, they make decisions and everyday they live through different environmental contexts (from violence, to economic crises; from natural disasters, to wars). They are players in everyday life and their vision and perspective counts, they are valued, they reflect a situation. Their silence, although they themselves are unaware, acts as an accomplice for a sexist reality, or it means they are marginalised. As long as their voices continue to gradually appear and be expressed, this environment will keep changing.

GV: How many women have a blog on Mujeres Construyendo?

CC: La comunidad de Mujeres Construyendo está constituida por la plataforma Mujeres Construyendo (www.mujeresconstruyendo.com) y las redes sociales a través de las cuáles se conecta su comunidad. La suma de personas conectadas a esta propuesta y a este espacio suma hoy cerca de 9 mil personas.

CC: The community of Mujeres Construyendo is made up by the Mujeres Construyendo platform (www.mujeresconstruyendo.com) and the social networks that connect this community. The total sum of people connected today is around nine thousand.

GV: What is the profile of the women who blog on Mujeres Construyendo?

CC: Cabe decir que participan hombres y mujeres en nuestra plataforma. Somos un espacio incluyente y consideramos que no se puede hablar de equidad partiendo de un principio de exclusión, por ello, las voces masculinas son bien recibidas. La mayoría, estamos hablando de más del 96%, son mujeres. Su perfil es principalmente urbano, de entre 25 y 45 años, en su mayoría de México, España, Argentina, Venezuela y Estados Unidos. Quiero destacar a una de nuestras blogueras más activas, y que inclusive ha sido entrevistada en televisión: Bertha, una extraordinaria mujer de 82 años que nos enseña que no hay edad para seguir aprendiendo y que las herramientas digitales son poderosas y permiten a las personas seguirle dando sentido a su vida.

CC: I should say that both men and women use our platform. We are an inclusive space and we don't believe that you can talk about equality while at the same time exercising a principal of exclusion, so male bloggers are also welcomed. The majority, we're talking more than 96%, are women. Their profile is mainly urban, from 25 to 45 years of age, and mainly from Mexico, Spain, Argentina, Venezuela and the United States. I want to focus on one of our most active bloggers, who has even been interviewed on television. Bertha, an extraordinary 82 year-old woman who shows us that there's no age limit to learning and that digital tools are powerful and they can continue to give meaning to people's lives.

GV: What will 2012 bring for Mujeres Construyendo?

CC: Empezamos el año con el pie derecho, estrenando nueva casa y nuestro nuevo sitio nos permite interactuar mejor, conocernos y convivir de manera más cercana. Detrás de esto hay trabajo y compromiso y queremos consolidarnos como un espacio central para que las mujeres participen, tengan voz y con ello contribuir con nuestro grano de arena no sólo a su empoderamiento, sino al fortalecimiento de la democracia. Queremos incrementar el número de blogueras participando y vinculadas a nuestra comunidad, estamos trabajando en ofrecer herramientas a las blogueras que les permitan fortalecer su presencia y cumplir sus objetivos, sean estos personales, familiares, profesionales. Detrás de este trabajo hay alianzas y proyectos que podrán ver en un futuro muy cercano y del que con gusto les platicaremos en su momento.

Muchas gracias por su interés en conocernos y ojalá a través de Global Voices más mujeres se animen a sumar su voz a nuestra comunidad. Juntas podemos hacer una diferencia.

CC: We're going to start the year off on the right foot. Opening a new house and our new site will allow us to interact, get to know each other and live together in a closer way. Behind this there is work and dedication and we want to consolidate it into one central space so that the women who participate have a voice with which they do their bit, not just towards their own empowerment, but also towards strengthening democracy. We want to increase the number of female bloggers who participate within and are linked to our community so we are working on offering tools to the female bloggers that enable them to strengthen their presence and achieve their goals, whether these be personal, familial or professional. Behind this work there are aliances and projects that will be seen in the very near future, about which we'll talk about nearer the time.

Thank you very much for your interest in getting to know us and hopefully through Global Voices more women will be encouraged to add their voice to our community. Together we can make a difference.

Claudia is also a blogger [es] and she tweets under @LaClau [es]. You can follow Mujeres Construyendo on Facebook [es], Twitter, [es] YouTube [es], and LinkedIn [es].

Argentina Prepares to Remember the Victims of the Falklands War

Georgi McCarthy — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 17:05:39 +0000

[All links lead to Spanish sites unless otherwise stated.]

Malvinas Day is celebrated each year in Argentina on April 2, and with each anniversary the desire to recover what was lost in 1982 resurfaces. And this year will not go unnoticed; after the various statements [en] made by President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner regarding the diplomatic conflict with the United Kingdom, nationalist attitudes are reemerging in Argentine society.

ArturoDiazF's blog briefly sums up the national sentiment:

Personalmente creo que la apelación al nacionalismo siempre ha sido la excusa perfecta para cohesionar a una nación. Reavivar el asunto de Las Malvinas es el caballito de batalla para distraer a la opinión pública sobre la situación económica en Argentina

Personally I think that nationalism has always been the perfect excuse to unite a country. The revival of the Falklands issue is the point of contention that will distract the public from the economic situation in Argentina.

Various events have taken place in the last few weeks: President Cristina Fernández's visit to Chile, Unasur's rejection of hydrocarbon exploration in the Falkland Islands, and the possible recommencement of flights from Argentina to the Islands. But what do the Falkland Islanders think about the situation?

Replica of the Malvinas Cemetary, photo by Alejandro Gómez (CC BY 2.0)

John Fowler [en], editor of Penguin News, a newspaper produced on the Islands, sums up the attitudes of the Kelpers [en] (inhabitants of the Falklands):

I think we would like to see the “sovereignty umbrella” hoisted again so that issues of shared concern like fish stocks and hydrocarbon exploration can be discussed to our mutual benefit without prejudice and we would also really like the Argentine government, as they once promised, to stop using the name Puerto Argentino to identify our capital, Stanley. Unlike Malvinas which is a name with historical authenticity, used in a more or less neutral sense throughout the Spanish-speaking world, Puerto Argentino remains as an unpleasant reminder of an even more unpleasant time and its continued use thirty years later is an insult.

On the other hand the Peruvian government announced its decision to cancel the previously agreed routine visit of a British frigate, according to Telam, the Argentine national news agency:

Esta decisión ha sido adoptada en el espíritu de los compromisos de solidaridad latinoamericana asumidos en el marco de la Unasur respecto de los legítimos derechos de la República Argentina en la disputa de soberanía sobre las islas Malvinas, Georgias del Sur y Sandwich del Sur y los espacios marítimos circundantes”, explicó el canciller, Rafael Roncagliolo, en una breve declaración a la agencia noticiosa estatal Andina

“This decision has been taken in the spirit of Latin American solidarity commitments undertaken in the framework of Unasur (Union of South American Nations) with regard to the legitimate rights of Argentina in the sovereignty dispute over the Falkland Islands, South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands and the surrounding waters,” Foreign Affairs Minister Rafael Roncagliolo said in a brief statement to Peruvian news agency Andina.

The British government's swift response was one of disappointment, according to the newspaper La Nación:

El Gobierno británico lamentó hoy la decisión de Perú de solidarizarse con Argentina en la disputa de las islas Malvinas y cancelar la visita prevista al puerto del Callao de la fragata “HMS Montrose” del Reino Unido.

The British government regrets today's decision made by Peru to support Argentina in the dispute over the Falkland Islands and cancel HMS Montrose's planned visit to Callao from the United Kingdom.

As April 2 approaches, the “Malvinas” or “Falklands” question will have both national and international impact, with many opposing views. Diego Vera (@dverasm), from Chile, tweets:

Me cuesta entender el apoyo de nuestro Presidente @sebastianpinera a las demagógicas pretensiones argentinas sobre las #falklands.

I struggle to understand the support of our President @sebastianpinera for the demagogic Argentine desires for the #falklands.

In turn, the Islanders also shared their opinions regarding the recommencement of flights from Argentina to the Islands. Falkland Islands (@falklands_utd) [en] said on Twitter:

We would rather swim than have flights controlled by you! Leave us alone! @CFKArgentina http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews… #falklands #british #freedom

Seba Zurutuza (@sebaZ3), a legislative consultant, also commented on Twitter about the U.S.'s stance on the Falklands issue:

Cuanta ingenuidad (?) en la dirigencia oficial y opositora: siguen pensando q EEUU va a ayudar

How naive (?) is the leadership: they still think the U.S. is going to help.

In a reader's letter to the editor of the newspaper Informador Público, Luis E. Luchía-Puig suggests a strategy of seduction towards the Falklands issue:

Todavía hará falta mucho tiempo para que se cicatricen las heridas de una guerra inútil que ocurrió hace tres décadas. Pero el sentido común señala que, para lograr ese objetivo, es mejor seducir que hostigar. Promover políticas de pacífica convivencia y facilitar las oportunidades de contacto. Si en el futuro los isleños perciben que vivir en un territorio gobernado por nuestro país, es más confiable y ventajoso que depender de una metrópoli a una distancia de 15.000 kilómetros, no pondrían objeciones al cambio de soberanía y volveríamos a ver flamear la celeste y blanca en esa patria todavía irredenta.

We will be waiting for a long time for the wounds to heal from the useless war that happened 30 years ago. But the common sentiment shows that in order to accomplish this objective, it's better to seduce than to harass; promoting politics of peaceful coexistence and facilitating opportunities for contact. If, in the future, the Islanders think that living in a territory governed by our country would be more reliable and advantageous for them than depending on a mother country over 9,000 miles away, they wouldn't object to a change of sovereignty an we would once again see the sky ablaze over this still unredeemed territory.

In between approaches, solutions, opinions and disagreements, perhaps a proposal could serve as a common base so that the parties involved could come to a solution. Or maybe, as @DVDinsaurralde suggests, an agreement could be reached through sport:‏

I believe the future of #Malvinas #Falkland should be decided in a football match

Meanwhile, the April 2 is getting ever closer; a day not only to remember the past, but also to analyse the current situation in the Falklands.