Archive for
October 1st, 2008
Stories
Brazil: Do deforestation and elections mix?
Pará - Brazil, 2007. Photo by Deborah Icamiaba.
The Brazilian National Institute for Space Research (INPE) has disclosed the news of a huge increase in deforestation in the past few months, particularly in the States of Pará and Mato Grosso. In some States, the rates are three times higher than they were in August 2007.
The Minister for the Environment, Carlos Minc, interpreted this as due to the election period. According to him, “No mayor wants to be obstructive at such times. No governor wants to be obstructive either. The IBAMA (Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources) staff do their job, but they need the support of the local police.” Minc has also disclosed a list of the top 100 agents of deforestation, which puts the government agency for colonization and agrarian reform (INCRA) as the top deforestation agent of the Amazon.
Brazilian bloggers have been slow to react to the news, but Greenpeace [pt] points out it had been indicating increasing deforestation rates in the past few months, thus the INPE data has come as no surprise to them. Amazon Greenpeace Campaign Director Paulo Adario says:
“Lamentavelmente não é nenhuma novidade. Há meses, o Greenpeace vem alertando para a tendência de aumento do desmatamento na Amazônia, confirmada novamente pelos dados do Inpe divulgados nesta segunda-feira”
Also, regarding the presence of INCRA at the top of the list, Greenpeace had published a report called Paper Land Reform Settlements [pt] denouncing the way in which in some parts of the Amazon INCRA staff have been “partnering” small peasants and illegal loggers to create “fake” land reform settlements which serve to cover up illegal logging activity under the gloss of land reform and social justice. The set up helps INCRA to meet their land reform targets, earn their local agents' monetary rewards and makes way for what is still the main economic activity in numerous Amazonian municipalities: illegal logging.
Candido Cunha [pt], a blogger from Santarém, Pará, was quick to expose some of the political interests behind the recent news. According to him, there is disagreement between Minister Carlos Minc and Pará’s Governor Ana Julia who was not happy to see Pará at the top of the deforestation list. Candido suggests she had been able to keep Pará out of the notorious deforestation limelight during Marina Silva’s period of office (she is Minc’s predecessor), whose focus was to attack Governor Blairo Maggi from Mato Grosso State, whilst keeping herself free to “partner” deforestation agents, particularly those linked to large mining and logging projects.
A mistura explosiva dos aliados petistas no Pará, madeireiras e mineradoras parece ser o combustível perfeito para a derrubada e queima da floresta amazônica. Para isso, não há “simpatia” que dê jeito!
They being all PT (Workers’ Party) politicians, this is indicative of inner schisms in the party. In Candido's view, Minc’s strategy to reveal the links between local politics and deforestation rates is intended to help him gain the support needed to set up a Federal Military Force to support IBAMA’s fiscalization proceedings.
Pará - Brazil, 2007. Photo by Deborah Icamiaba.
In Mércio Pereira Gomes’ blog [pt], we see the view of an anthropologist (and ex-president of FUNAI, Brazilian National Indian Foundation, during Lula’s office) who has witnessed the threat of having INCRA's land reform settlements near indigenous reserves, particularly in Mato Grosso.
Parece que houve um acirramento do desmatamento no mês de agosto. O ministro Carlos Minc culpou as eleições por isso. O Pará está tomando o lugar do Mato Grosso como campeão do desmatamento. A governadora do Pará desmentiu que as eleições provocaram esse aumento, que não há correlação entre uma coisa e outra.
He seems to support Ana Julia's refutation that there is any link between elections and deforestation and argues that the deforestation battle is being lost due to Minc’s strategies being too “mediatic” (seeking to draw attention to himself, primarily) and not consistent enough on the ground. He does not believe Minc will last in the Ministry. Is he perhaps an ally to Ana Julia?
According to Globo’s site [pt] on the Amazon, Carlos Mincs’ idea is to partner the General Advocacy of the Union and the Public Ministry to sue the top 100 deforestation agents in Brazil.
Os dados do Ibama apontaram situação grave, segundo Minc. Pelo levantamento, além de áreas de assentamentos, houve desmatamento também em reservas indígenas e parques de preservação ambiental. “Todos aqueles mencionados (na lista) terão de responder na Justiça sobre o que aconteceu. O mais importante é mudar a atitude e recuperar as áreas devastadas”, afirmou o ministro.
Finally, the blog Pense [Think, pt], run by the couple Adriana and Henrique, indeed makes us think about the issue of who will sue the top 100 deforestation agents, particularly INCRA, which is itself a Federal Government Agency.
Quem será processado pelo ministro? O Incra? As famílias assentadas?
Mediatic or not, the fact is that deforestation rates are on the increase and as difficult as it is to disentangle the network of interests which converge to maintain such high rates of deforestation in the Amazon, Carlos Minc is using the tools that he has in order to tackle the problem. Drawing attention to the increase in deforestation rates and listing top deforestation agents, as well as following this up with legal proceeds against them, are strategic tools to combat deforestation.
However, as he himself has been saying in the media recently, closing down illegal logging activities does not resolve the problem, because “you don’t create sustainable jobs as quickly as you close down illegal sawmills.” Perhaps the conflict between himself and the Governor of Pará is that his duty is to denounce and close down the illegal deforestation related activities, whilst hers (and that of all the local mayors about to be elected) is to create all those sustainable jobs.
View from a plane, north of Mato Grosso - Brazil, 2007. Photo by Deborah Icamiaba.
Running Away from Marriage: A Story From Syria
American Fulbright scholar in Damascus Orientalista brings up the story of her Syrian friend Manar, a 22-year old female from the Druze minority in the country, who ran away from her house to escape a forced marriage.
In the four-post series, Orientalista lays out her friend's story detailing her own personal involvement in the matter. In the post titled “Manar Escapes,” she writes:
A week earlier Manar had been sitting on my balcony with me, overlooking the square. “I'm thinking about running away,” she said after complaining about her family. She had been telling me about meeting with the latest arees (groom). She showed me his love poetry texts to her mobile. He was about 30, had a good job and seemed nice. She doesn't want to get married. She's 22. There had been earlier meetings with prospective grooms. We'd be hanging out, I'd ask what she was up to tomorrow. “Oh, meeting a groom.” They came to her house, sat with her and her parents, and she refused them. She didn't seem too concerned about the latest Romeo, though she thought the poetry was kinda sweet.
A week later she was in my house and I was stuffing her plastic bags into my suitcase to hide them away. It's not like I hadn't expected her to follow through, but I hadn't expected it so soon.
She refused the guy and her parents got pissed. You're going to have to get married anyway, they said, so why not this one? He's got all the credentials, including the most important one, being Druze. They set Monday for his parents to come and formally do the engagement with her parents. She refused and they told her she couldn't leave the house. She'd have to agree to some one eventually. She missed work Thursday. Her father took her ID and hid it somewhere. Friday she waited until her father left and her mother went down for a pack of smokes. She got the ID and ran.
At my house, we tried to think through the options. She had 6000 lira cash ($120) and stolen her brother's fancy mobile, which she could sell for maybe another 5-6 thousand. Foulan, who was at my house when she came and has loved her forever despite her insistance that nothing will ever happen between them, said we should start looking for a place to live. Outside of Jeramana.
She continues in “The Law is With Us” :
The next couple of days Foulan and I looked unsuccessfully for a place outside of Jeramana. The search was complicated by Ramadan. Real Estate offices don't open until after 10am, close again while the owner goes to the mosque to pray (during Ramadan, a lot of people pray who don't outside of it, while many others who pray regularly make the trip to a mosque instead of just praying at their office). Before 6, all offices close for Iftar, breaking of the fast, and a few reopen again after 9 for maybe an hour or so.
So I had to find a place for her quickly. I got an American girl I know to put her up for the night. The next day, Sunday, I was able to contact a woman I know who works on gender issues including violence, who gave me the hotline number to a safe house for women, run by nuns.
This woman told me to tell Manar that the law is with her. She's 22, not a minor, and by Syrian law does not need for father's permission for anything. She's an adult. None of us are doing anything illegal.
Then, in “Back to Jeremana” she writes :
The next day I left Manar with strict instructions. Obviously, no leaving the apartment. TV and music should be quiet. Keep the shades drawn.
That night I was watching a movie with Manar, Foulan, my roommate and my boyfriend when Foulan's mother called. Um Foulan was upset. Foulan told her he was at my house. She told him to come now, he said no, he was in the middle of a movie. After the call finished, he told us that sometimes she gets like this when she fights with her daughter. My boyfriend was more worried, saying it probably had something to do with Manar.
A few minutes later Um Foulan was at the door and Manar was hiding in my room under my bed. She said eight men showed up at her shop and demanded to know if she knew where Manar was. Manar ran away she told us. We acted properly surprised and asked the details. When? Why? Foulan told her he hadn't seen Manar in months. She said the family was threatening to get the police involved.
My boyfriend said Manar's family probably followed Um Foulan, and were probably outside. She can't leave now. Within a couple of minutes her father and uncle were outside my door. I walked into the hallway with my boyfriend, leaving the door open behind me. “Why is HE at your house at this hour!” they asked (it was 11). We were watching a movie, I said.
They left, Manar cried and apologized for getting me into this. I asked if they really would kill her, with her mother crying like that. She told me the story of a Druze girl from Sweida who ran away. Six months later she missed her family and wrote to her father, begging for forgiveness because she wanted to see them again. Manar told me the father had always loved his daughter dearly and he wrote back, forgiving her. They picked her up and drove her to their village. They stopped at what used to be gallows a long time ago. Her brother slit her throat and her mother dipped her hands in the blood, raised them to the sky and trilled.
In “No Solution“, she ends the story describing how Manar's family found out she was hiding in her apartment and then went there trying to force their daughter to go home with them, and how she refused to leave unless her American friend went with her!
Finally Manar's brother got her to come out. She collasped on the floor (there was no air in the cupboard and she was all sweat) in Um Foulan's arms, who wiped her face with water and gave her some to drink and we all bawled. Manar's mother came, shot me a dirty look and was clearly hurt by Um Foulan taking her maternal place. She shifted Manar to her, crying.
Manar went to lay down on my bed and her uncle gave her a pill to “calm her down.” I demanded to know what it is. He tried to open her mouth and put it in and I yelled “She's not a cat!” but she sat up a bit and took it. Manar didn't want to go. I apologized and told her I wouldn't leave her side. I told her I wouldn't let anything happen to her.
She refused to go home. She refused to go to the doctor. She agreed to go to her uncle's house, but only if I went with her. I grabbed my toothbrush and we all left together, Manar and I holding hands and her mother pissed that Manar didn't want to hold her hand or sit next to her in the car.
Palestine: Fatah and Hamas take their fight into schools
August 24 should have seen the start of classes for pupils in Gaza’s government schools, but instead it was the beginning of a week-long strike called by the Fatah-led teachers’ union protesting the interference of Hamas in education. In this post, one blogger, a school pupil himself, gives us his perspective on the political fight getting in the way of his education.
In the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip, the Palestine Teachers’ Union is one of the few remaining strongholds of Fatah, and is supported by Mahmoud Abbas’ Palestinian Authority (PA) in Ramallah. It called a strike during the first week of the school year to protest the transfer of dozens of teachers, transfers which it claimed were made so that Hamas could install its supporters in key positions. Teachers were stuck in the middle of the conflict between Hamas, which controls the administration of Gaza, and the PA in Ramallah, which pays their salaries. They were threatened with having their salaries cut or being fired if they broke the strike, or if they accepted a promotion (indicating loyalty to Hamas); yet if they did strike then they risked being sacked by Hamas. While Hamas denied they were replacing staff, as soon as the strike started it brought in hundreds of new teachers; Hamas’ Education Minister estimated that 2,000 of the 9,000 government school teachers had been replaced.
Mutasharrid (‘homeless person’ or ‘vagrant’) is a pupil in Khan Yunis, in the south of the Gaza Strip, and explains what happened during the first week of the school year:
- لأ ، الأسبوع الأول إضراب للمعلمين
- والله؟ مين حكى .. ولشو الإضراب ؟
- إتحاد المعلمين أقرّ بإضراب مشان اللي بتعمله حماس بالتعليم
- أها.. و شو بتعمل حماس بالتعليم ؟
- نقل أساتذة ثانوية للإبتدائية وتعيين مدراء منها وفصل واعتقال و و
” الحالة الظاهرة : الظهور دون إتصال “
‘No, the first week there’s a teachers’ strike.’
‘Really? Who says? What’s the strike about?’
‘The teachers’ union has decided to strike because of what Hamas is doing to education.’
‘Aha…And what is Hamas doing to education?’
‘They’re moving head teachers from secondary schools to elementary schools, and appointing head teachers from amongst their own, and dismissing people, and arresting them, and…’
Status: No communication.
كثير .. بس أنا بعنيها فعلا
- تعلمنا كيف يكون إنتهاء الدوام مع بدايته في صبيحة كل يوم
- تعلّمنا جيدا كيفية الجلوس في الفصل بهدوء تامّ دون وجود معلم لعدة حصص
- درسنا أيضا أن هذا المعلم قطع راتبه أما ذاك فليس بعد
-we learnt how lessons could end at the same time they began every morning
-we learnt very well how to sit in a class, perfectly quiet, without the presence of a teacher for a number of periods
-we also learnt that this teacher had taken a cut in his salary, but some other teacher had not yet
أين نحن من كل هذا ؟!
Where do we come in all of this?!
At the time of writing some teachers are still on strike.
Habemus Guatemalan Cinema! Gasolina, Best Latin American Movie
You can read a lot about many "first places" on rankings by Guatemala: corruption, poverty, low literacy rates and violence against women. That is why bloggers and the artist community were thrilled when we finally had great news. We won the Best Latin American Movie award at the San Sebastian Festival in Spain. Actually we did not. Guatemalan young film producer, Julio Hernandez did, with his film "Gasolina".
Everyone under thirty-five is thrilled! Smiles and nice comments everywhere!
The most interesting detail is that recently awarded films do not portray Guatemala as a Paradise, as a perfect, happy place, but rather show different realities. It was the second film in the year to be awarded. The first to recently report that a Guatemalan movie had received an award at the San Sebastian film festival was one of crew member's relatives, Blogger Jacri :
Son las 8:00 de la mañana hora de Guatemala y entra una llamada yo en ese momento todavía estaba durmiendo y mi mama contesta el teléfono luego solo escucho que ella empieza a llorar de la emoción al recibir la noticia desde España diciéndole de que habían ganado a la categoría en la que estaban nominados Horizontes Latinos
Charakotel , a rural Guatemalan blogger living in Denmark,congratulated Julio from his distant location, and briefly described the plot:
Haber logrado realizarla en Guatemala supone ya un triunfo, por la escasa -o nula- presencia institucional en el apoyo al arte, los obstáculos financieros, los cangrejos, etcétera, etcétera. El galardón es, entonces, doblemente merecido.
Also from Brasil, Guatemalan poet spending his year as artist in Residence in San Pablo was the second to report it, and dedicated a space on his blog, with a meaningful tittle: Little Faith: Latin American Horizons :
Este merecido premio le dará la resonancia que merece a la película de nuestro querido Julio, al mismo tiempo que podrá poner en los ojos y oídos de muchos las imágenes y sonidos de la tan cacareada Guatemala de posguerra, con sus juventudes perdidas e incendiarias. Desde ya me pongo a ver cómo traemos ese largometraje para el Brasil, donde de seguro disfrutarán tan particular historia y la espléndida forma en que Julio la cuenta.
This much deserved award will give a voice to the film of our beloved Julio, and at the same time it will present before many eyes and ears the images and sounds of the troubled postwar Guatemala, with its youth lost, incendiary. From now on I will lind the way to bring the film to Brasil, where people will enjoy for sure the singular story and the splendid way that Julio recreated it.
Thanks to the honest effort of a bunch of young Guatemalans (the actors where almost all teenage amateur actors) and a great Director, WE will share our city, our stories, our reality, with many others in the world. It is not a perfect place, but it is a place that still has some corners left where dreams can become realities. Hopefully you will see Gasolina in your city! Habemus Guatemalan Cinema!
Caribbean: Celebrating Eid
“Eid Mubarak” - Photo by khalilshah; used under a Creative Commons license. Visit khalilshah's photostream.
Eid Mubarak! Muslims across the world are today celebrating Eid ul-Fitr, the holiday that marks the end of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting - and the Caribbean is no exception. A few bloggers were at their computers bright and early to mark the occasion…
Lily, from Trinidad and Tobago, was excited at the sighting of the moon, while Chennette is celebrating Eid in neighbouring Guyana:
It’s officially ‘Id ul Fitr, the end of Ramadan and one of the 2 Eids/celebrations for Muslims. Eid Mubarak everyone!
Simply Trini Cooking is glad for another public holiday to “stay home and relax” - the irony is, he's busy in the kitchen, whipping up some Sawine, which he describes as “not a drink yet we slurp it down in cups, but then it's not even porridge because it has vermicelli in it. Confusing as it may seem, this is one sweet delicacy I look forward to every Eid.” For anyone who wants to try it, he posts a helpful recipe.
Fellow blogger Coffeewallah notes that in a multi-ethnic, multi-religious society like Trinidad and Tobago, holidays like this are the norm, but she is saddened by the circumstances surrounding her family's celebration of the occasion:
Given that I am of mixed heritage, today actually constitutes a religious holiday for my mother's family, so I get to go “home” and make nice with the relatives. My granny is probably slaving away over a hot stove while I write; this prior to heading off to the mosque where she'll meet up with her fellow survivors, she's 84, her friends are dying off, before heading back home for another round of quick kitchen activity. Since my mother is dead and she has no more daughters…I'm it. Her company while she cooks, reluctant sous chef, because I cannot do it the way she wants, my cooking style is very different. I'm not resentful, just too tired. My female cousins are notably absent, and this is hard for her to take, she who is used to large families and lots of people, whose family gatherings have now shrunk…
We, those of us left, will briefly congregate in the kitchen, to eat together before jumping up to go where ever else. I feel sad for her, this is not what she envisaged. Where are the eight children that she raised, where are the grandchildren and where are her great grandchildren? No childish voices raised, nobody running underfoot, no hive of activity, instead we have scattered all over, been visited by death and divorce. Today she will have a heading to middle aged, unmarried childless granddaughter, itching to get back home to catch a few z's before work tomorrow; phone calls from my uncle, brothers and cousin living abroad, her friends who didn't make it out and her surviving sisters. And she will be happy, even for this.
So for her, may I wish all of you, Eid Murabak, take the time out to enjoy your life, enjoy your family, be happy.
Korea: From Hero to Eccentric Man
In 2004 a student, Kang Ui-seok, was expelled from Daegwang High School for disobeying an order to attend chapel service at the school. He filed a petition with the National Human Rights Commission of Korea and went on a hunger strike that lasted 36 days to urge the school to give its students the freedom of religion.
After a long battle, he could return to the school and the school agreed not to force chapel service on non-Christian students. He received much attention in public and his courage was complimented.
However, since that time, he has received continual media attention (intentionally or non-intentionally) with his noticeable activities – short career as a boxer, taxi driver, women-serving-man, documentary director (‘Military Service?’)[kr]– and has turned from a young and brave boy to an eccentric man. Another performance of his in public on the 30th of September touched one of the most sensitive issues, protest against military service, and has led to many comments from netizens.
Many netizens analyze a series of his actions.
돈키호테가 되고 싶은 강의석
용기있는 학생이었다.
물론 그때도 돌 얻어맞을 모난 정으로 보는 사람도 있었고 어린 녀석이 까졌다고 생각하는 사람도 있었지만, 나 역시 반강제적으로 학교 종교행사에 참여해야 했던 미션스쿨을 다녔던 경험탓인지, 아닌 건 아니라고 당당하게 말하는 그 학생을 보면서 저거 너무 튀는거 아냐?라는 생각보다 베짱 좋네, 용기있네. 라는 생각이 더 강했던 것 같다.
강의석군에서 강의석씨가 된 그 학생.
참 재미있는 사람이다.
국군의 날을 하루 앞둔 30일 강남 테헤란로에 빨간 강의석이 나타났다. 군대를 없애야 한다며 퍼포먼스를 벌인 그 모습이 인터넷 뉴스등을 통해 알려지면서 강의석에게 군대가 필요한 이유에 대해 열변을 토하는 이도 있고 못마땅한 심기를 고스란히 드러내는 이들, 인신공격을 퍼부으면서 강의석을 어쩌지 못해 안달난 사람들도 꽤 보인다. “모두가 총을 놓으면 세계 평화가 가능하다”는 강의석의 주장에는 나 역시 공감하는 바이다. 다만 나와 강의석의 차이라면 나는 그것이 현실적으로 실현 불가능하지만 그렇게 되도록 노력해야 하는 이상이라고 생각한다는 것이고 강의석은 그것을 이상으로만 생각하는 사람들을 이상하게 본다는 것이랄까? 세계평화를 위해 다같이 총을 놓고 군대를 없애야 하는데 왜 그렇게 하지 않느나며 사람들에게 변화를 요구하는 강의석. 사람들이 모두가 똑 같은 생각을 할 수는 없는거니까, 이렇게도 생각하고 저렇게도 생각할 수 있는 것이니까. 그가 어떻게 생각하든 “아, 그렇게 생각할 수도 있겠네”라고 대수롭지 않게 넘겨버리면 그뿐이지만. 부디 그 ‘요구’가 ‘강요’가 되는 불편함은 없어야 할텐데.
[…]
굳이 강의석씨에게 군대가 필요한 이유에 대해 ‘가르쳐주고’ 싶은 생각은 없다. 그에게 애국심을 ‘강요’하고 싶지도 않다. 그저, 어떻게 생각하든 그것은 그의 자유일 테니까.
특별히 하는 일이 없었던
에스파냐의 시골 귀족, 아론소 기하노는 밤낮으로 기사도 이야기를 탐독한 나머지 정신이 이상해져서 소설과 현실을 구분하지 못하게 되고 세상의 부정과 비리를 도려내고 학대 당하는 사람들을 돕고자 ‘돈키호테 테라만차’라고 자칭하고, 갑옷을 입고 로시난테라는 앙상한 말을 타고 스스로 기사가 되어 길을 떠난다. 스스로의 망상으로 둘시네아라는 공주를 만들고 그 공주를 위해 모험을 하는, 공주를 떠올리며 스스로 산속에서 고행을 하는가 하면, 양떼를 군대라 여기고 전투를 하거나 지나가는 사람을 거인이라며 시비를 붙이는 등 기행을 일삼으며 사람들에게 미친놈이라 손가락질 받고 계속해서 현실과 충돌함에도 조금도 꺽이지 않았던 돈키호테.강의석을 보며 이상, 아니 망상에 사로잡힌 돈키호테가 떠올랐다. 종교의 자유를 외치며 1인 시위를 벌였던 학생 강의석군의 행동은 학생들에게 수업외의 종교행위를 강요하지 않도록 교칙을 수정하는 변화를 가져오게 했었고 옳지 못한 것을 바로 잡은 한 학생의 용기를 지금도 기억하고 있다. 그러나 거기까지였다. 자신의 뜻이 적힌 피켓을 들고 묵묵히 서있던 그 학생은 온 몸에 시뻘건 칠을 한 기이한 모습으로 뛰쳐나왔다. 그의 행동이 더 이상 변화를 바라는 마음, 요구로만 보이지는 않는다. 그저 반대를 위한 반대, 불신과 불만 불평.
그가 주장하는 세계평화를 위한 변화의 요구가 아닌, 그저 “나 군대가기 싫어요”라는 앙탈로만 보인다. 사실 강의석씨의 행동이 나 사는데 크게 지장있는 것도 아니고, 그가 세상을 발칵 뒤집을 만한 영향력을 가진 사람도 아니니, 그가 무슨 생각을 하든, 어떤 행동을 하든 (보기 껄끄럽고 못마땅 하긴 하지만) 그것이 공적인 영역으로 들어와 나에게까지 영향을 끼치지 않는 이상 그의 생각과 행동은 온전히 그의 자유로 맡겨두고 싶지만. 그의 넘치는 에너지가, 그의 개성이 보다 발전적이고 긍정적인 에너지로 축적되지 못함이 안타까울 뿐이다.
He was a brave student.
Of course, at that time there were people who harshly criticized him and thought him sly. In my case, I also had an experience that I forcefully had to attend religious activities at the mission school I had been. Observing him talking about his opinion with dignity, I thought that he was brave and had guts rather than that he tried to be noticeable.
He became Mr. Kang Ui-seok from student Kang Ui-seok.
He is an interesting person.
On the 30th of September which is a day before the Soldiers’ Day, red Kang Ui-seok appeared at Teheran-ro, Kangnam (one of the most crowded areas in Seoul-editor). He had a performance against military service. His performance was introduced to internet news services and there were opinions that some people explained why the army is necessary, some were not happy about his performance, and others even poured personal attacks against him. Kang Ui-seok said, “If everyone gives up guns, world peace is possible.” I agree with him. But the difference that I have from him is that we have make efforts to make such a world even though it is impossible in reality. Kan Ui-seok doesn’t agree with people like me who think it impossible. He demands a change to people that in order to have world peace we have to give up guns and get rid of armies. People can’t have the same thoughts and opinions. Therefore, we can take his idea as another idea “Right, some people can think that way.” However, I wish that his ‘demand’ doesn’t turn to ‘force.’
[…]
I don’t want to ‘teach’ him why the army is necessary. I don’t want to ‘force’ him to be patriotic. How he thinks is his freedom.
Alonso Quixano, a retired country gentleman in Spain, was obsessed with books of chivalry day and night. Due to his obsession, he couldn’t distinguish novels and reality. He called himself ‘Don Quixote’ in order to punish corruption and injustice and to help the abused and started travel with a skimpy horse, Rocinante. With a wild fancy, he makes a neighboring farm girl as his princess-love, Dulcinea. Dreaming of her, he practices asceticism in a mountain, has combats with crowds of sheeps, and treats passers as giants. His eccentricities contribute to him being regarded as a psycho. Regardless of the reality and conflicts, he doesn’t give up himself.
Looking at Kang Ui-seok, I thought about Don Quixote. I remember a student’s courage when he had a hunger strike by himself for freedom of religion, he led changes that students don’t have to forcefully take religious classes or activities and schools regulations changed. But it was appropriate at that time. A student who hung a picket on his neck at that time ran out on the street with a strange look with a whole red body. His behavior doesn’t look like a demand that looks for changes. It seems like objections for objections, distrust, dissatisfaction, and discontent. What he insists for world peace just looks like a fuss, “I don’t want to go through military service.” Of course, his actions don’t influence my life and he is not a person who can change the world with his action. As long as his actions and thought will not influence people in public, it is his freedom how he thinks and what he does. But I feel sorry that his vigorous energy and personality are not used in more progressive and positive ways.
He has fans for his courage to express what he thinks in public.
강의석군과 나는 동갑이다. 고등학교 시절, 그가 종교자유를 외치며 단식투쟁을 했다는 소식을 들었을때 나는 강의석군이 정말 존경스러웠고 동시에 나는 지금 뭐하고 있나라는 사춘기적 반항심을 태우기도 했었다. 난 강의석군만큼 실행력이 강하지 못하다. 아니, 솔직히 그런 생각도 못했다. 단식 투쟁, 일인 시위… 단지 변명밖에 되지 않겠지만 폭력적이고 강압적인 아버지 아래서 나는 그저 묵묵히 학교를 다니는 것 외에는 답이 없었을 뿐이었다. 어쨌든 이번엔 그가 군대문제에 대해 얘기하고 있다. 대한민국에서 군대에 대해 얘기를 꺼내기는 정말 어렵다. 특히 군대의 무용을 말할 때에는 더 그렇다. 나는 그런점에서 개인적으로 강의석군의 이번 행동을 높이 산다. 나 또한 강의석군의 생각과 100% 같다! 군대는 없어져야 한다. 군대를 대체하고 세계 질서를 유지할 만한 대안은 얼마든지 있다. 북한이나 지리적 요건 따위 변명에 지나지 않는다. 우리들은 군대를 폐지하고 사람들에게 두려움과 공포를 주는 대신 평화와 희망을 줄 수 있다. 나는 이런 문제로 사람들과 토론하는걸 좋아하지 않는다. 보통은 이런 주제로 대화를 하면 상대방이 흥분해버리기 때문이다. 그들은 저 멀리 거슬러 올라가면 세계의 부를 모두 차지하고 있는 그 누군가가 사람들을 이기적인 테두리안에 가두어놓아 부려먹기 쉽게하기 위해 만든 이념인 민족주의나 애국심같은 감정적인 두뇌를 사용한다. 그러나 이성과 감정, 이 둘은 모두 사람을 피폐하게 만든다. 강의석군 또래들은 대부분 군대문제에 대해 고민을 할 나이이다. 따라서 강의석군이 하필 지금 군대에 태클을 거냐고 말해도 어쩔 수 없는 것이다. 이것은 마치 중고등학교 학생들에게 왜 두발자유를 외치냐고 따지는 것과 마찬가지다. 그리고 이 모든 것은 “자유”로 일치된다. 나에게 군대를 가라고 강요하는 것은 엄청난 폭력이다. 사람들은 이것을 잘 모른다. 폭력에 익숙해졌기 때문이다. 공포를 이용한 대중 세뇌작전은 완벽히 먹혀들었다. 억지로 학교에 보내고, 머리를 마음대로 못기르게 하며 특정 종교의 예배를 받게 하는 것도 폭력이다. 기본적으로 나 자신을 한 사람의 인간으로 취급하지 않는 행위인 것이다. 강의석군은 고등학교 때부터 지금까지 이러한 폭력에 맞서 사회에 외치고 있다. 그의 주장에는 일관성이 있고, 동시에 행동력이 있다. 그런 점에서 난 그를 존경한다. 자유에는 책임이 따른다. 사람들이 좋아하는 말이다. 나도 동감한다. 하지만 동시에 사람들은 이 말을 오용하는 것도 좋아한다. 그들은 보통 “책임”을 더 강조한다. 기본적으로 모든 사람들에게는 자유가 보장되어야 한다. 자유가 먼저이다. 그리고 그 자유로 일어나는 일은 개인의 책임이다. 그러나 군대는 완전히 반대이다. 자유는 묶어두고 책임만을 강요한다. 그런데도 군대폐지를 외치는 사람에게 무슨 책임이 있어야 한단 말인가? 아무튼 이런 문제에 대해 생각하고 말하는 것만해도 힘이든데, 이렇게 엄청난 행동력을 보여준 강의석군은 나의 모델이다. 내일 그가 무슨일을 할지는 모르겠지만 그의 행동 하나하나가 대중의 무지함을 일깨워줄 수 있기를 기대한다.
His continual noticeable activities in public make him regarded as a serious exhibitionist among some of his classmates [kr] at Seoul National University and others.
[…]솔직히 말해서 제가 이렇게 강의석 씨를 속된 말로 ‘까대 봤자' 이미 사회 유명인사에 이름을 올렸고 뭘 해도 성공할 겁니다. 또한 강의석 씨는 추후 정계 진출까지 고려하고 있다는데, 이미 전국적으로 이름을 날린 시점에서 홍정욱 씨 Season 2가 안되리라는 보장은 없다고 봅니다. 솔직히 저는 제가 백날 이런 글을 올려봤자 소용이 없으리라고 생각합니다. 하지만 최소한 대한민국 사회의 한 구성원으로써, 이런 극단적으로 이기적이며 기회주의적인 사람이 존재하며, 매우 불행히도 한국 사회 내에서 ‘성공' 을 쟁취했고 우리가 반드시 경계해야 한다는 점을 알리고 싶습니다.
Realfactory shares his opinion of why his behavior is negatively shown to public.
많은 사람들이 강의석을 주목한다. 그리고 더 많은 사람들이 강의석을 깐다. 마지막으로 그보다 더 많은 사람들이 강의석을 싫어한다. 대체 어째서 한 때 그 강한 기성 종교의 희생양이었던 소년이, 한 사람의 순수한 투사로 여겨졌던 그가 이렇게까지 되어 버린 것일까? 답은 간단하다.
깝쳐서.
한국 사회에서의 미덕은 ‘겸손'이다. 묵묵히 자기 역할을 다 하는 사람이야 어디서든 사랑받지만 한국에서는 튀는 것, 축에서 빠지는 것이 매우 금기시되는 행동으로 여겨진다. 물론 유쾌하게 튀는 사람들도 있지만 그것은 상당한 기교가 필요한 일이고 그런 재능을 가지고 있지 않은 사람은 왠만한 상황에서는 적당히 따라가는 게 좋은 곳이 한국 사회이다.
강의석은 튀기는 좋아하나 그것을 포장하는 기교가 전혀 없는 전형적인 스타일이다. 더군다나 언제나 말이 앞선다. 물론 부상이 있을 수도 있지만 세계 챔피언이 된다고 너무 쉽게 이야기하다가 단 한 경기도 출전하지 못하고 물러남이 좋게 보일 리는 없다. 그 때까지만 해도 별로 주목받지 못하는 잊혀진 인사라 별 반응이 없었지만 이번에 군대와 관련해 박태환에게 편지 형식의 글을 쓴 이후 엄청난 주목과 까임을 받게 되었다.[…] 여자에게 공개 고백, 한 달간의 택시 기사, 일주일간의 호스트, 권투 선수에의 도전과 포기. 덤으로 이번에 박태환과 군대를 엮은 글까지. 나는 강의석의 진정성이 어떤 것인지는 모르겠지만 그것이 사회에 미치는 영향을 생각하지 않고 그저 떠들어대고 살짝 부딪히고 빠지는 행위를 ‘객기' 이상으로 판단하지 않는다. 그는 미디어의 속성을 이미 충분히 깨달았을 것임에도 절대 그것을 염두하지 않는다. 그저 자기 하고 싶은 일 하고 무책임하게 방관하며 변명은 않는다. 그리고 사태는 더 나빠진다. 자신뿐 아니라 사회에도 그러하다. 그런데 이게 별로 좋아 보이지는 않지만 역으로 굳이 나쁘게 볼 이유가 있는지도 의문이다. 이러쿵저러쿵 해도 강의석은 20대 초반이다. 객기 좀 부리고 살 법한 나이고 그걸 친구들과 술안주 삼는 게 전혀 어색한 나이가 아니다. 그런데 이걸 그렇게까지 씹어야 할까? 난 이번 일들을 보며 강의석보다 기존 언론이 참 한심해 보인다. 그들이 소재의 선정성을 버리고 진정 중요한 이슈에 주목할 것까지는 바라지도 않는다.[…]사실 강의석과 기존 언론은 놀랍도록 닮아 있다. 뒷 일 생각 안 하고 튀려고 한다는 점이나 근거가 약한데도 주장은 강하다는 점에서 아주 똑같다. 단 그 영향력이 기존 언론이 더 강하고 그들은 경험치가 꽤나 축적되어 있어 어떻게든 자신들은 욕 먹지 않으려는 면피의 자세가 되어 있다는 차이는 있겠지만. 뭐, 이러한 기사를 바라고 있는 우리들도 이들 언론의 주요한 스폰서일지도 모르겠다. 어쨌든 나는 정말이지, 강의석이 불쌍하다. 얘가 싫기는 하지만 그래도 불쌍하다.
He behaves frivolously.
Virtue in Korean society is being ‘modest.’ The people who do what they do in silence are loved, but being noticeable and being out of norms are regarded as very prohibitive behaviors. Of course there are people who are pleasantly noticeable, but those have techniques. People who don’t have those skills would be better to appropriately follow what other people do. Kang Ui-seok is a person who likes to be noticeable, but who doesn’t know how to decorate himself well. In addition, his talk is faster than his action. He said that he will start boxing and will be the world champion, but he didn’t even fight one match and gave up. It didn’t look good. At that time, there was no big response because he was getting forgotten. This time he talked about Park Tae Hwan (gold medalist at the Beijing Olympics) regarding military service on his blog. He got so much attention and was criticized a lot. […] proposal to a girl to ask to be his girl friend in public, being a taxi driver for a month, being a serving man for a week, the challenge to be a boxer and giving-in, and a letter to Park Tae Hwan about military service. I don’t know how sincere he is and don’t take his acting that doesn’t think about social influence and his easy talk seriously. He already learned what media means, but he still doesn’t care. He does what he wants to do and irresponsibly looks on it without any excuse. And it gets worse for society as well as for himself. While what he does doesn’t look good, I also question why we don’t have to look at it as so bad. Anyway, he is still in his early twenties. He is at the age that he can be carried away by ill-advised bravery and talks about what he does with his friends. Do we have to bite him so hard? I am rather disappointed with media. I even don’t wish the media to focus on more important issues rather than this kind sensational news anymore.[…] As a matter of fact, Kang Ui-seok and media resemble each other. Both of them don’t think about aftermaths and just want to be noticeable. They have the strong arguments based on little evidence. However, the influence of the media is stronger and they have experiences. They know how they have to deal with issues without receiving blames. Maybe we ourselves might be important sponsors to wait for sensational issues from media. I feel sorry for Kang Ui-seok. Even though I don’t like him, I feel sorry for him.
Links for Wed, 2008-10
Palestinian blogger Haitham Sabbah shows his readers the words he frequently uses on his blog.
Andrew is trying to create his own electricity in Lesotho: “To bring real electricity we needed bigger 12v batteries. I got one, and the priest has one. The batteries are nice, but my little solar panel is just too small to give them a good charge. That is why we are now trying different methods of creating our own electricity. The priest had the generator which when turned puts out electricity.”
Noel blogs about the use of solar power in rural clinics in Madagascar: “Solar power has been given to these clinics four years ago and people have become very thankful. After all, rural clinics in the country actually do see around 400 patients each month. That’s a huge amount of patients. And when some emergency arises, it’s good to have electricity.”
Bahraini blogger Cookie hates Eid, for one because it gives family members a chance to catch you and settle old scores; she says, “Prepare your speech of revenge with your clothes.”
It has been one year now since last year’s elections in Sierra Leone. Nasratha tries to assess the differences between the new and the old regime.
China offered Rs.100 million as military assistance to Nepal's new government and this has created a lot of commotion in their political arena and is also having adverse effect on Nepal's relationship with India. Maila Baje at Nepali Notebook has details.
Asim Kh at Lahore Met Blogs classifies beggers of Lahore and lists them.
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