Arraia do LAIFS

Almodovar's movie, 24/06!

Bases para la nueva revolución - Cocalero

[Go to English version]

Por LVC

Unión, integración, trabajo, paciencia, educación, perseverancia, paz.

Son quizá algunos de los pilares para una revolución desde el seno de los pueblos. Donde, en vez de revueltas aisladas y egoístas, se entiendan las partes como la conformación de un todo. Con la caída de las últimas dictaduras en Latinoamérica, la sociedad de estos últimos 15-20 años empieza a entender otros caminos hacia el cambio. La democracia es uno de ellos. Más allá de las tantas falencias, fraudes e inclusive episodios violentos, ejemplos como el de Evo Morales o Lula, pueden atribuirse a una búsqueda de un progreso popular por medios pacíficos: el voto.

La sensación que me provocó Evo Morales como candidato y luego como presidente fue el de encontrarme no con que un hombre ascendía al poder, sino un pueblo. Que ejercía la función de representante de aquellas masas que habían depositado su voto en él y, a su vez, de las diferentes opiniones, muchas veces encontradas, entre los grupos de distintas características, sean étnicas o económicas. Podríamos llamar esto una REAL Democracia. Hubo una integración al involucrar a los pueblos indígenas en un sistema gubernamental blanco (por llamarlo de alguna manera) y ejercer, como ciudadanos “reconocidos”, su derecho electoral. La educación fue un papel fundamental, con algo tan simple como enseñar a votar, a distinguir apenas entre diferentes colores para ejecutar el voto correctamente, abre las puertas a mucha gente a expresar de su voluntad. El voto, para aquellas poblaciones indígenas, fue un paradigma discriminatorio si nos ponemos a pensar que nadie les había dado la oportunidad de incluirlos en el sistema que se les había sido impuesto.

Todas las características mencionadas al principio se complementan unas a otras siendo un todo. La perseverancia, como el caso de Lula también, más de 10 años de lucha, da su fruto recién hoy. Pero quién podría apostar, en esta cultura tan comercial y ansiosa, en un plan a tan largo plazo? Cuantos de nosotros, de sólo pensarlo, daríamos por fracasado todo intento ante tantas adversidades que el sistema mismo nos presenta. Aún así, son estos giros históricos, estos sucesos casi inesperados, los que nos tienen que hacer tomar consciencia de que la lucha se empieza desde abajo y con paciencia. Que sin la unión, no hay fuerza; que un líder es gracias a quienes lo reconocen como tal; que cada uno de nosotros, como actores individuales, somos MAS que importantes en el proceso de cambio. O acaso alguien podía llegar a pensar que aquella anciana indígena que, sin saber leer ni escribir, sería relevante para la historia de su país? Pero lo fue su voto, ese pequeño aporte, el hacedor, junto con los otros millones de personas, de que Evo Morales hoy fuese presidente. Ese acto - ‘menor’ a los ojos de muchos de nosotros, que somos consecuencia de una cultura de Super Stars y líderes que se desprenden de las masas para ser ‘ellos’ y no ‘nosotros’ - provocó que en el posterior referéndum vuelva a darle la victoria a Evo Morales por cifras insospechadas.

Es entonces que el nuevo Gobierno debe estar dirigido desde el pueblo, donde cada hecho cotidiano es un aporte, empezando por la conciliación de las diferentes opiniones y no creer nuestra verdad como única, bajo un contexto de diálogo, no de violencia. En Bolivia hay blancos, mestizos e indígenas, con tantas opiniones como razas y pueblos dentro de cada raza. El Gobierno debe ser un Gobierno de todos, por todos y para todos sin distinción alguna. Pero, principalmente, el Gobierno debe empezar y terminar en nosotros como un ejercicio diario en la convivencia con nuestros semejantes. Las bases las construimos entre todos.

Por eso rescato esa última parte del documental donde, considero, se volcó una síntesis muy potente: Veíamos a un grupo de costureros y modistas trabajando juntos para hacer el traje que llevaría su presidente, pero la imagen final no mostró al presidente sino un maniquí vacío, con el traje terminado y ese grupo rodeándolo. Porque en ese traje cabían todos, porque fueron ellos lo que lo hicieron posible, más allá del nombre de una sola persona.

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Basis for the new revolution - Cocalero

By LVC. Edited by Julio Panoff

Union, integration, work, patience, education, perseverance, peace.

Those are, may be, some of the main characteristics for a revolution coming from the deep of the people. Where instead of isolated and selfish strikes have the different groups as parts of a whole society. After the last dictatorships in Latin America, people starts to believe in other ways of change and democracy is one of them. Beside the failures, the cheats and also the violent facts, examples as Evo Morales or Lula, can be sight as a search of popular progress by pacific ways: the vote.

The feeling I had when I saw Evo Morales as a candidate and then as a President was of looking not at a man who goes to the power but the people. That he was representing those mass of people who had been voting him and also, of different opinions, many that do not match to each other, between groups of different ethnic and economics characteristics. We can say that this is a REAL Democracy. There was integration by taking the indigenes people into the “white” governmental system and making them what is their right as a “recognized” citizens. Education was very important with something as simple as teaching the people how to vote, just telling them something obvious for us like distingue among different colors make the possibility for those people to express their will. Voting was a discriminatory paradigm for those indigenes peoples if we think that nobody gave them the opportunity of being included in the system that was imposed to them.

All the characteristics mentioned above are complemented to each other making a whole way. Perseverance, like the case of Lula in Brazil, more than 10 years fighting just today he can see the result. But who can make a bet in this culture of anxious commerce in such long term plan? How many of us just give up before thinking of doing something because of the many obstacles that this system put in front of us. There historic breakpoints must be considered as a reflex of the fight begins from the people and with patience. Without union, there is no strength; that a leader is because there is people behind him recognizing as him as the one; and each one as individual actors organized in a cooperative way, we are really important in the chance process. Who could imagine that that old indigene woman without knowing how to read or write could be so important for her country history? But was her vote joined with other million ones that made Evo Morales became a president. That act sight as a minor act thru our eyes, victims of Super Star system and leaders who go apart of the people being ‘Them’ and not ‘Us’, made in the posterior referendum that Evo Morales again wins with non suspected rates.

So the new Government must be steered from the people, where each quotidian act were supplying the process of change, starting with the recognition many truths not only ours, under a dialogue context, without violence. In Bolivia there is white, indigenes, mestizos, with as many truths as races and people inside those races. The Government must be of all of them, for all of them and by all of them. But, principally, the Government must start and end as a routine exercise in the coexistence with our fellow men. The basis is made among all of us.

I take the last part of the documentary as a very symbolic synthesis: We can see the group of people working on the Evo Morales’ suite, but the final image doesn’t show Evo but an empty mannequin wearing his suite and the group around it. That’s because in that suite fits everyone, they made possible that suite with the union, integration, work, perseverance, education and, above all peace that made the people could get the power beyond only one person’s name.

In case anyone's interested...

Just forwarding this on:

CLUBS BALL

Hey Folks, As you may know, last year was our first attempt of the CLUB BALL and this year we want to make it BIGGER and BETTER... and we also want to make it an opportunity for your club to Fundraise, so please read below for all the details:

WHEN: August 15th
WHERE: Auckland Museum
TIME: 7.30pm - 1am
THEME: WINTER WONDERLAND

PRICE: (This is where you get to Fundraise) $65- This however means that EACH ticket sold, your club will receive $10 of this. So the more ticket sales your members buy, the more money your club will make.

ALL tickets will be sold from AUSA Student Central and AUSA House (4 Alfred st). Once all tickets have been sold, you will receive your clubs money that you have fundraised (eg. Monday after the event). Please note that there will be NO DOOR SALES.

WHAT THIS GETS ME: The $65 ticket gets each person food for the evening, and all you can drink.

With special Feature: TIM PHIN...DJing that night..


Tickets go on sale - 21st of July.

movie 17/06!

This week's movie!

Short film about community resistance to Pascual Lama gold mine (Province of Huasco, Atacama, Chile)

Amigos, amigas, comunicadores todos:

Adjuntamos un link de un video que ponemos a disposición para invitar(nos) a la 6ta Marcha por la Vida y el Agua, contra Pascua Lama, el Saqueo y la Contaminación.

Lo ponemos a disposición de medios de comunicación, TV, Radios, Prensa, Blogs, o para dar pantallazos en algún espacio como en universidades, sindicatos, casas culturales, etc.

Donde quieran, 9 minutos, es posible de ver. Contiene datos concretos, imágenes hermosas del valle del Huasco, historias dolorosas de estos casi 10 años de resistencia comunitaria, información de la cercanía de Barrick con el Gobierno, y por supuesto, la gente que nos ha llamado a sumarse a esta defensa trascendental por la vida, por el agua, por lo más escencial, la tierra y el agua limpias.

Barrick pone en peligro a más de 70 mil personas de todo el valle del Huasco, en la Región de Atacama, desde el año 2000 cuando presentó su proyecto a la institucionalidad ambiental. Hasta hoy, pese a toda una tremenda estrategia comunicacional y social, no ha podido iniciar la construcción de Pascua Lama, su proyecto estrella a nivel mundial. Esto solo ha sido posible por la gente de Alto del Carmen, de Vallenar, Freirina y Huasco, en la provincia de Huasco, Atacama, pero también a todos los que han difundido este conflicto que día a día nos permite volver a nuestras raíces ancestrales y pensar en el futuro que queremos para nuestros hijos e hijas.

Difunda. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bunTv-k8EE

PD: Si desean el DVD original, podemos hacer un envío por pagar... o si es de Stgo, nos coordinamos.

Equipo Semillas de Agua

And now in English (my translation -Sarah)

Friends:

We are posting a link to a video that we make available for the sixth March for Water and Life against Pascual Lama [gold mine], pillaging and environmental destruction.

We want to disseminate this material to the media, TV, radio, press, blogs, or get some airtime in universities, unions, cultural centres, etc.

With nine minutes to spare, you can watch this video. It contains concrete facts, beautiful footage of the Valley of Huasco as well as the painful history of nearly ten years of community resistance, information about the close ties Barrick has with the Chilean government, and, of course, the people who have called us to come together in this important struggle for life, for water, for the most essential conditions for life: clean land and water.

Since 2000 when it presented its project to environmental insitiutions, Barrik [Gold Corporation] has put in jeopardy the lives of the more than 70 million inhabitants of the Valley of Huasco, in the Atacama region. Through to the present day, it has not been able to put its plans for the construction of Pascual Lama, its star project internationally, into effect despite tremendous social and communicational strategies. This has been possible thanks to the efforts of the people of Alto del Carmen, Vallenar, Freirina and Huasco, in the province of Huasco, Atacama, but also because of the efforts of those who have spread the word about this conflict that helps us day after day to return to our ancentral roots and to think about the future we want for our children.

Please spread the word: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bunTv-k8EE

P.S.: If you would like the original DVD, we can arrange to send it to you plus the price of postage, or if you live in Santiago we could arange to give it to you personally.

The Semillas de Agua team

Cocalero Week Part 1: Racism

Dear Laifers I hope this paper to be an extension of the screening of Cocalero and an attempt to highlight some of the points, which I believe, make Evo Morales's presidency significant, not only for indigenous Bolivians but to all Bolivians. I will divide this paper in three sections: Racism, Slavery and Solutions for a New Bolivia. I will post each section separately allowing for them to be unique documents and hoping that a shorter version of the paper will be easier for the reader to follow.

This will also buy me some time since I've promised many people that I will have something posted here soon. Is just that this paper is taking me longer than I expected to complete and is turning out to be quite long.

I also encourage you to point out any discrepancies and/or things that you find unclear or difficult to understand and maybe add bits that you think I missed in the hopes of updating an improved and full version of it.

Cocalero Week

Part 1: Racism

What has doomed our country is the continuous aspirations to become a modern western society. Ignoring our ancient indigenous laws and labelling them as backwards.

Introduction

Simon Bolivar is often seen as a hero throughout Latin America, including Bolivia whose name honours him: Bolivar=Bolivia. He is the 'father' of many nations, the freedom fighter who has freed us from the Spanish colonial tyranny. But I struggle to view him as such, if we think a bit deeper than that all he has done, at least for Bolivia, was to give our nation away to a much more cruel and frivolous tyrant: the white and mestizo oligarchy. This started from Bolivia's humble beginnings when in 1826 Bolivar's constitution recognises only those who can read and write in Spanish, those with property and those who fought in the battles of independence as Bolivian citizens. Making 90% of people, who lived within the geopolitical borders of Bolivia, nationless. And ever since they've continued, with fervent passion, the work of the Spaniards: to move indigenous history and tradition backwards. They have done so in such a powerful way that today's indigenous people want to distance themselves as far away as possible from their indigeneity and be as European as one can be. This ideology is so intrinsic to our culture that the word indio (indigenous) has become our worst insult.

The struggle for human rights, since the Spanish colonial period, has been a latent aspect of Bolivia's indigenous history. But significant laws that would allow for some rights have not appeared until the 20^th century. Being the constitution of 1938 promulgated by German Busch the first one: the abolition of slavery. But this happened only on paper; because the colonial mindset of our governors of the time would not allow for these laws to be put into practice. The second major move was the indigenous congress of 1945 when President Gualberto Villarroel recognised for the first time the existence of an indigenous political voice. In this congress indigenous people from all over Bolivia marched to La Paz where they would share their problems and discuss the solutions. But only in 1952 we see the three real moves that will attempt to fold Bolivia's history. The first being universal suffrage which makes all of the Bolivian population political citizens; the second was the 'abolition' of slavery with the introduction of an agrarian reform; and lastly a real move towards economic independence with the nationalisation of the mines. Sadly the only true success was the universal suffrage and the other two have been nothing but utopian ideologies that never materialised. Slavery still exists in Bolivia today and we are far from being economically independent.

Racism

We are a racist nation. Because we are raised upon the principle of emulating the west in order to be good; and today, we expect to be called a western nation. How do we achieve this? By distancing ourselves from the 'primitivism' of our indigenous traditions; by accepting, as the righteous way, the west's standards of wealth through individual capitalism, their standards of culture through Hollywood and their standards of beauty through silicone. This western expectation has not only divided and confused our nation but has also killed our self-esteem and our dignity. Hence our worst insult: indio. The consequence of this is that we live our lives without realising that this is what has kept us doomed in constant poverty. Because we have failed to ask ourselves: is this the right way to be?

I hope that my own personal experience would help illustrate what I said above. I went to an elitist school in the Santa Cruz suburban area of Las Palmas. I was thought in English and had 15 classmates. One year, out of those 15 students one was an indigenous person, Fidel, the son of a police coronel. He was infamous for not attending class and one day our teacher cleared our suspicions as to the reason for this constant absence: a struggle to fit in. To which our teacher demanded an effort from us to make him feel more accepted.

Santa Cruz is an interesting city; if you visit some parts of it you would have never guessed that you are in Latin America's poorest country. Some areas have huge marble mansions, country clubs filled with green golf courses, clear olympic pools and huge four wheel drives. But if you adventure yourself to the city's boundaries you will see the reality in which most people live in. Needles for me to describe them to you, you've seen them being exploited by hundreds of NGOs such as World Vision, Children’s' trust and Oxfam...

But a question that you often ask yourself and could never quite answer is why such contrast exists? We live in a feudal nation where a handful of oligarchs, descendants of our colonial lords control Santa Cruz's fertile soil and all its produce. And racism has been one of their most important weapons.

Anyway, back to Fidel and my school. Mario, a classmate and a future oligarch, in a sarcastic tone tells us that he saw Fidel hanging around Pampa de la Isla (one of those poor areas) with some indios. After experiencing such shame how can Fidel ever came back to school? Hence why we've never seen him again.

The Slavery section is coming soon.

Maria, llena eres de gracia (Colombia, 2004)

Wedesday the 3rd of June at 6.00 in Arts 2, Room 519 (Level 5, 18 Symonds St, on the Corner of Symonds St and Grafton Rd). Please come along and bring a dollar membership fee if you wish to join the Society and haven't already. For any questions or inquiries please write to Sarah (sste072@aucklanduni.ac.nz).


This week we will be watching:
Maria Full of Grace [Maria, llena eres de gracia] (USA/Colombia, 2004)

In a small village in Colombia, the pregnant seventeen years old Maria (Catalina Sandino Moreno) supports her family with her salary working in a floriculture. She is fired and with a total lack of perspective of finding a new job, she decides to accept the offer to work as a drug mule, flying to USA with sixty-two pellets of cocaine in her stomach. Once in New York, things do not happen as planned.

Running time 101 minutes
DIRECTOR: Joshua Marston

SITE: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0390221/
See you there!