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Bolivia: A Book on the Indigenous March in Defense of the TIPNIS
Tue, 02/21/2012 - 6:07amA book gathering a detailed recount of the indigenous march in defense of the Indigenous Territory and National Park Isiboro Sécure (TIPNIS for its initials in Spanish) has been published in a digital format. Fundación Tierra [es] edited the book, titled “Indigenous March for the TIPNIS: The Struggle in defense of the territories,” and it is available as a free download [es] in its website.
Categories: Latest News
Bolivia: Conflict Over Road Through TIPNIS National Park Continues
Fri, 02/17/2012 - 4:59amIn October 2011, the President of Bolivia, Evo Morales, signed off a law known as “Ley Corta” declaring the Indigenous Territory National Park Isiboro Sécure “untouchable”. The Bill came up after an indigenous march led by the Confederation of Indigenous Peoples of Bolivia (CIDOB in Spanish) covered more than 600 kilometres to the Seat of government in La Paz demanding to stop a road project attempting to cross through the middle of the National Park.
The indigenous organisations against the road gained notorious attention and support from civil society after the government repressed the march with excessive violence, as biologist and blogger Mauricio Pacheco Suárez commented on his blog [es]:
[…] el Gobierno contraataca y demuestra que no va a dar su brazo a torcer en sus intenciones desarrollistas. Ha montado una “Contramarcha” a favor de la carretera con las comunidades cocaleras asentadas en el área protegida, además de algunas comunidades indígenas (agrupadas en torno al CONISUR) que optaron voluntariamente por producir coca ilegal, y no pertenecer al Territorio Comunitario de Origen TCO-TIPNIS, y están buscando hasta debajo de las piedras, mecanismos que le permitirían a[l presidente] Evo [Morales] construir finalmente su carretera, con las desastrosas consecuencias ambientales previstas
[…] Government strikes again and shows that it is not going to budge on their developmentalist intentions. It has organised a “counter march” pro-road with coca-grower communities settled in the protected area, as well as some indigenous communities (grouped around the CONISUR) who chose voluntarily to produce illegal coca, and stay away from the “Communal Lands of Origin” TCO -TIPNIS, and are looking everywhere for mechanisms that would allow [president] Evo [Morales] to eventually build its road, with disastrous environmental predicted consequencesThus, the Ley Corta became a breaking point between the social-movement backed Evo Morales government and indigenous from lower lands, including some officialist indigenous MPs. The last word on this TIPNIS conflict, however, had not been said.
President Evo Morales meets indigenous groups over TIPNIS dispute. Photo by Wara Vargas Lara, copyright Demotix (01/02/12).
In early January 2012 a pro-road march organised by the newly-gathered Indigenous Council from the South (Conisur in Spanish) began its 500-kilometre-march from the Southern borders of the National Park to La Paz, calling for the road to be built. This action was strongly criticised, as blogger Carwil Bjork-James describes, by other indigenous organisations claiming that it was fully backed by the government as a political manoeuvre.
Members of Conisur and CIDOB, along with MPs and government officials, met together in La Paz in order to negotiate a way out. Negotiations did not reach a balanced result. A new law was signed off on February 11, 2012, through which a previous consultation will be held within 120 days only among the inhabitants of the National Park. Tsiname, Yuracaré and Mojeño-trinitario indigenous will decide whether the TIPNIS remains untouchable, and no road will be built, or, conversely, this category is suspended and the road, already under construction, carries on.
Meanwhile, the debate is reactivated on Social Media platforms. Marcelo N. Claure (@marceloncr2) comments on Twitter [es]:
[…] sin ser partidario del MAS, creo que la carretera puede ser beneficiosa para el país
without being a MAS supporter, I think the road can be a benefit for the countryGabriel Espinoza Y. (@G_ESPINOZA) replies [es]:
tienes razón, puede ser beneficiosa, de hecho la gente del #TIPNIS esta de acuerdo con carretera, pero no por el medio del #TIPNIS
you are right, it could be, in fact there are people from the TIPNIS up for the road but not trough the middle of the TIPNISBoth arguments are under debate. As La Paz-based blogger, Dario Kenner shares on his blog:
The focus in the last few days has been on the proposal by CONISUR along with the Presidents of the Senate and Congress (who are members of the governing MAS party led by President Evo Morales) to approve a law on prior consultation of indigenous peoples. Who should be consulted and how has generated plenty of debate.
In trying to understand the current conflict I spoke to indigenous leaders of both CONISUR and CIDOB (read both interviews).
CIDOB, Human Rights Assembly and other civil organisations have declared themselves against this new law, and claim that the road may be built only if it surrounds the National Park, unlike the original project designed right through the middle of the Natural Reserve, as illustrated in this infographic, which holds a very rich biodiversity.
Categories: Latest News
Bolivia: Blogger Interviews Indigenous Leaders on TIPNIS Conflict
Wed, 02/08/2012 - 9:07amBlogger Dario Kenner from Bolivia Diary interviewed indigenous leaders who are against and in favor of building a road through the Indigenous Territory and National Park Isiboro Sécuro (TIPNIS).
Categories: Latest News
Latin America: Energy Podcasts in English
Tue, 02/07/2012 - 11:39amSetty recommends the Institute of the Americas' English-language podcast series on energy in Latin America.
Categories: Latest News
Bolivia: Chiquitano Indigenous Create Twitter Account to Promote Their Language
Wed, 02/01/2012 - 7:50amMembers of the Chiquitano indigenous community in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, have created the Twitter account @monkoxbesiro [es] to promote the use of the Chiquitano (Bésiro) language in Bolivia.
Categories: Latest News
Bolivia: Pro-Road March Reaches La Paz
Tue, 01/31/2012 - 6:41amMarchers in favor of a project to build a road that would go through the TIPNIS indigenous territory reached La Paz. Mario R. Duran from the blog Palabras Libres [es] reports that residents of El Alto and La Paz received the march with indifference.
Categories: Latest News
Latin America: Museum Releases Digital Archive of 20th-Century Art
Tue, 01/24/2012 - 6:36amThe International Center for Arts of the Americas (ICCA) at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, has released a digital archive of 20th-century Latin American and Latino art, which, “is now available, free of charge, to the research and teaching community as well as to the public at large.” Culture magazine Ñ [es] briefly interviewed Mari Carmen Ramírez, the project's director.
Categories: Latest News
Bolivia: March Demands Road Through TIPNIS
Thu, 01/19/2012 - 11:39amLast year we reported extensively on a march to protest a road that would go through the TIPNIS indigenous territory; on December 20, 2011, a group demanding the building of the road started their own march towards La Paz: “This pro-road march wants the law approved in October by President Evo Morales that strictly prohibited the road through the TIPNIS to be reversed” Dario Kenner explains in the blog Bolivia Diary.
Categories: Latest News
Bolivia: New Judges Face Systemic Challenges
Tue, 01/17/2012 - 7:39amThe 56 judges elected during the October 2011 judicial election in Bolivia were sworn in on January 3, 2012. Emily Achtenberg, from the NACLA blog Rebel Currents, writes about the election process and the obstacles the new judges will face.
Categories: Latest News
Global Voices Aymara: Experiences in Translation in 2011
Thu, 01/12/2012 - 3:41pmThis post is part of our special coverage Global Voices in 2011.
My name is Victoria Tinta and I would like to briefly share my experiences with Global Voices:
I started to translate for Global Voices Aymara in 2009, and at the time, I only translated one article per month regarding topics such as politics, sports, education, environment, and others. But since I started as editor, I no longer translate just one article, but rather more than five articles per month.
I translate all of these articles during my free time, and each post takes one, two, or even three hours each, depending on the post's length. By translating and editing, I have been able to learn about events taking place in other countries. Among my translations, there is one that caught my attention: Languages: Let's Tweet and Speak in Quechua. For me, it was an interesting topic to translate and this is the translation in Aymara: Aymara: Arunaka: Tuytiyañani ukatx qhichwat arsuñani.
Members of the Global Voices in Aymara team at the celebration dinner commemorating the official Lingua status. Photo by Eddie Avila taken in El Alto, Bolivia. .
I am very happy to be a volunteer translator, and I am very motivated to continue the work.
I would also like to congratulate the translation team from Global Voices Aymara.
¡Nayraqatar sarantasipkakima!
Keep up the good work!
Irma Silveria Laura Apaza writes:
I started to translate articles for Global Voices in Aymara beginning in June 2011, and I've always been interested in things related to languages. I think it is very important to value the Aymara language, and to spread knowledge of this language throughout the internet so that other people can become interested through the translations.
One that really caught my attention was Slovakia: The Most Expensive Apple Computers and in Aymara: Eslovaquia: Apple cumputaduranakax sinti jila chaniniwa.
Some may not be interested in the topic, but university students have the latest technology for their studies with no regard to the cost of the computers. Having a computer is no longer a privilege, but rather a necessity. The majority of students have netbooks, and as is the case in some countries, many professors are behind when it comes to technology.
Martha Valencia Intimayata writes:
My participation with Global Voices in Aymara started in 2010 to the present, and through this translation work, I learn about what is happening around the world.
Over time, I have translated interesting topics including one that really impacted me, which was: Iran: Female Blogger Receives 50 Lashes and the translation: Aymara: Irán: Bloguerax phisqa tunk jawq’aw katuqatäna.
How could a blogger receive 50 lashes just for providing information? That is very unjust.
Victor Paco Montevilla writes:
Personally, I started to translate at the beginning of last year.
First of all, it gives me great satisfaction to be able to contribute to the Aymara language on the internet, especially through Global Voices Online. In regards to my translations on Global Voices in Aymara, I consider it benefits Aymara speakers and the language itself, as its status grows considerably by being online.
The topic that impacted me the most was related to the help received by the humanitarian aid workers during and after their rescue work for the Japanese earthquake: Japan: Aiding the Aid Workers and in Aymara: Japón: Japunan yanapt’irinakar yanapt’asa.
Emma Quispe Mamani writes:
I started to translate for Global Voices in Aymara since February 2011, as it has already been a year. It is interesting that by translating one becomes informed about important issues taking place around the world, and for me that is very important. The topic that most impacted me was: Zambia: Netizens Start Countdown to 90 Day Change Promise and the translation in Aymara: Zambia: Cibernautanakax 90 urun mark turkakipañ amtawitx niyaw jakhuñ qalltapxi
I will continue to translate because I really like to translate into Aymara.
Elias Quispe Chura writes:
It all started when my colleague Ruben [Hilari] cordially invited me to be part of the Jaqi Aru project. I didn't think twice to be a part of the initiative, since at the time I was looking for opportunities to apply my knowledge acquired during my university studies. At the beginning, I started by publishing posts in Aymara. Soon, I learned how to use the tools on the Global Voices in Aymara platform, which was very interesting, but a little complicated.
I translated about a dozen articles written in Spanish, French, English, and Aymara. I have been taking part because I love translating from different languages. Even more, if it deals with contributing to the native language, and above all, to be able to share the same knowledge with society through the internet. Among those articles, the one that interested me the most was: “Mexico: Celebrating Cantinflas' 100th Birthday”. I chose the topic because I am a fan of the famous comedian, and I wanted to learn more about his life and career. I learned a lot by translating the article. To begin, I placed myself in his place, I felt, and learned that he did not become famous overnight, but rather it was a process full of virtues and sadness.
In the Aymara language, there are certain limitations compared to other languages, especially regarding vocabulary. However, those challenges are being overcome little by little. Some of the topics that were missing from the site included posts about Christmas, New Year Celebrations, Carnaval, and others, which is something that I would like to explore.
Honestly, I would love for Global Voices authors to continue to publish more and new content, which would give me more options to choose from in order to translate into Aymara.
“Aka uraqpachan aruskipt’asipxañasakipunirakispawa.”
“Let's continue to connect with the entire world.”
This post is part of our special coverage Global Voices in 2011.
Categories: Latest News
Global Voices in Dutch Looks Back on 2011
Wed, 01/11/2012 - 10:00amThis post is part of our special coverage Global Voices in 2011.
While the year 2012 is already well on its way, the translators of Global Voices in Dutch look back on 2011. Which posts stood out and what makes Global Voices so special?
Marjolein Snippe writes:
A while ago I had been translating a short documentary on the Belo Monte hydroelectric power plant and the arguments of indigenous people opposing it. Then I saw this report on Global Voices. I was glad the issue is still receiving attention and that the (mainly) indigenous people opposing it are getting their voices heard in Brazilian courtrooms, by the Brazilian government and by worldwide sympathisers and supporters.
I was very much touched by an article about Syria I translated back in March. All the personal stories and deep worries made the impact the struggles had on the people living there so much more visible and “tangible” than most official newspaper reports!
Mieke Tulp writes:
Being asked which GV posts from last year made an impression, it seems inevitable to come up with something about the Arabic Spring. One article that struck me was a report about day-to-day life on Tahrir Square. It focussed on the positive attitude and feelings among the protesters. Little Utopia amidst explosive surroundings
Another story from an Arab country that touched me was the arrest of Razan Ghazzawi. The article was translated into virtually every language Global Voices covers, and rightfully so. She was released on 18 December.
Something that had an absolutely negative impact on me: Troy Davis’ death. He was executed in September. I do not know what to say about it. It should not have happened.
And an interesting story about children who have to work. In Bolivia the working children formed unions to ensure better wages and working conditions. It is a story about strong children who work and go to school and are determined to create a better future for themselves.
Percy Balemans writes:
Last year I translated a lot of stories about the Arab Spring, a subject that was also covered extensively by regular media. But they mainly showed images of huge crowds. This is why I was touched by the story about Egyptian Nadia El Awady who took her 73-year old father to Tahrir Square. What a wonderful way to get a taste of the atmosphere and to read how a 73-year old experiences it all!
I also enjoyed translating the article “African Women Striving to be Heads of State“. A perfect example of the kind of subject you won't read about in regular media, but which is covered by Global Voices.
Saskia Bliemer writes:
I found “North Korea Threatens to Disclose Recordings of Talks with South“, written by Lee Yoo Eun, very interesting to translate. Though we have seen lots of images from North Korea on the news lately, the country remains a mystery to me. The good thing about Global Voices is that you can read the opinions of the local population, making it possible to get a more complete idea of the situation.
A huge thank you to all Global Voices in Dutch translators [nl] for their contributions in 2011! Would you like to contribute as well? Contact us.
This post is part of our special coverage Global Voices in 2011.
Categories: Latest News
Bolivia: Site Removes Blogger's Posts and Apologizes
Fri, 01/06/2012 - 6:59amWebsite elSistema has issued a public apology [es] on their Facebook page after copyrighting blogger Pablo Rivero's posts that were originally published in his blog under a Creative Commons license. The site also removed the content. Pablo explains his position and shares his final comments on the incident in his blog [es].
Categories: Latest News
Bolivia: Netizens Defend Blogger's Creative Commons Licensed Work
Thu, 01/05/2012 - 7:53amNetizens are speaking out against website elSistema [es] for copyrighting a post by blogger Pablo Rivero which he had published under a Creative Commons license in his personal blog [es]. Mario Duran Chuquimia is covering the issue in his blog [es] and through his Facebook account [es].
Categories: Latest News
Bolivia: Women Weaving Hope in El Alto
Wed, 01/04/2012 - 12:09pmIn Americas Quarterly [es], blogger Cecilia Lanza praises the artisan women of El Alto who have created their own workshops and small businesses.
Categories: Latest News
Latin America, 2011: A Year Marked by Social Movements
Tue, 01/03/2012 - 8:07amAs the Arab Spring unfolded throughout 2011, and as Spain’s indignados and the now worldwide ‘Occupy’ movement gained momentum, important social movements also rose up across Central and South America.
In 2011, Latin Americans took to the streets in big cities and small towns to defend their right to education, protect their lands from road and mining projects, and demand peace. Now, we remember the Global Voices Latin American team's coverage of these important mobilizations as we look back on 2011.
Student movements
Images of Chilean student protests made news around the world for months. While most international media focused on the recurring clashes between protesters and the police, on social networks citizens shared analysis, reports, images and videos from the ground.
For over six months, Chilean high school and university students staged various protests to demand an overhaul of the educational system. Students blogged and live-streamed their tomas (school occupations) documenting their experience inside the schools. They also uploaded citizen videos of cacerolazos (pot banging demonstrations) and the various incidents - negative and positive - that took place during protests, including a video which shows students stopping a group of violent protesters.
The student movement remained a hot topic on social networks as protests continued; in October, the Chilean Ministry of Interior presented an ‘Anti-Occupation' bill to congress and later invoked a State Security Law, heating up the debate among netizens.
Meanwhile, in Colombia, students and professors held meetings and protested against a proposal to reform the higher education ‘Law 30′ that would, among other things, allow private investment in public universities.
Six months later, workers and students joined in a nationwide demonstration, and university students began a university strike demanding the government withdraw the bill to reform Law 30 from congress. On the eve of a nationwide protest scheduled for November 10, President Juan Manuel Santos announced he would withdraw the bill if students lifted the strike.
Despite the announcement, demonstrations were held on November 10 and in Bogotá students ‘occupied' Bolivar Square. The next day, the Presidency's Twitter account reported the President had asked congress to remove the bill, and in the following days students began to gradually return to class.
"We've said: enough" Students protest on November 10, 2011 in Bogotá. Image by Flickr user Juan Camaron (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)
But student protests had not ended for the year. Inspired by the student movements in Colombia and Chile, on November 24, students throughout Latin America marched to demand free, high-quality education.
In 2011, several Latin American countries faced a recurring dilemma: mines, roads, and other projects that promised economic growth and development also raised environmental concerns and threatened to infringe upon indigenous rights.
In June, Bolivian President Evo Morales announced a controversial project to build a road that would go through the Indigenous Territory National Park Isiboro Sécure (TIPNIS); in August, indigenous groups and their supporters began a 500 kilometer march towards La Paz to oppose the project.
In September, reports of police repression against the indigenous marchers spread on social networks. As a result, citizens began to mobilize both online and on the streets to show their support for the cause to defend TIPNIS. Netizens like Luis Chuquimia (@chuquijosel) [es] described the arrival of the marchers to La Paz on October 19:
las calles pacenhas….quedaron flores, mixtura, banderas de papel…lagrimas, abrazos…sonrisas..pasos que calan historias #TIPNIS ES VIDA
the streets of La Paz….filled with flowers, confetti, paper flags… tears, hugs…smiles, steps that make history #TIPNIS is LIFEFinally, on October 21, President Morales announced the road will not go through TIPNIS.
TIPNIS march. Image by Flickr user Pablo Rivero (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
In November, in neighboring Peru, bloggers reflected on several mining protests, including demonstrations against the Minas Conga gold mining project in Cajamarca. A strike caused the company to suspend the project, which, as Global Voices author Isabel Guerra explained:
[is] considered to be the largest mining investment in the history of Peru, [and] according to its opponents threatens to destroy some 20 lagoons, which serve as a foundation for local ecosystems and a source of water for farming communities.
Protests continued well into December despite the suspension, as opponents called for the total cancellation of the project; as a result, the government declared a state of emergency. The conflict is not yet resolved, but local bloggers have continued reporting from Cajamarca, and social networks users from all over Peru will keep sharing their reactions as events unfold.
Another mining controversy that has caused mixed opinions involves open-pit iron ore mine ‘Aratiri' in Centro Chato, a small village in central Uruguay. In 2011, the controversial project divided Uruguayan netizens: some see it as an opportunity for employment and economic growth, while others are concerned about the environmental consequences and question whether the country will actually benefit from the mine’s profits. Developments will surely be followed closely by bloggers in 2012.
Marching for peace
Mexico's Drug War, a major military operation against drug cartels launched by President Felipe Calderón in December 2006, has left tens of thousands of victims. In 2011, Mexican citizens took to the streets and the Internet to say ‘enough'.
In May, Mexicans participated in a massive 4-day, nationwide march for peace, and demonstrations were also held in countries around the globe on May 8.
The march, which began in Cuernavaca on May 5 and ended in Mexico City on the 8, was organized by Mexican poet and activist Javier Sicilia, who became the leader of the Movement for Peace with Justice and Dignity [es] after his son was killed.
With the Mexican blogosphere buzzing with commentary on the issue of violence, GV en Español organized a blog carnival on “Citizenry, Violence and Blogs”. The following posts summarize the results of the carnival:
- Blog Carnival: Mexico - Verbalizing the Violence
- Blog Carnival: Mexico - Citizen Media on the Scene
- Blog Carnival: Mexico - Is Mexican Society Violent by Nature?
- Blog Carnival: Mexico - The United States and Violence in Mexico
Shortly after the Blog Carnival, reports of online activists becoming targets and victims of brutal killings stirred social networks. In a guest post for Global Voices Advocacy, ARTICLE19 explained:
Against a backdrop of endemic violence against journalists, social networks and other online communication platforms such as “Nuevo Laredo en Vivo” are increasingly being used by citizens - especially in Tamaulipas [to] break the silence around criminal activities that are not being reported in the press because of the pervading climate of fear and self-censorship.
As Mexico prepares to elect a new president in 2012, the War on Drugs and how to reach peace will surely keep the conversation on social networks going.
The Latin American team will work hard to amplify more of these important citizen voices from across the region in 2012. If you'd like to help us, we have several author vacancies for you to consider and there are multiple ways you can get involved in the Global Voices community. We hope you will join us as you continue reading, commenting, and sharing our stories; you can also follow us on Twitter @gvamericalatina.
Categories: Latest News
Global Voices Podcast: Brave New Year 2012
Sun, 01/01/2012 - 5:35amHello World and welcome to 2012!
In this edition of the podcast we take a look back over the year 2011, consider the similarities and differences between mainstream and new media journalism, learn about an inspiring Rising Voices meeting in Bolivia to support the development of an ethnically and socially diverse blogosphere.
We also set off on a two-wheeled journey around the internet!
Considering 2011
For citizen journalists, bloggers and commentators everywhere, 2011 has been an extraordinary year. It’s hard to imagine a time before now when our friends and contributors faced threats, arrests or violence on such a scale. Nor has there been a year so far when we have seen such influence and change in the sphere of online citizen media. For many of our own writers and friends here on Global Voices, times are still difficult, but let's have hope for perseverance and better times ahead.
Looking back over a year of Global Voices Online is no mean feat! Our deputy editor, Emma Brewin, talks about jumping into a wild torrent of global news, and which stories stood out for her during an extraordinarily busy year.
From mainstream to new media
The Global Voices regional teams are made up of writers, bloggers and media makers of mant different types. Some, like Thiana Bondo, a Global Voices author and translator from Bahia, Brazil come from a journalistic background. Our managing editor, Solana Larsen chatted with Thiana, who is currently based in London, about the differences between being a daily newspaper journalist in Brazil, and writing for Global Voices.
Supporting the indigenous web in Bolivia
In December, Rising Voices hosted a three-day event in Cochabamba, Bolivia for bloggers in Bolivia. The goal was to support the development of a stronger, and more diverse blogosphere. There were workshops and presentations on both technical tools and organising strategies. The meeting was in Spanish, and was called Conectándonos (getting connected).
Maria Mercado is a student and a volunteer who works with indigenous communities. She went to the meeting and told us what she learned. If you'd like to hear more, there is a wonderful podcast of the whole event on Rising Voices by our managing director Georgia Poppellwell, and Rising Voices director Eduardo Avila.
Get on your bike with us!
You may think that we are separated by distance and only connected by the internet, but it seems that we also have some healthy habits in common. Ever prepared with her recording device, Solana Larsen discussed the wonders of getting around by bicycle with Global Voices executive director Ivan Sigal. As Ivan explains, the online cycling community is a vibrant one.
Naturally this meant that I had to ask our stunt-cyclist-audio-contributors to share with us their thoughts on two wheels.
Cyrus Farivar an American journalist currently living in Germany, and the author of “The Internet of Elsewhere” chatted with us about cycling - directly from the seat of a bicycle. In Denmark, Maria Grabowski Kjaer shared the sounds of the city where cycling is celebrated. Cycling for Maria is not just a mode of transport but a way of life.
Well, that wraps it up for our first podcast of the new year. We’ll be chasing audio and chatting about the world’s news and habits online throughout 2012, so do stay tuned and always let us know what you’d like to hear. For now, inspired by our two wheeled wonders, I’m off to try and learn how to ride my bike without being a danger to myself and others!
Music Credits
In the podcast you can hear lots of lovely Creative Commons music. Thanks to Mark Cotton for his fantastic creations and thanks also to all of the wonderful voice over performances and clips that help to glue the podcast together.
Categories: Latest News
Latin America: Youth Unemployment
Tue, 12/27/2011 - 4:22amBloggings by boz looks at youth unemployment in Latin America, concluding that “with growth projections decreased for 2011 and 2012, the current situation for youth unemployment is almost certainly getting worse. That could have major economic, political and social implications moving into 2012.”
Categories: Latest News
Bolivia: Citizen Journalism Contest Winners Announced
Fri, 12/23/2011 - 7:09amAhora Bolivia and the Center for Participation and Sustainable Human Development (CEPAD) organized a citizen journalism contest which lasted from October 20 to December 1. You can read the three winning pieces in Ahora Bolivia [es].
Categories: Latest News
Latin America: Social Networks Bring Recognition to Primary Recyclers
Wed, 12/07/2011 - 11:46am[All links lead to Spanish language pages except when otherwise noted]
“Being aware of the value of social networks, we will take advantage of them. So if you're one of our followers, you'll notice we're on Twitter”. With this statement, the Latin American and Caribbean Network of Recyclers (Red LACRE in Spanish) celebrates the 500 followers gained on its site in three months of work since they opened their account @redlacre. They are celebrating, but they want more, because the challenge is to reach 1,000 soon and keep going in order to extend this network of contacts that allows them to promote the value of their work much easier.
But what is a primary recycler? They are the people whose business is to gather, choose, recover, transform, market and reuse solid wastes from the primary source, making it their main source of income. In our countries, we commonly call recyclers by different names. For example, in Chile and Argentina they are known as cartoneros, in Mexico pepenador, and in Nicaragua buzo [translator's note: all terms loosely translate to “waste picker”], among other names they would like to do away with, so that they can be recognized as primary recyclers or simply recyclers (reciclador in Spanish and catador in Portuguese).
Recyclers in Guatemala, by Exequiel Estay, Facebook Red Lacre, used with permission.
They have been organizing across the continent since the early 90s and now have a formal network, Red LACRE, which consists of 15 countries and 4 more will soon join. The purpose of their movement is to be recyclers “with inclusion”, that is, each country guarantees that it will allow and formally recognize their work. The key to realizing this objective is enhancing visibility via the Internet and social networks, among the best tools they have to help advance their goals more rapidly.
These networks also allow us to understand better what a recycler is and how valuable his work is. We find that in Wikipedia, on October 23, 2011, (according to their site), the term “Primary Recycler” appears, where we are given some key points to better understand this profession.
Se distingue además de cualquier otro tipo de reciclador, por ser quien trabaja directamente en donde se depositan los residuos, lo que comúnmente se conoce como basura. Por ello, la selección de los residuos sólidos, los hace desde el lugar de disposición primaria y los transportan hacia el lugar donde se realiza la selección fina y enfardado, para una venta posterior. Se entiende por selección fina la separación de distintas calidades de materiales, lo que le permite el acceso a mejores rangos de precio.
“They are also distinguished from any other type of recycler, because they work directly where waste is deposited, what is commonly called trash. The sorting of solid waste is made at the first site of deposit, then transported to another area for secondary sorting and wrapping for later sale. Secondary sorting is understood as separating out various qualities of materials, which allows for access to better price ranges”.Conversation in 140 characters
Embroidered Logo for the Recyclers of Chile. Photograph by Chilean Recyclers, imaged used with permission
Looking at the Twitter accounts of the recyclers who are organized through their network, we see a kind of raising-awareness and education campaign to learn about their work.
Statements like “we live off of recycling” or “RedLacre fights to formalize our work and improve current labor conditions” are repeated in their messages, as well as other messages that give more hard facts that enable us to gauge the impact of this work, such as “Did you know that the number of people who live off of recycling in Latin America is more than 4 million?” or “We help save municipal budgets. We recycle waste from your neighborhood and create jobs”.
Similar conversations do not only revolve around explaining the work, but also begin to paint a picture of the characteristics of the countries involved and the specific scenarios that make up the realities in each country. Add to this the comments made with reference to this profession:
Alvaro Alaniz (@alaniz_a): En Brasil, las latas de Coca Cola tienen la imagen e historia del pdte de una cooperativa de recicladores de Rio. INCLUSION!
Alvaro Alaniz (@alaniz_a): In Brazil, the Coca Cola cans have the image and story of the president of a cooperative of recyclers in Rio. INCLUSION!Exequiel Estay Tapia (@RECICLADORESYA): recicladores chilenos luchando por una inclusión en el anteproyecto de ley de residuos…inclusión verdadera YAAAAAAAA
Exequiel Estay Tapia (@RECICLADORESYA): Chilean recyclers fighting for inclusion in the draft solid waste laws, true inclusion NOW.Francisco Pollak (@panchopollak), también refiriéndose a Chile: Hoy conocí tres historias de los llamados “cartoneros” convertidos en recicladores y emprendedores. La materia prima es voluntad.
Francisco Pollak (@panchopollak), also referring to Chile: Today I learned the stories of three so-called “cartoneros” transformed into recyclers. Their will is their raw material.PLACC (@cclimatico): Recicladores de Perú se formalizan y crean pequeñas y medianas empresas #cambioclimatico #Gestiónderesiduos.
PLACC (@cclimatico): The recyclers of Perú organize and create small and medium businesses #climatechange #wastemanagement.CiViSOL (@civisol), sobre Colombia: Por inclusión simulada de recicladores la Corte suspendió la licitación de aseo de Bogotá. Esta es la historia >larepublica.co//archivos/ECON…
CiViSOL (@civisol), about Colombia: Because of the deception involving inclusion of recyclers, the Court suspended the bidding for waste removal in Bogotá. This is the story > larepublica.co//archivos/ECON… [es]Friends with benefits
Facebook is another social network where we find a strong presence of the different recycle cooperatives that exist on the continent. Here we see how the traditional bulletin board has moved to the computer screen and this large virtual community has become a coordinator of actions, and promoter of experiences and identities.
Photographs, videos and links add information such as hours of operation, grant requirements, course dates, and a series of data useful to the public about the work of all the groups and its members.
Image of Inside Out Montevideo. Photograph by Jorge Meoini, used with permission
The page for the Network has more than 700 friends and from there one can access other groups such as the Recycling Dream Cooperative of Montevideo Uruguay (Cooperativa Reciclando Sueños de Montevideo Uruguay.) This group shares on its wall the experience of a group of recyclers whose faces were photographed to appear on billboards in various areas of the city, as part of the international project Inside Out (financed by the TED award).
According to the artists who created the work, Magdalena Gurmendez y Agustín Fernández, the images are a way of providing recognition of the vital work the recyclers perform in the city.
La tarea de clasificación de residuos es uno de los primero pasos en la cadena del reciclaje, por lo general esta tarea se realiza en pésimas condiciones de trabajo -recorriendo la ciudad en carros para buscar en los contenedores-, pero el trabajo en cooperativas permite una dinámica distinta, trabajar bajo techo, con residuos pre-clasificados…
“The job of sorting waste is one of the first steps in the recycling chain, and in general this work is performed in dreadful work conditions — traveling the city in carts looking in dumpsters — but working in cooperatives provides a different dynamic, working indoors, with pre-sorted waste…”In conclusion, this fight for inclusion gets its strength through social networks. There, the workers gain a new space, from the streets to the heart of social networks, to no longer be invisible, to garner understanding of their work as a profession and how it should be formalized. The Internet is at the service of recycling, of the environment and of the generation of new economies, so that with a click, we rediscover this work that we usually don't even see.
Gerardo Espíndola Rojas is Product Manager of Red Mi VOZ. Read more about our partnership with Mi VOZ [en].Categories: Latest News
Bolivia: Santa Cruz's Recurring Road Blocks
Wed, 12/07/2011 - 7:32amEduardo Bowles blogs [es] about the recurring road blocks in Santa Cruz, Bolivia: “At this rate, Santa Cruz will remain the country's economic engine, but perhaps driven by steam or as they say in the neighborhood: ‘a pedal locomotive.'”
Categories: Latest News
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