Thousands March in Protest against Gender Violence in Argentina
geschrieben von Abigail Melcher
Men, women and children; blue, red and yellow; crowds, crowds and more crowds. These were the scenes outside the volunteer house this past Wednesday as the Argentinian people came together to say “ni una menos” (not one less) to the killing of women because of their gender.
In Argentina, a woman is killed every 31 hours, yet it was the recent murdering of a kindergarten teacher in front of her class by her estranged husband that prompted a mobilisation of the masses. The idea, first floated on whatsapp, soon spread to the wider realms of Twitter and Facebook, affecting those from all different backgrounds and political perspectives enough for them to spend their evening marching the streets of Buenos Aires.
As actors and spokespeople for the movement expressed, it was a true reflection of the nation’s community spirit, of their solidarity, whilst the colourful array of flags and banners were an illustration of the diversity that nevertheless lies within. This is a grave problem across the whole country and one that, it seems, almost everybody wants to change.
Two weeks ago, the long-anticipated Kirchner Cultural Centre was unveiled. Cristina’s inauguration of the magnificent, restored building was an appropriate closure to the work her husband had begun over five years ago. It was his idea to transform the National Post Office HQ into a space to celebrate culture, not just that of Argentina but also international artists and creators; the opening exhibition, installed until September of this year, was created by Sophie Calle, a French woman.
The reopening has been met with huge enthusiasm from the public, Argentinians and tourists alike. As we wandered the corridors on a weekday afternoon, we did so with hundreds of others. Perhaps the most striking feature of the building, aside from its impressive façade that towers over the plaza, is its entrance hall. It has beautifully retained its original 1928 design as a postal hall; dark and shiny wooden high desks fill the room, whist cardboard cutouts of people who once would have stood here make them seem purposeful. Sophie alle distracts away from the snippets of history as she blinks pointedly down from a projection onto the back wall.
If you follow your gaze upwards, the stained-glass ceiling catches your eye, its bold colours contrasting with the black, white and deep brown of the room below. However, beyond Sophie Calle there is still much to be done: scaffolding fills what the guide tells us will be an auditorium that can hold multiple thousands of people, and we are only allowed to certain parts of the building as work continues. As the largest cultural centre in Latin America, it is one to keep an eye on, and to keep returning to as both exhibitions and construction evolve.
Volunteer’s tip: Guided tours only take place on weekends, and they are in high demand. In order to secure a place on the first tour at 14h, begin queuing at least 45 minutes earlier. You can visit the official website here: http://www.culturalkirchner.gob.ar
In the spirit of World Environment Day 2015, we thought we would offer a helping hand to those out there looking for ways to help save our earth. This year’s theme is sustainable consumption and production because if we continue producing and consuming and wasting at the same rate as we are now, by 2050 future generations will need three planets. We don't have three, we have one and there are five very simple steps you can take to conserve it. So let’s get sustaining…
1. Plan ahead
The best way to ensure minimal wastage of energy or food, or anything, is to think carefully before purchasing. Planning your meals for the week before heading to the supermarket will mean you’re far less likely to buy something you're not going to use. Furthermore, when you do buy, buy in bulk; you'll save on packaging, and then perhaps you could even cook in bulk and freeze the leftovers. In the same vein regarding energy saving, set up the timer for your heating and hot water and adjust it according to the season. Arrange a carpool to work or purchase a bus pass for the year. Invest in an e-reader rather than buying paperback after paperback. In adopting all these methods, you'll likely save some money too.
2. Buy ethically
In today's world, it is pretty well impossible to not be a consumer, but it is possible to be an ethical one.Whilst scouting out the ‘fairtrade’ labels in the supermarket is better than scouting out the ‘value’ aisle, there are more effective ways to buy sustainably. The best way: don't set foot in a supermarket. The smaller shops tend to source their produce locally, meaning it has travelled far less to make it onto your plate – less water and fuel has been used – and you will probably end up purchasing less plastic for your money (see below). Pretty much everything can be bought ethically if you have a look online…And there's no such thing as ethical bottled water, so just don't do it.
Useful online sources
www.ethical.org.au - Comprehensive guide to ethical shopping
www.crueltyfreeinternational.org/LeapingBunny - Where to buy ethical make up products
www.bbcgoodfood.com/seasonal-calendar/all - For UK residents, which food to buy when
3. Reuse
Once something has been used, the next step is NOT recycle. Stop. And think. Turn the page over, and you've got a blank sheet again. Rinse the wine bottle out and put some candles in it rather than buying a fancy holder from IKEA. Most importantly: minimise the amount of plastic you use. My first and only scaremongering fact for you: every piece of plastic that has ever been created still exists. Scary stuff, huh? Reuse the bags as bin bags or shopping bags, or better still don't use them at all. Get yourself a reusable water bottle. Be creative and you'll be amazed how much bric-à-brac can be utilised!
Living a Zero Waste life is possible: www.mindbodygreen.com/0-16168/i-havent-made-any-trash-in-2-years-heres-what-my-life-is-like.html
4. Donate
But if you can't find a use for it, somebody else probably can. As people across the world are becoming increasingly dependent on food banks, it should be a crime to waste food. Indeed, France has become the first country to forbid supermarkets from throwing away food. Our world produces enough to feed every single person that belongs to it, yet up to a third of it goes to waste whilst the privileged consume excessively and others don't have anything to consume at all. This imbalance can be rectified with a little generosity, and thought. Of course, material goods can be donated to your local charity shop too.
5. Recycle
And finally: recycle. Of course, it's still a whole lot more worthwhile than simply chucking something on top of a landfill site but recycling does take up a lot of energy. As products are recycled, particularly those made of plastic or metal, fossil fuels are used in order to decompose them which releases methane gas into the atmosphere. Composting food waste is always a good idea, but with other objects try all of the above first before resorting to recycling. If you're not sure what can be recycled and what can't, your local government’s website should have the information you're looking for.
For more information on why recycling does not solve all our problems: www.listverse.com/2013/01/27/10-ways-recycling-hurts-the-environment/
And for a new way to recycle: www.terracycle.com
So there we go! Happy Environment Day everybody!
[English version below] Valeria Gracia, fundadora de Voluntario Global, habla sobre la idea detrás de los proyectos en los que se involucran. Voluntario Global cree que la participación de la comunidad es importante para el proceso de creación. Creación de nuevos proyectos, creación de vínculos entre los vecinos y voluntarios, creación de nuevos espacios para compartir y pensar en el futuro. Todas las actividades que lleva a cabo Voluntario Global se basan en su experiencia previa con la comunidad misma.
En Voluntario Global pensamos que las comunidades deben trabajar juntas para pensar en sus necesidades y en cómo llevar a cabo las soluciones. La comunidad necesita compartir y pensar a partir de su propia realidad y de allí comenzar a construir. Para lograr esto, los espacios comunitarios son importantes para que las personas se puedan reunir y discutir acerca de sus problemas, son importantes para lograr la participación activa que alentamos y tratamos de generar siempre que sea posible. Porque fundamentalmente la participación viene de allí, de la gente, de los vecinos, de la comunidad.
Estos espacios son los que nos ayudan a trabajar y construir dentro de las comunidades, espacios donde la gente trabaja (como cooperativas), donde aprenden, donde comen o donde se reúnen y discuten. Pero lo más importante es que estos espacios deben permitir a la gente ser escuchada y estar unidos para sentirse integrados y ser parte de lo que hacen.
[ENGLISH] Valeria Gracia, founder of Voluntario Global, talks about the idea behind the projects where they get involved. Voluntario Global believes that community participation is important for the process of creation. Creation of new projects, creation of bonds among neighbors and volunteers, creation of new spaces for sharing and thinking about the future. All of the activities that Voluntario Global leads, are based on their previous experience with the community itself.
We, at Voluntario Global, think that all communities should work together to think about their needs and how to carry out the solutions. Community needs to share and think from their own reality and start building from there. In order to accomplish this, community spaces are important for people to gather and discuss about their problems. We believe these spaces in the community are very important for active participation (which we encourage) and we try to generate these spaces whenever possible. As we think transformation comes from there, from the people, the neighbors, the community.
These spaces are what we help building working within the communities. Spaces for people to work, to gather, to eat or learn. But most importantly, these spaces need to allow people to be heard and united as a whole.
It's 7:15am and we are waiting at the bus stop with our volunteer, Sandesh, who has been volunteering at the kindergarten in the suburb of Barracas for the past couple of weeks. Whilst we are waiting, Sandesh tells us a little bit about the place – how it is not only a kindergarten, but also a soup kitchen and a community centre and that whilst some who work there are teachers, others are simply mums volunteering to help keep it afloat. “It is a safe place for them to come and play, if only a few hours,” he explains, “They get two decent meals, affection they might not otherwise get at home and a chance to play with other kids.”
We are the only ones who get off at our stop and we make our way down a pretty cobbled street. The closer we get to the kindergarten, the more broken the houses are; corrugated iron roofs are placed delicately over half-built brick walls, wooden doors mask the dark indoors, and faces look intriguingly at us because we look like tourists and tourists don't usually bother with their neighbourhood.
We make our way past the crowd of parents outside the white brick, gated building of the kindergarten. Sandesh later explains that the parents aren't allowed to enter with their child as there have been incidents in the past. The building itself is decorated with bright colours and pictures of butterflies and bees and trees. Sandesh introduces us to the woman who runs the place. She is very warm and friendly, pleased we are taking an interest in the kindergarten.
Now the day has officially begun: our volunteer joins the other helpers, all women, in seating the children at the appropriately-coloured table. The children here range from as young as 1 or 2 up to 6. Sandesh’s responsibilities lie with those aged between 2 and 4. They tap gently at his pockets or however high they can reach, they try and grab onto his fingers or even put their hands to his face in affection. Once they are just about all seated, breakfast comes around: a mug of milk and a breakfast bar.
Getting the children up a flight of stairs is a feat like no other. Helpers have up to four children at a time clinging onto them for support, their short legs not providing enough for them. Of the 22 children, there are three who stand out in their matching checkered overcoats, a demarcation that they have come from the orphanage. We are told that one used to live on the streets, the other’s mother was an alcoholic. As their helper recounts their tales, she wants to emphasise the importance of this place.
After a morning of painting, throwing balls around and playing on the slides and seesaws outside it is lunchtime already! Sandesh takes this opportunity to warn us just how much mess these children are capable of, “Lunchtime is hectic to say the least.” What's more, today is dulce de leche day… By the end, it looks like the kids have been given the food to paint the walls with. Covered from head to toe, they sway about the place through the benches, over them and under them. But although it is hectic, there is something moving about it: they are happy with the helpers laughing kindly at them and, most importantly, they are safe.
After spending just a morning at the kindergarten, the charm of the place is not lost on us, nor is it lost on Sandesh. “I absolutely love it,” he says. Although his volunteering officially finished this week, he's going to continue popping into the kindergarten to lend a helping hand for as long as he's in the city. “I'm not ready to leave just yet.”
Last weekend, the city of Buenos Aires hosted two cultural festivities celebrating Mexico and Paraguay on the popular Avenida de Mayo. This was a great opportunity for the invited countries to share their cuisine, traditional dances and music.
The Mexican and Paraguayan Festivity were located on Avenida de Mayo, the Mexican across Plaza de Mayo meanwhile the Paraguayan on between the streets Cerrito and Uruguay. Vendors were offering many cultural crafts and foods. In the busy street, people waited in long lines for tacos and quesadillas and the Paraguayan offered sopa and guayaba. The Mexican festivity had the popular Mariachi singing on stage the spectators to sing along.
The Paraguayan festivity not only had dances and music, but poetry in one of their indigenous tongue, Guarani, and in Spanish. People cheered, it echoed the city’s old European architectural buildings and some people were seen with tears in the eyes of joy and probably some of sorrow of their previous struggles.
So first things first: Name, nationality and where have you been volunteering?
Hey! My name is Pui and I come from the UK. For the past four weeks I have been teaching English at the academy in the Buenos Aires province of Pablo Nogues.
How does it feel to be coming to the end of your Voluntario Global experience?
I am finishing my placement after signing up for only four weeks, and it is quite emotional to be reaching the end so soon already! It was not a straightforward experience by any means – teaching with relatively limited resources definitely keeps you on your toes, and it can sometimes be exhausting, especially when you know only enough Spanish to get by in a restaurant – but I have gotten to know some great students as well as the legendary Silvia (who runs the academy) and will be leaving with plenty of amazing memories.
It seems as if you've become pretty attached to the life here. Is there any part of the porteño culture or language that has particularly resonated with you?
Well, partly due to the thickness of the Argentinian accent, it’s been tricky to pick up the local dialect. However, when a super pancho vendor asks if you’d like ‘papas fritas’ on your hotdog I get the happiest feeling. [For those of you who haven't yet had the pleasure, a super pancho is a hotdog like no other that can be picked up all over the city. And yes, they put potatoes ON the hotdog, as well as a plethora of sauces]. Most mentions of 'asado’ – the typical meat stew here – has a similar impact.
So other than trying a super pancho, what other piece of advice would you give to the next volunteer at the Academy?
I would say don't be afraid to go off-script in the classroom occasionally. During the first couple of days I stuck to the textbooks very rigidly but this wasn’t always the most effective method. Sometimes my lessons would veer from slightly off-topic, like teaching some curious students the relevant vocabulary in French or even Chinese, to extremely off-topic. In one particularly memorable instance, the lesson devolved into a weird combination of 20 Questions, Hangman and snippets of ‘Wrecking Ball’ by Miley Cyrus (who the kids unsurprisingly love). It’s really just as much a cultural exchange as it is giving students the chance to learn English from a native speaker, which I found is equally appreciated all round.
And finally: can you sum up your time here in three words?
Challenging, tiring (but) rewarding.
Thanks Pui, we’re going to miss having you around the house!
If you like the sound of Pui's experience, for further information please contact us at Diese E-Mail-Adresse ist vor Spambots geschützt! Zur Anzeige muss JavaScript eingeschaltet sein!
El viernes 8 de Mayo compartimos en la FM Riachuelo 100.9, la presentación del espacio “Con Otro Acento”, programa semanal de VG, en esta radio. Junto a voluntarios, alumnos del apoyo de inglés, Mario de la Escuela para el Hombre Nuevo, compañeros de El Hormiguero, SuLavandería y de la FM, vimos imágenes y audios del ciclo que ya lleva casi un año al aire y que se emite los miércoles de 18 a 19h.
Entre mates y empanadas y diversos acentos, construimos un programa que transmite los valores de VG,reflexiona sobre la realidad de los barrios y visibiliza los proyectos en los que participamos.
Un espacio,dentro de una radio, parte de otra forma de entender la comunicación popular y comunitaria.
Voluntario Global consists of a small but perfectly formed operations team and working with them on various communication projects ranging from blog writing and photography to film-making is a great way to gain an understanding of how the organisation works as a whole.
It is the communication team's job to share and document the volunteer experience right from the start of every journey – reaching out to new volunteers in advance of their arrival, welcoming them in their first days and finding creative ways to share their first impressions and experiences using social media and the Voluntario Global website. There is a weekly team meeting, where everybody gets together and catches up on the progress of the projects, the volunteer house and where the communication team should focus most of their efforts and what the aim is for the week. Depending on your Spanish language proficiency this can be quite a daunting challenge to start with but it's amazing to see how your understanding and input develops as the weeks past and confidence grows.
Up to once a week you travel out to the volunteer projects at different stages – photographing and interviewing the volunteers and coordinators when the time is right. This is a great opportunity to see parts of Buenos Aires you would never see as a tourist and navigate the public transport to reach the more remote projects base outside of the city.
There are always special events, educational and social gatherings to report back on and it is important to use your initiative for new topics for blog posts and ways to present and spread the ideologies and practices of Voluntario Global, perhaps if you take some time to travel the rest of Argentina or get involved in another aspect of Porteño life in your free time!
Those interested in the more technical side filming, with their own cameras and equipment have recently been working on developing and recording a 'Buenos Aires Survival Guide' a series on YouTube that will feature volunteers from all over the globe, sharing tips and funny experiences. Location scouting, filming and documenting the real heart of the city, practicing editing and casting the right volunteers for the job is both challenging and enjoyable for all involved. Scheduling and mapping out routes and timetables for filming and where it is possible to get the best visuals and interesting view points of the city.
Working in the communications team is a varied role and you definitely get out of it more than what you put in, it is a perfect way to share skills and experience whilst adjusting to a new way of life in Argentina, meeting and interacting with locals and travellers alike.
The hard-working crew of Voluntario Global took a break from work, to take part in an educational trip to Maciel Island, in La Boca, an extension of the so called “Villa Miserias”. We were greeted by the Valdoco Foundation, an organization from the island with the sole purpose of educational anyone about the island’s culture and history. Since many people think the place is for the poor and uneducated, criminals, drug dealers and addicts, truth is that the island has many good things.
The tour started with the guides passing out mugs and napkins for the tea and delicious bread. As the volunteers were eating, the tour guides talked about the island. One of the many interesting things explained, was that murals all around the streets have become quite renown in Argentina; images of Messi and Maradona are found. The island was a center of imports and exports at the old port back in the 1900’s. Back in those days, tango was danced between men only, as it was taboo to dance with a woman. They also talked about how people lived there and how they benefit with the huge bridge crossing every day [before, they had to take a 45 minute bus ride all the way around to get to the city]. Now even the children cross the bridge connecting La Boca and Marciel Island to go to school.
We saw the island from far away, but what the tour guides information it was good enough to get the idea. The organization doesn’t charge a fee for the tour. They want to show the world where they come from and how people are getting the wrong message of the place.
VOLUNTARIO GLOBAL
Voluntario Global helps local communities by being available to discuss anything that local organizations need, and offering ideas for further change and development.
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CONTACT
Location: General Pacheco. Buenos Aires. Argentina
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