Playing in Argentina

Okay...just so no one thinks that I have completely gone off the study deep end (see next post), I wanted to ensure you all that I still know how to have a good time.

I have had the chance to dance tango a few different times. One of the times, I was just an innocent bystander enjoying a tango show when this lovely tanguero (see picture) came perusing the restaurant for an unsuspecting victim. That would be moi.

I also went to listen to some amazing tango music. I tried to post a couple of videos of a tango group that consists of a complete tango orchestra with an alternative flair, but had not luck. You can check out their website (Orquesta Típica Fernandez Fierro) at http://www.fernandezfierro.com/home.php and listen to their music at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=McetUSo72Tc.

Besides this I have written/completed three songs since being here in Argentina. That's always nice...

Hasta la próxima..

Work..a.k.a Uh...Argentina...Am I in Argentina?

Yes, it's true. I have entered my typical serious student mode. I told my roommate today that it was possible that I may leave thinking that Argentina consists of four white walls and an Indian tapestry (uh that would be my bedroom). I literally spend around 10 hours a day reading, writing papers, and attending classes. However, I am thoroughly enjoying it (well most of the time anyway ha ha). My classes this term are:

Sistemática de las Relaciones Internacionales (Systematic Approaches to International Relations)

Etica y las Relaciones Internacionales (Ethics & International Relations)

Teorías del Conflict y del Desarrollo en las Ciencias Sociales (Theories of Conflict & Development in the Social Sciences)

Causas y Resolución de Conflictos (Causes of Conflict and Conflict Resolution)

Estructura y Procesos en la Cooperación Internacional (Structure and Process of International Cooperation)

Identidades Globales (Global Identities)

French

Suffice it to say that I am taking a full load. Ha

I have been working hard to define my thesis topic and have narrowed it down quite a bit. It will be dealing with the topic of immigration and U.S. foreign policy towards Mexico. It looks like it may be taking me to Mexico for at least a month during my "summer" break in February or March 2009.

The master's course is extremely unique for a variety of reasons, including the fact that each of my classes has students from no fewer than 10 different countries. Besides the diversity of student body, the professors have a diverse academic background having studied/worked/conducted research in Europe, Latin America, Asia, Africa, and the North America. This gives the International Relations master's program here a much different perspective than I would get from the U.S. Just the fact that the two specializations are peace/conflict resolution and international cooperation for development is telling. We are getting a non-western/developing country approach that I would never have received in the U.S.

Okay...back to studying...

Rotary...Rotary...Rotary

Getting involved with Rotary here in Argentina has been an amazing experience. I am currently working closely with my Rotary contacts back home and my host club counselor here in Argentina, who will soon be Club President, on finding ways for Rotary to become involved in the education rights campaign on which I am working. On Saturday, I will be presenting my proposal to my host Rotary District 4890 at their annual conference.

Besides this work with Rotary, I was invited to sing back in March for the Rotary Club La Lucila's Día de las Mujeres Cocktail. I sang one of my favorites, "Gracias a la Vida", and one of my own songs, "Charming You Are". It was a lot of fun, and everyone seemed to enjoy it...well at least no one left the room crying. ha ha.

Last Saturday all of the World Peace Fellows met with their host counselors for a hosted lunch by the scholarship coordinator, Hugo Zeyen. Attached is picture.

Thank you, Rotary, for this opportunity. I can only begin to understand the full impact that it will have on my life.

Global Campaign for Education in Argentina

Not soon after arriving to Argentina, I became aware of Global Campaign for Education (GCE), an NGO based in South Africa that fights for education rights for all children. (See below for more details). GCE put me in contact with the two main organizing entities in Argentina: Campana Argentina por el Derecho a la Educación (CADE), a network of a dozen or so non-profits working on education issues, and the Confederación de Trabajadores de la Educación de la República Argentina (CTERA). Since then I have written a funding proposal, held several meetings with Rotarians and other possible supporters/funders in Argentina, and made contact with folks back in the States to help support this year's and future campaigns in Argentina. Like many of you may know, fundraising can be a process. However, the process has begun, and I am very optimistic about it. As the efforts develop, I will keep you all posted.



The main awareness initiative this year, Global Action Week, will take place next week. The Argentine campaign this year focuses on calling attention to the growing exclusion from education that exists in Argentina for children based on gender, race, physical disabilities, and other factors. There will be activities throughout the country to bring awareness to the issue and demand that decision-makers fulfill the education rights of children in Argentina.



I will be posting footage of the various activities that take place during the week on my blog. I have posted a video made by the folks at GCE. If you are interested, please take a few minutes to watch the video at the following link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZJol9-olbA and maybe think about how a school or organization with which you work could get involved next year or even this year. Happy viewing!



GCE began in 1999 in anticipation of the Dakar World Education Forum (DWEF) in April of 2000 to 1) guarantee civil society a voice in establishing the Education for All goals and strategies and 2) monitor the commitment of 185 world governments to achieve the fore-mentioned objectives. GCE received a mandate from the DWEF to campaign for the Education for All goals until their deadline in 2015. GCE promotes quality education as a basic human right and pressures the entire international community to fulfill its pledge to provide free, compulsory public education for everyone, particularly those people most marginalized in the world. These goals that GCE monitor also align with the Millennium Development Goals related to education established by the United Nations in 2000.

One of GCE’s key initiatives is the Global Action Week (GAW), which takes place throughout the world. Each year the GAW mobilizes millions of children, teachers, education activists and practitioners, governmental leaders, and politicians around a specific educational theme to call international attention to the continued gaps in access to quality education. The outcome of this international mobilization has included the passage of rights-based legislation in several countries, allocation of millions of dollars to education by various governments and international development agencies, and bringing education rights to the forefront of public policy agendas.


For a full list and description of the Education for All goals, please go to http://www.unesco.org/education/efa/ed_for_all/dakfram_eng.shtml.

The 70s Blood Runs Through Our Veins: Elsa & Norberto

The other day I found myself at the neighborhood Disco, an Argentine supermarket chain, trying to find soap that I could use to mop my wood floor. Unfortunately, I was having no luck and wanted to ask for help. However, even though I speak Spanish, I sometimes am a little embarrassed to ask for help in Spanish. Don't ask me why after speaking Spanish now for so many years. So I began to scan the nearby aisles to see who looked friendly when I spotted an octogenarian couple. Bingo...you can always count on a nice elderly couple to want to help the somewhat lost foreign girl. After nearly an hour and half, I finally left the story with two amazing friends, Elsa & Norberto, but without any wood floor soap.


Here's what happened....


I went up to the couple and asked for help. The gentleman immediately began looking at every container of floor soap, checking the labels, and comparing. Meanwhile Elsa and I became deep in conversation about her life in Buenos Aires and the tragic loss of her first husband and three sons in a car accident many years back. She must have seen a look of sorrow and helplessness because she immediately grabbed my face and said, "Honey...don't take this as a sad story. It's not. It's life and you're young only once. Enjoy your youth. I love youth. It is inspires me." This woman was such a beautiful person. I knew that I wanted to stay in touch with her. At this point, her husband had returned with someone from the store who confirmed that they did not carry any soap that could be used on wood floors.

As we continued to talk, Norberto began to get concerned over how late it was getting. He warned me that I should be very careful when entering my apartment building, always have my keys in hand, and make a check around because "they" may be waiting for me in a car nearby to kidnap me. Elsa immediately scolded him saying, "Norberto...this doesn't happen anymore. That was then...it doesn't happen anymore." Norberto was referring to what happend often to students and other people suspected of "subversion" during the Videla dictorship, which is now referred as the "Dirty War". Norberto didn't seemed too convinced, however.

Because I had enjoyed their company so much, I asked if I could visit them sometime. Norberto happily shared their phone number with me along with his last name. Now here's the ironic part of the story...when I asked Elsa for her last name, she refused saying she doesn't give out her last name because "they" may track her through it. This time Norberto scolded her saying, "This doesn't happen now. That was then." This time it was she who was referring to the dictatorship. The military often would abduct people by obtaining their names and addresses from address books of others already imprisoned.

Just like this message written on a side street wall in Buenos Aires says...the Blood of the 70s Runs Through Our Veins....this is certainly true for Elsa & Norberto and for many, many others in Argentina today.

More Penguin Moments...

Here are some other photos of my time in Patagonia and a short peaceful clip of the penguins in the sea. The weather was beautiful and the break was wonderful. Because we were on the coast, I had a chance to do my favorite relaxing activity...swim in the ocean and take in the sun.

Meet Gus...the Biting Penguin

A few weeks ago, I had the amazing experience of walking with the penguins in a massive reserve (Punta Tombo) in the Patagonia of Argentina. Now...keep in mind that I went to see sand & surf penguins. They are fair-weathered and migrate to Brazil in the winter to stay warm. These little guys are very friendly and would let you come right up to them to say "hello". However, I ran into one in particular, we'll call him Gus, (please see right and don't be fooled by his innocence) who just wasn't in the mood.

Let me tell how it all happened......

The tour guide started out with some basic rules of the reserve. 1) Penguins always have the right of way. Because it's their nesting time of the year, they are moving back and forth from the ocean to gather food for their young. Thus, if a penguin crossed our path, we needed to give it the right of way. Perfect...no problem... 2) Do not touch the penguins because first of all the oil from our skin and products could damage their waterproof feathers and second they bite and don't let go. Hmmm...got it...do not want to get bit by a penguin. Duly noted.

So we took off. Everything is going well...we are walking among thousands of penguins and guanacos (emu-type wild animal), I'm giving right of way to them, they smile for my camera. No problem.

Then...Gus crossed my path. (Please note that on this particular day I was dressed in none other than black and white.) So there I am stopped in my tracks to allow Gus to pass. Gus starts across the path and then stops. He looks at me. He waddles closer. He stops. He continues closer. I am, of course, very excited that he has taken such an interest in me when all of sudden he is right next to me biting my leg. He then quickly retreats and goes on his way. I think that he thought that I was a giant penguin and wanted to establish his territory. I must not have been too much of a threat, though, because he let go right away and continued on. Thank goodness.

Maybe he was just having a bad day?