Thoughts On The Course

The professor made a great point in the beginning of the course. He had us read a few articles from the newspaper and gave us a copy of the Declaration of Human Rights. He then asked us to connect the articles in the Declaration of Human rights to the news articles. We found many correlations between human rights and what we read in newspapers. Human rights is all around us. We are constantly talking about it and acting on them everyday of our lives.

After this course, I feel that discussing human rights is incredibly important and I hope to learn much more about its potential use in a classroom setting. The documentary made by the natives in the Amazon is a great example of how we can learn of human rights issues by simply watching how people live their lives, in this case through their eyes.

I must say that there are so many issues tied to human rights that understanding the issues can be overwhelming. This was my first human rights course and I feel that this course is and will be invaluable to me.

Helpful sites:
http://www.un.org/en/documents/udhr/

The Amazon

As I read about the Amazon, the Brazilian government, and Chico Mendes, I couldn't help but feel overwhelmed by the many different dimensions to the issue of the environment and human rights. Where can I begin... The Amazon one of the world's most bio-diverse parts of the world is being deforested at a pace of 6 football fields a day, an incredibly alarming rate. Scott Wallace in his article "Last Of The Amazon" notes that "During the past 40 years, close to 20 percent of the Amazon rain forest has been cut down -- more than in all the previous 450 years since European colonization began." The Brazilian government during the 60s, 70s, and 80s contributed to the deforestation of the Amazon. They encouraged businesses, people, and all who could, to settle the Amazons. As I read about the Amazon and heard a presentation by my classmates on the topic, I thought that although we may want to preserve the Amazon what right do we have to tell Brazilians or other nations to stop the deforested the Amazon or to stop exploiting the resources? The United States and many other countries did exactly the same... At the same time, you have factions in Brazil that oppose the deforestation of the Amazon. Chico Mendes, who fought for environmental rights and for the rights of rubber tappers, demanded that we conserve the Amazon. His story, like that of many of the characters I mentioned in my blog, is truly inspirational.

Here are some of my thoughts on the Amazon and the environment: It is not clear who is to blame but it might be too late to place blame. How can anyone access the situation… Who would be the appropriate person or group to say anything…. Is it the native population? They are among the most affected but if we are saying that human rights are global then everyone should speak-up. When we say everyone, what does that mean? Is everyone, the developed world?

Helpful websites:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wqgB2bzFrtg&feature=fvsr
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZolf7hxmRk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oz8tq5gTY0E&feature=related

While we are on the subject of the Amazon, I was impacted by a very interesting documentary that was presented in class. The documentary is part of a project called “Videos in the Villages” and the idea is to train natives to use cameras in order to record their own reality. I thought this was amazing and the documentary we saw was really something else. I was astounded by how knowledgeable the children in the documentary were about their environment: they were also incredibly resourceful. They were very much aware of their traditions and respected the memories of their ancestors and grand parents. They also knew of the outside world.

I thought to myself, wouldn’t these people want live in the “modern” world if they knew of all the conveniences? What would life be like without my iPhone? I had lost my iPhone earlier in January and was devastated. Is this arrogant on my part? Perhaps, the people I saw in this documentary seemed content and happy with their lives. They had enough resources and weren’t begging to leave their homes.


Helpful links:
http://www.der.org/films/vitv-collection.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GbXvCSFcnr0

I was fascinated by the way Chile has dealt with the military regime’s many human rights violations. The military government in Chile lead by Augusto Pinochet was responsible for the disappearance of thousands of civilians. Any opposition to the ruling government was met with disdain and those who were part of the opposition were kidnapped, tortured, raped, and “disappeared.” The state, in the majority of the Latin American cases, has refused to acknowledge or condemn any wrongdoing; some, simply do not discuss the violations. I can’t imagine what it would be like to have survived being tortured and to then live in a state and society that doesn’t condemn the horrible acts that were committed against you.

I felt that the article “The Need for Moral Reconstruction In the Wake of Past Human Rights Violations: An Interview with José Zalanquett” brought many of these questions to the forefront. What happens in societies where there are divergent sets of common moral beliefs? One man’s hero is another’s killer. Zalanquett feels that the state can play a decisive role in healing and moving forward. Zalanquett admires the way President Aylwin acknowledged and condemned the many wrongdoings by Pinochet’s government. Zalanquett feels that talking about the human rights violations in a “sacramental” manner are a must and may help heal those on the receiving end of the many abuses.

During class we watched "Special Circumstances" by Patricio Guzman. Patricio was one of the victims of the military regime. He goes back to Chile after he learns of all the military members involved in his capture and torture and pays them a home visit. As someone watching the film, I noted that it was difficult to watch how people can justify genocide and how detached many of the people seemed. I thought of how difficult it must be to not feel validated. Many of the people he confronted either did not admit to having done anything or did not feel like they were to blame.

I’m not sure if confronting these people gave him closure. Can there be closure? I guess doing a documentary that showed their faces shames them. This raises many interesting questions, like is doing something like this ethical?

Youtube videos on the topic:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-La1CVdwjY&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vCzGeO6DFLU&feature=related

Beyond Bogota: THOSE MOST IMPACTED

Image 1: Map of the Afro-Colombian population distribution
Image 2: Afro-Colombian children


I've reflected upon my last question (who is the bad guy?) The book "Bogota and Beyond" by Garry Leech allowed me to see the situation in Colombia from a different lens. The question of "Who is the bad guy?" seems to be irrelevant. We are all losers when someone's life is taken or when someone is being torture. I feel that special attention should be given to the populations that are mostly impacted by the current political and social unrest and reflecting on how we can remedy or help these people is essential.

Leech sheds light on those that are most negatively impacted by the war. While those in the Colombian major cities live in fear that they or a loved one may be kidnapped or killed, it is those in the countryside that suffer the most. The Afro-Colombians & the indigenous communities are often displaced and disposed. I did my second-presentation on the Afro-Colombian and my findings revealed much about the inability of the government to better the live of those most impacted by the war it is waging on the guerillas. Here are a few statistics:

• 60% of Afro-Colombian settlements, in rural areas and town ghettos, exhibit extreme poverty rates

• 80% of Afro-Colombians do not have basic needs met

• Infant mortality rates in Chocó and Cauca are 54 per thousand

• Life expectancy in Afro-Colombian region is only 55

• Illiteracy rates for Afro-Colombians are estimated to be twice the national average

Afro-Colombian communities officially make up approximately 10.62 (4.311.757) of the population according to the 2005 census (The Ombudsman’s office considers that the figure is close to 25 percent of 10.5 million people)

In addition, Afro-Colombians are extremely poorly represented in political structures and institutions. Afro-Colombians, particularly those living in the country, are often displaced. The displacement situation in Colombia is alarming. 3,073,010 persons or 695,354 households as of May 2009 have been displaced (World’s second largest internal displacement situation).

After reading Leech’s book, I felt that those that are most impacted by the war have no voice. We hear very little in the news about indigenous and afro-Colombian communities being displaced. I also learned that there is much support for the FARC. The FARC control areas seem to have more peace and its citizens seem to want to live under a FARC controlled government.

Helpful Websites:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JgzOlTAze3Q
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wOv1c0mPWks
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RSq5FuhS1SE

WHO'S THE BAD GUY, the FARC?

"News Of A Kidnapping" was an interesting read. We learned about the many complexities involved in kidnapping operations as well as the hostage situation. Before having read the book, I was uninterested by the topic of kidnappings. Partially because they did no seem nearly as atrocious as say, a murder. In the case of Colombia as presented by Garcia's book, it didn't seem like the captors necessarily hated those they kidnapped, in fact, they even seemed friendly toward them. I was tempted, at times, to justify their hostage's capture. The case of Colombia, like that of El Salvador, Argentina, is difficult to understand who the bad guy is?

Let’s take the case of Colombia; there are so many different factions with many different agendas. Before my readings, my understanding was that there was a war between the guerillas and the Colombian government. It is clear that it is much more complex than this. There are also other institutions and organizations that claim the legitimate use of violence. We have the ELN, the right-wing para-militaries, and some cases civilians.

The FARC wants to better the lives of poor Colombians and of those in the country. Is this not a just cause? The Colombian government wants to better the lives of its citizens but poverty levels in Colombia are rampant and the government’s social agendas are not benefiting the poorer classes. As is the case for most Latin American countries, the government benefits the upper classes.


Helpful sites:

Must watch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kma-zvuq5bY

KIDNAPPINGS IN COLOMBIA

Kidnappings... Last week, my group did a presentation on the topic of Kidnappings in Colombia. We were assigned "News Of A Kidnapping" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. It seems like those kidnapped in Colombia were treated in a more "humane" way. They are fed and not all of those kidnapped are tortured. The captors don't always "hate" those kidnapped. The captors, at times, had friendly relationships with those kidnapped. Would I be a horrible person if I said that I would rather be a kidnapped victim in Colombia than someone tortured in 1970's Argentina? I feel that the question is irrelevant; human rights violations are human rights violations!

Even more interesting, is all the factions that are involved in a kidnapping and their stories. One of my colleagues did her presentation on children in the guerrillas. The facts are interesting. 30% of those in the Guerrillas are children and two-thirds are under the age of 15. Average age of recruitment: 13.8 years in 2002 →12.8 years in 2006. Many times, they are forced to join the guerrillas but at times, they volunteer. These children are trained to kill and experience a life that is not meant for them. Garcia Marquez often makes reference to these children soldiers in the book. They are often the ones monitoring those held captive. There are those held captive and their families. My first presentation was on Ingrid Betancourt and it is very clear from reading her children and her mother’s plead to the guerrilla, that they were deeply impacted and hurt by their loved one’s capture.

Garcia’s book also shows the role of the authority. Many times, there is nothing that they can do.

Violence or Non-Violence

The Instructor in class made an interesting observation. He felt that a violent response to any type of repression is not necessary and unjustifiable. This took me aback because part of me finds a non-violent response to be cowardly. How can I stand aside and watch as loved ones are killed and tortured? I am ignorant about the history of non-violence. I know of Mr. Luther King Jr. and Ghandi and their involvement in movements that were non-violent but when thinking of acts oppression on my family and myself I’m not sure if I would not resort to violence.

I brought this topic up to my co-workers, supervisor, and friend. My friend Consuelo said that violent responses would only give authorities reason to detain you and that non-violent responses are better. She also felt that one must rise above those doing the oppressing. If you use their same means then you are at their level, you are no better.

My friend Laura said that it depends on the severity of the issue. Laura is from the Dominican Republic and she felt that if she were living in the days of Trujillo that she would take up arms against him if he attacked members of her family. She feels that although a non-violent response is better, she wonders if, when faced with a scenario like the one mentioned, she could step-out of herself and not resort to violent acts.

Bishop Romero and El Salvador:

I was talking to tia Olga about the many abuses that took place in Central America in the 70's and 80's and asked her if she remembers any of them. Mi tia Olga, who was born and raised in the Dominican Republic and later in her adult life migrated to the US, said that she remembers reading about them. I brought up the assassination of Bishop Romero and bang! she says she remember this vividly. I was surprise because soon after my aunt's comment about the assassination, my oldest sister interjected and said that she also remembers his assassination. My sister Gabby who is 31 added that Ruben Blades wrote a song about it. I laughed because we had seen Blades' video in class. Part of the reason why I discussed this topic with my tia was because one of her daughters is dating someone from El Salvador. I wondered how he and his family were affected by the civil war and the government's violations of human rights.

Bishop Romero’s life story is inspirational. Oscar Romero, a conservative priest who did not necessarily represent the growing number of liberation theology practicing priests in El Salvador, was appointed Bishop in 1977. He would become more vocal about his opposition to government sponsored genocide after one of his colleagues in the movement of liberation theology, father Rotelio Grande, was murdered. Romero would publicly denounce his assassination and later the government’s role in the killing of civilians. One of his speeches stands out as it is directly ties the government to the killings in El Salvador. It takes guts to recite a statement like this during one of his masses and I must say that I was deeply touched.

"I would like to make a special appeal to the men of the army, and specifically to the ranks of the National Guard, the police and the military. Brothers, you come from our own people. You are killing your own brother peasants when any human order to kill must be subordinate to the law of God which says, "Thou shalt not kill." No soldier is obliged to obey an order contrary to the law of God. No one has to obey an immoral law. It is high time you recovered your consciences and obeyed your consciences rather than a sinful order. The church, the defender of the rights of God, of the law of God, of human dignity, of the person, cannot remain silent before such an abomination. We want the government to face the fact that reforms are valueless if they are to be carried out at the cost of so much blood. In the name of God, in the name of this suffering people whose cries rise to heaven more loudly each day, I implore you, I beg you, I order you in the name of God: stop the repression."

The Massacre at El Mozote

Image 1: Excavated site: The Massacre at El Mozote
Image 2: Image of El Mozote today
Image 3: Child in El Mozote today


As I read "The Massacre at El Mozote" by Mark Danner, I thought of how scary it would be to live in a place where the authorities are the ones responsible for terrorizing and committing acts against its citizens. In the case of El Salvador, the military targeted the most vulnerable populations, Mayan in rural communities. I was devastated, outraged, and disturbed by some of the accounts that I found in the novel.

What is most disturbing is the US's role in these dark years of El Salvador's history. They heavily funded and politically backed the Salvadoran military and its death squads. The US's backing of the military was a death sentence to all these people.

Even as I kid growing up in the Dominican Republic, I remember strikes and some social unrest but I don’t remember ever feeling persecuted. I do remember stories about Trujillo’s dictatorship from family members. The only person that is old enough to remember life during the Trujillo regime is my abuelita Tita. Tita is 90 and Tita usually points out the positives. She does mention some distant relatives who were persecuted but it seems like she was not necessarily negatively impacted by the assassinations and the terror. I’m not sure if she was even aware that these acts against humanity were taking place. Mi abuelita, Tita, is also not Haitian and our family was not on the political left. Tita is a white lady from a middle class family: she was at one point a teacher and a school principal. There was no reason for my Tita to fear that Trujillo would go after her or her family.

Rufina Amaya presented the most devastating story. As I read her account of what took place on the day of the massacre, my stomach was churning and my heart broke. I don’t know if there is anything worse than experiencing the death of your children. Rufina managed to escape from line-up of women who were about to be killed. This was what happened afterwards. I will quote Rufina at length because this was the quote that stood out the most for me.

“Then I heard one of my children crying. My son, Cristino, was crying, ‘Mama Rufina, help me! They’re killing me! They killed my sister! They’re killing me! Help me!’ I didn’t know what to do. They were killing my children. I knew that if I went back there to help my children I would be cut to pieces. But I couldn’t stand to hear it, I couldn’t bear it. I was afraid that I would cry out, that I would scream, that I would go crazy. I couldn’t stand it, and I prayed to God to help me. I promised God that if He helped me I would tell the world what happened here."

“Then I tied my hair up and tied my skirt between my legs and I crawled on my belly out from behind the tree. There were animals there, cows and a dog, and they saw me, and I was afraid they would make a noise, but God made them stay quiet as I crawled among them. I crawled across the road and under the barbed wire and into the maguey on the other side. I crawled a little farther through the thorns, and I dug a little hole with my hands and put my face in the hole so I could cry without anyone hearing. I could hear the children screaming still, and I lay there with my face against the earth and cried.”

After reading this, I felt helpless and overcome by rage. The last time I felt this way was after watching “Hotel Rwanda.” Where could we have gone so wrong? And how can the people who commit these atrocious acts live with themselves?


(Image above:Aftermath years after the massacre.)

One of the in class group presentations discussed the book “The Art of Political Murder: Who Killed the Bishop?” by Francisco Goldman and liberation theology. I remember noting in class that the complexities involved in the assassination of Bishop Juan Gerardi Conedera in Guatemala, being representative of the social and political climate often found in many of the Latin American countries we have studied in class. In Goldman’s work, I felt that the more one learns about the events that lead up to the assassination of the bishop the less one understands who killed the bishop. Who is on whose side? As I learn about the civil wars in Central America, that question is always in mind. Who stands for what? And the answers are usually not as clear-cut as I would want them to be. Who was in favor of the guerillas or who was in favor of the government? The people the most impacted by the wars between these two factions usually could care less. Bishop Gerardi was assassinated in 1998. Goldman’s book left me with more questions than answers. It seemed to me that we were all responsible for Gerardi’s death.

Liberation Theology and The Dominican Republic:

The dictionary definition of the term liberation theology is the following: A school of theology, especially prevalent in the Roman Catholic Church in Latin America, that finds in the Gospel a call to free people from political, social, and material oppression. As I read the definition, I ask myself, is this not the Church’s mission in poor countries? Apparently, not! It’s too political and Marxist.

I often think about the Dominican Republic, as I would love to see the country change. I think of which institutions are best equipped to bring about change that would make for a more egalitarian society. I immediately thought of the Church. The great majority of Dominicans are Christians, particularly Roman Catholics. I was raised Catholic, I remember the Church playing an essential role in my life. I would see all my aunts, uncles, and cousins every Sunday in Church. My Tia Olga would give us catechism classes. Dominicans trust and respect the Church. It irks me that the Church would discourage movements that actively seek to better the lives of those most negatively impacted by the poor distribution of wealth.

Helpful sites:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/30/books/review/Curiel-t.html

My name is Enmanuel and I am pursuing a Masters in International Education. I am currently taking a course titled "International Studies of Human Rights in Latin America." I often think about the many injustices around the world. At times, I distance myself from them as if I was not affected by them. I must say that learning about the many human rights violations that have taken place in Latin America have blown me away. When I think about human rights violations, I think of them as occurring in other parts of the world.

Rufina Amaya's family was systematically assassinated in 1981 by the Salvadoran army. She witnessed the death of her four children and husband at the hands of the army. Rufina was able to escape and made it her mission to tell her story to anyone who listened. In this spirit, I hope to also share my thoughts, impressions, reflections about what I learn about human rights.