ENTRY #6

GETTING INFORMED ABOUT THE VIRUS

As it is commonly known, one of the diseases which makes people be exceedingly frightened is AIDS. Since the very first moment in which this virus (HIV) started spreading around the world, scientists began to study tirelessly both its causes and its consequences. At the beginning, as the experts could not come up fast with different solutions in order to stop the virus or, at least, prevent it from going on damaging the ill person’s health, distinct myths about the virus have been constructed and some of them remain nowadays in our society. The idea of prostitutes and homosexuals as the people who have more risks to get the virus is a clear example of a social misconception which is still present. This is reflected in the questions that students ask every time a group of doctors visit the schools in order to make the youth be aware of the virus, the ways of preventing it and the steps you have to follow if you have been infected. The truth is that everybody is exposed to the virus and all of us should be cautious in order not to contract it.

In the last two decades, however, people have effectively started to be more conscious about the possibilities of getting infected by the HIV. As shown in the figures presented in the article, it is a tremendous mistake to affirm that the majority of the people with the virus belongs to groups of homosexuals, drug addicts or prostitutes. The positive aspect expressed in the article -and the reason why it was written- is that the number of cases detected at the right time in order to start a treatment has already increased, something which shows how the campaigns and the different talks shared in hospitals and schools have helped the society to take care of the virus and worry about the possible situations which involve transmission.

In fact, people are reacting more committedly nowadays. Talking with my mother about the situation in the past and the situation now, I became aware of how different an illness can be conceived from the time in which the right information has been collected and enough research has been done. It is said that every 1^st of December the number of people who make the free tests in the street increases and different shops and posts in the streets are covered with signs containing information about the virus and the free number which you can call if you feel desperate when you are told you have the virus or you need any help. Latest diagnoses are struck, and this is a good piece of news we should all celebrate. Information campaigns, volunteering testing and the inclusion of sexually transmitted illnesses in the school curricula seem to have an extremely positive effect on the globalized community where we live.

SOURCE: http://www.pagina12.com.ar/diario/sociedad/3-287114-2015-11-28.html

ENTRY #5

MORE RIGHTS FOR MINORITIES IN SOUTH AMERICA

Nowadays, South America is a categorically advanced region in terms of both human rights and rights for minorities… If we establish a comparison with other parts of the world, we can say that in South American countries the sense of social welfare has prevailed and the politicians governing during the last two decades have guaranteed lots of rights to people who have been historically pushed into the background. That is the case of the groups of young people who had decided to fight against Pinochet’s dictatorship in Chile and were killed, or the case of a Colombian homosexual couple who have never had the opportunity to get married because the laws in that country did not allow it. However, in the last years, Argentina, Chile and Peru have been judging the military forces which ended up with thousands of lives during the simultaneous dictatorships which took place in the seventies. Then, Argentina and Colombia became pioneers in homosexual rights as soon as the respective senates in each country passed the laws which allowed same-sex marriages. Now, Bolivia is the one that comes up with this fortunately contagious idea of establishing genre equality.

Although the final outcome is the same in every country, it calls our attention how different the legislations in the countries are… In Argentina, the project was proposed by a senator. But in Bolivia, it was the Minister of Justice the one in charge of putting the topic under discussion. Besides, Bolivia is a country which has evolved more than Argentina in the last decades as regards rights for minorities. Distinct native peoples have got laws which allow them to present political candidates in the elections, to receive education in their aboriginal mother tongue and to eradicate child labour with the help of the International Labour Organization (ILO). It is useful to remark that more than 62% of the Bolivian population is native people, a figure that means it is the country with the highest number of native population in South America.

Definitely, the project that has been recently proposed by the Bolivian Minister of Justice is an extremely important law for the society we live nowadays since no one except you can define who you are, what your sexual choices are and how you choose to feel your sexuality. Imagine that you were told who to have sexual relations with or, even worse, that the current legislations impede you to be with whoever you want to. It is completely inherent to human nature the fact of conceiving our sexuality according to how we feel with the other part that complements us. Thinking about the near future, Bolivia has gone through a relevant step which can lead to another project which involves same-sex marriage in the country. Imagine how glad homosexual people will be if, apart from being accepted and recognized by the State, they can get married with the person they love.

SOURCE: http://www.sentidog.com/lat/2015/11/aprueban-ley-de-identidad-de-genero-en-bolivia.html

ENTRY #4

THE DEATH OF AN ACTIVIST

It is said that those people who have achieved goals that not only benefit themselves but also a great part of the community will be always reminded throughout history. That is the case of Diana Sacayán, a transvestite who was naturally designed as the leader of many LGBT groups when different protests took place. Being recognised by gays, lesbians, transsexuals and the rest of the people who are used to suffering homophobia, this charming woman used to work really hard to fulfill the aims she had in terms of fighting against discrimination and trying to get more and more rights for transvestite people. The law passed in the Legislature of Buenos Aires a month ago is the most recent example of one of Diana’s success, which establishes that at least 1% of public employees should be transvestites. Definitely, she was one of those people who seem not to know the word impossible. In fact, as soon as it appeared on the news that Diana Sacayán had been killed, all the LGBT congregated and asked for justice. As nobody answered, they started to march.

Diana had gone through difficult experiences throughout her life. It is common knowledge that it is quite hard for a person who was born in a province to settle in the capital of our country. Imagine if, apart from that, a person is transvestite. Descendant from the diaguitas tribe, she was born in Tucumán and she arrived in Buenos Aires when she was only two years old -after her family made the decision of leaving San Miguel-. Diana had got long, dark hair and piercieng eyes which characterized her penetrating glance. She was undoubtedly born to be an activist -she was the main founder of MAL (Movimiento Antidiscriminatorio por la Liberación)-.

It is not unusual for transvestites and transexuals to prostitute themselves due to the social exclusion and the lack of job placement they suffer. In this way, when she was 17, she started prostituing herself. It lasted ten years, until a friend of Diana employed her in a bakery. That was the same time in which she started fighting for transsexuals’ rights. Not a long time passed until she became one of the main social referents for LGBT, a leader who functioned as a trigger for the other girls with her sexual condition to be motivated and know that there are lots of opportunities in society waiting for them. In fact, Diana will always be reminded by being one of the first transvestites who received the new DNI -which indicates her female genre-

Not only Diana’s friends but also her acquaintances have mentioned that she enjoyed living her life in that way and that she had a lot of projects and aims to fulfill in a near future. That is why there is no possible answer to her death. Definitely, we are talking about a travesticidio. Why did she die in this way? Why was she killed so cruelly? Were her fights affecting somebody’s interests? Unfortunately, it was not the first time she was victim of homophobic aggression; she had suffered several affronts when she just walked down the streets, immersed in this male chauvinist society in which we live.

SOURCE: http://www.lanacion.com.ar/1836132-hallan-muerta-en-su-casa-a-la-activista-trans-diana-sacayan

ENTRY #3

SOURCE: http://www.voanews.com/content/ap-argentina-presidential-debate/2991841.html

A FRUITFUL INSTANCE IN OUR DEMOCRATIC HISTORY

If we take into account that in a presidential debate different points of view about the future of a nation are expounded, we should definitely agree on the fact that it is an enriching and necessary opportunity to know what the candidates think about a wide range of topics closely related to ways of governing and life in society. A political debate should not be left aside before elections. In contrast, it should be considered vital –and why not compulsory? in any part of the world. Moreover, if the majority of the citizens do not know the profiles or the interests the candidates represent (not because they do not want to, but just because they are immersed in an atmosphere in which politics is synonym of corruption and bad experiences), a debate is the chance in which people can find the justifications to their choices. Those preconceptions of politics have been intrinsically related to our history, and it can be clearly seen since only a few days ago the first presidential debate was carried out in our country. Perhaps we have become aware of this modality of arguing the destiny of a nation by watching American candidates debating on different topics some weeks before their presidential elections. But in Argentina it was an NGO the one which had to organise such an important event. Why has not a country which is really advanced in matters of social inclusion, diversity and human rights issues been given the chance of having a presidential debate before 2015? What have the causes of the invisible and not broadcasted discussions between candidates been?  May have the political parties been afraid of showing up their weaknesses? It is not needless to say that any opportunity of people arguing about common interests is extremely relevant for the people involved, the citizens in this case. A debate is essential not only in terms of knowing what candidates we are going to choose and what political parties they belong to but also in terms of the representation we will have once we have voted.

Once the debate on TV finished, the first idea that came up to my mind was that the dynamic of the debate could have been more fluent. Personally, I consider the questions the candidates asked each other could have been sharper, focusing on the weaknesses each politician had in diverse fields such as economy, security, public health and international relations. In spite of being the youngest candidate in the presidential elections, Nicolás Del Caño had a surprisingly good stage presence and he knew how to answer in an argumentative and catching way to every question, taking advantage of the time given to interrogate other candidates and ask them for precise information. He also asked Massa why he demands presenteeism on the teachers at public schools since he has not attended any of the Senate sessions throughout the year. On the other hand, an interesting perspective presented by Margarita Stolbizer emphasised the abuse of power we can hand in to our representatives once they are chosen. We should be aware that we not only choose a person to represent us in the Executive Power, but also people who will do it in the Legislative Power. It will be prosperous for our democracy if we have a senate in which diverse political parties and all our democracy can have their own voice. In fact, our representatives should not be given a blank check as if we allow them to do whatever they want, yet we should be smart enough to be able to decide who will represent us in a democratic and plural way. Not rising up my hands just because the one which suggests the project belongs to my political party is one of the attitudes we have to start eradicating if we want to live in an authentic democracy. Instead, arguing, evaluating and criticising each idea involved in the project presented will help us to grow strongly as a nation.

Although I consider Daniel Scioli, the candidate who leads the political polls –more than 10% over the second-, should have been in the debate, rumor has it that a pact between the main two opposition leaders –Mauricio Macri and Sergio Massa- would have been carried out if Scioli had gone to expound his ideals. Regardless of you are pro or against the political party Scioli belongs to –which had been governing Argentina during the last twelve years-, you should accept that he has been the most consistent and coherent in his proposals if we take into consideration the three candidates with more chances to win as shown in the polls. In fact, Scioli’s excuses not to go to the debate focused on the changes some of the candidate have had thorughout their politcal careers, such as the position against and pro YPF nationalization and the continuity or not of different social subsidies. Apart from that, the fact of the organisers leaving an empty lectern and some jouirnalists saying that Argentinian economy has been stuck in the last years was not objective enough. In contrast, those commentaries ended up being a sign of the bullets that would have been shot to the only representative who aspires to continue the current political model. Finally, it is useful to remark that our opposition is so diverse that the only thing Nicolás Del Caño and Mauricio Macri have in common is the mere fact of being opponents to the current political model.

ENTRY #2

THIS IS ME

An aspect that truly defines me is the way in which I analyse circumstances happening around me from the very beginning I become aware of them. I do not know if I can be conceived as a good observer, but my mistrustful way of looking -which can generate either distrust or an instantaneous good chemistry at the moment of getting to know other people- has led both to enjoy great moments in my life and to avoid getting into several situations that have turned out to be terrible problems. Personally, I consider that a precise power of discernment makes people establish detailed criteria of the things they want for their lives, the aims they want to achieve and the people they want to be with in the way to those fulfilments.

Apart from that, I think I am not as complex as I appear to be. In contrast, I am only a simple human being that is cautious about the future without forgetting the past –the agreeable and the unpleasant experiences I have been through. Sometimes, this complexity which seems to characterise me has caused some misunderstandings in my relationships. Not a few friends of mine have told me that the first time they met me they thought about me being a boorish, intolerant person who only was interested in himself and not in others. However, when they got to know me, they agreed on the fact that this first impression I produce on others is a carapace I have in order to prevent my susceptibilities or weak points being discovered.

Although I prefer winter, this photograph taken in a spring-like warm day gives a powerful sense of authenticity. Trying to hide myself behind a leafy tree as the sun was intensely shining, I started appreciating the distinct ways in which families and individuals had fun and enjoyed their lives. During that camping afternoon next to La Florida dyke, unassuming people could be easily distinguished in the crowd when receiving a mate or helping their children to fly their kites. Being conscious that it was not the first time I contemplated simple things happening around me, I did know it was the first time in which I realised I was being as glad as the people surrounding me –in fact, we were sharing the same way of enjoying life. 

ENTRY #1

THE GROWTH OF A NATION

What was the Syrian child responsible for? Why could not we, as a society, prevent his death? A similar question a person suffering a sexually transmitted disease may have after having passed on the virus to the person he loved and having become aware of the illness. A similar question a Muslim person who went through a successful application for a scholarship may have at the moment he admitted his religion and the process got stuck. All these situations previously described have, at least, one thing in common: lack of public politics. In this way, if a series of organised public politics about migration had been carried out by the European governments beforehand, Aylan would not have died in the high seas. However, the fact of thousands of African immigrants passing away in the Mediterranean Sea has never been taken as a serious matter by the media; the countries in Europe seemed to be accustomed to this kind of events. Unfortunately for them, this case could not be treated in the same way the others were since it involved a child.

People who cannot stand the hair-rising noise of bombs exploding and the inconsolable tears of their own relatives immediately made the decision to leave the city where they live or the country affected. Not only should we take into account that it is a process of historical transformation, but also we need to be aware of the adjacent repercussions migration has. They do not leave the country just because they want to. Yet, they are forced to do it since they cannot guarantee their children a promising future. Instead of moral battles, both citizens and governments should carry out politic plans in order to provide the immigrants with jobs and establish a sense of social welfare. As a consequence, not only the immigrants will grow personally but also the nation will grow collectively.

What about the multiculturalism Europe was known for? Why do they complain about other human beings arriving in these safe countries? Which role does the European Union play, the one that won the Nobel Peace Prize a few years ago? Moreover, the sense of belonging would not be strong enough so as to impede others living with you, but it should be strong enough to let other human beings enrich themselves personally, culturally and economically in the same way you could do. Trying to respect the rules intellectuals have shaped in order for us to be able to live in a more inclusive world, governments should not take into account xenophobes and racists’ perspectives at the moment of making crucial decisions. Under no circumstances should we allow that escaping from a political war in Asia turns into suffering an ethnic war in Europe. In this way, it is needless to say that Europe should learn about hospitality and human rights from Latin America.