Here - Global Education Magazine

Transcripción

Nº 7
ISSN 2255-033X
Con el apoyo de la
Oficina de
Santiago
Organización
de las Naciones Unidas
para la Educación,
la Ciencia y la Cultura
8 TH MARCH:
INTERNATIONAL WOMEN´S DAY
THIS EDITION IS A TRIBUTE TO THE WOMEN WHO GIVE US LIFE
"I saw that displaced women had many
difficulties; they lived through atrocities
and had enormous trauma. I realised
that learning to write and training will
help them forget the trauma, and what
they had to go through. This is what
pushed me to help these women and help
them become independent"
© UNHCR / B. Sokol
2013 UNHCR Nansen Refugee Award:
Sister Angélique Namaika
Con el apoyo de la
Oficina de
Santiago
Organización
para la Educación,
1
The Feminine Condition: From Homo Sapiens
in the Prehistoric Era to the Homo
Conscienciatus in the Cosmodernity
Human nature is inscribed on the biophysical laws of life and death; which forces us to
consider our relationship with the planet Earth and our destiny as a species. A human
species whose long cosmo-eco-biological evolution would lead to a huge diversity of
singular cultures that have been mutually fertilizing themselves since its inception. The
emergency of ecological science, cosmology and molecular biology have led to
systemic and transdisciplinary understanding where the universe is inside of us, and at
the same time we are the universe. Humanity has in his DNA all the history of the
universe and life.
Naturally, the reductive and mono-disciplinary conception of old science is blind to the
self-eco-organization that occurs in all living autonomy. The sciences of 19th and
20th centuries house the human/animal and culture/nature dichotomy despite the
Darwinian demonstration that contemplates humans as a long evolution of the lineage of
primates Hominoidea. Effectively, self-eco-organizing principle is characterized by the
autonomy and dependence of human life regarding their environment. That is, the
human autonomy is inseparable from dependence on natural energetic resources of its
environment. For this reason, the understanding of prehistory, with hunter-gatherer
societies as las vestige of primitive humanity of homo sapiens, means a trans-cultural
start point in the current world-society of the 21st century.
In these hunter-gatherer societies organized by clans, the male and female genders were
not only biologically differentiate through their sexual organs, but they would also begin
to establish differences in their socio-cultural roles. Probably, the characteristics
sociocultural functions of male bioclase, such as hunting or war, would cause a bigger
development in the left cerebral hemisphere of the encephalon, which is the
neurophysiological part that works the logic, analysis and planification. By contrast, the
sociocultural conditions of female bioclase in this period, as the collection of plants and
fruits -besides traditional mothering-, would lead to a bigger development of right
hemisphere, which is the part responsible for the sensations, feelings, empathy, intuition
and overall apprehension.
Living conditions given from the Upper Paleolithic would cause the dispersion of
human groups by the Earth-Homeland during the last 40,000 years of prehistory,
resulting in the emergence of historical societies in the Middle East, India, China,
Mexico and the Andes. Eight or nine millenniums ago, during the climate change of the
interglacial period of Holocene geological time scale, new complex societies would
begin to organize themselves into city-states: dominating agricultural techniques,
transhumance and pottery. Human civilization abandoned subsistence economy based
on nomadic hunting, to create a sedentary economy based in the sociocultural
complementarity between male bioclase and female bioclase, that is, with the symbiosis
between the pluri-skills of both genders.
Effectively, with the understanding of gender roles in the prehistoric societies, we
glimpse the human being is at the highest ethical and humanistic challenge has ever
been faced during all the history of his own existence. Do not exist corners in the world
where the telecommunications revolution has been impeded to arrive to shed the
shameful figures of gender inequality and violence which plague the face of the Earth in
the 21st century. All the earthly habitat is aware of such shameful and pitiful situation of
female vulnerability: employment and educational discrimination, poverty, illiteracy,
maltreatment, genital mutilation, trafficking, enslavement…
Knowledge make us responsible. Responsibility and ethic commitment is, inexorably,
universal. A planetary and multidimensional reformulation of trans-cultural values of
current and future world-society is necessary. Male chauvinist prejudices existing in the
minds and behavior in certain regions of the world, with patriarchal systems more or
less marked, represent the decline of one-dimensional and linear thought of human
beings, where testosterone is imposed on the foliculine. Therefore, a deeper level of
awareness that understood equality and equity of womanhood as common progess of
human species is required. A species that must learn to recognize at the face of its
opposite and biological complementary, regardless of their cultural or religious beliefs.
We talk about starting a new stage in the history of humanity: namely the cosmodernity.
A new human era characterized by the active participation of the planetary civilization
in the cosmos, whose self-eco-organizing principle involves a close symbiosis between
the polar opposites Ying and Yang, as well as the genuine love to all interrelated
phenomens of cosmic law. We talk to note all global problems from a new spirituality
free of dogmas, and from the aperture that quantum physics gives us, to evolutionate
into homo conscienciatus.
Javier Collado Ruano
Director of Edition
3
La Condición Femenina: Del Homo Sapiens en la
Época Prehistórica al Homo Conscienciatus en
la Cosmodernidad
La naturaleza humana está inscrita en las leyes biofísicas de vida y muerte, lo cual nos obliga
a plantearnos nuestra relación con el planeta Tierra y nuestro destino como especie. Una especie humana cuya larga evolución cosmo-eco-biológica daría lugar a una enorme diversidad
de culturas singulares que se han ido fecundando mútuamente desde sus inicios. La emergencia de la ciencia ecológica, la cosmología y la biología molecular, han llevado a la
comprensión sistémica y transdisciplinar de que el universo está dentro de nosotros, al mismo
tiempo que nosotros somos el universo. El género humano lleva en su ADN toda la historia
del universo y de la vida.
Naturalmente, la antigua concepción reduccionista y monodisciplinar de la ciencia, resulta
ciega ante la auto-eco-organización que se produce en toda autonomía viva. Las ciencias del
siglo XIX y XX albergan la dicotomía humano/animal y cultura/naturaleza a pesar de la
demostración darwiniana que contempla al ser humano como una larga evolución de la
estirpe de primates Hominoidea. Efectivamente, el principio auto-eco-organizador se
caracteriza por la autonomía y la dependencia de la vida humana respecto a su medio
ambiente. Es decir, la autonomía humana es inseparable de la dependencia de recursos energéticos naturales de su entorno. Por este motivo, el entendimiento de la prehistoria, con las
sociedades cazadoras-recolectoras como último vestigio de la humanidad primitiva del homo
sapiens, supone un punto de partida transcultural en la actual sociedad-mundo del siglo XXI.
En estas sociedades cazadoras-recolectoras organizadas por clanes, los géneros masculino y
femenino no sólo se diferenciarían biológicamente a través de sus órganos sexuales, sino que
también comenzarían a establecer diferencias en sus roles socio-culturales. Probablemente,
las funciones socioculturales características de la bioclase masculina, como la caza o la
guerra, provocarían un mayor desarrollo en el hemisferio cerebral izquierdo del encéfalo, que
es la parte neurofisiológica que trabaja la lógica, el análisis y la planificación. Por el
contrario, las condiciones socioculturales de la bioclase femenina de este periodo, como la
recolección de plantas y frutas -además de los cuidados maternales tradicionales-, daría lugar
a un mayor desarrollo del hemisferio derecho, que es la parte encargada de las sensaciones,
los sentimientos, la empatía, la intuición y la aprehensión global.
Las condiciones de vida dadas a partir del Paleolítico Superior provocarían la dispersión de
grupos humanos por la Tierra-Patria durante los últimos 40,000 años de la prehistoria, dando
lugar a la emergencia de sociedades históricas en Oriente Medio, India, China, México y los
Andes. Hace ocho o nueve milenios, durante el cambio climático del periodo interglaciar de
la escala temporal geológica del holoceno, nuevas sociedades complejas comenzarían a
organizarse en ciudades-estado: dominando técnicas agrícolas, la transhumancia y la
alfarería. La civilización humana abandonaba la economía de subsistencia basada en la caza
nómada, para crear una economía sedentaria basada en la complementaridad sociocultural de
la bioclase masculina y la bioclase femenina, es decir, con la simbiosis entre las pluricompetencias de los dos géneros.
Efectivamente, con la comprensión de los roles de género en las sociedades prehistóricas,
vislumbramos que el ser humano está ante el mayor desafío ético y humanista al que haya
podido enfrentarse jamás durante toda la historia de su propia existencia. No existen rincones
en el mundo donde la revolución de las telecomunicaciones no haya conseguido llegar para
arrojar las vergonzosas cifras de desigualdad y violencia de género que asolan la faz de la
Tierra en los albores del siglo XXI. Todo el hábitat terrenal es conocedor de tan bochornosa y
paupérrima situación de la vulnerabilidad femenina: discriminación laboral y educativa,
pobreza, analfabetismo, maltrato, matrimonios tempranos, mutilación genital, tráfico, esclavización…
El conocimiento nos hace responsables. La responsabilidad y el compromiso ético es, inexorablemente, universal. Se hace necesaria una reformulación planetaria y multidimensional de
los valores transculturales de la sociedad-mundo actual y futura. Los prejuicios machistas
existentes en las mentes y en los comportamientos en determinadas regiones del planeta, con
sistemas patriarcales más o menos marcados, representan el ocaso del pensamiento lineal y
unidimensional del ser humano, donde la testosterona se impone a la foliculina. Por tanto, se
requiere un profundo nivel de concientización que comprenda la igualdad y la equidad de la
condición femenina como el progreso común de la especie humana. Una especie que debe
aprender a reconocerse en el rostro de su opuesto y complementario biológico, independientemente de sus creencias culturales o religiosas.
Hablamos de iniciar una nueva etapa en la historia de la humanidad: la cosmodernidad. Una
etapa humana caracterizada por la participación activa de la civilización planetaria en el cosmos, cuyo principio auto-eco-organizador suponga una estrecha simbiosis entre los opuestos
polares yin y yang, así como el amor genuino a los fenómenos interrelacionados de la ley
cósmica. Hablamos de comprender todas las problemáticas mundiales desde una nueva espiritualidad libre de dogmas, y desde la abertura que la física cuántica nos aporta, para evolucionar hacia el homo conscienciatus
Javier Collado Ruano
Director of Edition
4
Marta Benavides
6.- Reflections for the 21st Century: On How to Discern
on the Importance of International Women’s Day
10. Única solución:
refundar unas Naciones
Unidas capaces de
establecer un nuevo
orden mundial
16. ACNUR: La igualdad
es un derecho, la
aceptación una decisión
30. MDGs
Diana Díaz Rodríguez
45. Global Education
Federico Mayor Zaragoza
18. Interview with Cecile
Guidote-Alvarez
12. International
Wo m e n ´ s D a y :
Interview with
Leymah Gbowee
29. Research Papers
UNESCO
DREAM
Center
68. Transversal Studies
88. Letters to the Editor
Editada en
Almansa,
España, por
ONGD Educar
para Vivir
e com a parceria do DMMDC
(Salvador, BA, Brasil)
Disseminate GEM to raise awareness!
Follow us!
5
© José Gay
2011 Peace Nobel
Prize
Nº 7
International Women´s Day
Reflections for the 21st
Century: On How to Discern
on the Importance of
International Women’s Day
T
he International day of Women was created in recognition and to celebrate
the Rights of women workers, in order to promote their participation in the
struggle for equity and equality, which presently is one of the UN Millennium
Development Goals/MDGs.. and in the upcoming Sustainable Development
Goals/SDGs, it is being considered as a possible stand alone goal, so, women
can have an effective equal presence with men, for social and personal
development. In the Sustainability and Social development Agenda, gender
perspective and women rights are considered to be key to the eradication of
poverty and hunger, and to the creation of the WORLD AND FUTURE THAT
MUST BE CREATED FOR THE CARE OF PRESENT AND FUTURE
GENERATIONS AND THE URGENT CARE OF THE PLANET.
It was first celebrated on 8th March1911, in Germany, Austria, Denmark
and Switzerland The United Nations at its General Assembly in 1977,
proclaimed 8th March as the International Day for Women´s Rights, and now
this celebration and commemoration is in most countries a Nationally celebrated
day.
Today, in spite of all the work about it, the concern on all types of
violence and discrimination against women continues to be a major issue and
www.globaleducationmagazine.com
concern, to the point that in many countries there are offices to monitor them as
femicides. El Salvador, Guatemala and Mexico are concrete examples of this
situation, which happen in many more countries and still does not seem to be
effectively addressed.
Violence against women is not just what is happening to individual
women, we see that the educational, economic, social and cultural aspects of the
current systems, at local, national and global levels must intentionally work with
a transformational agenda to be able to achieve this urgently needed change, that
not only robs women and societies of peace, but does not allow the qualitative
development for the new paradigm to become a reality in our life time.
There are aspects, many historical, many legal, many cultural, and
economic that affect directly the maintenance of this reality: the colonial and
slave enterprise, the international division of labor, the forced impoverishment
that maintains people to live in survival, which in turn needs to force women
into the care and the so called informal economy and to be cheap labor. All these
conditions are based in ignorance and a culture of discrimination and the
exploitation of peoples and whole nations, this is what we consider to be the
extractive model of development, which is based in the violations of all human
rights, the economic,social and cultural rights of peoples, and the rights of the
planet and the environment.
The structures of the state, must reflect the commitment to this
understanding, that this is a matter of peace and of national security, thus there
must be policies of state and administration of government that in fulfillment of
the national constitution go about meeting in a timely manner, these demands for
the well being of all, and the care of the planet. The national and international
budgets must reflect this commitment. This is not about assistance, but about
real transformation of all the endeavors of national and global society. If a
country finds a way to meet the basic needs of women by taking loans that the
whole society must pay, but the national constitution, and the various policies
and services do not show the timely commitment for equity and equality, the
chance to eradicate poverty and hunger will only be about the alleviation of
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these two major indicators of real development and sustainability It is then
urgent and important not to fall in such a trap, which only comes to add to the
financial and economic indebtedness of the society,
and nations, to say the least, and to maintain the
system of inequality and impoverishment as it
basically exist..
If we are serious about this commitments and
we keep our eyes wide open, and our eyes in the
prize as the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., called us to
be, we will be able to detect the countless very
costly gimmicks that are being created and carried
out today, under the guise for women equality and
for the defense of their rights.
It is time to go from the promises to real
action, it can be done, and the enjoyment of the
fullness of life can be a reality sooner rather than
later.Now is the time... let us move now.
A way to contribute to this societal change of
paradigm about equity and equality for all, and in
particular for women, it is most important to make
sure we have clarity of the call, FOR THE WORLD
AND FUTURE THAT ARE NEEDED FOR THE
CARE OF PEOPLE AND PLANET, FOR THE
ERADICATION NOT THE ALLEVIATION OF
POVERTY AND HUNGER.
In El Salvador we have been conducting
consultations on the MDGs and toward the SDGs,
with the very people that have been excluded for
centuries, since the colonizers went global around the world. These are some of
the considerations that are key to real, timely and relevant results:
Women, youth/children, migrants, older adults, first nations, LGBT,
people with special challenges, rural and coastal peoples, who have been and
are traditionally excluded must be intentionally
listened to, and brought into the circle of all.
Use the correct language when referring to
people in conditions of poverty-- not the poor, the
marginalized, the less fortunate, the disadvantage..
etc. etc.. you know all the names used to refer to
people forced into poverty
Do remember that there is lots of expertise in
our communities, we know how to transform the
situations we have to face, besides resisting them,
we create possibilities. When we say we know how
to end poverty and hunger, listen to us.. it is because
of the illegal colonial practices, that we do not have
our lands, water, seeds.. we know how to feed
people, we have been doing this in spite of the land
graving that is still going on. See our expertise. Do
not continue to dismiss it, commit to not do it any
more.
Know that INGOs and NGOs can only
accompany us in the social transformations that
must happen, but each of person can choose to walk
with us. Do not look down on us, nor use our
situation to live privileged life.
Be willing to see deeply on what has been
going on.. we know of high level staff at the UN,
who deny the impact of the historical colonial and
slavery experiences.. these two are key to understand the conditions in which
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we are now, and to figure out the ways to move ahead. Cultural aspects are also
very important factors of development
framework conditions shaped by these countries, particularly in the global
financial, investment and trade systems.
For our communities peace and development are one and the same.. and
happiness is what we see as a good result of them... success and progress do not
mean the same to us as those people that see them as privilege, position and
money.
This call to do this urgent work is best understood and underlined by a
message from Bolivians on the terrible floorings they are suffering today:
Therefore the Bolivian tragedy cannot be blamed only in climate change but in
the fatal combination of causes all related to the thirst for energy of the
occidental way of life.
The UN is a peace
organization, thus all its work must be
for the enjoyment of a culture of
peace.
Here are suggested indicators to
measure the effectiveness of this
work, they were presented Feb 2014
to the UN by the Women Major
Group and the Women Post 2015
Coalition working for the creation of
the SDGs:
We understand that there is a
critical financial and economic crisis,
a crisis of employment and an
environmental - climate change crisis
that are impacting very negatively all
aspects of life and that is also at the
roots of conflict and violence, and
wars.
•Secure Safe and Sustainable and
Just Production and Consumption
Patterns and eliminate hazardous
substances and technologies.
Especially we need to call
attention to the following
recommendation, which for our
people is the most important and
needed work that must carried out
immediately:
Marta Benavides with Rosa Lizarde, Feminist Task Force
We a r e a f f i r m i n g t h e
recommendation consumption and production patterns by Social Watch:
Joint civil society action around Post-2015 has to focus on goals and
commitments for the countries of the North, the necessary changes of the
consumption and production patterns in these countries, and the structural
•Guarantee (100%) application of the
precautionary principle and the
polluter pays principle to policies and
programs on sustainable production
and consumption and to new and
existing technologies, products and
waste management processes.
• Ensure full application of prior free and informed consent: Indigenous and
local knowledge systems and technologies are adequately recognized,
protected, strengthened and used ensuring control by the indigenous
communities. Women and other affected groups participate effectively in
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decision-making throughout all stages of technology development, including
assessment.
displacement, poverty, resource scarcity, gender disparity, or environmental
degradation.
• Eliminate (100%) hazardous substances: Phase out harmful substances and
chemicals and radioactive substances linked with persistent and/or
irreversible damage to humans and the environment.
• Enact corporate social accountability standards are put in place to enforce
decent labor conditions and prevent overuse and overproduction of resources
and pollution by investors and corporations.
• Harmful chemicals: hazardous pesticides, endocrine disrupting chemicals,
CMRs, PB…etc.
• Ensure access to environmentally sound technologies, developing countries
have equitable access to technologies, agreement on lifting of intellectual
property barriers and measures to ensure that knowledge is in the public
domain.
• Harmful substances including so mercury, lead, arsenic, cadmium, asbestos in
products and processes
Radioactive substances
• Eliminate (100%) all unsustainable tax incentives: Tax exemptions, subsidies,
regulatory frameworks and other incentives are redirected towards
sustainable, knowledge and employment-intensive sectors and local
sustainable value chains and away from unsustainable activities, including
industrial fisheries, forestry and agriculture, risky and otherwise
unsustainable forms of energy production like fossil fuels, nuclear energy,
unconventional energy production/franking and industrial bioenergy,
extractive industries and chemical industry
• 100% Internalization of environmental costs for the full life-cycle of
products; this includes full insurance costs for greatest expectable accidents in
case of high-risk technologies. Currently, nuclear power operators and many
other high-risk industrial complexes, are exempted from insurance
obligations, which means that in case of accidents, the tax-payer/ citizens end
up paying for the damage.
• Full environmental and social corporate reporting and accountability. Set
binding criteria that industrial production and consumption practices,
especially extractive industries, do not cause violence, toxic pollution,
• Full technology assessment and authorization: Ensure independent social and
environmental impact assessments to monitor and evaluate new and existing
industries by establishing a multilateral mechanism for ecological, social,
cultural, and economic evaluation of technologies. Enact moratorium on all
technologies that can damage Earth cycles, such as geo-engineering and deep
sea mining.
And here is also the Oxfam document on inequalities:
http://www.oxfam.org/en/policy/working-for-the-few-economic-inequality
By Marta Benavides,
GCAP Global Co Chair, and the Feminist Task Force/FTF,
SIGLO XXIII Movement for Culture of Peace,
El Salvador
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Única solución: refundar unas Naciones Unidas capaces de
establecer un nuevo orden mundial
E
s patente el caos en que han desembocado la codicia y las ambiciones hegemónicas de
unos cuantos países y la total irresponsabilidad intergeneracional con que han intentado
gobernar el mundo.
Es necesario y apremiante poner en práctica la Carta de las Naciones Unidas y el diseño
de cooperación, solidaridad, justicia y libertad para la “igual dignidad de todos los seres
humanos”, tan bien establecidos en los “principios democráticos” de la Constitución de la
UNESCO.
Está clara la crisis sistémica –ética, social, política, económica, medioambiental,…- que
estamos atravesando y que, como tantas veces he repetido, requiere múltiples transiciones:
• La transición desde una economía de especulación, deslocalización productiva y guerra a una
economía de desarrollo global sostenible y humano.
• La transición desde una cultura de imposición, dominio, violencia y enfrentamiento a una
cultura de encuentro, conversación, conciliación, alianza y paz.
• Una transición, en suma, de la fuerza a la palabra.
por
Fede"co Mayor Zaragoza
Director General de la UNESCO 1987-1999
Presidente de la Fundación para una Cultura de Paz
La Carta de las Naciones Unidas se inicia con un párrafo en el que, insisto, se sintetiza la
razón de ser de las Naciones Unidas en 1945 y, hoy mismo, las soluciones que podrían permitir
a la humanidad en su conjunto iniciar una “nueva era”: “Nosotros, los pueblos… hemos resuelto
evitar a las generaciones venideras el horror de la guerra”. No se cita a los gobiernos o a los Estados sino a los pueblos, que son quienes deben tener en sus manos las riendas del destino común.
Y no se aplica, una vez más, como se ha hecho a través de la historia, el perverso adagio de “Si
quieres la paz, prepara la guerra”. Se tiene que “evitar el horror de la guerra”, es decir, se debe
construir la paz. Paz en uno mismo, paz en relación a los demás, en relación a nuestro entorno,
paz a escala nacional, a escala regional, a escala mundial. Pero el inicio de la Carta nos da otra
clave esencial para el mañana: la responsabilidad intergeneracional, el tener en cuenta, como
compromiso supremo, según palabras del Presidente Nelson Mandela, a la generación que llega
a un paso de la nuestra. Debemos cuidar la habitabilidad de la Tierra, y debemos cuidar también
desde un punto de vista conceptual nuestro legado, de tal manera que todos los seres humanos, y
no sólo unos cuantos, puedan vivir dignamente.
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El neoliberalismo globalizador sustituyó a las Naciones Unidas por grupos plutocráticos y los valores éticos por los bursátiles, por el mercado. El resultado está a la vista: crisis de
toda índole y de gran profundidad, en la que todos los parámetros se agravan, con en efecto,
desigualdades inadmisibles -85 personas, según OXFAM, acaparan una riqueza equivalente a
la de la mitad de la humanidad (¡!), estimada en 3.300 millones de seres humanos, que sobreviven (o mueren) en condiciones de pobreza extrema-; amenaza nuclear; tráficos
supranacionales de drogas, personas, armas…; incumplimiento reiterado de las
responsabilidades propias de ciudadanos democráticos, puesto que evaden los impuestos en
lugar de procurar comportarse como corresponde a las representaciones fidedignas de la voluntad popular... Hace años, a principios de la década de los ochenta, puse de relieve que la
adopción de medidas no podía aplazarse, especialmente en casos de potencial irreversibilidad.
Y hoy, de manera particular en todo lo que tiene que ver con los procesos sociales y naturales,
en lugar de asumir con criterios socialmente apropiados y con rigor científico la situación, nos
dejamos guiar exclusivamente por el cortoplacismo de los beneficios dinerarios. El mercado lo
domina todo, mientras que la propia habitabilidad del planeta se deteriora.
Sólo el poder ciudadano, sólo “Nosotros, los pueblos…” puede ahora terminar con la
deplorable situación mundial y esclarecer los sombríos horizontes actuales.
Los siguientes títulos publicados en los últimos días en un periódico (“El País”) pueden
hacernos reaccionar y expresar en un gran clamor popular el rechazo total, la objeción de
conciencia y la desobediencia cívica a quienes intentan, a pesar de la severidad de los retos y
amenazas que afligen a la humanidad, seguir favoreciendo la pujanza de unos cuantos cuando
los muchos ven cómo se van mermando cada día sus necesidades materiales, intelectuales y
culturales:
• “La rebelión laica en Siria se rompe”.
• “Ucrania se hunde en la violencia” y “La represión desencadena una matanza”.
• “Los desmanes de la mayor mina europea de cobre a cielo abierto”(las multinacionales
mineras siguen produciendo estragos en el medio ambiente… llenándose los bolsillos y
colmando los paraísos fiscales).
• “El negocio del cambio climático. Empresas y fondos apuestan por industrias que se
beneficiarán del aumento de las temperaturas. Para los inversores, la clave estará en el
agua…”.
• “Tres años después de la primavera árabe"... (y once años después de la invasión de Irak… en
medio del total desconcierto, aunque, eso sí, los yacimientos de petróleo ya están, desaparecidos Sadam Husein y Gadaffi, en manos de los “grandes del poder energético”…)
• “Se ven luces, pero Oriente Próximo no mejora”: es de especial urgencia terminar con la
vergüenza del “eterno” conflicto palestino—israelí… sólo, con la autoridad de unas Naciones
Unidas dotadas de un apoyo global y de los medios humanos, financieros y técnicos necesarios, podría reorientarse adecuadamente y sin mayor retraso, el futuro de Siria, Egipto…
• “Inflamable” (las noticias que llegan de Ucrania, Tailandia o Venezuela hacen evidente que la
historia es una pelea perpetua…).
• “59 años de cárcel para siete acusados de inducir a la prostitución a menores…” (el tráfico y
consumo de drogas, inmensamente mortíferos, no se resolverán hasta que se enfrenten, con
acciones reguladoras apropiadas, como problemas de orden sanitario y no de seguridad, y dejen
de promoverse, por los fabulosos réditos que proporcionan y por la existencia de paraísos fiscales, que nunca desaparecerán porque son los países más ricos de la Tierra, cuya brújula está
desquiciada por la ambición, los que los protegen celosamente).
• “Pequeña guerra fría: el contraataque de Bruselas a Suiza intenta contener la escalada populista en Europa”…
• “Justicia Universal, sí, si no afecta al amigo… La presión política y la diplomática se imponen sobre los derechos si los criminales son socios. Prima la geoeconomía”…
• El G-20 promete un plan para acelerar el crecimiento un 2% en cinco años", y "las tensiones
por la fragilidad de los emergentes afloran en el G-20"
Ya ven: “Para muestra, dice el refrán, vale un botón”. Este desolador panorama requiere
con gran apremio un Sistema de Naciones Unidas eficaz para toda la humanidad, sin excepciones. El Partido Republicano de los Estados Unidos se opondrá siempre –como lo hizo ya en
1919 con la Sociedad de Naciones- a que la justicia, la seguridad y la paz sean garantizadas por
la unión de todos los países, capaces de reaccionar con prontitud y contundencia cuando un
país recurra a la violencia, contraviniendo los principios de convivencia democrática.
Democracia a escala mundial es la solución.
Por primera vez en la historia, podemos construirla e incorporarla a nuestro comportamiento
cotidiano. El tiempo de la obediencia ciudadana y de la sumisión ha terminado. Podemos expresarnos libremente y tenemos que hacer posible la gran inflexión histórica de la oligocracia a la
democracia, del bienestar de unos cuantos al bienestar generalizado, donde cada ser humano
único pueda desarrollar plenamente las facultades que le distinguen.
“Nosotros, los pueblos…” tenemos la palabra. Unos cuantos tienen la fuerza. No
estemos distraídos ni atemorizados: ha llegado el gran momento, después de tantos siglos de oprobio y sumisión, en que la palabra prevalezca sobre la fuerza.
11
INTERNATIONAL WOMEN´S DAY
INTERVIEW WITH LEYMAH GBOWEE
12
Nº 7
2011 Nobel Peace Prize:
Ms. Tawakel Karman,
Leymah Gbowee and Ms.
Ellen Johnson Sirleaf
Javier Collado Ruano: Today, 8th March 2014, International Women´s
Day, we have a special guess with us: Ms. Leymah Gbowee, President of
Women in Peacebuilding Network (WIPNET) and 2011 Nobel Peace
Prize, along Ms. Tawakel Karman and Ms. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. Thank
you very much to attend us and to share your time and some of your
reflections between our readers in this special today.
LG: The Liberian women peace movement demonstrated to the world that
grassroots movements are essential to sustaining peace; that women in
leadership positions are effective brokers for peace; and the importance of
culturally relevant social justice movements. Liberia’s experience is a good
example to the world that women—especially African women—can be
drivers of peace.
Leymah Gbowee: Thank you very much to you Javier. The pleasure is mine.
JCR: I believe you. When we met last month of September in Salvador
de Bahía, Brazil, during your conferences “Fronteiras do Pensamento”
(Boundaries of Thought), I felt all your enormous courage comes from
your ideological convictions and specially from your role as Mum.
Mother of six children, you said that social changes must be performed
by mothers. What kind of message could we send today to support their
role as engine of change of the world-society?
JCR: As an inherent specialist in Human Rights, Woman Rights and
Peacebuilding, do you think 90´ Liberian woman experiences is a good
example of Human Rights and Gender flight for other countries around
the world, especially in Africa?
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Nº 7
International Women´s Day: Interview With Leymah Gbowee
LG: There are three things women can do as
LG: The issue of rights will continue to be a
JCR: In this sense, it is also interesting to link
engines of change. First at the family level, we
source of tension well into the future. If we look at
your reflections with the Millennium
have to go back to the space as mothers. We lay
the situation of conflict in many communities, a
Development Goals of the United Nations
down the values and principles for our children;
lot of it derives from individuals not respecting the
(MDGs), because it is the first time in the
we show them what is right and
rights of others whether its
history of humanity in which almost all the
how to care for others. Many
determining the sexuality of
countries around the world signed deals to
“The
Liberian
women
times and in many places,
others or what happens to the
work together under the same premises. What
peace movement
mothers think of their children as
bodies of people. We must recogdo you think about them? Will we see them
friends, and don’t enforce the
achieved any day?
demonstrated to the world nize that the way you treat your
values and principles of healthy
that grassroots movements neighbors extinguishes or ignites
LG: The Millennium Development Goals are an
living, of leading a healthy life.
are essential to sustaining conflicts. Essentially, the hot
important effort to address issues of gender-parity,
Second, mothers understand the
point is: How do we respect the
peace”
opportunity, and safety. However, the MDGs are a
challenges and ills of their
rights of individuals?
little too ambitious. Unfortunately, we will likely
communities. They know what is
JCR: It is a good question and it is more
not achieve the MDGs according to the timeline.
wrong and what is right in their communities. It is
interesting if we take a look to the humankind
This is evidenced by the limited commitment of
incumbent upon mothers to work on the issues
future. In fact, following some statistics from
national governments to fund education and
that can derail the safety of their communities; if
different studies, such as United Nations
gender parity programs. Instead, competing
left untouched, the values and principles of family
Department of Economic and Social
interests often override
are undermined. At the national level, mothers
Affairs inform of 2012, DESA, what
the national political
must keep their eyes open on the political
“mothers must keep their will to adhere to the
kind of challenges we will have in
dynamics because the personal is the political.
2050, for example, when the number of
eyes open on the political MDG which further
Politics affect the prices in the market, the
citizens arrive to 9,600 thousand of
maternal mortality rate, whether our children can
dynamics because the d e l a y s i t s f u l l
millions?
implementation.
obtain a quality education. Politics even decide the
personal is the political”
reproductive rights of women. Therefore, we must
LG: There are two major challenges we
JCR: Dear Ms.
ensure that our political representatives expand
now face that will continue to define our future:
Gbowee, thank you very much for your time
and protect our rights.
the environment and youth unemployment. The
and inspiring words, it was a real pleasure for
environment—specifically climate change—
me to know you and also to share your
JCR: There are not doubts you see the worldimpacts the way we relate to the Earth and to each
reflections today, International Women´s Day.
society with a rich and interesting approach
other. The scramble for environmental resources
after your long theoretical and pragmatically
LG: Your welcome, the pleasure was me.
will continue to be a source of conflict
experience. In this sense, how do you imagine
exacerbated by youth unemployment. Our failure
the closed future? What are the hot points that
to provide meaningful opportunities for the youth
human being should be focused to improve the
makes conflict more attractive which has a
current world?
destabilizing affect.
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Nº 7
International Women´s Day: Interview With Leymah Gbowee
MORE ABOUT THE PEACE NOBEL LAUREATE
Leymah Gbowee was born in 1972 in Monrovia,
Liberia, and spent most of her formative years there, which at
the time was one of the most modern and sophisticated cities
in West Africa. Leymah attended private school, and was
always a very driven and ambitious student. In high school
she served as a senator in the student government and was on
the honor roll. She had dreams of being a doctor, and in 1990,
after graduating from high school, she planned to enroll in the
University of Liberia to study medicine.
It was at this same time that a small group of rebels
passed from the neighboring country of Cote d’Ivoire into a
small county in northern Liberia. Led by a man named
Charles Taylor, the rebels were starting a movement to
overthrow the current Liberian president, Samuel Doe. Doe
was a corrupt and violent man who had sharply divided the
Liberian population along tribal identities. It was in the face
of this discrimination and corruption that Taylor started his
rebel movement to kick Doe and his followers out of their
political offices.
As Taylor and his men advanced towards Monrovia,
thousands of people became displaced as well as victims of
rape, looting, and violence, by both government and rebel
soldiers. Because Leymah’s father worked for the Liberian
Security Agency in the US Embassy, he was able to send for
his family, and they found safety there. As the situation in
Liberia continued to deteriorate, Leymah, along with her
mother and sisters, made plans to flee Liberia on a refugee
boat that was headed for Ghana. They ended up in the
Buduburam refugee camp, living among thousands of other
displaced Liberians.
In 1991 there was a break in the fighting, and Leymah
returned to Liberia. There she ran into a man named Daniel,
whom she had met in Buduburam, and they began a
relationship. Daniel and Leymah had four children together,
but Daniel turned into an emotionally and physically abusive
man. In an effort to gain back some independence and selfconfidence, Leymah enrolled in a local social work program.
There she received her social work certificate and began
working with refugees of the Sierra Leone civil war, helping
to heal them from the traumas of war. Leymah enjoyed her
role in helping others to heal, and in an effort to also heal
herself, left Daniel and moved back in with her parents.
Then, her work as a peace-builder really began. With
the encouragement of her mother, Leymah returned to school
and received her Associate of Arts Degree while volunteering
with the Trauma Healing and Reconciliation Program
(THRP). She worked with those in the rural communities who
had suffered the worst acts of violence during the war; as well
as with “Taylor’s Boys,” who where the children Taylor’s
men had abducted and forced to become child soldiers.
Leymah’s work, especially with the women of her
country, made her realize how important it was for women to
have a voice in the peace process, and Leymah dreamed of a
time when women would be called together to fight for peace.
A friend of Leymah’s, who she had met through her trauma
healing work, presented her with a life-changing opportunity
to make this dream a reality.
Leymah’s friend, Thelma Ekiyor, had started an
organization known as the Women in Peacebuilding Network,
or WIPNET, and she asked Leymah to head the Liberian
chapter. Leymah became their voice as the women of Liberia
called for an end to the war. By this time, Taylor had been
elected President of Liberia, but another rebel force had been
carrying out attacks in and around Monrovia in an effort to
overthrow him. There had now been violence in Liberia for
roughly 14 years. The women of WIPNET decided they
would not rest until peace was achieved. Leymah led several
outreach campaigns to both Christian and Muslim women,
which started the creation of the Women of Liberia Mass
Action for Peace Movement. This movement brought
thousands of women from all over the country to Monrovia
day after day, wearing white and bringing signs declaring
peace. The women of WIPNET staged a sit-in at a fish market
by Capitol Hill, and told Taylor they would not move until he
agreed to meet with them.
They sat for weeks, in the baking hot sun and pouring
rain, until Taylor eventually set up a meeting. As WIPNET’s
voice, Leymah was chosen to address Taylor. She called for
an immediate end to the fighting, and the resumption of peace
talks between Taylor and the rebels with oversight from an
international organization. Taylor agreed to these conditions.
Leymah and other other core WIPNET workers made the
same plea to the rebels, who also agreed. In June, Leymah and
other supporters traveled to Ghana where the peace talks were
being held, and staged a sit in there as well. However, the
news day after day was that the negotiations were stalled.
Leymah eventually led the women inside to the meeting hall,
looped arms, and created a blockade, not allowing anyone out
until an agreement had been signed. This last effort changed
the course of the peace talks and by August, West African
peacekeeping troops had arrived in Liberia, intercepting
thousands of dollars worth of weapons that were intended for
Taylor. A few days later, Taylor resigned and went into exile
in Nigeria.
Leymah’s work was instrumental in pushing Taylor
into exile and smoothing the path for Ellen Johnson Sirleaf’s
election -Africa’s first female head of state. Gbowee has continued her work in peace and conflict resolution, and is now
leading the Liberia Reconciliation Initiative, one of the six
coordinating organizations that created and guides the
roadmap of resolution. She is the President of the Gbowee
Peace Foundation Africa, based in Monrovia, and also serves
as the Executive Director of Women, Peace and Security
Network Africa (WIPSEN-Africa).
Resource: Peacejam
15
Nº 7
ACNUR: La igualdad es un
derecho, la aceptación una
decisión
El 10 de diciembre de 1948 se firmó la Declaración Universal de los Derechos
Humanos reconociendo que todas las personas nacen libres y en condiciones de dignidad e
igualdad de derechos. Sin embargo, 66 años después, actos de discriminación y violencia
siguen provocando la persecución de niños, niñas, hombres y mujeres alrededor del
mundo.
Dentro de la totalidad de la población, las personas lesbianas, gays, bisexuales,
transgénero e intersexuales (LGBTI) y los defensores de sus derechos hacen parte de uno
de los grupos más perseguidos. Una muestra de los niveles atroces de violencia social y
política en su contra está relacionada con el hecho de que la orientación sexual e identidad
de género de las personas LGBTI son ilegales en 76 países, siete de los cuales castigan las
relaciones con personas del mismo sexo con la pena de muerte. Lo anterior, sumado a expresiones de violencia y discriminación permanente por parte de todos los sectores de la
sociedad, incluso en países en donde no es penalizado, han obligado a miles personas a
huir de sus lugares de origen en busca de protección. En situaciones de conflicto armado o
extrema violencia los derechos de las personas LGBTI se ven amenazados con mayor vehemencia, generando la necesidad de buscar protección en el exterior o ser víctimas de
desplazamientos forzados internos.
Ante las más recientes y preocupantes demostraciones de brutal violencia hacia
personas de la comunidad LGBTI, ACNUR manifiesta que todas las personas sin excepción alguna deben ejercer sus derechos independientemente de su orientación sexual o
identidad de género y saluda con gratitud las iniciativas y expresiones de solidaridad que
al respecto han surgido.
Es importante insistir en que ser lesbiana, gay, bisexual, transgénero o intersexual
no es una enfermedad. La violencia y la discriminación están basadas en la inequidad de
género y esquemas de valores restrictivos contrarios a la libertad e integridad sexual, y al
libre desarrollo de la personalidad. Ser LGBTI es ser una persona como cualquier otra que
por cuenta de su orientación sexual o identidad de género se ve enfrentada a desafiar los
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Nº 7
modos convencionales de ver la vida en familia, la sexualidad y las relaciones de poder,
es vivir de una manera que va en contra de creencias culturales que niegan el pluralismo
y la diversidad. A pesar de los avances en la reivindicación de los derechos humanos, las
personas LGBTI se ven obligados a vivir como ciudadanos de segunda categoría que no
tienen acceso igualitario a sus derechos en una sociedad que les esconde, niega su existencia y les denigra.
ACNUR con base en la premisa que “los derechos LGBTI son derechos
humanos” ha convocado a organizaciones de la sociedad civil, entidades estatales,
agencias de Naciones Unidas y miembros de la comunidad LGBTI a unir esfuerzos en
contra de la violencia y discriminación. El pasado 25 de noviembre durante los 16 días
de activismo en contra de la violencia basada en género, ACNUR lanzó una campaña
que busca el respeto de los derechos a la vida, a la integridad, a la libertad, a la libre
expresión, a la igualdad, a acceder a un trabajo digno, y a acceder a procedimientos de
protección y asilo sin temor a ser abusados, discriminados o violentados.
En el marco de dicha campaña ACNUR invita a todos los miembros de la
sociedad a ponerle fin a la desigualdad, oponerse a los actos de violencia y a hacer frente
junto a personas LGBTI, activistas y defensores para que los derechos puedan ejercerse
condiciones de igualdad y dignidad.
Hechos históricos de rechazo hacia personas LGBTI en varios de sus entornos
sociales más cercanos (familia, iglesia, escuelas, etc.) se han convertido en esquemas de
violencia cultural que se han traducido en políticas públicas y leyes restrictivas, antidemocráticas y punitivas. A menudo los asesinatos, la violencia sexual, la represión y el
aislamiento son cometidos en contra de personas LGBTI como castigo por ejercer sus
derechos y resistirse a la discriminación. Estos actos de violencia que se traducen en detenciones arbitrarias, condenas injustificadas, tortura, secuestro y demás abusos son en
efecto violaciones reiteradas a sus derechos, actos que deben tener fin sin cabida a más
postergaciones.
Pese a las dificultades, varios países avanzan en el reconocimiento y respeto de
los derechos de personas LGBTI; desde 1990 40 países han legalizado las relaciones
entre personas del mismo sexo. Países como Sur África e India llevan una trayectoria
luchando por descriminalizar las relaciones del mismo sexo y muchos otros han prohibido legalmente la discriminación hacia personas LGBTI. Acogiéndose al Derecho
Internacional de Refugiados, la Corte Europea de Justicia (ECJ) ha ordenado
recientemente que personas gay puedan solicitar refugio en la Unión Europea en caso de
estar en riesgo en sus países de origen, reiterando el proceso al que cualquier ciudadano
tiene derecho.
ACNUR define como refugiado a aquella persona que huye de su país de origen
y cruza fronteras internacionales por un temor fundado de persecución por pertenecer a
un grupo, raza, religión o partido político. Dado el contexto y las circunstancias en las
que viven lesbianas, gays, bisexuales, transgénero e intersexuales, esa persona puede ser
su vecino, su colega de trabajo, su amigo cercano, su hija, incluso usted, y en todos los
casos dicha persona tiene derecho de acceder a un proceso adecuado de protección dentro o fuera de su país de origen.
En las Américas, ACNUR ha trabajado en colaboración con organizaciones, civiles y estatales, para garantizar la protección de todas las personas de interés y en
promover la creación de un espacio de protección libre de discriminación y desigualdad.
El gobierno de Brasil ha concedido asilo y ha aceptado los casos de reasentamiento de
personas que huyeron de la persecución por motivos de su orientación sexual. En
Venezuela, ACNUR ha trabajado con la Comisión Nacional encargada de elaborar los
criterios y el procedimiento de tramitación de los casos LGBTI. México ha incluido
como una quinta casual para el reconocimiento de la condición de refugiado la persecución por motivos de género. En Colombia ACNUR, a través del Sistema de Gestión de
Datos sobre Violencia Basada en Genero (GBVIMS) que se ejecuta en coordinación con
UNFPA, ha identificado graves casos de violencia sexual contra jóvenes y mujeres por
su orientación sexual que han causado su desplazamiento forzado. Todos estos países se
han sumado a la campaña lanzada por ACNUR con el fin de erradicar la violencia y la
discriminación hacia personas LGBTI.
ACNUR agradece y fomenta que todos los países mantengan abiertas sus puertas
y trabajen en aumentar la protección de aquellos que huyen a causa de la violencia por
ser lesbianas, gays, bisexuales, transgénero o intersexuales, dentro y fuera de los países
de origen, y se mantiene firme y comprometido en la lucha contra la discriminación, la
intolerancia y la violencia basada en género.
Diana Díaz Rodríguez
Asistente Regional de Información Pública
ACNUR Colombia
17
Nº 7
INTERVIEW WITH
CECILE GUIDOTE-ALVAREZ
Javier Collado Ruano: Dear readers, today we have the opportunity to learn from a big
activist and a distinguished theatre artists in drama, music, literacy, arts, dance, visual and
martial arts. Her name is Cecile Guidote-Alvarez and she is the Director of the Philippine
Center of International Theater Institute/Earthsavers UNESCO DREAM Center. I met her
in Rio+20 and since then we have exchanged reflections about how to achieve sustainable
development, between many other issues. Ms. Guidote-Alvarez, thank you very much to
attend us today, for our special edition of Global Education Magazine: International
Women´s Day.
Cecile Guidote-Alvarez: Thank you for allowing us the golden opportunity to share the
Bohol Declaration that launched interdisciplinary, interfaith, the RAINBOW CROSS
Movement of healing trauma through the arts.
by Cecile Guidote-Alvar!
JCR: I would like to start the interview saying “thank you very much” for invite us to
attend the Workshop-Forum entitled “the Inter-disciplinary Cultural Roadmap to Healing Trauma and Building climate Solutions”, which took place two weeks ago in
Bohol, the area affected by earthquake/ Super Typhoon Haiyan. Unfortunately, our academical obligations did not allow us to visit the Philippine that time, but I hope to have
new opportunities in the closed future. In the letter you sent me, you said “the forum
and workshop will orient and engage teachers, artists, social workers, medical practitioners, policymakers, industry representatives, scientists, and other stakeholders in a
lively discussion and demonstration of the realistic options at hand for restoring and nurturing the mental health of survivors with skills training for employment or entrepreneurship
while engendering fortitude, faith and the strength of spirit to triumph over adversity”.
Could you please let us know what the results of such dialogue and effort were? Did you
achieve the goal to build the “Interdisciplinary Creative Arts Therapeutic Emergency
Response”?
CGA: Yes, the demonstration workshop with disaster survivors was an effective theatre
experience. Artists from different parts of our country worked together and collectively
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created scenarios that reflected the angst, the fears, and hopes through the coordination of
the NCCA- National Committee of Dramatic Arts (NCDA) chaired by Luthgardo
Labad. I think it is noteworthy to underscore the observation of Dr. Hubert Gijzen who
witnessed the workshop and the vignettes created by different teams from Luzon, Visayas
and Mindanao and teachers from Bohol that had theatre healing orientation through the
support of “Save the Children” This was complemented by the Earthsavers ‘handicapable’ artists synergized with indigenous and out-of-school youth working with deaf
children and survivors for 3 hours which they joined the showcase performance.
The Earthsavers within the Philippine Center of the International Theatre Institute (ITI)
were honored by UNESCO as Artists for Peace in 2003 and in 2011, the Earthsavers
Academy with its inclusive and transformative teaching module for persons in difficult
circumstances was designated the 6th in the world as a UNESCO DREAM Center. It was
personally inaugurated in the Philippines by Director-General, Dr. Irina Bokova.
Speaking in Bohol, Dr. Gijzen, Diector of
the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Science
Bureau stated: “With the Theatre on the
Edge Festival, I also saw that building
back better for you is not only related to
the infrastructure, but also to the ‘software’, to the society at large. You, the performers and artists showcased today the
power of culture, the power of arts and
music, which can be applied in so many
areas.
Whether it is to raise awareness on
MDGs, on political or societal issues, on
the MDGs, or on complex issues such as
climate change, the performing arts and
music play a very special role in conveying sometimes difficult and complex messages.
Via this Theatre on the Edge Festival you
focused on the specific theme of natural
disasters, and I could recognize at least
three key functions:
a) To raise awareness on the origins and causes of natural disasters.
b) To contribute to community preparedness, so that we know how to respond when
disaster strikes.
c) To mobilize arts for healing of trauma inflicted by natural disasters
We all learned a lot from this. I personally learned also something else, namely that the
performing arts and music is a very powerful way of conveying complex
messages. Politicians and organizations like the United Nations, including myself, we all
use words to convey our messages. The power of words indeed is strong, and if words are
chosen right, the message goes straight to your head. But arts is much more powerful, because the message goes straight to the heart.”
JCR: And what was the role of the UNESCO-Jakarta, Regional Science Bureau for Asia
and the Pacific, in such practices at
the events?
CGA: The dissemination of the Bohol
experience will be facilitated by the
UNESCO bureau in our region of the
Asia-Pacific that is so vulnerable to
extreme climate occurrence. The bureau’s wealth of research, experts and
experience in the field enhances our
goal of helping build green cities and
safer schools. Moreover, UNESCO is
a partner to strengthen south-south
dialogue in defying disasters, our
plans to link, coordinate and collaborate through facilitation of support
from parallel UNESCO offices to
expand the network with intercontinental connectivity with
countries in the Arab-African region
as well as in the Caribbean-Latin
America region. We involve publicprivate partnership to execute our
programs.
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The United Nations office of Coordinating Affairs (OCHA) reports that the AsiaPacific region suffered worst national disasters in 2013 besides the impact of the fiercest typhoon recorded in history, the Philippines also suffered 16 natural disasters. The
Asia-Pacific region was hit by 137 natural disasters compared with 93 separate events
in 2012. Meanwhile, the number of people killed recorded was 18, 375 and 82 million
affected. More than 3.9 million people in 4 countries hit Cambodia, Vietnam, Lao PDR
and Thailand. Bangladesh and Sri Lanka were hit by deadly typhoon ‘Mahasen’. India
and China were also heavily affected by floods, not to count other earthquakes and tsunamis in the last 3 years.
In the light of this reality, the Asia-Pacific Science Bureau of UNESCO headed by Dr.
Hubert Gijzen is humongous. We are grateful for the commitment of support from
UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova as expressed in her message: “It is symbolic
and important that this workshop is held in Bohol, which suffered from the impact of
the earthquake and from the devastation of typhoon ‘Haiyan’. Bohol embodies the
spirit of resilience that all societies need today, and especially those of Small Island
Developing States, on the frontline of climate change.
This Asia-Pacific Regional Forum is designed to address trauma through an interdisciplinary approach to restore the confidence of communities and to rebuild anew. For
this-the workshop will train and mobilize national teams to cope and overcome—through creativity and solidarity—the difficulties faced by survivors of disasters, victims of armed conflict or other forms of violence.
Art Education has a key role to play in releasing trauma, in
promoting healing and in catalyzing positive change….
This is why UNESCO supports arts education as a vital tool
for intercultural learning, for global citizenship and for the
acquisition of life skills. This education highlights the
importance of cultural diversity, and it reinforces behaviors
and values for deeper social cohesion. This is essential for
all societies today—global challenges mean that no State
can stand alone, and humanity can only move forward
together, guided by shared values and common aspirations
for a better future.”
This vision is re-enforced by the message of our President, His Excellency Benigno
Aquino III who applauded the organizers led by the UNESCO DREAM Center in stressing that “Adaptation, education, and synergized action are fundamental components of
the global discourse on climate change. No longer are nations resigned to tackle
environmental threats and issues within borders; all are moving towards more comprehensive and inclusive approaches to development.
Citizens hold crucial roles in the task, ensuring that our dialogues remain focused on
intergenerational progress and grounded in the current and future needs and aspirations
of the people. This is especially important as the Philippines recovers from one of the
most devastating calamities in recorded history, and as we refine our strategies in the
context of our vulnerabilities to climate risk.
May your initiative serve the Filipino people as well, as it lends face to our country’s
disaster preparation and risk reduction campaign. Let your exchange effectively channel efforts into managing the risks we are exposed to as humanity harnesses natural
resources, and enable your participants to become agents of healing and empowerment
within and beyond our archipelago.”
JCR: Without doubts, these efforts will go a long way as community members become
more aware of the phenomenon of climate change, especially for the natural disasters.
In this sense, I totally agree with Dr. Irina Bokova, Director-General of UNESCO,
when she expressed you in the letter of 19th December 2013 that “the expedition of the
Ensemble to Paris would not have been possible without your personal engagement and
energy. Your presence here in the aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan was a more timely gesture to honour the victims of the devastating natural disaster”. I am sure the initiative Theatre Training for All of the ITI in the Asia-Pacific region will represent a big
initiative to help all survivors. How could our readers support this initiative? How
could they be involved?
CGA: Readers can liaise and identify the theatre or culture group within their schools
or community. You can share this methodology of cultural caregiving to get involve
with them as a volunteer and reach out to vulnerable and marginalized sectors in your
place to extend to them, with value laden art education. Hospitals, prisons, refugee
camps, organizations for persons with disabilities and senior citizens, rehabilitation centers for drug abusers can all be given arts education for their recuperation and restoring
their mental health.
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Nº 7
Those interested can join our growing network and can connect with the International
Theatre Institute (ITI) whose Director-General Tobias Biancone can be accessed for
events like: the World Theatre Day in March, Arts Education Week in May, World
Dance Day in April or the Earthsavers for participation in Clean Up the World in September, Earth Day in April. The ITI website is: www.iti-worldwide.org Our Philippine
Center of the ITI will be offering this Creative Theatre Transformative course showcased in Paris and Bohol through a consortium of universities like the University of
Makati, Isabela State University with La Salette University in Northern Luzon, through
the SVD system and other community groups through the Earthsavers-UNESCO
DREAM Center. My Skype address is cecile.alvarez7 and Viber number is +63917543-2889. We have a nationwide radio broadcast. We are now building a new Earthsavers website with the help of Filipino-American students from Stanford University in
California, USA. Our email address is: [email protected]
JCR: By the other hand, I wanted to quote a phrase of Mr. Ban Ki-moon, SecretaryGeneral of the United Nations: “There is one universal truth, applicable to all countries,
cultures and communities: violence against women is never acceptable, never excusable, never tolerable.” Under this premise, our intentionality would be to integrate
the new humanism vision of UNESCO to all our readers, especially for the women. In
this way, I was thinking about how create a new “vanishing point” and raise awareness
about the situation of women worldwide. That´s why I feel you could help us to build
that kind of vision with your artistic and creative approach. Why do you think it is so
important the theatre to help people in general and specially for those who are now
handicapped physically and psychologically?
CGA: Theatre is a mirror. It calls attention to problems and provides a multi-sectoral
avenue for an intercultural dialogue to reflect on solutions and creatively bond groups
of common interest to cooperatively address or prevent crisis. Creative empowerment
with skills and confidence building coupled with endurance and perseverance is a prerequisite armor for people who are in a mental state of discombobulation because of
incalculable grief of loss, anger and despair due to physical incapacity or deprivation. It
is an engine for creative industry and social entrepreneurship.
Theatre is also an anchor that can help participants and audience grow in the appreciation of indigenous heritage and traditional values that must not be laid aside but reconciled with technological advances. It is an antidote to forgetfulness. In fact, a memory
bank to draw lessons from history to guide present and future action because the worst
illness that can be inflicted on a person or a nation is amnesia and even Alzheimer’s disease.
JCR: In this sense, doing a cultural-sensitive parallelism between the emotional shock
after earthquake that shook Bohol, I wanted you to express that, under UN WOMEN studies, 70% of women in the world report having experienced physical and/or sexual
violence at some point in their lifetime. Do you think it could be interesting to
introduce “theatre therapy” into educational curricula at schools? Could that help the 60
million girls worldwide who are married before the age of 18?
CGA: Yes. It is necessary to introduce an early awareness for the curriculum in
schools. I had talked with our Secretary of Education informing him of our healing arts
education module and he was receptive to integrate it in our K-12 educational
curriculum. We are concerned that media also serves as a creative classroom and that
local governments must be appropriately involved.
There is a Commission on the Role of Women. Media must sustain interest on the
violations or non-implementations of laws to protect the rights of women and children
provide as well the good news. We linked up agencies of government, a number led by
women and there is a greater number of women in both houses of the legislature.
Senator Loren Legarda, Chair of the Committee on Environment and Climate Change
has stressed that “there is an urgent need of healing. Disasters have wreaked havoc on
cities and psyches across the Philippines. We cannot allow these people to wallow in
collective sense of loss, grief and depression the same way we don’t allow the wounded
to be left untreated. We need to deliver psycho-social assistance to these
victims. “Besides her commendation, our Bohol effort has received attention as well
from other women legislators, Senator Pia Cayetano who heads the Education and
Culture Committee, Senator Cynthia Villar who addresses agricultural security, Senator
Grace Poe who supervises the Committee on Communications and Information and
Senator Nancy Binay as Minority Leader in the Committee on Women, Family
Relations and Gender Equality and Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago for Foreign
Relations.
In the House of Representatives, the President of the Lady Legislators,-Representative
Gina de Venecia composed of ¼ of the Congress. She is a mother, who in losing her
only daughter in a fire has created a support network to deal with the pain of loss of
their children.
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Nº 7
JCR: Unfortunately, up to 50% of sexual assaults are
committed against girls under the age of 16. This is a
big challenge to confront it and this is the reason why
I would like to request you some advices to empower
people. What kind of suggestions and advices you
would like to tell us to develop a new vision of
human values? What is it the essence of theatre therapy approach and how useful it is for people?
Cecile Guidote-Alvarez: We realize that domestic
violence and sexual harassment in the work site now
even with internet outreach are rampant in our
country equally so in the Asia-Pacific, Arab-African
region where there is practice of girl brides and
dowry system, the hidden crime against children, incest and the spread of pedophilia. Our government
with civil society support has put up hotlines and
women’s desk in police stations among its remedial
measures.
It is most surprising that an EU report by the Vienna-based director Morten Kjaeran
still shows extensive human rights abuse with physical, sexual and psychological
violence against women. These aggressions result in long lasting deep seated effects
reflected in panic attacks, depression, difficulty in subsequent relations and even suicidal tendencies. All these must be addressed but is unfortunately systematically
under-reported. There is the stigma, the shame and fear of further reprisals. Society
itself must be more open in providing understanding for the victims. Media should
avoid sensationalizing reports of sexual violence into long running scandalous melodramatic news stories. There must be respect for their privacy. Obviously, their trauma
must be given the same cultural caregiving service to be able, after reflecting about
their atrocious experience to move on and be empowered through innovative culturebased therapy response. This should be is beefed-up by medical and psychiatric guidance. One can see where artists, duly oriented and concerned can be employed to
enhance the concept of social rehabilitation.
Through a painting, poem, song, dance or even an installation, allowing release and
imaginative approach to break the silence to calm tensions, to learn from and cast aside
the pain of past experience towards better self-esteem and envisioning a stronger, grasp
of their human right and discovery of their inner
strength and ability to move on.
The arts therapy encounter provides the bridging for
similar expressions that generate the support system
that engenders hope, the will to live and a mechanism for safety and security. We re-enforce with the
Christian tenet that after the agony of Calvary and
agony is the ecstasy of resurrection.
JCR: Doing a link with your previous reflections,
Edgar Morin, as many other authors, talks in his
life´s work about the importance to reform thought,
education and politics to face the challenge of future
humanity´s governability. In this sense, it is obviously that word-society need a deep transformation
to achieve a sustainable development. Ideally, theatre
therapy could reflect a values-based in the new
humanism approach mentioned. Therefore, it would
promote “stakeholder value,” where stakeholders include the whole human race and the
planet itself. In shorts, all big thinkers of today are claiming a new and holistic vision
about the world-society and their interconnections. What do you think it is the role of
Global Citizenship Education proposed by UNESCO to achieve it? What kind of
changes we should introduce to raise awareness about our responsibility with global
problems?
CGA: Definitely, change of attitudes, habits, and mindsets is essential for reform
towards good governance to put a premium in affirming life rather than engagement in
destruction of life. Violence against mankind and Mother Earth is a human rights issue.
Caring, and sharing, dedication and perseverance to pursue a vision must be instilled
through early childhood education. The absence of greed or substituting this obsessive
desire for materialism with compassion and sensitivity to unfortunate conditions of
others is a key to fighting poverty. Empathy is the ability to feel with those suffering
atrocities, catastrophes, injustice and deprivation as well as the capacity to celebrate
achievements that better the condition of mankind in particular the triumph of the spirit
over adversity. We are deeply grateful to the citizens of the world for its expression of
sympathy and immediate humanitarian aid to the Philippines that was crystallized with
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Nº 7
the personal visit of United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to Tacloban, Leyte.
UNESCO’s advocacy of global citizenship underscores the need to inculcate a sense of
kinship with the family of nations and as well as a sense of duty and responsibility to
advance the welfare of every citizen, regardless of race or creed to protect the planet
earth, our common home.
JCR: By the other hand, I also wanted you to ask about your beliefs, in order to
understand better the bridges that you do between culture and spirituality. Is theatre therapy a thinking way faced with religions or, on the contrary, it is a new form of “entanglement” cultures?
CGA: Theatre therapy requires the appreciation and sensitivity in applying the inherent
qualities of theatre (the meeting ground of all the arts) for healing. Those in difficult
circumstances feel isolated and helpless. Theatre is a social art that engenders linkages,
participation, and social interaction. It brings hope like a “Balm in Gilead”. After conducting theatre workshops since I was 15 years old beginning at the Orthopedic
Hospital under a Jesuit drama and media teacher, Fr. James B. Reuter pursuing this
mission when I founded the Philippine Educational Theatre Association (PETA in
1967); and carrying on in exile at La MaMa Theatre in a Brooklyn public school, working the trainable and educable students, many institutions like the prison and church
groups in ghettos, the deaf, the mentally challenged and even the delinquent at some
point. I have been elated and gratified that the crippled, the blind are transformed like
butterflies out of a cocoon.
JCR: At this point, it is interesting note that famous quantum physics Basarab Nicolescu said that word “war” does not exists anymore in the vocabulary of transdisciplinary, because its goals are “understand the present world, which passes by
understanding the meaning of our life and our sense of death in this world which is
ours”. Then, seeing theatre therapy as interdisciplinary programs which were
recognized as UNESCO Artists for Peace for the cultural bridges developed… How do
you see the future of the humanity after all your long experience as exiled? Could we
achieve the SDG goals proposed in the agenda post-2015?
CGA: Our work in exile to help achieve a peaceful restoration of our democracy
provided me a stronger perspective that justice will prevail no matter how exceedingly
slow it may seem to grind. Nothing is impossible with God’s grace coupled with one’s
willingness to sacrifice with determination, patience and faith to pursue what is right
and defend the truth.
I am confident that if the social conscience is forged and global political leaders are concienticized; the post 2015 agenda for sustainable development can be agreed upon and
can be realized. I believe that we all care for the future of our children and
grandchildren. Cooperation is absolutely essential to insure the survival and safety of
mankind through the health of our habitat. We cannot afford to fail. Self-interest must
be substituted by commitment for the common good.
JCR: I cannot imagine how such experience as exile changed your life and your way of
thinking. Maybe it is interesting mentioned now that, globally, around 603 million
women live in countries where domestic violence is not yet considered a crime. Have
you ever considered writing a theatre piece to empower women in such situation?
Our theatre therapy experience is a vehicle to draw them out of despair and despondency to help them express their fears and anxieties, to recall their experience of trauma
and portray through any artistic form synchronized with their dream of a better life and
hope for its fulfillment. They become ‘handicapable’ able to smile and continue
learning while earning, rebuilding their lives with fortitude and faith. They have to recall their own good experiences and use it as a foundation to develop the spiritual
strength to continue and find a sense of confidence and purpose of existence.
CGA: Returning to the Philippines— When I was in exile, convinced that the UN
Conference on Women in Mexico in 1980 was a historic milestone to put in the global
agenda. I was determined to participate and call attention to the marginalization of
women in all aspects of life. We are lucky in the Philippines there is a law that punishes
violence against women and children. The UN has passed the convention on the
Elimination of Discrimination against Women. (CEDAW)
I believe in miracles and the power of prayers having undergone the persecution and
repression of a dictatorial regime and being victorious after a long difficult struggle for
freedom. Personally being afflicted with cancer, faith together with respect for my doctor’s medical formula for recovery has been the spine for my journey of survival. This
is the wellspring of my conviction.
I have featured in our award-winning DZRH Radio Balintataw, the heroic lives of
ordinary women on nationwide broadcast & global webcast to inspire those ‘in trouble’ and in doubt about stories of women in difficult circumstances that fought for their
right to a dignified life and strengthen their faith in Divine providence with the value of
a supportive family.
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Nº 7
One is a crippled who was able to serve as a senior official in the Solicitor-General’s
office. Another is a cancer victim after being cured had set-up a help cooperative for cancer patients called the I CAN SERVE FOUNDATION. An indigenous woman in Palawan
struggled to achieve education and after graduation, did not look for greener pastures in
the city life but remained to teach the tribal children.
A historical figure, the wife of Sultan Kudarat, jumped-off the cliff with her child rather
than be caught and used as a hostage by the Spanish conquistadores to allow Kudarat to
lead the Muslims in defying the unhampered occupation of Mindanao.
Beyond our local heroines, there is the path-breaking leadership of Dr. Irina Bokova, the
first woman to lead UNESCO on her second term is a champion of ‘new humanism’ with
her cross- disciplinary vigorous pursuit of education for all especially for girls.
JCR: I am agree that Dr. Irina Bokova is a big example for thousand of women, but you
are too. I am sure there will be thousands of people very fortunate to be around of your
transformative energy, because you work with passion and wisdom. Personally, I will contact you again in the closed future, when I visit the Southeast Asia. Thank you very much
to share your reflections and your time in this special day. I am wondering if there is anything I have not asked about that you wish I had?
CGA: Partnerships and linkages are so important in spreading the apostolate of theatre
that I have been engaged for 55 years reiterating like a Mantra, that we can win the war against poverty and pollution, crime
and corruption, disease and drugs, terrorism and tyranny. Not by
force but by art, not by compulsion but by persuasion through a
community spirit of caring and collaboration.
Dear Javier, You were incisive and comprehensive in your
questions, I was delighted to respond.
We look forward to your visit where we can have a stronger
exchange of best practices to realize our common vision that
culture with arts is a catalyst to realizing the UNESCO
‘Education for All Policy’, now given the mechanics for
implementation by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s push
for a Global Education First Initiative.
The assurance of the replication, echoing and adoption of the
Bohol Declaration that launched RAINBOW CROSS is guaranteed through the messages
from the Ocean Security Initiative led by its Chairman, Viktor Sebek, with Carlos Mauricio Iriarte Barrios, Gobernador del Departamento del Huila, Colombia in the LatinAmerican region, Professor Dr. Angela de Luca Rebello Wagener, Member of the OSI
Scientific and Academic Board, Potificia Universidade Católica Do Rio de Janeiro, Vinicio A. Cerezo, President 0f Guatemala from 1989 to 1991 as well as from leaders in key
points of the globe: from South Africa, Francois Baird, Chairman of Daniel J Edelman
Inc./ Policy Advisory Board Member: Ocean Security International; from Russia, Vtaly
Lyststov, member of OSI Scientific and Academic Board National Research Center “Kucrhatov Institute” as well as the network of the Climate Institute in Washington
D.C USA, one of the oldest NGOs concerned with global warming headed by its President, Mr. John Topping, Jr. with Philippine Climate Change Commissioner Heherson Alvarez as Chairman of its advisory board.
We are planning a global playwriting contest as a collaborative effort of the ITI-CIDC and
the International Playwrights Forum (IPP) that will be coordinated by our SecretaryGeneral of our Philippine ITI Center, an award-winning playwright, Dr. Isagani Cruz.
JCR: Thanks a lot Cecile, I will try to visit you in the following months to continue with
our dialogue. At the final point, what should it be your message to all the readers of
Global Education Magazine in the International Women´s Day?
CGA: Women constitute the other half of the world population. A
woman is a symbol for Mother Earth, for our motherland. It is a
portrait of love, the heart of the home. It is sad that the lament of
mothers so often heard in areas of armed conflict and places devastated by ecological disasters have not been fully responded.
Justice, peace and sustainable development must prevail in all
corners of the world. Women must be harnessed in the center of
peace negotiations and good governance. We are grateful for the
concern of Global Education Magazine in linking women
through media to continue the struggle for gender equity, protection of their rights and family solidarity. We must sustain energy
and strength from our common vision of restoring the beauty and
bounty of our environment as we seek a safer, peaceful, sustainable world for our children up to the seventh generation.
JCR: Thanks a lot again Cecile for your inspiring words in the
interview.
24
World Environmental Day
5 JUNE
DEADLINE FOR MAY 5
Con el apoyo de la
Oficina de
Santiago
Organización
para la Educación,
25
Nº 7
Ma maman fait parti de ses nombreuses femmes aux
grands cœurs, aux sourires enjôleurs et dotés d’un
très grand courage!
Q
English Version here
uand je la regarde, elle exprime une vie remplie d’aventure, pleine
d’émotion, parfois de chagrin, et de malheur, mais je garde en mémoire ses
éclats de rire, et ses rencontres avec le bonheur.
Cependant, je sais aussi qu’avant d’arriver à la joie, elle a fait preuve de
sagesse, qu’elle a dû vaincre ses peurs, ses doutes, qu’elle a aussi traversé
des intempéries et combattu la souffrance.
Ma maman aurait pu être Simone de Beauvoir, cette femme française, née
à Paris en 1908.
« Mes vingt premières années se sont écoulées entre Notre-Dame-desChamps et Saint-Germain-des-Prés sans qu’il m’arrive rien d’exceptionnel
… » Écrit Simone de Beauvoir, qui allait devenir la compagne de Sartre (un
écrivain), l’auteure du Deuxième Sexe et, en 1974, la présidente de la Ligue
des droits de la femme.
by Sonia Colasse
En effet, cette femme bouleversante pour la génération d’avant-guerre était
une femme au grand pouvoir de liberté et écrivaine. Ces mots, ses lignes
écrites sur de nombreuses pages, traversent encore les océans et les langues
de notre monde.
Children Bilingual Manager and
author the children bilingual book:
"The Adventures of Enzo"
Après de brillantes études, elle poursuit ses cours supérieures à la Sorbonne.
C’est à l’agrégation de philosophie qu’elle se présente en 1929, en même
temps qu’un jeune homme qui a pour nom Jean-Paul Sartre. Il est reçu
premier, tandis que Simone de Beauvoir sort deuxième du concours.
e-mail: [email protected] website: www.soloinfinty.com/enzo
En 1943, elle publie son premier livre, l’Invitée…
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Nº 7
Ma maman fait parti de ses nombreuses femmes aux grands cœurs, aux sourires enjôleurs et dotés d’un très grand courage!
Après quelques années de liaison amoureuse, elle passe
avec Sartre un « pacte de franchise » qui conjugue
indépendance et vérité l’un vis-à-vis de l’autre. Elle va
désormais en écrire les thèmes dans son œuvre. Ses
premiers romans enseignent que l’engagement peut seul
délivrer l’homme de la mauvaise conscience (le Sang des
autres, 1945) et que la mort, loin d’être une malédiction,
fonde la valeur de nos actes et de nos sentiments en leur
donnant une portée irréparable (Tous les hommes sont
mortels, 1946). Sa pièce les Bouches inutiles (1945) cherchent à définir une morale politique, dont le fondement
est la « joie d’exister » Pyrrhus et cinéas,1944 ; pour une
morale de l’ambiguïté, 1947.
Les voyages aux États-Unis (l’Amérique au jour, le
jour, 1948), puis dans la Chine de Mao (la Longue
Marche, 1957) conduisent Simone de Beauvoir sur les
routes de la dénonciation de la condition féminine.
Cette position est clairement assumée dans son essai de
1949, le Deuxième Sexe, texte fondateur du mouvement
féministe en France. À la même époque, elle tombe
amoureuse d’un écrivain américain rencontré à Chicago,
Nelson Algren ; elle lui envoie des Lettres passionnées, et
leur relation dure jusqu’en 1964.
Simone de Beauvoir sera encore solidaire du « Manifeste
des 343 », pétition signée par 343 femmes pour réclamer
la légalisation de l’avortement et rendue publique en
1971. Avec l’avocate et femme politique Gisèle Halimi,
elle sera ensuite la cofondatrice du mouvement Choisir,
dont le rôle sera déterminant dans ce combat.
Cette femme qui aurait pu être ma mère ou la vôtre est
décédée en 1986.
Une autre femme française et courageuse, une autre
femme appelée Simone sera souvent comparée à
l’écrivaine par sa force et sa ténacité.
Simone Veil est l’une des figures politiques françaises les
plus populaires. Légalisant l’avortement en 1975, elle a
été la première présidente du Parlement européen (1979)
et la première femme ministre d’État (1993).
Si j’étais né au Pérou, en Amérique latine, j’aurais pu
être le fils ou la fille de Jacqueline Domhoff. Pourquoi ?
Parce que sa force de vivre, sa force de vaincre tous les
démons est une force que j’aurais souhaité recevoir de
ma mère.
« Le rire est la meilleure façon de répandre l’amour, la
paix et c’est aussi un bon moyen de nous guérir » raconte Jacqueline.
“ Vous avez un cancer ”, c’est un ainsi que l’histoire
émouvante de Jacqueline, commence. Cette phrase
formulée par son médecin, continu de lui expliquer
qu’elle est atteinte d’un cancer des ovaires.
Comment doit-on réagir face à cette terrible évidence ?
Jacqueline répond pour nous : « Avec des rires et sans
larmes ! »
Titulaire d’un Master reçu en Espagne, elle revient dans
son pays pour devenir responsable des relations
publiques. Jacqueline avait tout professionnellement et se
promettait un avenir fleurissant.
“Personne ne s’attend à avoir un cancer. J’ai réalisé à
quel point la vie peut prendre une sale tournure en moins
de deux seconds. La vie elle-même est une leçon, j’ai dû
faire un choix et j’ai choisi de donner un sens à ma vie.”
Après bien des tempêtes, Jacqueline s’efforce de
reprendre le cours de sa vie et être positif.
« Une amie m’a parlé de la thérapie liée au positivisme,
la joie de vivre et le bien-être qui conduit à une
amélioration du système immunitaire, juste ce don,
j’avais besoin ! . »
Jacqueline prend des leçons de Yoga du rire et devient
formatrice de la thérapie.
Le yoga du rire est un traitement sérieux pour les
personnes atteintes d’un cancer. Cette méthode permet
aux globules rouges d’augmenter en volume, et attaque
ainsi les cellules cancéreuses. Plus nous rions et plus nos
cellules cancéreuses s’éliminent par notre énergie
positive.
Jacqueline n’est pas seulement une survivante du cancer,
elle est aujourd’hui la fondatrice de l’hôpital de la joie et
un fil moteur dans l’amélioration émotionnels et
spirituels pour plus de 6 000 personnes dans différents
quartiers de sa ville Lima.
Son équipe bénévole apporte le bonheur et la thérapie du
rire dans différent centre hospitaliers, de maisons de
retraite ou de clinique. Le rire de Jacqueline a guéri
environ 1200 personnes sur la place Plaza Mayor de Lima « nous voulons répandre le rire et ainsi augmenter la
positivité dans le monde. Lorsque vous changez votre
comportement, vous changez votre optimiste et vous
attirez le positivisme. C’est le meilleur moyen de
répandre l’amour, la paix et aussi de nous guérir. »
« En avant toutes », est le titre du livre de Sheryl
Sandberg, cette femme Américaine qui souhaite
l’égalité entre les hommes et les femmes. Qui refuse
d’être une simple femme au foyer si ce n’est pas le choix
de sa destinée. Elle œuvre pour que les femmes accèdent
au pouvoir, qu’elles bénéficient des mêmes opportunités
que les hommes, qu’elles osent s’affirmer et assumer leur
choix : autant de défis que propose Sheryl Sandberg, à
partir de son expérience personnelle. Sheryl est un
exemple dans son pays, une figure parmi les cent
personnalités les plus influentes au monde selon le
Times. Sheryl est sincère et drôle. Souhaitant par son
humour aider les hommes à se révéler, à aider leur
épouse, à soutenir leur famille et à améliorer et gagner
en efficacité. À rendre la femme plus épanouie. Elle
conseille aux femmes, qu’elles peuvent être une femme,
une amante, une femme d’affaires, tout en étant une
bonne-maman et de ne pas s’oublier, mais plutôt de
gagner leur indépendance.
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Nº 7
Ma maman fait parti de ses nombreuses femmes aux grands cœurs, aux sourires enjôleurs et dotés d’un très grand courage!
Sheryl reverse les bénéfices de son livre à « Lean In »,
une fondation à but non-lucratif encourageant les
femmes à réaliser leur ambition, ainsi qu’à d’autres
organisations caritatives de soutien aux femmes.
Sheryl est une véritable femme révolutionnaire et un
vrai modèle à suivre pour notre génération future. Et
j’aurai été très fière d’être sa fille !
Naître en Suède et vivre près de Linda Forsell,
photojournaliste, pourquoi ?
J’aurai ainsi pu combattre à ses côtés contre la
violence domestique et psychologique.
Linda nous confie : « La violence conjugale est
répandue dans le monde. Elle ne fait aucune différence
de races ou de socio-économiques, ni cultuelles ou
encore religieuses. »
Linda raconte que les statistiques de la Banque
mondiale démontrent que la violence domestique,
frappe et tue plus de femmes que les accidents de la
circulation, le paludisme et la guerre réunissent.
Linda souhaitait changer ces horreurs.
Elle crée alors le projet « Cause du décès : femmes »,
une plate-forme où
elle dénonce et capture des photos témoignages de
femmes confrontées aux violences dans 10 pays, les
États-Unis, l’Afrique du Sud, l’Égypte, la Suède, le
Pakistan, le Mexique, le Brésil, le Congo, l’Espagne et
la Russie.
Linda photographie des militantes, des survivantes,
mais aussi de belles femmes qui racontent le drame et
la perte d’une proche. Elle immortalise les souffrances,
les horreurs que ces femmes vivent chaque jour.
La violence conjugale comprend l’agression physique,
sexuelle, verbale, émotionnelle et psychologique, et
nous pouvons rajouter à la liste les menaces et
l’intimidation. La plupart de ces actes ne sont pas
signalés de peur d’empirer la situation, aucune preuve,
car la plupart du temps les agresseurs ne laissent pas
de trace de leur passage ou tout simplement pas honte.
Selon l’ONU plus de 600 millions de femmes vivent
dans des pays ou la violence domestique n’est pas
considérée comme un crime !
Bien que la violence ait toujours été présente, le monde
n’a pas à accepter l’épouvantable.
“Les femmes et la sécurité routière : projet de société”
7 & 8 mars 2014 Palais des Congrès, Skhirat – Marrakech – Maroc.
Tous les jours, au Maroc et dans le monde beaucoup de
gens sont tués ou blessés sur les routes. Les hommes,
les femmes et les enfants qui vont à l’école ou au travail
à pied ou de jeunes conducteurs ne reviennent pas en
vie, laissant derrière eux des familles effondrées par le
drame. Selon l’Organisation mondiale de la santé, les
accidents sont parmi les dix principales causes de décès
chez les adolescents et les femmes adultes. Dans les
pays au revenu élevé ou moyen, les accidents sont la
principale cause de décès parmi la population féminine
entre 10 et 44 ans.
Considérant le rôle central et multiforme ont les
femmes, le Comité National pour la prévention des
Accidents de circulation (CNPAC) et la Nationale
Union des femmes du Maroc (UNFM), co-organiser le
1er Congrès mondial sur la femme et la sécurité
routière, sous le thème “femme et la sécurité routière :
projet de société. » Ce Congrès mondial fournira
également l’occasion de rappeler au monde les rôles
que les femmes et la société civile peuvent jouer dans le
domaine de la sécurité routière et les défis de l’avenir.
Et je pleure celle qui aurait pu me donner la vie, cette
écrivaine rebelle de l’Inde, déterminée, passionnée,
courageuse pour la cause des femmes Afghanes.
Sushmita Banerjee, indienne installée en Afghanistan,
infirmière en gynécologie, devenue écrivaine par
hasard et assassinée le quatre septembre 2013.
Sushmita s’est rendue célèbre en Inde avec sa
biographie devenu un best-seller adapté à Bollywood.
Elle raconte son aventure, son mariage en secret en
1990 avec Janbaz Khan, un Afghan. Sa rupture avec sa
famille causée par l’hostilité de son union. Elle quitte
l’Inde pour rejoindre son époux dans son pays
l’Afghanistan.
Une expérience tumultueuse, au cœur d’un pays ultra
conservateur et sensible à la propagande de l’islamisme
des Talibans.
Sushmita n’en devient pas pour autant une femme
soumise, elle était la seule femme dans l’ensemble de
Paktika se refusant a porter une burqa.
Sushmita ouvre une clinique et réclame la liberté
d’expression aux femmes de son village.
Revenue en Inde en 2003, après plusieurs menaces de
mort et condamnation de mort par un tribunal Taliban
local, elle écrit sa biographie révélatrice sur le Taliban.
La même année, Bollywood sort le film retraçant la vie
de Sushmita. Elle écrira quatre autres livres et dévoile
les horreurs des Talibans.
En 2013, Sushmita, décide de retourner en Afghanistan,
rejoindre son mari et sa belle-famille. Elle avait un
nouveau projet de livre, et même semble-t-il un
documentaire écrit sur la vie des femmes là-bas. Ses
assassins ne lui, on pas laissé le temps de continuer ses
démarches.
Elle est âgéeseulement de 49 ans, quand le destin
décide de lui donner des ailes et de la laisser s’envoler
vers d’autres horizons.
Nous garderons en mémoire la bonté de cette douce et
courageuse femme indienne.
Nous devons soutenir les femmes qui pendant neuf mois
donnent la vie à l’enfant de demain ! Et n’oublions pas
la journée mondiale du bonheur du 20 mars, qui résume
le visage de nos mères quand leur regard se pose
délicatement sur leur enfant.
Sources : Mujeres Mundi, le rôle des femmes dans le
développement de leurs communautés.
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Research Papers
Millennium
Development Goals
Inspiring Change With the
Women’s Directorship
Programme
Amy Lau and Nick Marsh
Empoderamento feminino sem
fronteiras
Valdir Lamim-Guedes, Eliane Santana, Luciene Silva
Souza, Paulo Guilherme
Martins da Rocha
Rape in Somalia: Women and
‘Double Victimisation’
Transversal Studies
Global Education
Mulheres Rurais: Cooperação Internacional para Estudos Multidisciplinares de
Gênero, Educação, Cidadania e Responsabilidade Social da Universidade,
José Cláudio Rocha e Denise A. B. F. Rocha
The Story of the Green Lane Environmental Diary: Uniting Children and Cultures
through Environmental Education, Katy Orell
The Divine Nature of Women Naturally – A Challenge of 21st Century. Rashmi
Chandran
And the Walls Come Folding Down: A Transdisciplinary Approach to Building
Awareness, Balance, and Connection in Ourselves, Our Schools, in Our Communities,
and in Our World. Karen Melaas
Mujeres: Narrar lo público-privado
y la política del entre-lugar y el
entre-tiempo
María Antonia Miranda
González
Female Genital Mutilation - Truths
and Lies
Athanasia Zagorianou
Vidas Sumisas: la Mujer Indígena
Lorena Yañez Ruano
Análises da contribuição
harmônica da execução em piano
do “Concerto Italiano-971 de Bach”
Alexia Kapsampeli
Education and Suicide. Anna Barchetti Durisch
Patrick Mugo Mugo
Turning Policy into Action: One
Adolescent’s On-the-Ground Activism
Pedro Javier Gómez Jaime
© Raquel Bocardi
Julia Carter
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Millennium Development Goals Section
Inspiring Change With the Women’s Directorship
Programme
Abstract: Women’s progression in the workplace is stalling. There are multiple barriers to be
faced in increasing female participation in the workforce and ensuring they have equal
opportunities to fulfil their potential. Executive search and leadership consulting firm Harvey
Nash and The University of Hong Kong created a joint-venture in 2013, to launch a certificated,
cross-industry, internationally focused board preparedness programme for women. The aims of
the programme are to increase the pool of board-ready female talent, ready to take on the
challenges of the boardroom and raise the importance of equal opportunities in the workplace,
enabling women to reach their full potential. The programme aims to take tangible action to
tackle the current global boardroom gender imbalance through an academically-led series of
lectures and workshops, on subjects such as the role of board members, compliance, regulation
and ethical decision making. The programme also consists of a series of personal talks from
global business leaders in person. By engaging the business community – enabling business
leaders to share their knowledge and experience as part of the programme – the Women’s
Directorship Programme is front and centre of driving change, enhancing the visibility of this
issue, and in turn highlighting the women themselves. Our methods for achieving our objectives
involved creating a programme for an elite group of women and providing on-going support
through the alumni network. The Women’s Directorship Programme alumni are an active group
of international female leaders representing the cross-sector global business community. Results
to date include: The involvement of the business community (including over 20 business leaders
as guest speakers) and their commitment to change; 30 percent of the women from the inaugural
Women’s Directorship Programme have now gone on to sit on boards. 30 percent achieved a
promotion within six months of starting the programme; all participants claim it has served to
raise their visibility within the business community and they now benefit from the Women’s
Directorship Programme’s network; thirty women executives have now been on the programme
and are part of the alumni; the programme has been cited as best practice by the business leaders
involved and has received coverage from The FT, International New York Times and Bloomberg;
it is recognized by the 30% Club London and Hong Kong as a transformative initiative. The
Women’s Directorship Programme is a long-term approach to manage the pipeline of female
talent and promote equal opportunities for women.
Keywords: Gender diversity, female leaders, women on boards, Women’s Directorship
Programme, women in business.
Defining the issue
More companies across the globe are starting to recognize the competitive advantage
of having a gender balanced board. A more diverse board serves to better represent the
interests of shareholders and stakeholders and is proven to result in greater business success.
But with less than 10% of women represented at board level positions internationally, progress is sluggish.
Efforts are underway to increase female participation on boards and in senior
management positions. For example, the UN is focused and committed to tackling inequality,
there are voluntary and in some markets, enforced regulations to increase the representation
of women on boards, and International Women’s Day serves as a fantastic platform to raise
awareness of women’s struggle for equality in the workplace, and their positive impact on the
world’s economy.
Nevertheless, change is painfully slow and women still face multiple barriers to their
career progression. When we set out to create the Women’s Directorship Programme in 2013
there was a great deal of talk, but little action. Here we outline the state of play.
Gender imbalance is a global trend
Women currently represent around 10 percent of all board-level positions (i) worldwide, even though they make up over 40 percent (ii) of the global workforce. To bring this to
life, the US currently has an average of almost 17 percent women on boards, in Europe 16
percent and in Asia the figure stands at around 7 percent, according to Catalyst (iii).
Men continue to dominate the top ranks of nearly every firm across the world, and
they continue to hire in their own image. Companies have a tendency to fear change and the
Prof. Amy Lau
Nick Marsh
Director of Executive Education and Chair Professor of Accounting,
Faculty of Business and Economics, The University of Hong Kong:
www.fbe.hku.hk
Managing Director of Harvey Nash Executive Search APAC, an executive
search and leadership consulting firm:
www.harveynash.com/executivesearch/
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unknown, which means they more often than not hire men, using channels to access people
they know of, or are already familiar with. But change is coming…
down, especially in places such as India, Japan and Korea, coupled with a general lack of
government support for childcare and other family-led initiatives.
Gender imbalance is costly
Companies often highlight the lack of a skilled talent pool of women – though
research consistently demonstrates this is not the case. Female leaders are simply more
hidden and less inclined to put themselves forward as they do not feel empowered or ready to
take on a board role. Many current female leaders highlight a lack of confidence as a key
barrier to their progression. Statistics show women will only put themselves forward for a
role if they feel they fulfil at least 80 percent of the stated criteria, while men will pursue a
role if they only fulfil 50-60 percent of the requirements.
The gender imbalance costs firms money, as those who fail to attract, retain and
promote women to top leadership positions experience a significant drain on resources and
talent. AMcKinseystudy (iv) found that companies with the highest female representation in
top management positions achieved return on equity of 41 percent higher than companies
with the lowest representation.
Recent moves in Europe, where the European Parliament passed a vote requiring
large, listed companies ensure women hold 40 percent of non-executive board seats by 2020
(v), are a timely reminder of the need for companies to act. This directive may lead to female
leaders in other regions being called upon to take up board positions in Europe, resulting in a
costly drain on talent in some markets.
Giving women equal opportunities and enabling them to reach their full potential also
offers macroeconomic benefits. In Japan for example, by 2030 the National Institute of
Population and Social Security Research estimates the labour force will have contracted by
over 15 percent (vi), threatening GDP growth and placing a high burden on those in work to
provide benefits for a growing number of retirees. Women could be a key solution to this
problem as they are currently underrepresented in the workforce and often overlooked for
senior positions. Japan is now committed to changing the levels of female participation with
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe recently reviving a government target set a decade ago, of raising
the proportion of women in leadership positions to 30 percent by 2020. Listed companies are
also required to appoint at least one woman to their board of directors. In a positive first
move, Honda has just announced its first female board member, Hideko Kunii (vii).
The benefits of gender balanced boards are well documented, not only do women
serve to better represent the needs and wants of shareholders, but they bring a fresh dynamic
and a skillset that enriches the boardroom. It is proven that greater diversity ensures a better
outcome, so why is progress stalling?
The recent report by Community Business on Board Diversity (viii), highlights 92
percent of those questioned identified barriers to making boards more diverse, with 33
percent stating the inability to identify diverse board candidates.
Through the development of the Women’s Directorship Programme and contact with
our global network of senior businesswomen, we know the talent is out there and the old
arguments are redundant. Fundamentally, creating more balanced teams leads to better, more
robust decisions, improved performance and mitigates risk. When this is viewed as a
business issue rather than a gender issue why would you neglect or fail to engage with almost
half of the workforce, clients and other stakeholders?
The key issue for all firms is the retention of female talent – maintaining a strong
pipeline is essential in order to make a change at board level in the future. Currently
increasing numbers of women are choosing to opt out (ix) of the workforce at middle
management and policies need to be implemented to ensure all our best and brightest female
talent stay engaged.
The diversity agenda needs to be led from the top, change comes with buy-in from
senior management. Engaging more male champions within every organisation is critical as
they currently hold the influence to make this change.
Introducing the Women’s Directorship Programme
Issues at play
Gender diversity is a long debated and discussed issue, but we were seeing little
action being taken to tackle the root cause of the issue.
There are many factors at play that impact on the existing gender imbalance - societal
expectations, family pressures, workplace culture and environmental barriers. In Asia in
particular the double burden of balancing work and family pressures wears many women
In the context of all these global issues, and a clear business need to change the
dynamics of boardrooms across the globe, Harvey Nash set out to discover steps that were
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being taken to enhance the readiness of female talent to take on board positions. What we
identified was a huge gap between discussion and action – there were no internationally-led
programmes available to support women to build their confidence and prepare them for the
next step in their careers. Therefore in 2012 Harvey Nash partnered with The University of
Hong Kong and the Women’s Directorship Programme was created to answer the worldwide
business community’s call to tackle the existing gender diversity imbalance.
participants develop their own set of strategies tailored to their career ambitions, situation
and personality, recognising that these will evolve over time as new challenges arise and
elements in their lives change.
Harvey Nash and Executive Education of the Faculty of Business and Economics
launched the certificated Women’s Directorship Programme in early 2013 with a view to
enabling participants to be more effective at managing boards, and serving to increase the
supply of board-ready women executives across geographies and business sectors.
• The Real-World Roles of Board and Committee Members
The partnership between an academic institution and a commercial enterprise enabled
two entities to combine their expertise and connections. This CSR-led programme has
captured the attention of the worldwide business community serving to focus attention on the
gender agenda and enabling senior leaders to take action.
The aims of the programme are two fold:
• Firstly to increase the pool of board-ready female talent, ready to take on the challenges of
the boardroom
• And secondly to raise the importance of equal opportunities in the workplace, enabling
women to reach their full potential
The Women’s Directorship Programme has two core components – world class
teaching by international faculty members of The Hong Kong University and real life case
studies and thought leadership delivered by senior business leaders.
We engaged an array of international guest speakers in the programme who are
champions of diversity including Sir Roger Carr, Chairman of BAE Systems; Donald
Brydon, Chairman of Sage Group and Royal Mail; Susan Gilchrist, CEO of Brunswick
Group; Ruth Markland, Senior INED of Standard Chartered Bank and Arcadis, Anne Minto,
INED of Shire and Tate & Lyle, John Rice, Vice Chairman of GE and Jean-Pascal Tricoire,
Chairman & CEO of Schneider Electric.
The programme aims to address contemporary issues in the workplace and enables
the participants to share openly with their female peers. There is no one size fits all solution
to address the lack of women directors. However this programme is aimed at helping
The programme includes five modules, taught over two three-day sessions and covers
the following subjects:
• Persuasive Communication and Conflict Resolutions
• Public Company and Securities Market Regulation
• Board Appointment and Strategic Leadership
• Ethics and Compliance
The course is designed to equip participants with the skills and knowledge needed to
demonstrate they are ready for the responsibilities of the boardroom as a Director or NonExecutive Director. It also helps women already on boards who want to improve their skills
and knowledge to a world-class level – many of those involved in the programme are already
board members, highlighting the caliber of the female talent involved.
There are a number of requirements all participants need to meet in order to ensure
that the programme is conducted to suit a certain skillset and level of understanding. These
requirements ensure that all participants gain the maximum benefit from the six-day
programme:
• All participants must have been working in a leadership role for five years or more
• All participants must have financial exposure / responsibility for P&L
The class sizes are restricted in order to ensure the best quality teaching for the participants
and in order to manage the development of each participant effectively. All candidates are
vetted to ensure they fit the profile of the programme participants.
Results:
“In this fast paced world we need to ensure the business community evolves
to best reflect the interests of consumers – well balanced boardrooms are
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important in achieving success. This programme is most beneficial in terms of
enhancing the development of women leaders to provide the next generation
of board members.”
Donald Brydon, Chairman of Sage Group and Royal Mail and guest speaker
Board diversity is an essential ingredient for continued growth and business success.
The Women’s Directorship Programme has proved to be a positive catalyst in empowering the
next generation of women leaders to gain the confidence and skills needed to secure board
positions.
Regarding our primary objective of increasing the pool of board-ready female talent
ready to take on the challenges of the boardroom, thirty women have now gone through the
programme within the first year.
Fifteen participants from a range of business sectors, including banking and finance,
telecoms, insurance, communications and logistics, took part in the inaugural programme in
early 2013. Fifteen more are currently going through the second installment of the
programme. The women benefit from peer-to-peer learning with those from other industry
sectors and markets, with many travelling from the other side of the world to join the
programme.
After the completion of the inaugural programme, 30 percent of the participants went
on to hold board positions and a further 30 percent achieved a promotion.
The Women’s Directorship Programme alumni network serves to provide on-going
support and networking opportunities to ensure the past participants are well placed for the
next step in their careers.
Ruth Rowan, Marketing Director AMEA of BT Group, a participant on the inaugural
programme, described the course as an opportunity to broaden her experience and perspective,
and highlighted the opportunity to network with senior business leaders. She added: “I’m
certainly delighted that I took the initiative to join this course and would encourage anyone,
male or female to think more broadly about how we invest in developing ourselves to the
same extent that we consider how we develop our teams and our businesses. It’s only going to
be a win-win for everyone.”
See more responses here (x).
Secondly we planned to raise the importance of equal opportunities in the workplace,
enabling women to reach their full potential. Results to date include:
• The involvement of the business community (including over 20 business leaders as guest
speakers) and their commitment to change
Benefits realised to date for the participants include:
• Enhanced networks and visibility
• The programme itself has been cited as best practice by the business leaders involved and
has received widespread coverage in global outlets including The FT, International New
York Times and Bloomberg
• Increased confidence
• Defined career plans and objectives
• Higher profile within their companies and externally
• Exposure to additional board roles
The Women’s Directorship Programme has highlighted the keys to success in a
woman’s career – sponsorship, mentoring, coaching and networking. The programme has
enabled participants to develop board communication and management skills, develop tailored
strategies to realise their career ambitions, gain access to senior business leaders and benefit
from peer-to-peer learning from high achieving women from different business sectors and
cultures.
• It is recognized by the 30% Club (xi) London and Hong Kong as a transformative initiative
and has gained high renown with Chairmen of FTSE 100 companies
In terms of the wider implications of this programme, it has served to highlight the
numbers of women ready to take on board roles and has enhanced the visibility of the issue as
a whole. This in turn serves to inspire other women to follow suit and over the coming years
we will track the enhanced participation rate and better business outcomes as a result.
The programme is a long-term approach to manage the pipeline of female talent and
promote equal opportunities for women.
Together with the business community we are committed to creating lasting change by
unlocking the talent pipeline and enabling more senior women leaders to reach the boardroom.
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We are already starting to see the transformation through the enlarged group of board-ready
participants and their impact as agents of change.
gress and work their way up the ladder to take on these senior roles in the future. Social
dynamics are shifting, men are no longer the sole breadwinners and it is widely recognised that
women make 80 percent of all purchasing decisions.
Growth of the programme
The first programme took place in April and June 2013. The second Women’s
Directorship Programme is underway (Session One in February and Session Two in March
2014) and due to high demand we are planning to run two installments this year. The third
programme will be offered in October and November 2014.
We have ambitious plans to expand the Women’s Directorship Programme into new
markets in the coming years to help drive further change.
Next steps
Development programmes such as the Women’s Directorship Programme are only one
piece of the puzzle for improving the representation of women on boardrooms and senior
positions across the world. Changing representation at the top will only be truly possible with
the commitment from companies – to change existing embedded practices, search firms – to
focus on how they identify talent, and women themselves.
Programmes such as the Women’s Directorship Programme serve to raise the business
benefits of balanced boards and the visibility of the plethora of female talent out there. In turn
it also enables women to see the opportunities that exist.
It makes sense for women to achieve the same success as men across the globe – the
business community just needs to readjust and realise the full value women bring to the
boardroom table.
Notes and References
i Wo r l d w i d e B o a r d r o o m s t a t i s t i c s f r o m G M I R a t i n g s
2013: http://info.gmiratings.com/Portals/30022/docs/gmiratings_wob_042013.pdf?submissionGu
id=05f4980d-638e-428a-b45c-69517342345c
ii Global workforce statistics, World Bank – Women and the 2012 World Development
Report: http://econ.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/EXTDEC/0,,contentMDK:23002997~
pagePK:64165401~piPK:64165026~theSitePK:469372,00.html
iii Catalyst website: http://www.catalyst.org/knowledge/by-the-numbers
Women need to adopt the four keys to success as highlighted through the Women’s
Directorship Programme. These elements, coupled with the support of their peers,
organisations and on-going training, in addition to commitments from search firms, will result
in a positive uplift of the number of women progressing through the ranks:
i v M c K i n s e y Wo m e n M a t t e r
2007-2009: http://www.globewomen.org/Diversity/2011%20Diversity%20Colloq/Fiona%20Grie
g%20PPT.pdf
• Mentoring programmes – either becoming a mentor and passing on knowledge to others, or
finding a mentor
vi National Institute of Population and Social Security
Research: http://www.ipss.go.jp/index-e.asp
• Coaching – enhancing confidence and up-skilling
vii Honda appoints first female to the
board: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/25/business/honda-appoints-first-woman-to-board.html?
emc=edit_tnt_20140224&tntemail0=y&_r=1&utm_content=buffercbf89&utm_medium=social&
utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer
• Sponsorship – earning the right to have a sponsor
• Networking – women are naturally excellent networkers in a social setting, but they need to
refocus their efforts on professional networking.
Now is the time for change
With the global average of women holding board positions standing at just 10 percent,
the big focus needs to be managing the pipeline – ensuring women leaders are ready to pro-
v EU Parliament proposal:
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CELEX:52012PC0614:EN:NOT
viii Community Business, Board Diversity in Hong Kong: Directors' Perspectives
2013:http://www.communitybusiness.org/DOB/latest-research.htm
ix Forbes, “Why is ‘opting out’ a bad word for women?”,
2012: http://www.forbes.com/sites/meghancasserly/2012/02/28/why-is-opting-out-a-bad-word-fo
r-women/
x P a r t i c i p a n t s r e s p o n s e s f r o m t h e Wo m e n ’ s D i r e c t o r s h i p P r o g r a m m e
website: http://www.wdpglobal.com/alumni/
xi The 30% Club website: http://www.30percentclub.org.uk/
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Empoderamento feminino sem fronteiras
Resumo: A Igualdade de Gênero e o empoderamento das mulheres são Direitos
Humanos e pré-requisitos para o sucesso do desenvolvimento socioeconômico, sendo
ações para redução da pobreza, construção da governabilidade democrática,
prevenção de crises, recuperação e promoção do desenvolvimento sustentável. Neste
texto, a Educação é apresentada como uma importante iniciativa para promover o
empoderamento feminino, tomando por base as atividades da Organização Não
Governamental brasileira Educadores sem Fronteiras. Esta organização, ao fornecer
ações educativas complementares gratuitas em regiões de alta vulnerabilidade sóciocultural-educacional, permite que diversas meninas passem a ter suas histórias de vida
transformadas por meio da Educação.
Palavras-chave: educação, direitos humanos, igualdade de gênero, Educadores sem
Fronteiras.
Female Empowerment Without Borders
Abstract: Gender equality and women's empowerment are Human Rights and
prerequisites for the successful development, and actions to reduce poverty, build
democratic governance, crisis prevention and recovery, and promoting sustainable
development. In this paper, Education is presented as an important initiative to
promote female empowerment, based on the activities of Non Governmental
Organization Brazilian Educadores sem Fronteiras. This organization, by providing
free complementary educational activities in areas of socio-cultural-educational high
vulnerability allows several girls start to take their life stories transformed through
education.
Keywords: education, Human Rights, gender equality, Educators Without Borders.
Valdir Lamim-Guedes
Eliane Santana
Luciene Silva Souza
Paulo Guilherme Martins da Rocha
Instituto Educadores Sem Fronteiras.
[email protected]
web: www.educadoressemfronteiras.org.br
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A educação é um direito que exige acesso igualitário à educação de boa
qualidade para todos; um processo educacional no qual meninas e meninos,
bem como mulheres e homens, tenham oportunidades equivalentes de desenvolver plenamente seus talentos e de alcançar resultados que confiram benefícios sociais e econômicos a todos os cidadãos, sem discriminação.
(UNESCO, 2003).
Todas as pessoas nascem livres e iguais em dignidade e direitos e têm direito à
instrução (ONU, 1948). Ambos são Direitos Humanos, adotados pela Assembleia Geral das
Nações Unidas desde 10 de dezembro de 1948. No entanto, a desigualdade étnica e de gênero
demonstram o desrespeito a eles.
Em 2000, 57% das 104 milhões de crianças que não frequentavam a escola eram
meninas, e dois terços dos 860 milhões de adultos analfabetos eram mulheres. Em nenhuma
sociedade, as mulheres desfrutam das mesmas oportunidades educacionais oferecidas aos
homens. Sua jornada de trabalho é, além de mais longa, pouco reconhecida. Suas
oportunidades e opções de vida são mais restritas que as dos homens.
Na figura abaixo, é clara a relação entre gênero e etnia com uma maior taxa de
desemprego (Unifem e Unicef, 2004).
Segundo Koïchiro Matsura, Diretor Geral da UNESCO entre 1999 e 2009, movimentos como a Educação para Todos (EPT) tratam, basicamente, da igualdade: “Se as crianças
forem excluídas do acesso à educação, elas serão privadas de seus direitos humanos e impedidas, da forma mais básica, de desenvolver seus talentos e interesses” (Unesco, 2003, p. 1). O
EPT e outros movimentos como a Educação Global, a Educação para a Paz e aqueles que
promovem uma Educação Critica, reconhecem o papel político da educação, como fez o
pedagogo brasileiro Paulo Freire (1921-1997) em sua obra, sobretudo ao apresentar uma
concepção libertadora da educação (Freire, 2002).
Entre os Objetivos do Milênio, o 3 se refere à promoção da igualdade entre os sexos e
à autonomia das mulheres, eliminando as disparidades em todos os níveis de ensino. Isto é,
superar as divergências no acesso à escolarização formal e promover políticas que ofereçam
oportunidades para mulheres ocuparem papéis cada vez mais ativos no mundo econômico e
político, ações essenciais para a superação das desigualdades de gênero (OdmBrasil, 2014).
O empoderamento (empowerment, em inglês,) das mulheres é importante não apenas para o
cumprimento do objetivo 3, mas para vários outros, em especial os ligados à pobreza, fome,
saúde e educação. No Brasil, as mulheres já estudam mais que os homens, mas ainda têm menos chances de emprego, recebem menos do que homens trabalhando nas mesmas funções e,
quando não ocupam os piores postos (Pnud, 2012).
Entre os Sete Princípios de Empoderamento das Mulheres: igualdade significa
negócios, propostos pelo Fundo de Desenvolvimento das Nações Unidas para a Mulher
(UNIFEM), o 4º. se refere à promoção da educação, ao treinamento e desenvolvimento
profissional das mesmas (Unifem, 2010). Ou seja, o reconhecimento do papel da educação na
promoção da igualdade financeira para as mulheres. Bem como, o estimulo a esforços para
que as mulheres tenham igualdade de acesso à educação elementar, mas incluindo-se a
profissionalizante, ao passar a frequentar os bancos universitários. Isto passa a ser
especialmente importante se considerarmos que as exigências são maiores em relação à formação feminina para ocupar melhores cargos.
A educação, em diferentes níveis, deve ser
um esforço da sociedade, como de políticas públicas, visando a igualdade de gênero. O princípio 6º,
trata de “promover a igualdade através de iniciativas comunitárias e de defesa”. Estes dois
princípios de Empoderamento das Mulheres são
complementares, pois devem ser desenvolvidos
dentro das comunidades, com o apoio do Estado.
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Nº 7
A qualidade da educação básica pública no Brasil é baixa, sobretudo nas escolas das
periferias, como no bairro Jardim Ângela, região sul da cidade de São Paulo. A Organização
não Governamental Instituto Educadores Sem Fronteiras (ESF), nascida em 2008 a partir do
sonho de Nádia (co-fundadora do Instituto) de entrar na Universidade de São Paulo (USP)
(mais sobre este sonho em Blog da Redação, 2008), desenvolve um importante trabalho de
permitir aos educandos complementar os estudos formais fora do período escolar. Isto tem
sido essencial para os oitenta educandos atendidos no projeto, entre Ensino Fundamental (ciclo II) e Ensino Médio.
Este trabalho está em consonância com a Missão do ESF que é de “apoiar crianças e
adolescentes em
risco social, proporcionando o
desenvolvimento
d a s p o t e n c i a l idades do cidadão,
através da
educação complementar e da democratização do
conhecimento”
(Educadores Sem
Fronteiras, 2013).
A atividade
principal do ESF é
a de proporcionar
educação complementar gratuita
em regiões de alta
vulnerabilidade sócio-cultural-educacional - Jardim Ângela e na região oeste de Sâo Paulo,
próximo ao Conjunto Habitacional (Cohab) Raposo Tavares -, oferecendo aulas transdisciplinares, com vários elementos lúdicos e conectadas com a realidade dos alunos e também encontros e expedições culturais que possibilitem, além do acesso, a construção autônoma do
conhecimento. Assim, se pode “instigar a curiosidade, resgatar o fascínio, democratizar e
viabilizar sonhos...”.
Com o apoio extra, muitos educandos conseguem entrar em um curso técnico ou
superior, o que para o Instituto é o resultado de uma grande superação pessoal, sobretudo,
para as meninas. Ou seja, o ESF proporciona um empoderamento empírico e científico para
estas jovens, permitindo-lhes que reescrevam suas histórias. A seguir, destacamos algumas
dessas histórias de vida que encontraram um colorido novo por meio da Educação.
Quando eu entrei no Educadores Sem Fronteiras, não imaginava a importância
que esse lugar teria pra mim. Mesmo sem gostar de estudar, me esforcei porque
sabia que precisava passar em uma boa faculdade; e com o método de ensino
“Sem Fronteiras”, descobri que estudar pode ser muito legal! Apenas um
semestre como educanda me fez refletir sobre muitas coisas e mudar meus
conceitos sobre educação! Hoje, sou bolsista em uma das melhores faculdades do
país e continuo em busca do saber, porque descobri que eu sou Sem Fronteiras!
Thawane, educanda do
ESF em 2010, uma das primeiras colocadas do curso de
Administração do Centro
Universitário da Faculdade
de Engenharia Industrial
(FEI) em 2011. É estagiária
do setor administrativo financeira do ESF. Na reportagem da Rede Globo (2012),
além da descrição das
atividades do ESF, há um
vídeo com um trecho do depoimento da Thawane.
Os Educadores, na minha
vida, fechou um ciclo que eu
não conseguia concluir
sozinha. Tive que estudar por
cerca de três anos solitariamente, até que entrei na faculdade e em seguida, conheci a ONG.
Comecei a estudar aos sábados com os educadores, enquanto cursava o primeiro ano de
faculdade, pois sentia que ali algo importante iria acontecer. Percebi como é fácil aprender
quando se tem professores interessados no seu crescimento, em turmas pequenas, disponíveis
a tirar as suas dúvidas a qualquer momento, não somente durante as aulas. Lamentei não os
ter conhecido antes, pois teria encurtado o caminho longo que percorri.
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Nº 7
O aprendizado que me proporcionaram foi muito além de matemática, física ou biologia,
porque foi humano, real, profundo. Eles ensinam a sociedade, o universo em que vivemos e
que dele podemos fazer nossas escolhas como bem quisermos, desde que para isso dediquemos nosso tempo, nossa mente, seguindo o nosso caminho e respeitando o caminho daquele
que está também na mesma estrada que nós. Eles não nos dizem isso, eles nos mostram essa
realidade. O Educadores [sem Fronteiras] se importa não só com o nosso intelecto, mas com
o que sentimos e isso é que faz a diferença. Depois que os conheci, toda a minha caminhada
passou a ter sentido, porque percebi que estava certa em acreditar e ter trabalhado para
alcançar um objetivo.
Érica, ex-educanda, estagiária e educadora de raciocínio lógico e letramento do Ensino
Fundamental II no ESF. Bolsista do 2º. ano de Design na Faculdade Oswaldo Cruz.
Comecei a frequentar as aulas e os professores eram muito bons, atenciosos e
me ajudavam muito, principalmente o Paulo, então eu fui todos os sábados,
passava a tarde de sábado lá, aquela distância imensa da minha casa para os
Educadores começou a não mais existir para mim, era como se fosse um
piscar de olhos ir para lá.
Fernanda, ex-educanda e atual educadora voluntária de biologia e química do ESF.
Aprovada entre os primeiros colocados do curso de Nutrição na Universidade Estadual de
Campinas (Unicamp) em 2009.
Estes relatos são representativos do poder da educação como meio para o
empoderamento feminino, permitindo que os sonhos destas jovens possam ser realizados. A
proposta do ESF é de, ao possibilitar o empoderamento das mulheres, também influencie
políticas públicas. Com isto, espera-se que o aparato governamental, com suas políticas e
serviços públicos prestados, substitua o ESF na promoção da igualdade de gênero e facilitação
do acesso à educação.
Referências
BLOG DA REDAÇÃO. (2008). Educadores sem fronteiras. Planeta Sustentável. Disponível
emhttp://planetasustentavel.abril.com.br/blog/blog-da-redacao/126843/
EDUCADORES SEM FRONTEIRAS (2013). Disponível
emhttp://www.educadoressemfronteiras.org.br/home#!educadores
FREIRE, P. (2002). Pedagogia da autonomia. 23. ed. Rio de Janeiro: Paz e Terra.
ODMBRASIL (2014). O Brasil e os ODM. . Disponível
emhttp://www.odmbrasil.gov.br/o-brasil-e-os-odm
ONU (1948). Declaração Universal dos Direitos Humanos. Disponível
emhttp://portal.mj.gov.br/sedh/ct/legis_intern/ddh_bib_inter_universal.htm
PNUD (2012). 3: Igualdade entre os sexos e a autonomia das mulheres. Disponível
emhttp://www.pnud.org.br/ODM3.aspx
REDE GLOBO. (2012). Minuto Criança Esperança é gravado na ONG Educadores sem
Fronteiras. Disponível em
http://redeglobo.globo.com/criancaesperanca/noticia/2012/10/minuto-crianca-esperanca-e-g
ravado-na-ong-educadores-sem-fronteiras.html
UNESCO (2003). Gênero e Educação para Todos: o salto rumo à igualdade (relatório conciso). Disponível em http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0013/001324/132480por.pdf
UNIFEM (2010). Princípios de Empoderamento das Mulheres: Igualdade Significa
Negócios. Disponível emhttp://www.unifem.org.br/sites/700/710/00001126.pdf
UNIFEM e UNICEF (2004). Desigualdades Raciais e de Gênero entre Crianças,
Adolescentes e Mulheres no Brasil, no contexto dos Objetivos de Desenvolvimento do
Milênio. Disponível em http://www.unifem.org.br/sites/700/710/00000163.pdf
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Nº 7
Introduction
Rape in Somalia: Women and ‘Double Victimisation’
Abstract: Rape is crime that ought to be punished and prevented, but in Somalia after
more than two decades of protracted conflict, sexual violence is now being referred to
as ‘normal’ by Human Rights Watch report (1). United Nations human rights argue
that women and girls in Somalia suffer ‘double victimization’ due to the pervasive
nature of sexual violence. The perpetrators of the violence include security agents,
armed gangs and well known neighbours to the victims, all with ‘complete impunity’.
The Federal Government of Somalia is yet to walk the talk when it comes to resolve
to tackle sexual violence.
Keywords: Rape, Somalia, Mogadishu, Women, Girls, Human Rights Watch,
Conflict, Federal Government of Somalia, camp, Internally Displaced Persons,
AMISOM
Somalia has had no centralised and capable governing authority that can safeguard its
most venerable population from sexual violence. The security forces now stand accused for
orchestrating, rather than preventing and prosecuting sexual violence against women, girls
and boys. The Human Right Watch report brings froth the pervasive nature of sexual
violence in the country that has had no central government since 1994 with the most
vulnerable segment of her population with nowhere to turn to. The state security machinery,
which ought to protect the defenceless, happens to be associated with perpetrating, if not
being a silent observer. According to the rights body in its 2014 report titled Here Rape is
Normal: A Five-Point Plan to Curtail Sexual Violence in Somalia, women and girls are a
target from “members of state security forces, operating with complete impunity, sexually
assault, rape, beat, shoot, and stab women and girls (2)”. In Somalia women, girls, and boys
are not even safe even in places where they have sought refuge like in the camps (3). Within
the vicinity of the camp women and girls get attacked when going to the market, field to
fetch firewood. As a result, Somalia women and girls face what the UN’s independent expert
on human rights in Somalia refers to as “double victimization”. First is the rape or sexual
assault itself, then failure of the authorities to provide protection neither effective justice or
medical and social support.
Sexual Violence and the Compounding Factor
The two decades of protracted conflict has resulted in the collapse of medical services
making it torturous for affected women and girls to secure medication. Culture of impunity
and the patriarchal nature of the Somalia police force make it even complicated for the
victims not turn to the police for protection or prosecution of perpetrators. One of the heartbreaking stories in the Human Rights Watch report is that of the 37-year-old single mother of
six, Maryam, who was raped in 2012 at a camp in Wadajir district of the capital Mogadishu.
Patrick Mugo Mugo
Institutional Filiation: Aljazeera Television Producer (F/L), Eastern and
Horn of Africa, Nairobi Bureau and also Conflict and Policy Researcher at
Horn and Eastern Africa
UN’s-mandated University Graduate with Masters of Arts in Media, Peace
and Conflict Studies (2012)
Contacts; [email protected],@PMugoMugo ,
www.mugomugo.com
[…]The four men all raped me one by one while one of them stood guard
outside. I was struggling with the last man and he stabbed me with the bayonet
on his gun. I was screaming and no one came out to help. (On reporting to the
police that one of the rapists was wearing a police uniform she then started to
bleed profusely from my vagina). They told me to go home and wash off the
blood. But before they let me go, they told me I had to wash the floor where I
was bleeding. I sat down, they gave me a brush and I cleaned the floor (4)
This was not the first time Maryam was raped by then five months pregnant and after
the police station humiliating experience, she never returned to the station to pursue her case.
At the back of her mind, fear for retribution from her assailants, among them an attacker
dressed in uniform. Maryam later miscarried, and three months later she was raped again at
night in her tent by a different gang of assailants, notes the report. The Federal Government
39
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of Somalia has in time indicated its intention to tackle sexual violence against women and
girls. In May 2013, the government signed a pact with the United Nations representative on
sexual violence in conflict committing to addressing the problem. The government has yet to
follow its words with action as no credible actions have been taken to protect the women,
girls and boys who now continue to be assaulted.
State of Rape in Somalia
The United Nation’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)
notes, in the first half of the year, 800 cases of sexual and gender-based violence were
reported in Mogadishu, Somalia capital. Jens Laerke, OCHA spokesperson said (5) the rape
perpetrators are said to be armed men and men wearing military uniforms. UNICEF(6)
spokesperson Marixie Mercado also notes that around one-third of the victims of sexual
violence were children, mostly boys with UNICEF and partners providing help to some
2,200 victims. According to UN (7) “between January and November 2012, United Nations
partners and service providers registered over 1,700 rape cases”. With all of these figures, the
actual number is likely much higher, as many victims of sexual violence never report their
experiences to the authorities for various reasons, including fear of reprisals from authorities
or perpetrators. Women and girls are also wary of the ostracism and social stigma associated
with rape and they have little confidence that the authorities will undertake an adequate
investigation into their cases.
Another story in the Rights report is that of 34-year-old Shamso (8) who in early
2013 was raped by three men in her home at night in a camp. The attackers stabbed her when
she attempted to resist in front of her three children.
[...] One of the men came in and raped me while the second and third men
stood outside [the hut] and guarded it. They took turns. The men didn’t hurry
because mostly women live in the camp and are no threat to them. During the
attack, one of them told me, “You can tell anyone that we did this, we’re not
scared (9)
The UN’s report (10) on Sexual violence in conflict note that “sexual violence is
almost universally underreported” and this is due to a number of reasons namely “the risks
faced by survivors, witnesses, humanitarian workers and journalists who come forward,
including the risk of reprisal.” On February 5, 2013 a woman was tried and sentenced after
reporting that she raped by security forces. Not spared also was the journalist who
interviewed her. This ordeal suffered by the victim and by the journalist exposes a strategy to
target and silence the reporting and exposure of sexual violence. Another story is that of
Razmo (11) that the Human Rights watch researchers, whose daughter was raped and die
before reaching the hospital
[...] 17-year-old daughter, who had been raped at the Sarkuusta Camp, died as
they were trying to take her to a hospital several kilometers away. With no
mobile emergency medical services available and with no money to hire a
vehicle or even
Medical services availability is hampered by the departure of international medical
NGO Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) back in 2013 (12) due to insecurity highlighting the
complexity of the prevailing situation in Somalia. Such service could prevent rape victims
from contracting HIV or other sexually transmitted disease as it happened to 28-years-old
Asha (13).
[...] I was raped; I fled and took a minibus back home. … I went to a [local]
hospital first and then after a week I got more ill and went to the hospital on the
Burundi base (AMISOM), but didn’t get treatment… I went to NGO service
provider at the end of Ramadan a month later so it was too late for [preventative
medical treatment]. I had gone to the other hospitals and been treated for a chest
infection. When I went to the two hospitals I didn’t mention that I was raped
because I didn’t know anything about HIV and sexually transmitted infections.
The United Nations High Commission for Refugee (UNHCR) told Right Watch
researchers that, “services for sexual violence are available” across the capital Mogadishu but
victims says they are not aware of such services. The two decades of conflict do not help
either as existing judicial system is weak where it does exits. Compounding the quest for
justice by the victims is the cultural taboo that makes it even torturous to report rape to fear
for reprisals considering that among the perpetrators, some happens to security officers. This
would need training for security officers on issues of human rights to strategies of assisting
victim to initiate prosecution where there favourable grounds. Not all is lost as reports from
Somalia police reports indicate that “about 100 rape cases were opened in Mogadishu
between January and November 2012 (14).” But beneath this, the Mogadishu courts rarely
hands down rape prosecutions, but in July 2013, a court “convicted a neighbour for raping a
15-year-old girl with disabilities in a camp in Hodan and sentenced him to 10 years’
imprisonment (15).” This indicates that with help and time rape perpetrators can face justice
but much will to be done for rape to stop being a ‘normal’ occurrence in Somali.
Sexual Violence and Protracted Conflict
Its twenty four years now since Somalia descended into anarchy and there has limited
progress on the political front towards a stable Somalia. UN reports (16) on sexual violence
talks of the correlation between “spike in the number” sexual violence recorded cases and
“intensification of military operations against Al-Shabaab” in the suburbs of Mogadishu. The
victims caught in this context have been subjected to “repeated and systematic sexual
violence” from “members of organised armed groups and Somalia security forces.”
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Complicating the victims plight is the “inability to identify perpetrators” when it comes to
which armed or security group they belong due to “fear for retaliation.” Reprieve for the
victims would be a functioning and credible judicial system, but that is none-existence in
Somalia.
The Penal Code, under which sexual violence ought to be prosecuted, does
criminalize rape. However rape within the context of penal code is considered as “a crime
against morals rather than against the person.” This is an additional layer on top of the
dehumanization, stigmatization and notion that most women don’t even trust the judicial
system, as it has done little if any to punish the perpetrators. UN observes that there situations
when cases are “settled through traditional mechanisms” where the victims are compelled “to
marry their perpetrator.” While the wheel of justice have been slow and sluggish, as of
November 2013, the “military court had opened 13 cases of sexual violence against members
of the Somali security forces.” Of the cases, one resulted in death sentence, nine still pending
and the other three in acquittal.
Methodology
Desktop Research review from various reports on rape cases in Somalia
Human Rights Watch: Steps to Tackling Sexual Violence in Somali
The Human Rights Watch in their 2014 report proposes a five-point road map as a way of
tackling sexual violence in Somalia. Key among them is “minimizing risk factor” that
intensifies women’s vulnerability especially those living in camps like “joint patrols of
competent and trained” security offices coupled with “community with safety coordinators”
and thirdly campaigns against “existing attitudes of men and women about their roles and
status.” These measures would work if approached from a short to medium and long term
approach and through a collaborative approach.
Second is the need for accessibility to emergency health services to deal with “acute and
long-term physical, psychological and social consequences (17)” of sexual violence. Due to
broken down system due to conflict few of the victims of rape have been able to access postrape care. This could be done by ensuring that “health service provide necessary medical
support (18)” to women more so “medical supplies to treat post-rape care.” The Federal
Government of Somalia will need to walk the talk beyond just pledging that it will tackle
sexual violence. With the security officer being on the spot for sexual violence, then the
government has a role to play beyond just boosting the capacity of the judicial services to
prosecute. The police are very instrumental in containing rape but that cannot be possible if
some of the officers are the perpetrators.
Notes
1Human-Rights-Watch. (2014). “Here, Rape is Normal” A Five-Point Plan to Curtail
Sexual Violence in Somalia.Washington: Human Rights Watch
2Human-Rights-Watch, 2014. P:1, “Here, Rape is Normal” A Five-Point Plan to Curtail
Sexual Violence in Somalia.United States of America: Human Rights Watch
3 According to United Nations, there are 1.1 million people internally displaced persons in
Somalia with 369,000 found within Mogadishu
4 Human-Rights-Watch, 2014. P:1. Summary: “Here, Rape is Normal” A Five-Point Plan
to Curtail Sexual Violence in Somalia. Washington: Human Rights Watch
5 OCHA. (2013, August 16). UN humanitarian wing warns of pervasive sexual violence in
Somalia. Retrieved February 19 , 2014, from United Nations News Centre:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp/html/story.asp?NewsID=45641&Cr=sexual+violen
ce&Cr1=#.UwRbFe7frMw
6 Ibid
7 United-Nations, 2013, P. 14. Somalia; UN General Assembly Security Council, Report
of the Secretary-General on Sexual violence in conflict. New York: United Nations
8 Human-Rights-Watch, 2014. P:18. Improve Presention Strategies: “Here, Rape is Normal” A Five-Point Plan to Curtail Sexual Violence in Somalia. Washington: Human Rights
Watch
9 Ibid
10United-Nations, 2013, P.4UN General Assembly Security Council, Report of the
Secretary-General on Sexual violence in conflict. New York: United Nations
11, 12, 13, 14, 15 Ibid
16 United-Nations, 2013, PP. 14-15. Somalia; UN General Assembly Security Council,
Report of the Secretary-General on Sexual violence in conflict. New York: United Nations
17 Ibid
18 Human-Rights-Watch, 2014. P:1. Summary: “Here, Rape is Normal” A Five-Point Plan
to Curtail Sexual Violence in Somalia. Washington: Human Rights Watch
41
Nº 7
Turning Policy into Action: One Adolescent’s On-the-Ground
Activism
Abstract: The battle to help improve women’s lives is taking place on two levels: on the
policy level (such as the UN’s Millennium Development Goals) and on the ground, though
local projects and NGOs. The author explores the connection between these two, based on
her three years as an adolescent activist in countries such as Guatemala, Brazil and inner-city
America. Harnessing the potential of young girls is a stated goal of the MDGs, as helping
empower women brightens the future of not only themselves but also their families,
communities and countries. Around the world, girls are denied access to contraception,
family planning and the ability to hope for a brighter future. In addressing these issues, there
are existing organizations that are working towards gender quality by: 1) Educating
communities on the potential of young girls; 2) Providing girls with a voice to break
generational-cycles, and 3) Making contraception and family planning accessible. Through
the works of numerous organizations throughout the world, girls are obtaining a voice and by
doing so, the entire world is reaping the positive effects.
Keywords: MDG, millennium development goals, empowerment, women, adolescent, cause
and affect, global citizen year, city year, girl effect, nike, guatemala, cleft palate, health care,
teen pregnancy, family planning, julia carter, adam carter, brazil, favelas, rio de janeiro,
community development, bahia, lencois, NGO, contraception, adolescent, contraception,
gender equality, women’s rights.
Julia Carter represents a new generation of young global activists. She
eschewed the traditional high school-to-college path, choosing to devote
two and a half years towards international travel and community service
before college. She completed a Semester of Service with our partner
organization Cause & Affect Foundation, served as a Fellow for Global
Citizen Year in Bahia, Brazil and is currently a City Year Corps member in
an inner-city high school in Providence, Rhode Island. She will begin
university in fall of 2014.
Ideas and movements lay the foundation for social change, but in the end, it is the
people on the ground that make it happen. As we mark the arrival of International Women’s
Day, it is important to ponder upon this year’s theme: Inspiring Change. We can analyze
these goals on an abstract level, looking at world-wide statistics and can then look at more
local cases to see the progress taking place on the ground.
While recent triumphs have allowed women to achieve a much greater degree of
equality, a cursory glance at recent statistics show that monumental progress is still
needed. Across the globe, 222 million women in developing countries that would like to
either delay or stop childbearing do not have the right forms of contraception to do so. In
addition, 16 million girls between the ages of 15 to 19 give birth every year – roughly 11%
of all births worldwide. Faced with such startling figures, it is hard to know where and how
to start tackling such matters. It is due to the severity of these issues that the Millennium
Development Goals (MDGs) hold such a high importance towards the development of
societies around the world. The MDGs, created by the United Nations in 2002, aim to tackle
eight pressings issues plaguing the lives of the world’s poorest.
The MDG we are focusing on today is to promote gender equality and empower
women around the world. This goal aims to give girls their voice back; a single voice has the
potential to change communities and in turn, the world. Ban Ki Moon, the Secretary General
of the United Nations, spoke recently at Davos, the socio-economic world summit. During
his speech, he spoke on this theme. In his powerful and moving speech, he stressed, “You
understand that when we give a girl better health, education and well-being, we see results
far beyond that individual. A girl is as valuable to our world as a tree is to a forest. When a
tree grows up straight and strong, the whole environment benefits. When a girl grows up
straight and strong, her family, her community and even her country can feel the positive
effects.” In order to inspire change throughout the world, the key players in that change must
be aware of their potential to better the lives of their family, community members and
country. The plight of girls is addressed throughout this MDG and it is imperative that we
help “Inspire the Change” that is needed throughout the world. The question then is how do
we best accomplish this on a local level?
Email: [email protected] /
web: www.causeandaffectfoundation.org
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With these issues at hand and the
mindset to tackle these issues, it is
important to zoom in and see what is
actually happening on the ground. My
recent experiences in the field
throughout the Americas has opened my
eyes to these pressing women’s issues.
For the past three years, I have dedicated
my time to assisting and educating
young women about the importance of
family planning and hoping for a bright future. I graduated high school a semester early in
order to travel throughout Guatemala, Panama and Brazil with my brother’s non-profit
organization, the Cause & Affect Foundation. During my time in Guatemala, I volunteered at
a public welfare hospital where I worked with malnourished babies. In working with these
non-profits, I learned that only 5% of Guatemala’s rural poor women use contraception.
Through conversations with women, I could see that they have very little hope for a life
outside of childbearing or a rosy future. Working on a personal level with the malnourished
babies there, a thought sparked in my mind that has followed me throughout my work since:
is there anyway to avoid the suffering so many of these babies are sure to face? Most of the
babies I worked with were unwanted and abandoned, doomed to a life of suffering and
struggle. I could not help but think about the environment that young teenage girls grow up
in, trapped in a cycle of unwanted pregnancy at such a young age, doomed to a life of
struggle just like the babies I worked with.
With the inspiration to do something to help prevent girls from falling into that cycle
and to learn more about the developing world, I took a gap year between high school and
college by working with Global Citizen Year, a yearlong program that places recent high
school graduates into developing countries in order to create the next generation of global
leaders. Through this program, I had the opportunity to live in the northeastern part of Brazil
in a state called Bahia. I lived in the interior of the state in a small town called Lençóis. For
seven months, I volunteered at a local children’s community center that allows the kids
of Lençóis to channel their emotional expression through different forms of art. The project
keeps the kids off the street and provides a nurturing environment for them to learn about
their culture.
While in Brazil, I was chosen by Global Citizen Year to be a representative for a
Nike-sponsored initiative called The Girl Effect, which aims to harness the potential of
young girls around the world and educate them on the potential they have to change their
communities and pull their families out of poverty. Due to my continued desire to help
impoverished women work towards a brighter future, I became interested and motivated by
the mission of The Girl Effect to improve girls’ lives. One of the wonderful components of
The Girl Effect is their hands-on approach to making the lives of girls better. The work that
they are doing towards family planning aligns itself perfectly with the work that I did while
in Brazil. Out of the 120 million women that Girl Effect aims to provide Family Planning to,
26 million of them are adolescents without access to contraception. This huge number of
females represents a challenge that The Girl Effect sees an opportunity. That opportunity is
called “the ripple,” a situation where family planning can have a huge effect, “rippling”
through the inter-generational cycles of poverty. By simply reducing unwanted teen
pregnancy, the theory goes, the entrenched system of poverty can also be broken, building
stronger and more sustainable economies. A good example of their work in the field comes
from Ethiopia, where 20% girls are married before the age of eighteen. In light of this issue,
six years ago, a program was introduced called Berhane Hewan (Light for Eve). Sponsored
by the Ethiopian Government, the United Nations Populations Fund and the Population
Council, this program sought to encourage people to talk about the importance of keeping
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girls in school. The impact of this program has delayed the marriage of 10,000 girls in
Ethiopia, allowing those 10,000 girls to make an impact on their community and have the
opportunity to believe in a bright future!
I was not able to reach 10,000 girls, but I did
have the opportunity to reach out to a high school
class of forty Brazilian girls and boys. After
becoming immersed within the culture of Brazil
and having the chance to see all the beauty and
flaws that are intertwined within their culture, I
was able to detect an issue at hand. While in a lot
of countries, the issue for women is that they do
not have access to family planning and
contraception, that was not the case in my town.
In Lençóis, contraception and family planning is provided for free at every health clinic. The
issue is that even though this contraception is available, teenagers are not aware that it is
accessible. Throughout my time, I visited four health clinics and spoke to various nurses
about the issue of teenage pregnancy. I asked them: if there is so much accessible
contraception, why are so many girls getting pregnant? They answered that many did know
the contraception was available, but many others just chose not to use it. A problem that
plagued the town was how young girls were being manipulated by their boyfriends who told
them that in order to prove they loved them, they had to have their babies. The mentality that
a girl has to do something so drastic and life-changing to please a boy is a troubling mindset
impregnated into their culture. Along with that, I noticed a trend that many of the girls in my
town look at themselves with little self-respect, walking around in tight, revealing clothes and
treating their bodies and lives with little dignity.
In order to address these aspects of Brazilian society and incorporate the values of
Girl Effect, I delivered a presentation to a group of high school students about the importance
of maintaining respect for yourself and others. I partnered up with a local nurse who gave a
presentation on the contraception available to them. I encouraged them to use these tools and
spoke about how important it is to dream for a brighter future and expect more out of yourself
than having babies. Together, we spoke about how in order for them to receive respect, they
must respect themselves first. The presentation, delivered entirely in Portuguese, inspired
meaningful conversations between the high school students and sparked the realization
amongst their teachers in attendance that many of their students are not fully grasping their
own potential. Though the speech was far the most nerve-racking experience of my life, it
was also one of the most rewarding. Not only was I able to learn about the Brazilian culture
throughout my experience, but I also had the opportunity to learn that the things that are
happening to Brazilian adolescents do not stray too far from what is happening to American
kids of the same age.
Eager to learn more about the comparisons and contrasts between the two societies, I
decided to take another gap year in order to
volunteer in an inner city public school. I am
currently serving as a City Year Corp Member in
Providence Rhode Island in a 7th grade math
classroom. In the after school space, I help run a
program called Girl Talk, which is aimed to be a
safe space for young girls (sixth through eighth
grade) to discuss the obstacles they face in school
and in society. We aim to inspire the girls to aim
for a bright and hopeful future through discussionbased sessions.
One thing that I have learned throughout all my travels and volunteering is that the
small things can make the biggest impact. Even though Girl Talk only reaches the minds of
thirty girls, those thirty girls have the potential to change generations of lost potential. A
movement can start with just one girl who decides to change her fate and believes in inspiring
a broader change.
The MDGs on one level, are abstract and quite visionary, but each of those goals point
out a struggle that is happening on the ground and effecting the lives of millions. The success
of the MDGs is dependent upon organizations like The Girl Effect and Girl Talk where girls’
around the world are being educated on the potential that their lives hold. Women around the
world are gaining their rights and proving that they can break generations of oppression and
poverty. While a long road stands between us and the success of the MDGs, it is imperative
that we maintain the mindset of inspiring change and continue to push forward. The
Millennium Development Goals may sound like abstract ideas, but there is an army of
activists, teachers, therapists and policy-makers committed to improving the lives of girls and
women. Now that I have spent a few years on the front lines, I look forward to participating
in the struggle towards equality.
44
21st September
International Day of #Peace
Con el apoyo de la
Oficina de
Santiago
Organización
para la Educación,
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Global Education Section
1.
Mulheres Rurais: Cooperação Internacional para Estudos
Multidisciplinares de Gênero, Educação, Cidadania e
Responsabilidade Social da Universidade
Resumo: O presente artigo relata a experiência e parceria do Observatório da
Educação em Direitos Humanos, Cidadania e Violência com a cooperação
internacional com o Centro de Estudios de La Mujer de Salamanca e o Observatório
de derechos Humanos da Universidad de Valladolid para o desenvolvimento de
estudos multidisciplinares de gênero e direitos humanos.
Palavras chaves: gênero, cooperação internacional, direitos humanos, pesquisa e
pós-graduaçao.
Introdução
Em pleno século XXI mulheres rurais ainda lutam para afirmar seus direitos humanos
em uma sociedade machista e excludente que insiste em sonegar direitos fundamentais seja
no Brasil, seja na Espanha. Essa é a conclusão a que chegam pesquisadores (as) do Observatório da Educação Direitos Humanos, Cidadania e Violência (OBEDHCV) – projeto em
rede da Universidade do Estado da Bahia (UNEB), Universidade Federal da Bahia (UFBA) e
Universidade Católica do Salvador (UCSAL), financiado pela CAPES e o INEP – e do
Centro de Estudios de la Mujer (CEMUSA) da Universidade da Salamanca (USAL),
Espanha, quando decidem firmar um acordo de cooperação institucional e internacional envolvendo as respectivas Universidades e Centros de Pesquisa para tratar de um tema tão
importante como Mulheres Rurais, principalmente, em relação a sua educação e ao processo
de emancipação social.
O presente artigo relata a experiência que vem sendo travada pelas instituições no
projeto de cooperação internacional que envolve o desenvolvimento de projetos de pesquisa
em comum, a mobilidade de professores e estudantes, a realização de estudos compartilhados, seminários, workshops, conferências, oficinas nos dois países e a publicação de artigos
científicos e livros pelas instituições envolvidas. É importante desde logo destacar que a
cooperação internacional é um dos grandes desafios para a pesquisa e a pós-graduação brasileira, bem como é um das principais metas do atual Plano Nacional de Pesquisa e PósGraduação (PNPG 2011 a 2020). Nos termos do estudo em direitos humanos, essa
cooperação é prevista também no Plano Nacional de Educação em Direitos Humanos
(PNEDH).
2.
Universidades e Centro de Pesquisa
A cooperação internacional pressupõe o diálogo recíproco entre instituições nacionais
e estrangeiras com foco no desenvolvimento dos dois países. Apesar de desejável a
cooperação esbarra em problemas que vão desde o idioma até a falta de uma legislação que
favoreça a estes acordos. Contudo, com criatividade grupos de pesquisa no Brasil e no exterior buscam a formação de acordos e convênios de cooperação tendo em vista a pesquisa em
José Cláudio Rocha
Professor Titular UNEB e Pesquisador em Direitos Humanos.
Professor permanente do Doutorado Multi-Institucional e Multidisciplinar em Difusão do Conhecimento. Coordenador do OBEDHCV
Denise A. B.F. Rocha
Professora Pesquisadora UNEB/UAB. Pesquisadora do OBEDHCV
E-mail: [email protected]
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áreas de interesse mútuo. Nesse sentido, os estudos em direitos humanos, em especial, na
perspectiva de gênero têm caráter multi, inter e transdisciplinar o que favorece a cooperação
internacional nesse campo. Como afirma a socióloga Nair Bicalho a cidadania planetária é
um projeto plural, solidário e participativo que une povos e nações no mundo inteiro
(BCALHO, 2004).
Por fim monitora a implementação e execução de planos e programas nacionais como o
Plano Nacional de Educação Direitos Humanos (PNEDH), o Programa Nacional de Direitos
Humanos (PNDH) 3, o Plano Nacional de Educação (PNE) e às Diretrizes Nacionais para a
Educação em Direitos Humanos e dos planos estaduais como o Plano de Direitos Humanos
da Bahia e Plano de Educação em Direitos Humanos da Bahia.
2.1. O Observatório da Educação – Direitos Humanos, Cidadania e Violência
2.2 O Centro de Estudios de la Mujer (CEMUSA) Universidad de Salamanca
No lado brasileiro, a rede do OBEDHCV tem como objetivo geral fomentar a produção acadêmica, a difusão do conhecimento e a formação de recursos humanos em nível de
graduação (iniciação científica) e pós-graduação (mestrado e doutorado), bem como incentivar a articulação entre pós-graduação, licenciaturas e escolas da rede pública de educação
básica, em especial, na formação continuada dos profissionais da educação em temas como
gênero, educação e diversidade na escola; Educação em Direitos Humanos (EDH); educação
para a cidadania e mediação de conflitos e violência na escola; educação para as relações étnicas e raciais; e educação ambiental.
No lado espanhol, o CEMUSA da Universidade de Salamanca (USAL), de caráter
docente e investigador, tem o início de suas atividades como Centro de Pesquisa da USAL
em janeiro de 2002, todavia sua origem data de 1997 quando um conjunto de investigadoras
(es), de áreas de conhecimento diferentes, mas interessadas nos estudos de gênero, criaram o
Seminário de Estudios da Mujer. De 1997 até o tempo presente, o CEMUSA já produziu
mais de 100 (cem) estudos sobre gênero, além da manutenção de uma página na internet de
grande penetração na Espanha e América latina, propiciando a USAL bem como a
comunidade internacional um vasto acervo com informações sobre a realidade de mulheres
na Espanha e em outros locais do mundo (endereço na internet mujeres.usal.es).
Como objetivo específico o Observatório desenvolve pesquisas básicas e aplicadas de
cunho científico e tecnológico voltadas para a aplicação de medidas de gestão para o
desenvolvimento de planos, programas e projetos de formação dos profissionais que atuam
na educação básica e na educação superior. Tem por objeto também a intervenção nos
processos educacionais, a exemplo de políticas públicas, boas práticas, desenvolvimento de
materiais didáticos e instrucionais. Nesse aspecto, além das pesquisas individuais executadas
pelos bolsistas do Observatório, o projeto desenvolve uma pesquisa interinstitucional e
interdisciplinar sobre a representação social dos direitos humanos, da cidadania e da violência, no ambiente de comunidades de escolas públicas de ensino médio da Região Metropolitana de Salvador (RMS).
Desde 2006 0 CEMUSA é coordenado pela professora doutora Esther Quinteiro, professora titular de história contemporânea da USAL. O Centro tem uma característica
pluridisciplinar e interdepartamental e seus estudos e investigações tratam daquilo que se
chama de perspectiva de gênero. A perspectiva de gênero assumida pelo CEMUSA guia o
trabalho de investigação sobre as mulheres desde um paradigma teórico, histórico e crítico,
não só para conhecer a realidade das relações desiguais de gênero em sua profundidade, mas
para transformá-las em direção a uma sociedade mais justa e igualitária (Disponível em
mujeres.usal.es).
2.3Outros partícipes: Observatório de Derechos Humanos de Valladolid
A realização de atividades de formação para profissionais da rede de educação básica
como cursos de aperfeiçoamento, oficinas, workshops, seminários, conferências, palestras,
que pretendem articular o saber cientifico com o saber popular das comunidades envolvidas
com foco no empoderamento (empowerment) e prestação de contas dos gestores públicos
(accountability) também aparece como um dos objetivos específicos do Observatório.
Faz parte dos objetivos também atuar como ator social em espaços políticos, acadêmicos e científicos voltados para a formação da política nacional e local de educação em
direitos humanos como conferências, fóruns, comitê de educação em direitos humanos, reuniões técnicas do MEC/SECADI e MEC/SESU, CAPES/INEP, Secretaria de Direitos
Humanos da Presidência da República (SDH/PR), Secretaria de Educação do Estado da Bahia e Secretaria da Justiça, Cidadania e Direitos Humanos (SJCDH), órgãos responsáveis
pela articulação das políticas de educação para a cidadania e direitos humanos nacional e
local.
Na Espanha, além do CEMUSA/USAL, participará da rede o Observatório de
Derechos Humanos Universidad de Valladolid, centro de excelência da Universidad de Valladolid (Uva) que reúne mais de 80 (oitenta) especialista em direitos humanos de diferentes
áreas de conhecimento. O Observatório de direitos Humanos da Universidade de Valladolid
tem como objetivo:
La finalidad del Observatorio de Derechos Humanos de la Universidad de
Valladolid es el estudio e investigación, divulgación, enseñanza y
promoción de los derechos humanos, conforme se encuentran plasmados
en la Declaración Universal de Derechos Humanos y en los instrumentos
internacionales emanados de ella. A través de una metodología de trabajo
interdisciplinar y abierta, buscará mecanismos que colaboren al efectivo
cumplimiento de los derechos humanos de todas las personas en cualquier
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lugar del mundo.Para cumplir estos objetivos, el Observatorio estará abierto
a todas las opiniones y corrientes de pensamiento comprometidas con la
defensa de los derechos humanos, e igualmente colaborará con entidades y
organizaciones públicas y privadas que puedan facilitar la consecución de
esos fines.El impulso para la constitución del Observatorio procede de las
conclusiones del Congreso Internacional sobre Derechos Humanos celebrado en Valladolid en octubre de 2006. Su creación fue aprobada por el
Consejo de Gobierno de la UVa en sesión celebrada el 21 de julio de 2009
(Disponível em http://www5.uva.es/observatorioderechoshumanos).
O Observatório de Direitos Humanos da Universidade de Valladolid integra a rede por
sugestão dos parceiros da Universidade de Salamanca e tem servido com inspiração ao projeto
do Observatório no lado brasileiro.
humano. Os espaços das atividades de educação não-formal distribuem-se em
inúmeras dimensões, incluindo desde as ações das comunidades, dos movimentos e organizações sociais, políticas e nãogovernamentais até as do setor da
educação e cultura (PNEDH in ROCHA, 2009, p.35).
A cooperação internacional entre o OBEDHCV e o CEMUSA se dará através de projetos de pesquisa em comum que importem na investigação de temáticas de forma multidisciplinar e compartilhada, tentando aprofundar a realidade de mulheres rurais em cada um dos
países; mobilidade de professores e estudantes; missões de pesquisa; realização de cursos, em
especial, sobre metodologias de investigação; bem como a publicação conjunta de artigos
científicos e livros.
4.
A Educação Não-Formal e a Educação Jurídica Popular de Mulheres
Rurais
3.
O objeto do acordo internacional: Mulheres Rurais – Educação e Emanci-
pação
O objeto do acordo internacional que está sendo gestado entre as instituições e centros
de pesquisa é a colaboração no estudo da situação de Mulheres Rurais no mundo, principalmente, em relação a sua educação e emancipação social. É de grande interesse a experiência
tanto do lado brasileiro como do lado espanhol com o que chamamos de educação não-formal,
ou seja, aquela modalidade de educação que não acontece no sistema oficial de ensino, mas
em atividades educativas propostas por movimentos sociais, sindicatos, organizações não
governamentais (ONGS), grupos religiosos entre outro. Em outras palavras, são atividades
educativas e formativas realizadas pela sociedade civil organizada.
Essa modalidade de educação é tratada pelo Plano Nacional de Educação em Direitos
Humanos (PNEDH) como essencial a educação em direitos humanos (EDH), já que o
PNEDH reconhece que foi a sociedade civil organizada a primeira força social a realizar
atividades de formação que podem ser compreendidas como educação em direitos humanos.
Segundo o PNEDH:
A educação não-formal em direitos humanos orienta-se pelos princípios da
emancipação e da autonomia. Sua implementação configura um permanente
processo de sensibilização e formação da consciência crítica direcionada para
o encaminhamento de reivindicações e a formulação de propostas para as
políticas públicas, podendo ser compreendida como: a)qualificação para o trabalho; b) adoção e exercício de práticas voltadas para a comunidade; c)
aprendizagem política de direitos por meio da participação em grupos sociais;
d) educação realizada nos meios de comunicação social; e) aprendizagem de
conteúdos da escolarização formal em modalidades diversificadas; e f)
educação para a vida no sentido de garantir o respeito à dignidade do ser
O método de educação popular difundido por Paulo Freire provocou grandes transformações no Brasil e no mundo e até hoje é a principal referência sobre como educar o povo
para a cidadania e para a democracia. Pensando nesse tipo de educação, as ideias de Paulo
Freire aparecem com uma das expressões da emergência política das classes populares e, ao
mesmo tempo, conduzem a uma reflexão e a uma prática dirigida para o movimento popular.
Segundo Leonardo Boff, entre nós brasileiros a ideia de educação popular está fortemente associada às ideias de Paulo Freire, não porque ele tenha inventado a educação popular,
mas porque, sem dúvida, ele foi quem melhor interpretou e com mais felicidade formulou
uma verdadeira “pedagogia do oprimido”, uma autêntica educação libertadora que se busca
praticar em diferente área do trabalho popular, seja em nível sindical e partidário, seja nas
mais diversas associações e movimentos populares (BOFF, 2012).
Segundo Freire, quando o sujeito social inicia a formação de sua consciência crítica, o
faz numa prática histórica social e materialmente situada, ou seja, o ser humano começa a ser
sujeito social, em contato com outros seres humanos e num contexto de realidade que os determina do ponto de vista do território, de sua cultura e de sua história. Deste modo, a
consciência crítica é uma situação concreta de transformação do sujeito social e de suas
relações sociais com o outro e com o mundo (FREIRE, 2000).
Para Freire, a educação pode ser utilizada para que as pessoas se acomodem com o
mundo em que vivem ou se envolvam na transformação dele. Deste modo a educação pode
ser transformadora ou conservadora da realidade social, numa visão dialética a educação para
a liberdade se constitui como ato de saber, um ato de conhecer e um ato de transformar a
realidade que se procura conhecer (FREIRE, 2000).
A educação popular como formulada por Paulo Freire é a base metodológica pra o que
chamamos hoje em dia de educação jurídica popular. Essa metodologia de educação nasce da
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necessidade de (in)formar os indivíduos sobre quais são os seus direitos e em que medida eles
podem ser exigidos, já que o primeiro passo para a garantia de direitos humanos ou direitos
decorrentes das relações de gênero é a (in) formação tempestiva das pessoas (ROCHA, 2011).
A falta de educação de grande parte da população não acontece por acaso, ela é uma
forte estratégia das elites dominantes para que a dominação aconteça no seio da sociedade,
como afirma Pedro Demo, a pobreza política é muito pior do que a pobreza material já que ela
priva o trabalhador do conhecimento sobre quais são os seus direitos (DEMO, 2004, p.35).
O direito humano a educação é um direito sem o qual outros direitos não podem ser
exercidos, já que sem a educação se torna mais difícil o acesso a igualdade nas relações
humanas e sociais, ao emprego e renda e a serviços sociais básicos.
A Educação Jurídica Popular nasce, portanto da compreensão de um grupo de
organizações não governamentais de que não basta prestar assessoria quando um direito
humano é violado, é preciso investir na formação do cidadão (ã) para que ele passe a exigir dos
gestores públicos a reparação de seus direitos. É no processo de educação que surge a
autonomia, a emancipação dos seres humanos (ROCHA,2008).
Essa modalidade de educação nada mais é do que uma tentativa de fazer chegar ao
povo noções básicas sobre o direito vigente e a legislação, desencastelando o saber jurídico ou
socializando o conhecimento jurídico. Reconhecendo que o direito ainda é uma linguagem utilizada para a dominação, os grupos que realizam esse tipo de formação tentam essa popularização do direito pátrio através de programas como o juristas leigos organizado pela Associação
de Advogados de Trabalhadores Rurais (AATR), promotores legais populares (Grupo de Apoio
e Prevenção à AIDS) e Juristas Populares da Fundação Margarida Maria Alves, Paraíba, entre
outros. Esse tipo de formação segue pelo menos quatro princípios básicos segundo a AATR:
I) A socialização do saber jurídico: mais do que oferecer informações sobre normas e
leis como se tratassem de verdades incontestáveis, procuramos discutir o Direito de
maneira crítica, refletindo a sua própria origem e seus fundamentos sociais, econômicos, políticos e culturais.
II) O desencastelamento do monopólio jurídico: “desencastelar” o saber jurídico
significa retirá-lo do âmbito exclusivo das universidades e dos bacharéis em Direito,
legitimando seu uso pelo cidadão comum. Significa também desmistificar a linguagem
jurídica, tradicionalmente usada como mecanismo de distanciamento, poder e dominação. Assim, buscamos investir no Direito uma linguagem mais comum, simples,
cotidiana, que possa ser apropriada pelos grupos populares e assim compreendida, refletida, questionada.
III) A formação política: a reflexão política sobre o Direito busca desmascarar a pretensa imparcialidade e “verdade” do Direito, destacando-o como espaço de disputa de
interesses diversos, determinado por fatores históricos, sociais e culturais, que pode
servir tanto quanto instrumento de manutenção das relações de dominação quanto
instrumento das lutas emancipatórias;
IV) A emancipação popular: a informação e a reflexão sobre o Direito torna-se uma
possibilidade para que os movimentos e as comunidades possam, se assim quiserem,
desenvolver as ações políticas e jurídicas necessárias à satisfação dos anseios, ao
reconhecimento de novos pleitos (novos direitos) e à não aplicação de normas opressoras (direito de resistência).
(Disponível em http://www.aatr.org.br acesso em
04.03.2014.
5.
Direitos das Mulheres Rurais
Quando olhamos para a realidade brasileira e espanhola, não existem grandes
diferenças em relação à situação das mulheres rurais. Nesse cenário ainda existem problemas
em relação à titulação da terra no nome das mulheres (normalmente a terra é titulada em nome
dos homens); direito humano à documentação básica; a reivindicação de sua identidade no
meio rural e participação política; educação e igualdade de oportunidades; acesso ao território,
trabalho e renda; conciliação do trabalho rural com a vida familiar e invisibilidade do trabalho
da mulher; violência de gênero; atenção a mulher vítima de violência; transmissão dos estereótipos de gênero através das artes e da cultura entre outros (FRADES, 2008).
O estudo dessas questões de forma compartilhada pelos dois países permite o
reconhecimento de boas práticas, a formulação de políticas públicas e estratégias para combater essas violações aos direitos humanos e promover novos direitos. Nesse sentido, um
estudo concreto sore o Plano Nacional de Educação em Direitos Humanos (PNEDH) será
executado, já que a Espanha ainda não tem um plano dessa natureza e o Brasil precisa aperfeiçoar o seu sistema de garantias de direitos.
6.
Responsabilidade Social Universitária (RSU)
A ideia de Responsabilidade Social Universitária (RSU) vem no bojo de um novo e necessário contrato social entre universidade e sociedade, hoje em dia é comum o debate sobre
reforma universitária, especialmente tendo em conta sua responsabilidade social, a ética do
conhecimento e a necessidade de novos paradigmas para enfrentar a crescente complexidade
das problemáticas global e local. Essa urgência está associada ao compromisso de uma
educação superior comprometida e crítica de suas instituições, relação saber x poder e de sua
missão cidadão na produção e difusão do conhecimento.
7.
Conclusão
49
Nº 7
O presente artigo traz um relato da proposta de cooperação entre o Brasil e a Espanha
em estudos de gênero sobre mulheres rurais, particularmente, do acordo de cooperação entre a
rede do Observatório da Educação em Direitos Humanos, Cidadania e violência com oCentro
de Estudios de la Mujer da Universidad e Salamanca e o Observatório de Derechos humanos
Universidad de Valladolid. A cooperação internacional é dos desafios para o crescimento da
pós-graduação brasileira e uma das principais metas do atual Plano Nacional de Pós-Graduação
(PNPG) 2011 a 2020.
A temática dos direitos humanos com ênfase nas dimensões de gênero, etnia e classe
social são transdisciplinares e permitem o diálogo do Brasil com países do mundo inteiro, já
que a construção de um sistema internacional de proteção e promoção dos direitos humanos é
objetivo de todas as sociedade democráticas. A cidadania planetária é um projeto plural, solidário e participativo que une nações no mundo inteiro.
Referências
Associação de Advogados de trabalhadore Rurais. Programa Juristas Leigos. Disponível em
http://www.aatr.org.br acesso em 04.03.2014.
BICALHO, Nair. Cidadania planetária: um projeto plural, solidário e participativo. In: Educando para
os direitos humanos – pautas pedagógicas para a cidadania na universidade. José Geraldo de Sousa
Junior [et. Al.] (organizadores). Síntese: Porto Alegre, 2004.
BOFF, Leonardo. Saber cuidar. Vozes: Petrópolis. 18 Edição, 2012.
MAIS SOBRE OS AUTORES:
José Cláudio Rocha é advogado e economista, especialista em administração pública, pós
graduado em ética, capital social e desenvolvimento, mestre e doutor em educação. É certificado como gestor, conselheiro, mobilizador social, mediador de conflitos e articulador
em direitos humanos. É professor titular da Universidade do Estado da Bahia (UNEB) e
professor permanente do Programa Multi-Institucional e Multidisciplinar em Difusão do
Conhecimento (DMMDC) e do Mestrado Profissional em Gestão e Tecnologia aplicada à
Educação (GESTEC). Líder do Grupo de Pesquisa Gestão, Educação e Direitos Humanos
(GEDH/CNPq). Coordena o Observatório da educação – direitos humanos, cidadania e
violência com apoio da CAPES e INEP.
Denise A.B.F. Rocha é pedagoga, especialista em metodologia do ensino, pesquisa e extensão em educação. Mestre e doutora em educação. É analista universitária na
Universidade do Estado da Bahia (UNEB) e pesquisadora e vice-líder do Grupo de Pesquisa em Gestão, Educação e Direitos Humanos (GEDH). É coordenadora do Observatório
da Educação Direitos Humanos, Cidadania e Violência.
BRASIL, Plano Nacional de Educação em Direitos Humanos (PNEDH). In ROCHA, José Cláudio.
Guia da Educação em Direitos Humanos. UNEB:Camaçari, 2009.
BRASIL, Ministério da Educação. Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior
(CAPES). Plano Nacional de Pós-Graduação – PNPG 2011 a 2020. CAPES:Brasília, DF, 2010.
CEMUSA, Centro de Estudios de la Mujer. Disponível em cemusa, usal.es utilizado em 04.03.2014.
DEMO, Pedro. Pobreza política, direitos humanos e educação. In: Educando para os direitos humanos
– pautas pedagógicas para a cidadania na universidade. José Geraldo de Sousa Junior [et. Al.] (organizadores). Síntese: Porto Alegre, 2004.
FRADES, Valentina Maya. Mujeres rurales: estúdios multidisciplinares de género. Ediciones
Universidad de Salamanca: Salamanca, Espanha, 2008.
FREIRE, Paulo. Que fazer: teoria e prática em educação popular. Vozes: Petrópolis, 2000.
ROCHA, José Cláudio. A participação popular na gestão pública no Brasil. Jus Navigandi,
Teresina, ano 16, n. 2886, 27 maio 2011. Disponível em: <http://jus.com.br/artigos/19205>. Acesso
em: 3 mar. 2014.
Observatório de Derechos Humanos da Universidad de Valadolid. Disponível em Disponível em
http://www5.uva.es/observatorioderechoshumanos)
_____. Guia da educação em direitos humanos. UNEB:Camaçari, 2009.
_____, A Reinvenção Solidária e Participativa da Universidade: um estudo sobre redes de extensão no
Brasil. EDUNEB: Salvador, 2008.
50
Nº 7
“We stand at a critical moment in Earth’s history, a time when humanity
must choose its future.”
The Story of the Green Lane Environmental Diary: Uniting
Children and Cultures through Environmental Education
Abstract: The Green Lane Environmental Diary program, founded in 1999 by Green Cross, is a
school-based educational initiative promoting sustainable development and inspiring students to
become agents of transformative change in their own communities. The initiative underscores a
central aim of the Earth Charter Declaration to “provide all, especially children and youth, with
educational opportunities that empower them to contribute actively to sustainable development.” The
Green Lane Environmental Diary initiative was launched by the Japanese chapter of Green Cross
International, the non-governmental organization founded in 1993 by President Mikhail Gorbachev to
respond to the inter-related challenges of environmental degradation, security and poverty. Since
1999, the Green Lane Diary program has engaged approximately 1.2 million students in more than
8,000 schools in the Asia-Pacific region. For three months, students are encouraged to write down all
their activities and thoughts pertaining to environmental conservation and sustainability. Students
engage in activities like recycling, planting a tree or alternative transportation methods. The idea is
that simple, everyday changes can make an impact on every person’s carbon footprint, even the
littlest ones. Entrants are later recognized for their submissions at award ceremonies and their ideas
are promoted via social media. The success of the Green Lane Diary program in Japan has helped it
spread to three other countries: Sri Lanka, Australia and South Korea. Each edition is operated by the
Green Cross office in the respective countries, who have translated the materials into local languages
and applied them to local contexts. The objective with each national edition, however, is the same: to
engage and influence children to act as agents of change. Green Cross Japan and Green Cross
International are working to expand the project into other countries, broadening the perspective of the
program to other cultures.
Keywords: Green Cross International, Green Cross Japan, environmental education, Green Lane
Diary, environmental diary, sustainability, conservation, Value Change, Green Cross programs
Katy Orell
Green Cross International
e-mail: [email protected]
web: www.gcint.org
Preamble to the Earth Charter.
Inspired by the Earth Charter’s call to involve children in changing earth’s destiny,
Green Cross Japan, led by its Chief Executive Officer, Tsunehiko “Tom” Kawamoto,
established a global program to teach school children “not only by lecture, but by action” on
ways to protect, conserve and sustain the environment.
These ideas laid the foundation for the Green Lane Environmental Diary, which from
humble beginnings in Japan in 1999, has gone onto inspire more than one million students
across Asia and the Pacific to become agents of change for a sustainable future.
“The Green Lane Diary program aims to cultivate environmental consciousness
among elementary school children, spreading the message of responsibility for protecting
earth and humanity through influence,” according to Mr. Kawamoto, who has seen the
initiative spread from Japan to Sri Lanka, Australia and South Korea.
According to the Education for Sustainable Development Toolkit, “simply increasing
basic literacy, as it is currently taught in most countries, will not advance sustainable
societies” (Rosalyn McKeown et al., 2002). Education programs should introduce critical
thinking concepts, data and interpretation skills as well as encourage students to formulate
questions and dissect sustainability issues confronting their communities.
“The achievements are inspirational,” Mr. Kawamoto reflects. “Starting from small
things such as saving water or electricity to picking up trash, children quickly realize the
global perspective of the issue. Many students retain the ecological lifestyle after they reach
adulthood. As a matter of fact, some of the students now research solar battery technology
at universities because of their experience 12 years ago with Green Lane Diary. The
potential of this initiative is great.”
Green Lane Diary, Mr. Kawamoto said, was built from an earlier Green Cross Japan
environmental education program that promoted the importance of recycling wood and
paper products. After a few years, realizing the program didn’t promote active student
participation in ecological matters, Mr. Kawamoto and his Green Cross colleagues went
back to the environmental education drawing board, where they discovered the idea for an
environmental diary.
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“We realized the diary program would target a niche market and we tried to organize
it so participants would be moved toward taking ecological action during the diary writing
period,” said Mr. Kawamoto.
The Green Lane Diary falls in line with ideas laid out in the United Nation’s Agenda
21 plan of action for sustainable development. In Agenda 21, Article 5.e. states that “schools
should involve school children in local and regional studies on environmental health” and
that along with various UN branches, non-governmental organizations should help
implement and support this
education (“Chapter 36”, 1992).
The Green Cross Japan
team focused on two concepts
they felt were critical to Green
Lane Diary’s success: the length
of time children were engaged
and how the project could create
an army of environmental
champions and equip them with
messages and means to influence
green change at home and in their
communities.
Green Lane Diary is a 12week long program. Mr. Kawamoto found that 12 weeks offered
enough time to impress
environmental education on
students and have it stick.
However, there were still initial
worries whether three months of
writing would be too demanding
for 10- and 12-year-old students.
“But we underestimated the energy and enthusiasm children had for the project and
found many of them were able overcome the difficulty and make it fun,” Mr. Kawamoto
said.
As for turning students into positive agents of environmental change, Mr. Kawamoto
explained: “There are many examples of this program being inherited from brothers and
sisters, or from teachers. As we gain larger distribution networks, the message travels about
Green Lane Diary, acquiring more interest from not only schools, but surrounding
businesses which recognize the value of the program as well.”
Green Lane Diaries are composed of two main parts: a guidebook and the diary itself.
The guidebook gives children background information about the environmental concept
they will work on. Topics include
issues ranging from global
warming, renewable energy and
recycling, to name a few. The
guidebook also displays the latest
environmental activities of
governments, businesses and nong o v e r n m e n t a l o rg a n i z a t i o n s .
Finally, the diary section is a space
where children write their everyday
activities and thoughts related to
the environment for the duration of
the program.
As Green Lane Diary began
taking form, Green Cross Japan had
to think of ways to introduce the
program into Japanese schools. The
project’s success depends heavily
on cooperation between educators,
governments and dedicated Green
Cross members.
As Mr. Kawamoto explained: “In
Japan, there are 47 prefectures and each prefecture has its own education board. We
contacted all of them, asking that they inform the superintendent of each school district
about Green Lane Diary.”
In an effort to encourage more schools to participate in the program, several years
after its start, Green Cross Japan received donations from major companies of various
industries, permitting the diary and course materials to be printed and distributed in larger
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numbers. Green Lane Diary also followed core environmental education already embedded
in schools’ curricula.
theatrical competition, a poster competition was created, in which students designed artwork
based upon a theme celebrating World Water Day.
In the 15 years that Green Lane Diary has been operating in Japan, it has reached over
1 million children in 8,000 schools. In 1999, initial circulation of the Diary was 25,000.
From 2006 on, the average number of distributed diaries was 100,000 per year and 60% of
Japanese schools repeated their participation in Green Lane Diary.
Green Cross Sri Lanka hopes to translate Green Lane Diary into predominantly-Tamil
areas after witnessing its success in Sinhala speaking regions.
In 2004, after Green Lane Diary had already been in successful operation for five
years, the third largest earthquake in recorded history released a tsunami, devastating
communities in many nations in the Indian Ocean, including Sri Lanka. Mr. Kawamoto
visited the country, believing instituting a Green Cross office in Sri Lanka would help it
rebuild a greener future.
“We used funds from Green Cross Japan to build a small library for a Sri Lankan
school and created the basis for an operational Green Lane Diary program for 5th grade
school children,” said Mr. Kawamoto. “The diaries were initially handmade textbooks. We
also had to translate the diaries from Japanese into Sinhala, the most widely spoken language
in Sri Lanka.”
For four years, Green Cross Japan supported their Sri Lankan sister organization’s
edition of the Green Lane Diary program, which is now funded by Mitsubishi Corporation.
The program has reached over 7,000 Sri Lankan students in
50 schools since it began in 2005.
Green Cross Sri Lanka’s version of the Green Lane
Diary focuses on climate change and water conservation, as
well as how to protect the environment from tsunami
damage.
As Hasitha Walpola of Green Cross Sri Lanka
explained: “There is little knowledge of the environment
and how to protect it in Sri Lanka. This environmental
program helps children understand the importance of
conservation, sustainability and protection.”
In 2009, Green Cross Sri Lanka organized a short
drama competition among schools already participating in
the Green Lane Diary program. Students became actors and
portrayed issues facing the environment through dramatic interpretation. In addition to the
The link between Green Lane Diary programs in Japan and Sri Lanka is best observed
during the “Children’s Award Ceremony and Environment Symposium,” held every year in
Tokyo, Japan. This event was created to highlight achievements of the most engaged
environmental students. Award winners are chosen based on how well their journal reflects
environmental consciousness, knowledge, action, practice, sustainability and passion.
In 2013 four Sri Lankan students and a teacher were flown to Japan for the ceremony
to commend their extraordinary participation in the program. The Children’s Award
Ceremony “adds value to the diary and offers children an opportunity to not only exchange
information, but also present their own environmental activities,” explained Mr. Kawamoto.
As Ms. Walpola said, “We are extremely thankful that Green Cross Japan introduced
the Green Lane Program to Green Cross Sri Lanka. It has made such an impact in our
communities already and we hope to continue for many years to come.”
In 2010, Green Cross Australia introduced the first English-language version of Green
Lane Diary, guided by the framework of the Japanese model. The project was so well funded
that for two years, the diaries were printed and distributed
for free. In 2013, Green Cross rolled out the first e-version
of Green Lane Diary.
“This is Australia’s largest environmental education
program. We have won so many awards for Green Lane
Diaries. It is really awesome how it’s making young
Australians think about sustainability for the future”, said
Green Cross Australia Chief Executive Officer, Mara Bun.
The Australian diary program has reached a total of 116,000
students in over 600 schools.
Green Cross Australia is planning on launching a Green
Lane Diary fundraising campaign using kickstarter.com this
February. The initiative Down Under has evolved to include
partnerships with other “green” organizations to engage
students in activities like cleaning up beaches or learning about sustainable agriculture, the
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theme for the 2014 Green Lane Diary. They have even created a system to rate how clean and
green schools are.
“The diary supports learning and showcases the actions of children leading the charge
to inspire their peers,” Rebecca Edmonds, Green Lane Diary Project Leader for Green Cross
Australia. “These diaries that change the world encourage children to ‘be the change’ and lead
projects in their homes, schools or communities to inspire and educate others.”
The most recent addition to Green Lane Diary’s international curriculum comes from
Green Cross Korea. When deciding to implement an environmental education program, the
organization based in Seoul wanted to ensure maximum outreach, and it found Green Lane
Diary’s success in three separate countries, three distinct languages and three different school
systems a good fit.
In his initial research into environmental education initiatives, Kui-ho Moon, Chief
Operating Officer for Green Cross Korea, discovered that students were interested in
engaging in environmental activities, but found there was a lack of established programs to
guide them. “Green Lane Diary was the most effective environmental education program we
found,” he said.
Mr. Moon engaged ink and paper companies to donate time and materials to print the
Green Lane Diaries while convincing other businesses to help with distribution. The South
Korean Ministry of Special Affairs also granted funds for the Green Lane Diary project in
2012. Since 2013, the Ministry of Security and Public Administration has granted and
continues to support Green Cross and the Green Lane Diary in Korea.
In 2011, its first year, 100,000 copies of the Green Lane Diary were printed and
distributed to 230 schools in South Korea, with 7,700 students enrolled in the Green Lane
Diary contest, the awards of which were handed out by the Chairman of the National
Assembly.
Students love the program, because it provides incentives to continue with their green
missions. South Korean student, Jun-ho Kwak, who won the grand prize for his Green Lane
Diary, said: “People say that it is hard to break old habits, but I was lucky to have the good
ones and that is why I was given a big present. Make good habits like I did, then you will get
a big present, too!”
Green Lane Diary is continually expanding in South Korea with support from the
government and private businesses, which see the diaries as valuable and effective means to
educate future generations on the importance of making environmental change now.
Xavier Guijarro, Director for Green Cross International’s Value Change program,
which promotes youth environmental education, said the success of Green Lane Diary is due,
in large part, to the “children who are not just the recipients of this education, but are also the
influencers.”
Mr. Guijarro said expansion of Green Lane Diary into the Middle East as well as
Europe and the Americas would be a great next step, but coming up with the funding
necessary to support printing, translation and distribution can be tricky.
As he explained, “Innovative education models like Green Lane Diary have proven to
be successful in the countries where they are functioning. But to expand into new countries
and settings, resources are vital to help reaching out to schools, translating the materials and
covering distribution costs.”
After spending the past 15 years growing Green Lane Diary’s global reach to over one
million students in four countries, Mr. Kawamoto retains his belief in the positive influence
that these diaries can have on children.
Green Lane Diary’s continued relevancy is grounded in its approach, which promotes
an independency to learn more about ecology and nature, to be considerate toward the
environment and to use this knowledge and power to execute these convictions. Perhaps most
important is the belief that the fate of earth and humanity rests with children and it is with
them that change should begin.
Works Cited:
"Chapter 36." Agenda 21. Proc. of United Nations Conference on Environment & Development,
B r a z i l , R i o D e J a n e i r o . N . p . : n . p . , n . d . 3 2 2 + . We b .
<http://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/content/documents/Agenda21.pdf>.
McKeown, Rosalyn, Charles A. Hopkins, Regina Rizzi, and Marianne Chrystalbridge. Education for
Sustainable Development Toolkit. Rep. Waste Management Research and Education Institution, July
2002. Web.
54
Nº 7
“Woman is a miracle of divine contradictions” –
Jules Michelet
The Divine Nature of Women Naturally – A Challenge of 21st
Century
(French Historian: 1798-1874).
The Reflection of Divine Nature in Women
Abstract: Woman is the embodiment of God’s creative power, Shakti. Woman
embodies the feminine aspect of God, through which he created the creation. God
placed within women divine qualities of strength, virtue, love, and the willingness to
sacrifice to raise future generations of his spirit children. Women by divine nature
have the greater gift and responsibility for home and children and nurturing there and
in other settings. Women have a divine role, but some may need help remembering
their true identity. They deserve to be treated with the utmost care, respect, and
dignity. Treating women as such, will empower not only the individual but society as
a whole. Perhaps, as a result, men, women, and children will be able to recognize
what is divine within them and act accordingly. It is important to note that celebrating
the economic, political and social achievements of women on International Women’s
Day (8th March), a global day every year with all respect, appreciation, achievements
and love towards women should be exercised every single day to safeguard and value
the pomp and glory that comes around in day today life in all its natural way.
Keywords: Women, Men, Gender equality, Divine, Natural, Relationship, Health,
Society, Culture.
Once, women were honored as strong, beautiful, creative, sensual beings. In those
ancient times, we humans were keenly attuned to the heartbeat of the planet. Life was lived
on the edge. Women have done a remarkable service to literature and culture. Vedic
scriptures asserted that women and men both are two sides of the same coin. No one is
superior to the other in the materialistic world. Rigved & upnishads mention several names
of women sages and seers notably Gargi & Maitrey. Woman is the manifested divine form of
the same absolute energy, say, masculine energy as is stated by Samkhyas. Seeing divinity
even in a small insect is the core teaching of Hindu scriptures. This idea is reflected in
Bhagavadgita at 16.28. “Looking upon all things as uniformly pervaded by the lord, he does
not try to injure self by self and this attains to the highest goal” (3).
Our survival as a species depended on our ability to live in harmony with the world.
The feminine aspect of life was necessary for our very survival, and the sacred feminine was
honored by ancient around the world as bringer of life, growth, decline, death and rebirth.
Woman was life itself. The power of women in those ancient times was undeniable —
without women, we humans would not be here now. The world changed. We grew apart from
the primal rhythms native to us and we abandoned our old ways to explore human life
through a masculine-centric lens of action and movement. Gifts inherent to women were lost
or set aside. Gifts of the masculine — focus, action, physical strength — were revered and
made central. The balance shifted.
The divine nature and value of a woman
Rashmi Chandran
Founder & Chairperson, Natural Health and Environmental Research,
Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India
E-mail: [email protected] /
https://www.facebook.com/NHEROrg
What does it mean when you see a man get down on his knee, get out his ring, and
propose to a woman? It means that in that act the man recognizes your supreme value. For a
man to get down on his knee, with honor and respect, indicates that you are so valuable. He
wants you to come to him; he wants you to give yourself to him, so he will act in a way to
make you give yourself. But a man should never “have you” just to have you! He’s got to be
worthy of you, or he’s not worth having you! And there is hardly a man out here today that’s
worthy of you giving away yourself to him. Culture is the back bone of any civilized country.
Customs, behaviour etc., ordain the very culture. Indian culture is one of the most ancient
that has been accepted by all historians and scholars of all streams. Even centuries ago,
mother India had witnessed all material and philosophical prosperity in a continuous flux.
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The status of womanhood reached its pinnacle in vedic times for which extant sanskrit
literature is the evidence (11).
Where such fee is not taken (but may be given out of affection by the groom’s side), that is
not selling, but worshiping/respecting and showing affection to the woman [3.54].
Swami Vivekananda said, “In India the mother is the centre of the family and our
highest ideal. She is to us the representative of God, as God is the mother of the Universe. It
was a female sage who first found the unity of God, and laid down this doctrine in one of the
first hymns of the vedas. Our God is both personal and absolute; the absolute is male, the
personal, female. And thus it comes that we now say: The first manifestation of God is the
hand that rocks the cradle”. In Sanskrit treatises, two prominent aspects of respect to women
as mother and wife are glorified. This entire world is the union of prakrti and purusha
according to Samkhya school that stood on the edifice of vedic scriptures (11) (12). Prakrti is
the feminine energy and the Purusha is the masculine form of a single absolute entity. ‘The
salvation and progress of any country depends on its women‘.
If desiring more prosperity in life, father, brother, husband, husband’s younger brother (older
is considered as father only) they all should respect the bride and adorn her (with ornaments)
[3.55].
The Role of Women in Family
yatra nāryastu pūjyante ramante tatra devatāḥ|
yatraitāstu na pūjyante sarvāstatrāphalāḥ kriyāḥ ||
“The divine are extremely happy where women are respected ;
where they are not, all actions (projects) are fruitless”
Manusmṛiti is one of the most influential social text that has moulded much of
practical social behavior, practices of Hindu society in India (7). In the last century, it has
been grossly criticized for political, sectarian and divisive reasons by people who don’t
understand sanskrit, metaphors and have no compassion. This great text has to say on
woman, wife in its practical, spiritual and open-hearted way! This is only a very small extract
from this large book. This should at the same time pay respect to women everywhere and
also give back some good name to this awesome work of social importance.
The wise father (of the girl) shall not take anything by way of ‘fee’ from her groom. By
taking a dowry out of greed (bride price), he becomes the seller of his offspring [3.51].
The relatives who, out of folly, live off of the woman’s property like vehicle, clothes; those
sinners go to worst hells [3.52] (forget about dowry given by the bride’s father, it was more
prevalent for the groom to give bride price, as is in many other cultures as well).
Many Ṛiṣhi-s have prescribed a token fee of a pair of cow and bull in ‘ārṣha’ (आष#) marriage,
but even that is akin to selling your daughter [3.53].
The divine are extremely happy where women are respected (worshiped, figuratively), where
they are not, all actions (projects) are fruitless [3.56].
The family in which the daughters or newlywed brides mourn, that family suffers a quick
destruction; and where they don’t it surely prospers [3.57].
Those homes that these disrespected women (daughters, daughters-in-laws) cast curse upon,
they are eradicated as if destroyed by (the tantric deity of black magic) Kṛityā (क%&या) [3.58].
Hence, men who seek prosperity should always respect women, (and) on solemn occasions
and festivals, adorn with ornaments, clothes and food [3.59].
The family in which the husband is content with the wife and the wife is content with the
husband, is certain to have divine blessings. [this doesn't mean only sexual contentment but
how the two perform their duties to the home, family, their conduct, etc. like how a wife manages the whole house, relations, children, finances etc. or how the husband protects, earns,
has social reputation, standing and circle etc.] [3.60].
If the wife is not attractive (and/or doesn’t attempt to attract with makeup etc.) and/or the
husband is not attracted; the husband’s progeny is not possible on that account of lack of
attraction [3.61].
When the women look beautiful (adorn jewelry, do makeup, dress up) the whole family looks
good, and when they don’t everything looks insipid. [3.62]“
As against the propaganda over Manu’s statement on the liberation of women, it is crystal
clear that women were given a highest position not only in Manusmriti but also in sanskrit
literature (11). Moreover, ‘It is unfair to judge the status of women in the east by the standard
of the west’. In this article, an effort is done to show that women were attributed highest
position in Hindu scriptures and their role as a mother and wife is very crucial in nurturing
the inherited values passed on to us since time immemorial. And to women all over –
mothers, sisters, wives, daughters, friends, in whatever form they meet us, they bring the
divine energy with them. Now this doesn’t at all mean to throw the relation off-balance by
thinking it is only the woman who is divine. But it is to emphasize that they too are divine,
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and not property, slave or object. This also doesn’t mean that all women are always right and
good, just like not all men are right or good (6) (8).
A marriage is always of respect, and is not just for lust, it is family building, providing
a happy, safe trusting environment, where both husband and wife have to be happy to
complete the picture. If the husband is called pati-parameshavara i.e. “husband is ultimate
god”, then the wife is also called gṛiha-lakṣhmī i.e. “prosperity of the home”. Only a balanced,
respectful relationship will give any meaning to it. All individuals inherently possesses male
and female attributes, otherwise there is no balance in the society. A married woman is as
revered as one’s own mother, since mother is the incarnated form of the supreme self. There
might be a belief that ‘male dominated society did not encourage the woman writers in Indian
context.’ In the medieval period, Buddhism duly encouraged women to write the Vinaya
Pithakasand Sutta Pithakas in Pali language. But this itself is not the cause of emergence of
women writers in India. Sri Sankaracharya (8th AD) when visited the city of Mahishmati to
debate with a great scholar Mandana Mishra, he enquires about his house address with some
women carrying water. They guide him by replying in a poetic way in Sanskrit. Also, Ubhaya
Bharati, the wife of Mandana Mishra is a great scholar in Sanskrit and philosophy, who could
not be defeated in debate by Sankaracharya (11).
Henry Steele Commager, an American historian wrote of the late nineteenth century
American woman. “In all matters of church and school, women took the lead. Women not
only controlled education and religion but largely dictated the standards of literature and art
and clothed culture so ostentatiously in feminine garb that the term itself came to have
connotations”. The present status of women is no different than that of the vedic ideals
transferred over times. There are warriors, politicians, writers, scientists, astronauts,
administrators, teachers who perfectly render their job while outdoing a male compatriot. At
the same time masculinity devoid of union with feminity is incomplete in society. It is not out
of context to consider Ms. Suzanne Brogger’s opinion. It is in her words – “If a woman can
only succeeded by emulating men, I think it is a great loss and not a success. The aim is not
only for a woman to succeed, but to keep her womanhood and let her womanhood influence
society”.
The Role of Women in Society
Our women are not incredible because they have managed to avoid the difficulties of
life—quite the opposite. They are incredible because of the way they face the trials of life.
Despite the challenges and tests life has to offer—from marriage or lack of marriage,
children’s choices, poor health, lack of opportunities, and many other problems—they remain
remarkably strong and immovable and true to the faith. Since the creation of the world,
women have played a very important role in shaping the civilization and culture of people.
The role of women in society may change from time to time, but the influence of women has
always been significant. It’s a chance for so many people to move beyond “celebrating” and
take action to create meaningful and sustainable change for women and girls. International
Women’s Day has been observed since in the early 1900′s, a time of great expansion and
turbulence in the industrialized world that saw booming population growth and the rise of
radical ideologies. We do have female astronauts and prime ministers, school girls are
welcomed into university, women can work and have a family, women have real choices. With
more women in the boardroom, greater equality in legislative rights, and an increased critical
mass of women’s visibility as impressive role models in every aspect of life, one could think
that women have gained true equality. The unfortunate fact is that women are still not paid
equally to that of their male counterparts, women still are not present in equal numbers in
business or politics, and globally women’s education, health and the violence against them is
worse than that of men. The United States even designates the whole month of March as
‘Women’s History Month’.
The Role of Men in Women Empowerment
There are many good reasons to engage men in building gender equality, especially
given that some men’s practices, identities, and relations can sustain inequalities. Across the
globe, there is growing interest in the question of men’s roles in fostering gender equality (1).
The impetus for male inclusion in gender-related work is associated with an important shift in
how gender issues are conceived and addressed. Men have always been part of the policies
and practices of development work, for example, but they have traditionally been treated as
generic and ungendered representatives of all humanity. Men are unavoidably involved in
gender issues. Most immediately, men (or more accurately, specific groups of men) control
the resources required to implement women’s claims for justice. But, more broadly, gender
inequalities are based in gender relations, in the complex webs of relationships that exist at
every level of human experience. Men are as implicated in gender is sues as women, and
addressing men’s attitudes and roles is a crucial element in reconstructing gender relations and
equality. Men often play a crucial role as “gatekeepers” of the current gender order through
their responsibilities as decision-makers and leaders within their families and communities.
They may participate in sexist practices and maintain unjust gender relations by perpetrating
violence against women, controlling women’s reproductive and familial decision making,
limiting women’s access to community resources and political power, or espousing patriarchal
beliefs and norms that allow other men to engage in such actions. Gender work with men has
also been fueled by the more hopeful insight that men have a positive role to play in fostering
gender equality (1). There is growing recognition that gender inequality is an issue of concern
to women and men alike and that men have a stake in fostering gender equality. Some men are
already living in gender-just ways: they respect and care for the women and girls in their lives,
and they reject traditional, sexist norms of manhood. And some men are already playing a role
in fostering gender equality. Experiences in conflict and post-conflict societies also provide
powerful examples of how gender disparities harm men and progress toward gender equality
benefits them. Finally, excluding men from work on gender relations can provoke male
hostility and retaliation. It can intensify gender inequalities and thus leave women with yet
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more work to do among unsympathetic men and patriarchal power relations. Given that
women already interact with men on a daily basis in their households and public lives,
involving men in the re negotiation of gender relations can make interventions more relevant
and workable and create lasting change. Male inclusion increases men’s responsibility for
change and their belief that they too will gain from gender equality, and can address many
men’s sense of anxiety and fear as traditional masculinities are undermined (10). Many men
receive formal and informal benefits from gender inequalities, including material rewards and
interpersonal power. At the same time, men also pay significant costs, particularly to their emotional and physical health. More widely, men can be and are motivated by interests other than
those associated with maintaining gender privilege. Men live in social relationships with
women and girls—their wives and girl friends, sisters, daughters, mothers, aunts, friends,
colleagues, neighbors, and so on—and “the quality of every man’s life depends to a large
extent on the quality of those relationships.” Many men hold high hopes for their daughters’
futures, care for their sisters, value their mothers, and disapprove—at least privately—of male
peers’ abusive treatment of their wives and girlfriends. Men may support gender equality
because of their ethical, political, or spiritual commitments. Male human rights activists have
advocated for gender equality because of their commitment to ideals of liberation and social
justice, while male religious leaders have promoted faith-based beliefs in ideals of compassion
and justice for women (9) (10). Thus, some men have embraced a moral imperative that men
share their rights and responsibilities with women.
What principles then should inform efforts to engage men in gender-related policies and
practices?
Three interrelated principles guide the positive involvement of men in gender issues:
men’s involvement must have a pro-feminist purpose, interventions must be sensitive to diversities among men, and we must acknowledge and support men’s positive contributions. In
addition, to be effective, the interventions chosen must be culturally appropriate and theoretically informe While it is important to understand these three principles for male involvement
in gender-related work, it is equally important to be able to translate them into effective
interventions. It is clear, for example, that effective interventions must be culturally appropriate—they must be grounded in the realities of men’s lives and relations and local gender
cultures (5). There is no doubt that involving men in efforts toward gender equality has the
potential to greatly enhance the impact and reach of this work, but whether it does so or not
will depend on the play of political and cultural forces. Still, building a gender-just world will
bring benefits to both women and men, and the reconstruction of gender relations will require
their shared commitment and involvement.
The Role of Women in Women Empowerment
A woman’s level of empowerment will vary, sometimes enormously, according to other
criteria such as her class or caste, ethnicity, relative wealth, age, family position etc. and any
analysis of women’s power or lack of it must appreciate these other contributory dimensions.
We have to relate empowerment at three levels: empowerment on the individual, group, and
societal/community level and the interaction between these. The individual level deals with
individual women’s abilities to take control over their lives, their perceptions about their own
value and abilities, their abilities to identify a goal and work towards this goal. The group level
deals with the collective action and sense of agency that woman experience together, in a
group. The societal level deals with the permissiveness of the political and social climate, the
societal norms and the public discourse on what is possible and impossible for women to do,
how women should behave etc (8) (9). The different levels are seen as interconnected and
mutually reinforcing, e.g. when empowerment on individual level occurs, this will have effect
on the group and societal level. Women who are empowered on an individual level will most
likely go on and affect the other levels. Empowerment on a group level e.g. women organizing
around a particular need is likely to have effect on the individual empowerment of the women
in the form of increased self esteem and sense of agency (2).
Globalization has presented new challenges for the realization of the goal of women’s
equality, the gender impact of which has not been systematically evaluated fully. However,
from the micro-level studies that were commissioned by the Department of Women & Child
Development, it is evident that there is a need for re-framing policies for access to employment
and quality of employment. Benefits of the growing global economy have been unevenly
distributed leading to wider economic disparities, the feminization of poverty, increased gender
inequality through often deteriorating working conditions and unsafe working environment
especially in the informal economy and rural areas. Education is a powerful tool of social
transformation. Hence, education for women has to be paid special attention. Greater access
for women to education must be ensured in the educational system. Gender sensitivity must be
developed (4) (8). Governmental Organizations are formal agencies working for the
empowerment of women. But this work requires multidimensional approach and hence a large
number of voluntary organizations / NGO’s have gained increased attention in the field from
grass – root level to national & international level. Their role is so impressive because they
work with missionary zeal and commitment. Promotion of equality between women & men
and the empowerment of women is central to the work of United Nations. The UN actively
promotes women’s human rights and works to eradicate, discourage of violence against
women, including in armed conflict and through trafficking (13). The popular UNESCO slogan should come in handy: “Educate a man and you educate an individual; educate a woman
and you educate a family”.
Feel and Experience the Challenge to Survive the Practical Real Life
No woman is ordinary. We are each a unique expression of the feminine. Each one of
us, male and female, carries within our psyche both Divine Masculine and Divine Feminine
archetype energies. From these archetypal energies come all our conscious thoughts, plans, desires, goals and agendas. These energies intertwine and cooperate to produce a uniquely
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personal expression and experience of life. The new divine feminine is modern woman’s way
of connecting to ancient ways of being a woman. Personally as a woman I feel, both women
and men needs to get empowered in their own way as they are equally to be respected and to be
valued as a human. The status of women would improve only if they educate themselves and
grab every opportunity to become stronger and more powerful than before. It’s the totality
speaks not either women alone or men alone as critical half. In this context, the significant details to be practiced which is a real challenge in this fast paced life of 21st century by the
human with all his/her divinity should be as follows:
1. Update your consciousness, clarity, freedom, courage and discipline.
2. Free yourself from false beliefs and assumptions.
3. Uproot dysfunctional patterns of thinking, feeling & behaving.
As a woman I feel proud and grateful to be the part of this world with humble lessons
and experiences learned from my personal life as well as from knowledgeable personalities
directly and indirectly which reflects to practice and preach for a constructive healthier natural
life style within the family as well as for the society, to be followed by the human of all genders
to maintain and balance the integrity, peace and purpose of the divine life and natural way of
living with all its simplicity, values and strength.
References:
1.Connell, R.W. “The Role of Men and Boys in Achieving Gender Equality.” Consultant’s paper for an
United Nations Expert Group Meeting on the theme of “The Role of Men and Boys in Achieving
Gender Equality,” organized by the United Nations Division for the Advancement of Women (UNDAW) in collaboration with the International Labor Organization, the Joint United Nations Program on
HIV/AIDS, and tions Development Program held in Brasilia, Brazil, October 21-24, 2003.
4. Relinquish guilt, shame, blame, victim consciousness & co-dependence.
2. Dr. J.S.R.A. Prasad, THE PLACE OF WOMEN IN SANSKRIT LITERATURE. A paper presented
at the national conference on Women Empowerment in Sanskrit, Telugu and Hindi Literatures, VSM
College, Ramachandrapuram 27-28 October, 2010.
5. Communicate & navigate through your experience in a meaningful way.
3. Hindu Dharma, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Mumbai 1995.
6. Learn from your life and step forward.
4.Johnson, S. D. (1992). A framework for technology education curricula which emphasizes
intellectual processes. Journal of Technology Education, 3(2), 29-40.
7. Increase your state of awareness.
5. Kaufman, Michael. “The AIM Framework: Addressing and InvolvingMen and Boys to Promote
Gender Equality and End Gender Discriminationand Violence.” Paper prepared for UNICEF, 2003.
8. Become more fulfilled & on-purpose in your daily life.
6. Liddle, J., & Joshi, R. (1986). Daughters of Independence. Gender, Caste and Class in India. New
Delhi: Kali for Women & London: Zed Books.
Much of humanity has lost connection with our feminine qualities. There is a deep disconnection with the Earth, with our bodies, and with the very essence of life. And as a result,
for many people, life has lost its deeper sense of soul purpose or meaning. When we are starved
of this connection, we quite literally wither and dry up inside. We can feel isolated and alone.
As a result, there is a deep healing needed for our collective planetary soul. And we are called
to now offer a place where we can come together in sacred space and undertake a soul retrieval
of the feminine, both for ourselves and our larger community. In doing so, we have an
opportunity to reconnect with the ancient feminine wisdom that lives both inside our bodies
and in the layers of the collective unconscious.
In developing increased awareness, you get more in touch with your relationships, your
finances, and your creative expression. As you become more aware, more at peace, you
develop more confidence, which automatically brings out your skills. The time is changing, not
to create a world of inequality, but to express balance, hope, wisdom, and the unique gifts that
both men and women share with one another and with the world. Women today tap into ancient
feminine energy — making it their own. To safeguard your own freedom, divinity and strength,
you need to have a strong sense of yourself, one has to be confident, have a clear vision, take
efforts, do workouts, because if you don’t; you will get distracted by other people’s perceptions.
7. Manusmriti, Motilal Banarasi Das, New Delhi 1998.
8. Michael Flood (2007). Involving men in gender policies and practice. Engaging men in “women’s
issues”: inclusive approaches to gender and development. Critical Half, Bi-annual Journal of women
for women international. 5(1), pp. 9-14.
9. Phillips, S.D. & Imhoff, A.R. (1997) Women and Career Development: a Decade of Research, in
Spence, J.T., Darley, J.M. & Foss, D.J. (Eds) Annual Review of Psychology, 48, pp 31-59.
10. Ruxton, Sandy, ed. Gender Equality and Men: Learning from Practice. Oxford:Oxfam GB, 2004.
11. Samskrita Vijnana Vaibhavam, R.S. Vidyapeetha, Tirupati 2004.
12. The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda, Advaita Ashrama, Kolkata 1988.
13. UNDAW. The Role of Men and Boys in Achieving Gender Equality.Reportfrom Expert Group
Meeting organized by UNDAW in collaborationwith the International Labor Organization, the Joint
United NationsProgram on HIV/AIDS, and the United Nations Development Programheld in Brasilia,
Brazil, October 21-24, 2003.
Suggested Readings
Rashmi Chandran (2011). Natural Life – The Path towards Happiness and Prosperity. In: Vakdevatha
(A Bilingual magazine publishing from Nigdi, Pune, India). Pp. 69-70.
Dr. Rashmi Chandran 2013. A HAND BOOK ON NATURAL HEALTH IN TODAY’S LIFESTYLE
SCENARIO. International E – Publication, International Science Congress Association. (ISBN: 97893-83520-20-6). Doi: http://www.isca.co.in/FAM_COM/fam-com-book.php
Rashmi Chandran 2013. The Art of Compassion in Natural Life. GLOBAL EDUCATION
MAGAZINE (inscribed in bibliographic database of the Ministry of Culture of Spain with ISSN 2255033X). Global Education section, Pg. 62 – 64. This article was published on 10th December: Human
Right’s Day. http://www.globaleducationmagazine.com/art-compassion-natural-life/
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And the Walls Come Folding Down: A Transdisciplinary
Approach to Building Awareness, Balance, and Connection in
Ourselves, Our Schools, in Our Communities, and in Our
World
How does an idea become knowledge and understanding? Which are the factors that
propel us to move our ideas to certainties? During the very busy life of a teacher, we are
often asked to help students share their ideas; and it is our task to assist them with
hypothesizing, experimenting, and ultimately concluding. But what of our humanity can be
certain? What of an individual’s interaction with self and with the world do we want to
promote in our classrooms?
In an article titled: A Morally Defensible Mission for Schools in the 21st Century,
Stanford University Lee Jacks Professor Emeritus, Nel Noddings asks: “What is it that we
want for our children? In work patterns, in residential stability, in style of housing, in sexual
habits, in dress, in manners, in language, in music, in entertainment, and perhaps most
important of all, in family arrangements schools as an entity have not led us effectively.”
Abstract: The twenty-first century offers educators an extraordinary opportunity to
employ constructivist teaching and learning. The current era allows us, perhaps more
than ever before, to honor the core individuality of every learner. There is one idea
within constructivism that some have come to call transdisciplinary study. This is a
study where there are no real or tangible separations between disciplines. The walls
that often separate classrooms, are no longer employed or even evident. Using
transdisciplinary study, students are encouraged to seek creative ways to solve complex problems, to explore healthy and empathic leadership, to address language as a
core of human existence, and to internationalize their understanding of many of the
issues that face humanity. Aided by technology for the twenty-first century,
transdisciplinary study has the capacity to promote an authentic seamlessness
between learning and living, between who we are and so much that we are able to
accomplish in working together.
Key words: transdisciplinary, awareness, balance, connection, sustainable
development, central idea.
Karen Melaas
Curriculum/Teacher Leadership Development in Oxford, Michigan, USA
http://kwmelaas.wix.com/plant-karma
Maybe to a plethora of high stakes tests and other assessments that already exist
across our planet we can consider including questions that ask students: ‘How might you
plan to spend the next 24 to 36 hours of your life? How do you address the dimensions of
your own wellness? How can you assist others around you in realizing their own best selves?
Maybe preceding such questions, we can add a dozen years of school curricula, delivered in
places where the walls that so often exist between and among the disciplines have been
folded. Perhaps we develop schools where teachers and administrators give students
permission, understanding, and encouragement toward collaboratively and thoughtfully
discussing twenty-first century issues from differing intellectual and social perspectives. We
are ready to sow now, in this century of extraordinary connective tissue created by the worldwide access of the internet the seeds of schools in which students learn to examine and
practice a sort of personal sustainable development. This sustainable development is one that
might later help to inspire yet another Nelson Mandela, another Martin Luther King, another
Mulalla Yousafzai, the likes of which we know are already growing within children who
reside in our communities.
As a teacher whose reach is global connection and collaboration, maybe you have
entertained a few similar thoughts from your line of global latitude, while thousands of miles
away, that resemble thoughts being pondered by another teacher, and somewhere else, yet
another still. Every teacher in every place we teach across the globe must be certain of their
ability to bring a voice to the most pivotal thoughts that we share about teaching and
learning, and to help each of our students realize their greatest potentials. I am grateful to
have the opportunity to here share some of my own thoughts and experiences.
The National Wellness Institute in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA is one among a
number of institutions around the globe that places a viable option on the table for a
refreshing option for education in the twenty-first century, that of teaching children a
systematic and scaffolded approach toward fully addressing their own personal well-being. If
as educators, we can first begin to understand our own dimensions of well-being, then we
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can learn to approach underpinning the curricular objectives of our schools, anywhere and
everywhere that we might wish to. Our study, our understanding, our own practice, and our
sharing with students of the Six Dimensions of Wellness (National Wellness Institute:
intellectual, social, emotional, spiritual, physical, and occupational) offer us a clear formula
for imparting the life-long practice and the great triumverate of mind-body-spirit well-being.
A curriculum that is underpinned by teaching personal well-being is a prescription that will
help to support all of humanity, that will support each and every one of us, both in and out of
our schools. The Six Dimensions of Wellness (NWI) show no particular bias for language,
race, creed, or faith. Rather, they offer us a platform that is pluralistic, one that has the
potential to unite us toward developing, actualizing, and yes, even ultimately healing our
world.
As each of us realize our capacity for developing and managing our well-being, a
wonderful new excitement stirs, and it deserves to be shared. Using the Six Dimensions of
Wellness (NWI), educators, parents. . . in fact all adults may work together to forge our
collective ability not to divide, but rather to work toward folding down the walls that
continue to separate us in varying environments.
The Six Dimensions of Wellness, as created by the NWI offer a format for effortlessly
crossing boundaries in subject matters or disciplines, in order to creatively approach complex
problems, explore healthy and empathic leadership, and to address language as a core of
human existence. The Six Dimensions of Wellness, offer us an approach toward the
internationalizing of education in a way that is quite profound. Practice of the Six
Dimensions of Wellness allow each of us, young and old, to bring our healthiest, and most
unique and independent learner talents and skills to our living, to our education, and to our
work.
The following are three examples of how examining the Central Idea (International
Baccalaureate Organization) of well-being can be useful in a school setting in a sequential
fashion. Example #1 describes how aspects of well-being can be examined and encouraged in
the elementary grades, Example #2 shares an experience during middle school years, and
Example #3 shares an example that is occurring right now in a Washington DC high school.
These are not ‘what if’ examples. Each of the experiences I will describe have actually taken
place in schools in North America. The first two were in suburban Detroit, Michigan.
Example #1:
At a K-8 International Baccalaureate-Primary Years Programme school in Oak Park,
Michigan, USA, 63 second graders recently explored Key Concepts (IBO) of community,
production, consumption, awareness, balance, and connection. Classroom teacher Stephanie
Sulaka invited me in to participate in the investigations for two days. During our time
together, students were asked what they believe a ‘balanced’ community might look, sound,
feel, smell, and taste like. Numbers of students initially shared stories of meals enjoyed
among families and with neighbors. They reflected on feelings of love and support they felt
from parents and siblings. Students went on to agree that an odor of trash, a sight of
overgrown weeds in a yard, an absence of any children in a neighborhood park might be
signs of imbalance, thereby effecting the well-being of the community. Students further
discussed how an awareness of imbalance might encourage them to contribute to the wellbeing of their own community.
Each of the students paid five dollars to decorate a four-inch clay pot. In the pots
they planted flower bulbs. While the pots would later be used for annotating scientific
observations, they would ultimately become gifts for family and friends. The three groups of
second graders spent time researching agencies in their community that might be
beneficiaries of profits generated by their funds, after covering material costs. Pots, paints,
bulbs, and soil had been purchased for less that two dollars per student. With a profit margin
of more than three dollars for each potted plant, students chose to donate close to $200 to the
children’s ward at an area hospital, so that other youngsters whose emotional or physical
well-being had kept them from the playground might sooner have a chance at re-inhabiting
local swing-sets and monkey bars.
In this example, students were just beginning to explore Key Concepts (IBO) such of
awareness, balance, and connection and how those concepts could be applied within their
communities. The lesson was part of a larger unit within the International Baccalaureate’s
Primary Years Programme, where core planning includes research and inquiry. Opportunities
for students for formative and summative assessments are built into lessons.
Example #2
In 2010, while 33 South Americans were trapped deep in a mine in the southern
hemisphere, five middle school teachers and I created with students an opportunity to explore
the challenges and potential solutions for the miners, as the men lingered deep below the
earth’s surface in San Jose, Chile. As most middle school students had been studying Spanish
for some time, it was possible to add a strong bilingual element to this investigation.
During the study, the school’s math teacher helped students to use ratios to try to recreate the size of the space in which the miners were trapped. Discussions ensued about how
to limit the height of the ceiling in the classroom to most realistically emulate the size of the
area. The science and social studies teacher explored the topography and geologic formations
of the area of Chile where the accident had occurred, in order to start a conversation about
how it might even be possible for an underground rescue effort to ensue. In language arts
class, students journaled and practiced public speaking skills as they shared their concerns
about the unfolding crisis.
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Each of the Six Dimensions of Wellness (National Wellness Institute): Social,
Intellectual, Vocational, Spiritual, Physical, and Occupational were used to attempt an indepth examination of how individual aspects of wellness are defined, and approached with the
greatest of care. Each of us shared our thoughts, and applied personal perspectives to this
extraordinary collaboration. Students offered examples of what they believed an individual
might need in order for optimal well-being in the mine.
The ability to use the internet to stay in continuous contact with the situation as it
unfolded in Chile was an extraordinary gift for this unit of study. The spontaneity of
investigations, the dynamism that each and every one of us experience in day to day living
made this a very authentic learning experience for students. Excited middle schoolers arrived
at school each morning during the tenure of our project with sound- bites, newspaper
clippings, and stories of radio broadcasts. Each student realized that they were being given the
opportunity to make a contribution to both the interpretation and to the solving of what had
come to be seen, heard, and felt as a global dilemma. This transdisciplinary study was not
simply an chance to share how work and life intermingle; rather it was for both students and
faculty an outstanding learning opportunity, where the Six Dimensions of Wellness and
technology were partner vehicles in a convoy. In a most constructivist manner, students and
teachers were in essence ‘living’ curriculum through connection, collaboration, knowledge,
and synthesis.
The second lesson, like the first, took place in an International Baccalaureate
Organization authorized school; but it was further supported by removing walls that divided
core disciplines of math, science, social studies, and language arts. Simultaneously we
approached the teaching using what was for students a second language. Time spent among
students and teachers was an example of serving learners’ needs well with a meaningful
context , rather than incremental skills to be acquired (IBO). In this unit, an exploration of
well-being was more intimately approached. We might say that a transition occurred from
exploring well-being of communities on a macro level, to looking at well-being on a micro
level. The Central Idea (IBO)of well-being that was earlier explored in reference to
communities, became a transdisciplinary idea, now explored in reference to individuals.
programs like these could rapidly spread across the globe, including in USA schools. It would
also help address America's most pressing problems: Education that is relevant, and real
twenty-first century economic opportunities for our youth -- all the while providing
international business experience for all.“
At the ground level, students and faculty in the DC school are exploring and discussing
the aspects of achieving well-being that are most challenging for Maasai women, including
their emotional, intellectual, and physical wellness. This is in part a result of strains placed on
Maasai communities by the absence of the fathers of their children.
In Example #1 well-being is as examined as it relates to communities. In Example #2,
students example well-being as it relates to human kind. In Example #3, students are using
their personal strengths, such as computer repair and website creation to help effect change in
the life of another human being. They are indeed attempting to help others to achieve wellbeing in a remote part of the developing world. Through awareness, balance, and connection,
a Central Idea (IBO) of ‘well-being’ becomes a transdisciplinary idea across communities,
across disciplines and across continents.
As teachers, it is among our many callings to help our students to develop awareness,
seek balance, and look for ways to connect. That we undertake the endeavor alongside our
students is one of the many gifts of a constructivist and transdisciplinary education. In
Spanish, it is said, “Aun Aprendemos”-- We are still learning. The National Institute of
Wellness’ Six Dimensions of Wellness offer us a place to begin to explore, to learn about, and
to practice our capacity to care for ourselves, to grow ourselves, and to heal ourselves, all of
which are paramount for the greater collective productivity that we want our world to
experience. There is an approach to teaching and learning, an approach that begins with
personal sustainable development that is fully available to each of us, simply because we
human. Using the Six Dimensions of Wellness is just one road we can travel with students that
helps all of us to realize our true purpose and what we are fully capable of accomplishing, as
we first learn to care for ourselves and then ultimately help others to do the same.
#3 The highly acclaimed non-governmental organization, World Visions International
is currently involved with faculty and youth in a Washington DC high school. Those students
and faculty whom are involved are attempting to demonstrate successful engagement in an
economic development relationship with youth in Kenya and Tanzania, Africa. The ultimate
goal of the project is to help Maasai women to create a website for marketing their craft of
beaded jewelry, and thereby provide the women with the capacity to sell their jewelry worldwide.
On behalf of World Visions International, the creator of the project, Louis August cites,
“By creating these global relationships and leveraging the resources of schools and partners,
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Education and Suicide
My humble personal experience in counseling in many countries, my exposure to and
dealing with some complex cases of suicidal attempts in individuals I’ve been working on,
the requests for holding seminars for youth on meaning of life as well as studying some
reports I’ve received on students’ suicides, all these have led me to ponder on the problem of
education and its purposes.
Life brings different experiences, challenges and lessons.
Abstract: Whether we fail in school or life exams, suicide is not an answer. What is
the meaning of education? How to heal the pain within us, which one day might result
in divisions and conflicts at large?
Keywords: Education, suicide, youth, meaning of life, challenges.
Sometimes we find ourselves at the edge of darkness, uncertain and lost. And sometimes,
some of us, take an irreversible step plunging into shadows.
Youth suicide has been a serious problem in many countries over the past four decades; with
school counselors, school personnel, psychologists and social workers attempting to prevent,
detect and secure assistance for the students.
Statistics show that every year circa 200 000 teenagers worldwide commit suicide while
about 4 million adolescents attempts it. We have been noticing a rising suicidal trend since
some years.
According to WHO statistics (2011) in some countries – such as Lithuania – figures are
relatively high, with the example of Russia having the highest underage suicide rate in
Europe.
In other countries, such as Australia, statistics show lower figures.
In USA, ranking among the highest in suicide rate worldwide, about 10% of adolescents
attempts to suicide
An interesting fact is that about 56% of all female suicides worldwide takes place in China.
The meaning of suicide in China differs from other cultures; namely it is perceived as a
legitimate means of conveying a message.
Some surveys in South Korea show about 20% of middle and high school students feel
tempted to suicide.
Anna Barchetti Durisch
Mentor, public speaker and education specialist
web: www.helioslife.org
In India about 20 students kill themselves every day due to the stress related to exams,
wanting to secure seats in prestigious schools, according to the National Crime Records
Bureau. South India is considered the world’s suicide capital; especially Kerala, the first fully
literate Indian state, has the highest number of suicides committed daily – about 32.
According to the Bangalore psychologists from the Indian Southern Medical Centre,
“(children) …are under pressure to deliver at school, (…) to appear for competitive
examinations, no one gives them any advice about the meaning of life”.
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It is widely disputed whether the statistics can be trusted and whether they reflect indeed the
real situation due to the fact that suicidal behaviours are illegal in some countries; they are
also opposed by the major religions and philosophies, thus there is to be expected a certain
degree of under-reporting.
Let us ponder on a couple of questions.
Suicide causes are to be attributed to several psychological, biological and environmental
factors. Strong correlation between low educational achievement, examination and school
performance stress and between suicide has been investigated and confirmed.
What is the meaning of education? Sometimes, despite we gain every day more knowledge
and experience, we feel so helpless.
A survey done in UK on 6020 students (2002) has shown that 70% of self-harming teenagers
with suicidal thoughts have admitted that the cause was their concerns about the school
performance and exams.
There have been several reports in Hong Kong, China, Japan and other Asian countries
related to the exam-induced psychological problems, suicidal feelings and fear of exams –
according to publications by Suen & Yu (2006), Hesketh, Ding & Jenkins (2002), Zeng & Le
Tendre (1998).
French sociologist, Durkheim, was one of the first to notice that there is a higher rate of
suicide in case of the individuals who are socially not integrated and cannot count on social
support (1897).
In order to address and tackle the problem different suicide prevention efforts have been
implemented by different stakeholders: governments, academic institutions, NGOs; realizing
the importance of the community support.
In the last 30 years several school based programmes have been conducted worldwide at
schools for the purpose of the improvement of the mental and emotional health as well as the
improvement of the knowledge on suicide; being part of a prevention and postvention strategy.
Yet, the effectiveness of such programmes has been questioned and sparks a lot of
controversy as apparently no drop in suicide rate has been noticed among the participants and
even it has been stated that it might prompt in young people what it is supposed to prevent.
There have been even accusations saying that such programmes defeat their very purpose and
“normalize suicidal behaviour” by stating the latter occurs as a result of examination and
school stress and pressures.
News around the world reporting every day new cases of suicide are concerning and there is
a noticeably rising tendency to point out the correlation between the academic stress and the
suicidal ideation.
What is the meaning of life? Sometimes, despite all the beauty and wonder in the world, our
life seems so hopeless.
Why studies are important to us?
We study to obtain a good job, to enjoy more distinction and respect in the society, to become
somebody important, to earn money and satisfy our needs and desires, to manage better in
practical everyday situations, to find security.
Yet, there is much more to life than that. There are difficulties, obstacles and fears, there is
sorrow and suffering, there is death. There is happiness and love, there is beauty and
awareness.
What if school started giving us the skills necessary to cope with life challenges through
which all of us are going?
Death happens. It is the nature of life and it is the most certain thing in our entire existence. It
is, if we want, a graduation, a completion of the school of life.
Difficulties happen and we must go through them. They are tests at the school of life. Suicide
is a sudden interruption of the learning process.
The books necessary to study and the skills required to go on, to confront ourselves with life
exams are, de facto, not there.
Education systems worldwide have evolved throughout the centuries from dispensers of
knowledge to facilitators of learning. The next paradigm shift should be about providing
opportunities to seek wisdom and broader understanding.
Academic performance and pressures have been found to be strongly related to teenage
suicide problem and are one of the main causes leading to it.
It is easy to blame schools and education systems. Yet, the true reason is the lack of skills to
cope with life challenges.
If someone commits suicide in the name of his Country, it is not the Country which should be
blamed.
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Conclusions
Society and Politics
I’ve been working with abandoned children and teenagers in Thailand, noting that their main
problem is an overwhelming and persisting feeling of hopelessness, lack of meaning in life.
I’ve been working with orphaned and HIV-positive children and teenagers in South Africa,
realizing their difficulties in coping with death and grief as well as their suicidal inclinations.
On the level of Countries, Government and politics, such an education shall help
understanding each other better, building dialogs and bridges, and gradually evolving towards
the concept of unity in diversity, unity without borders, where differences in language,
religion, culture, skin-tone or sex would not cast any shadow on our profound and wholly
human identity.
In my opinion, education shall be not only about gaining more knowledge and information,
but rather about understanding better the meaning of life.
Peace cannot be achieved through any ideology or treaty, it takes an aware mind and a united
heart. The first thing to be overcome is separateness.
It shall produce not only excellent professionals and workers, but also individuals free of
fears and hate, hence able to give and receive love.
My humble proposal would be to call to life a special Task Force, comprised of individuals
with different backgrounds and competencies, among them experts in education area, in
charge of developing curricula and policies for fostering education for life programmes for
children and adults, efficiently addressing our aspiration to become truly human beings, and
to create a civilized civilization.
What’s the use of education if it becomes a weapon to destroy others through armed conflicts,
technology and desire to control and dominate; as well as a weapon to destroy ourselves –
and I mean not just through suicidal attempts.
Education is the most powerful weapon which can change the world, as Nelson Mandela used
to say. It shall serve humanity addressing its problems and concerns at each and every level of
human life.
The teenager suicides are, according to me, like the tip of an iceberg, bearing the profound
discontent and hopelessness a large portion of our society is living inside. Until we admit
that, and we act upon it, our life will be nothing else than a continuos fight for something,
fight with others and fight within ourselves.
Personal and immediate society
References:
On the level of a common man, education for life shall help us overcoming fears and misery,
showing us how tremendously beautiful and worth living our life is, with all its lights and
shadows.
During our lifetime we encounter victories and defeats, love and separation. Are we ready to
face all these without becoming inhumane, cruel, fearful and apathetic? Neither school nor
parents usually show us this, thus we are also unable to show it to our children.
Diekstra eds., Suicide Prevention: A Holistic Approach. Boston: Kluwer Academic Publishers, 1998.
Durkheim, E. (1966) Suicide. Macmillan: New York.
Garfinkel, Barry D., Art Froese, and Jane Hood. Suicide Attempts in Children and Adolescents. American
Journal of Psychiatry 139 (1982):1257–1261.
Hesketh, T., Ding, Q.J. & Jenkins, R. (2002). Suicide ideation in Chinese adolescents.
Mishara, Brian L. Childhood Conceptions of Death and Suicide: Empirical Investigations and Implications for Suicide Prevention. In Diego De Leo, Armi N. Schmidtke, and Rene F. W.
Economics and working environment
Patton, GC., Coffey, C., Sawyer, SM, et al. (2009). Global patterns of mortality in young people: a
systematic analysis of population health data.
Nowadays money is strongly affecting all aspects of our lives, our education, our wellbeing
and our opportunities. The entire system characterized by the illusion of an unlimited growth
and consumption is not sustainable in a finite world and the economic and social crises we are
seeing in the last years are, undoubtedly, worrying signs of crumbling perspectives.
René F. W. Diekstra, C. W. M. Kienhorst, and E. J. de Wilde (1995). Suicide and Suicidal Behaviour
among Adolescents. Psychosocial Disorders in Young People: Time Trends and Their Causes.
Life education on the level of business and economics shall help us being guided by more
aware and higher pursuits than greed and selfishness; teaching us balance and principles of
working for people and not just for money. It shall teach us becoming humble and
overcoming our ego.
World Health Organization (2012). Suicide Country Reports. Accessed December 2012
http://www.who.int/mental_health/prevention/suicide/country_rep orts/en/
Shaffer, David, and Madeline Gould. Suicide Prevention in Schools. In Keith Hawton and Kees an Heeringen eds., The International Handbook of Suicide and Attempted Suicide. Chichester: John Wiley & Sons,
2000.
Zeng, K. & G. Le Tendre (1998). Adolescent suicide and academic competition in East Asia.
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20th December
International Human Solidarity Day
Submission Deadline November 20
Con el apoyo de la
Oficina de
Santiago
Organización
para la Educación,
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Transversal Studies Section
“El ámbito público siempre se constituyó por el conflicto”. (Nancy Fraser).
Mujeres: Narrar lo público-privado y la política del entrelugar y el entre-tiempo
“Un kilómetro de luz, un gramo de pensamiento... (De noche el reloj que late es el corazón del tiempo...)”
(Dulce María Loynaz).
“Então meu mito cyborg se refere a fronteiras violadas, fusões potentes e possibilidades perigosas que as pessoas progressistas poderiam explorar como uma parte do trabalho político
necessário”. (Donna Haraway).
Resumen: El siguiente artículo se propone presentar diferentes perspectivas teóricas
sobre la relación público/privado, así como colocarla bajo un prisma post
estructuralista para discutir la idea de política, evaluar la situación de las mujeres, y
enfatizar que lo personal es un campo abierto, permeable y transitorio”.
Palabras clave: mujeres, público-privado, personal, literatura, política.
María Antonia Miranda González
Graduación (2004) y Mestrado en (2009) Sociología por la Universidad de
la Habana. Formada en el Centro de Formación Literaria Onelio Jorge Cardoso. (Cuba 2004). Fue profesora del Departamento de Sociologia de la
Universidade de la Habana 2004-2007. Investigadora del Instituto Cubano
de Investigaciones Culturales- ICIC. Colaboradora del Centro Félix Varela
y de la Revista Digital Cubaliteraria (2008-2011). Co-autora del libro: Convergencias en Género, apuntes desde la Sociología, lanzado en 2011.
Actualmente realiza estudos de doctorado en el Programa de Estudios Interdisciplinares sobre Mujeres, Género y Feminismo- PPGNEIM de la UFBA.
1. “Si las paredes hablaran: paredes privadas y públicas; hacia el discurso de
concreto”.
Pensemos en las paredes que delimitan los espacios donde reproducimos la vida en
sociedad. Pensemos en las paredes, en los límites, en los muros simbólicos que levantamos, o
derrumbamos en situaciones de conflicto. ¿No son paredes las que resguardan el cerco
sagrado de lo “personal”, las que delimitan “un adentro” y “un afuera”, las que dan forma a
una realidad familiar y a otra extra: comunitaria, social? ¿No es una geografía de muros, la
ciudad? ¿Y cuántas paredes cargan las personas por dentro? Y qué decir de los límites que
carecen de estructuras materiales. Las fronteras invisibles que separan realidades como
“opuestos” sin la aparente garantía de reconciliación, y que, como nos podemos percatar, se
reproducen y socializan de manera discursiva. ¿Cómo pasar entonces al discurso de
concreto? ¿Qué se estará queriendo decir con la frase: si las paredes hablaran?
Lo anterior sirve para abrazar una interpretación metafórica de una de las dicotomías
fundadoras del pensamiento político patriarcal, se trata de la relación público-privado. Esta
relación ha sido analizada desde diferentes puntos de vistas: el espacial que los considera
como esferas y/o ámbitos separados o también, que borra los límites entre ellos (Mouffe,
Chantal 1993); el económico que mantiene una distinción entre producción y reproducción y/
o abarca el consumo (Eisenstein Zillah, 1997); el discursivo que entiende uno de estos
espacios, el público, como terreno de interacción discursiva y aún, dentro de este mismo enfoque, encontramos el paso de lo espacial hacia la categoría “públicos” como agentes, en tanto
actores sociales (Fraser Nancy, 1993). Mi objetivo es el de mostrar la importancia de estas
representaciones e intentar colaborar con una perspectiva cultural y cotidiana, que trabaje
encima de lo discursivo, contando con las herramientas que ofrece la corriente pósestructuralista, la observación de campo, e introduciendo términos como los del entre-lugar y
el entre-tiempo, que permiten sostener la hipótesis de que lo personal es un campo abierto,
permeable y transitorio, de importancia vital para las mujeres, para todas aquellas que así
continúen queriendo ser llamadas.
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Lo público y lo privado aparecen asociados a la lógica de lo de afuera y lo de dentro,
lo externo y lo interno, es la lógica del límite espacial que considera ambos como espacios
objetivos, o incluso, se puede llegar a decir que son objetivos y subjetivos al mismo tiempo.
En mi caso quiero resaltar un componente: el de la construcción cultural, el del papel de la
tradición en la imposición de la lógica basada en un “imaginario social” y por tanto asentado
en forma de mito:
Ustedes sienten qué alcance tiene este mito de lo de fuera y lo de dentro: es el
de la alienación que se funda sobre esos dos términos. Lo que se traduce en su
oposición formal se convierte más allá en alienación de hostilidad entre ambos. Y así, la simple oposición geométrica se tiñe de agresividad. La oposición
formal no puede permanecer tranquila, el mito la trabaja. (BACHELARD,
1992, p.251).
Una definición tradicional del ámbito privado, abarca en palabras de Agnes Heller,
“las emociones domésticas”, que se transcriben como sinónimos de relaciones familiares,
matrimonio, trabajo doméstico y cuidado de los niños. Haciendo de lo privado el pequeño
mundo de la mujer, una esfera femenina sobre la cual los representantes hombres del
Patriarcado ejercen el sentido de propiedad, protegiéndola de las interferencias públicas.
Otra perspectiva que debemos tomar en cuenta sobre lo público/privado es la que está
inmersa en el concepto de derechos. Al tiempo que refuerza los principios liberales subyacentes de la libertad individual y la igualdad formal, establece correspondencias entre los
derechos individuales y la noción de un ámbito de libertad privado, separado y distinto del
público en el cual el estado no puede interferir legítimamente. Enfatizando la protección de
aspectos privados e individuales.
Unos de mis últimos trabajos de campo, fueron desarrollados en el tema de violencia
y en la creación artística de jóvenes como resistencia identitária ante formas de homogenización cultural. Las mujeres que me acompañaron en ese proceso no dejaron de asombrarme.
Los espacios que trabajamos fueron la calle, y los talleres de transformación del barrio. Los
valores androcéntricos de esos espacios, continuaban fuertes, y mantenían la oposición tradicionalista con “el mundo privado” al cual se “lanzaban” miradas de respeto.
Estas definiciones fueron alternando permanencias y mudanzas que provocaron serias
consecuencias para la vida de las mujeres, ya que se pasa a defender desde el poder “oficial”,
espacios de impunidad para la violencia doméstica, que continua socializándose, en la práctica, como un asunto privado.
Es el reconocimiento del mito, de su posible función desestabilizadora lo que me conduce a formular las siguientes preguntas directrices: ¿Qué es lo personal? ¿Continuará
teniendo el mismo efecto la frase: “lo personal es político” del feminismo radical en una
época de descentramientos, vaciamientos, post-estructuralismo, post-modernismo, globalización neoliberal? ¿Tendrá sentido ensayar como una repuesta posible que lo personal es lo privado? ¿Cómo afectarán estas preguntas las nociones de política y de poder?
Una de las situaciones históricas que provocó un cúmulo de impactos negativos para
las mujeres fue la forma en que se reprodujo la categoría moderna de individuo. Ya que la
misma postula la existencia de un público universalista y homogéneo, relegando todas las
particularidades y diferencias para el ámbito privado.
Las mujeres que habían pasado por situaciones de violencia referenciaban no tener un
tiempo propio, un espacio, sentían que su tiempo era controlado, lo narraban, como parte de
una vigilancia interna, conocemos las frases comunes: “él quería saber lo que yo hacía
siempre”, “si llegaba a la casa y no estaba hecha la comida se enojaba”, “quería mandar en
mi persona”. Una de las más llamativas en mi opinión relata: “Un día llegué a sentir que yo
no era yo, que nunca había tenido la oportunidad de serlo, porque no tuve tiempo para mí”.
¿Qué límites no reconocidos funcionan para identificar la falta ese “personal”, para quienes
son obligadas a desdoblarse para los “otros”?
1.1-
Si las paredes hablaran: ¿qué dirían de “Las Mujeres”?
Y cuando repasamos la historia reciente de las definiciones de los intereses de las
mujeres, encontramos que sus demandas han sido planteadas, en su mayoría, para ganar el
control de sus vidas, de sus destinos dentro del propio espacio privado y no para la creación
de nuevas instituciones.
Aparentemente la ruptura de un modelo más tradicional, que persiste en algunos
contextos, de la familia hombre mantenedor-ama de casa, ha aumentado la independencia de
las mujeres en relación a sus maridos y las ha colocado en una situación de mayor dependencia con respecto al Estado, en tanto empleadas, clientes y consumidoras de los servicios públicos.
James Williams en su libro “Pós-estructuralismo” repara en el sentido que tiene, para
dicha corriente, la categoría de límite. Un límite que no se compara con los sentidos
estructuralistas de diferencia entre objetos identificables sino entre variaciones abiertas, llamadas muchas veces de procesos de diferenciación, cuyos efectos son transformaciones,
cambios y revaluaciones. (WILLIAMS, 2012).
Hecho que quizás permita corroborar la tesis que mantienen algunas autoras sobre la
mayor dependencia de las mujeres de la política de los Estados en comparación con los hombres. Entre las razones por ellas descritas se apunta al proceso de reproducción que continúa
integrando a las mujeres tanto en la familia como fuera de esta, de forma que se encuentren
extendiendo constantemente las actividades domésticas y del cuidado en los “espacios públicos” como una extensión de sus tareas de la “esfera privada”.
¿Qué tipo de revaluación sería pertinente para el postulado de: “Lo personal es
político” que hasta hoy mantiene una vigencia activa, y que además se traduce, regresando a
nuestra metáfora inicial, en que no existe pared, ni muro que corte o detenga el impacto del
poder, de las desiguales relaciones de poder, sus cuotas diferenciadas y contradictorias.
El trabajo asalariado, numerosas veces, lleva las marcas del trabajo doméstico, con
horarios “sumamente elásticos en función de los pedidos- debido a la existencia de fenómenos como la subcontratación, falta de cualificación, la subordinación a capataces masculinos,
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confusión entre servicios laborales con sexuales o los llamados “específicamente femeninos”
y se encuentran en su inmensa mayoría al margen de los derechos laborales por ser los denominados trabajadores genéricos.
Eso explica las miles de mujeres que realizan trabajos en sectores invisibles, mal remuneradas, y explotadas, casi siempre inmigrantes, entre las que se destacan las que trabajan de
costureras, en condiciones de explotación y sometidas a una violencia que les impide ver la
luz del día, para no llamar la atención de las autoridades en los países de América Latina.
Ejemplos como estos generan un proceso continuo de distinción que nos permite explicar como reconoce Nancy Fraser, la exacerbación del sexismo característico del ámbito
público liberal y podemos añadir neoliberalista:
Este proceso de distinción ayuda a explicar la exacerbación del sexismo característico del ámbito público liberal, las nuevas normas de género que
prescribían la domesticidad femenina y una marcada separación entre los
ámbitos público y privado funcionaban como signos clave de la diferencia
entre la burguesía y las clases tanto altas como bajas”. (FRASER, 1993, p.29).
Lo cual nos conduce a incorporar una perspectiva interseccional del asunto desde la
cual podamos entender como la exclusión y difícil absorción de lo femenino en el ámbito
público, resulta de una ideología con prejuicios de raza y clase. Este análisis interseccional
ayuda a repensar lo público y lo privado de forma que podamos percibir las posiciones de
hombres y mujeres en estos ámbitos no solo de manera espacial.
La forma física como los cuerpos ocupan el espacio no condiciona el empoderamiento
que desarrollan en dichas posiciones. Lo público parece retroceder o alejarse como un horizonte, una línea imaginaria que no se alcanza cuando los cuerpos femeninos entran en sus
instituciones. Hay un marco institucional, que parece tener el arte de recrear lo privado/
doméstico para acogerlas, mantenerlas, en la extensión y repetición de los roles del cuidado o
tareas estereotipadas como “cosas de mujeres”, de manera que no puedan experimentar lo
público en carne propia. Esto demuestra una complejidad que implica estar imbuido de ambas
dimensiones: privadas y públicas al mismo tiempo, creando la sensación de estar en un intermedio, un entre-lugar y entre-tiempo que se dinamiza de acuerdo a las lecturas de género, raza
y clase.
Uno de los procesos claves en la disolución de barreras para estos dos ámbitos fue el
de comprender lo político desde una óptica alternativa a los centros de poder tradicionales. Al
interior de la misma ganaron legitimidad tanto lo micro-social como las construcciones discursivas.
Por ser mi temática de estudio la preocupación por mujeres escritoras y ser consciente
de las condiciones en que consiguen realizar su oficio: en la mesa de la cocina, en el espacio
que ocupan el resto de las personas de la casa para otros fines, me pareció plausible incluir un
enlace dirigido hacia la mujer escritora, una interpretación del asunto desde la perspectiva de
la mujer que escribe.
1.2-
Política: “lo personal es político”. Los ejemplos narrativos.
Ser mujer es una decisión, no depende de menstruaciones, vestuarios, tareas, u orientación sexual, es una identificación, un sentirse, un querer ser, un no saber definirse, a veces, y
sobre todo: una relación social. Dicha relación fue inscrita y clasificada por diversas autoras,
dentro de parámetros de comprensión de “esferas” públicas y privadas, retratadas en disímiles
ejemplos literarios, reforzadas por mitos y preocupadas con reinterpretar lo que entendemos
por política.
La “mitología del espacio” se hace evidente en las narrativas tanto orales como escritas. Lo literario se transforma en un contexto político de poder, accesible a los análisis de los/
las feministas. Como se puede entrever en el título del artículo, lo público/privado también es
una relación que se narra, la ficción sirve aquí para distinguir posibles disoluciones de la dicotomía:
Antígona é uma pessoa política (ou seja, nem uma “mulher privada” nem
um “homem público”). Transcende a divisão entre o público e o privado
porque encarna o pessoal fato político. Através de seu discurso e de suas
ações transforma uma questão de interesse privado em um assunto
público. (DIETZ, 2001a, p.62).
Uno de los ejemplos literarios utilizados por una de las teóricas de la dicotomía público/
privado es el de Antígona, la heroína de Sófocles. Donde el rey de Antígona representa el estado. Antígona desafía las obligaciones abstractas del Estado y rechaza la vida pública representada por Creonte, el rey, según la interpretación de Elshtain. Sin embargo, para Mary
Dietz, Creonte no es simplemente un hombre, un rey del ámbito público que mancha la honra
de una familia y trivializa las lealtades privadas. Él es la manifestación de un tipo particular
de política, el gobierno autoritario, al cual Antígona, como ciudadana, se opone. (DIETZ,
2001a, p.61). Lo mismo ocurre con el personaje de Scherezada, la narradora que consigue
gracias al arte de tejer historias conservar la vida, y parar, de este modo, la secuencia de
muertes de las esposas del Califa (símbolo de Estado), en Vozes do Deserto, un romance de la
escritora brasileña Nélida Piñón.
“Scherezade não teme a morte. Não acredita que o poder do mundo,
representado pelo Califa, a quem o pai serve, decrete por meio de sua
morte o extermínio da sua imaginação”. (PIÑÓN, 2004, p. 7).
La autora se detiene en exponer los detalles de la dificultad de narrar, del oficio de la
mujer que narra, y del empoderamiento que ofrece el arte de manipular la palabra. Juega con
la inversión del signo que fue la prohibición de la escrita femenina, en el arte de contar, de la
oralidad que se desdobla ante nosotros, los lectores, en un doble juego: la mujer que escribe
sobre la mujer que narra, como queriendo extender exponencialmente los enraizamientos microfísicos del poder.
“À mercê de Scherezade, o soberano testa um poder que naquelas circunstâncias de nada lhe serve”. (...) “Intui que seu poder frente ao império narrativo
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de Scherezade, vale pouco, o que lhe dá motivo de ameaçá-la de novo com a
morte aos primeiros sinais da aurora”. (PIÑÓN, 2004, p. 126 y p.197).
manifestación con carteles. Todas cantaban “Yo maté a la Reina”, lo que producía una gran confusión”. (PRINGLE, WATSON, 2002, p.67).
Nélida Piñón consigue encarnar en el cuerpo de Scherezade atrapado en los aposentos,
el espíritu del mercado de Bagdad, una conciencia pública que amenaza con derrumbar las
estructuras de control impuestas por el personaje del Califa, que es a su vez la imagen del
patriarcado.
Para una definición de política vale recordar que en el sentido de un modelo cívico republicano esta alude a un conjunto de personas que razonan juntas para promover el bien
común y que no se trata de la simple suma de preferencias individuales. No obstante, preferí
tomar otros dos conceptos los cuales agrupé en una pequeña síntesis por considerarlos pertinentes a ambos, se trata de la visión de Mary G. Dietz, que alude al acto de involucrarse en el
debate público y de compartir la responsabilidad del autogobierno”. (DIETZ, 2001, p. 23),
junto a la concepción de Millet de una política que no se refiere al limitado mundo de las
reuniones, los presidentes y los partidos, sino por el contrario, al conjunto de relaciones y compromisos estructurados de acuerdo con el poder, en virtud de los cuales un grupo de personas
queda bajo el control de otro grupo”. (MILLET, 1995, p.68).
Su presencia en un intercambio personal, como es la relación sexual obligatoria entre
el amo y su esclava, deja de ser estrictamente privada para convertirse en asunto público, la
defensa de las mujeres a través del habla, en un campo de interacción subjetiva, donde es ella
quien domina la palabra, quien al construir cada noche distintas historias construye la Historia,
la suya. Hecho que le otorgará como personaje principal la posibilidad de participación
política.
¿Qué es libertad política?, ¿Qué significa ser ciudadano? ¿Qué requiere una
conciencia política expresamente femenina? O, para plantearlo más abiertamente, ¿hay algo más en la política feminista que la lucha revolucionaria contra el estado?”. (DIETZ, 2001, p. 15).
Mary Dietz coloca el concepto de ciudadanía en el centro mismo de una actividad
colectiva donde los individuos determinan y modifican constantemente los límites entre lo
público y lo privado. Para otra autora como Chantal Mouffe, la ciudadanía es un principio articulador que condiciona las distintas posiciones de los sujetos, permitiendo a la vez, una pluralidad de afiliaciones, de manera que no es una identidad entre otras, ni tampoco una identidad dominante. Se nutre de la distinción público/privado pero no la entiende como esferas
separadas porque cada situación es un encuentro entre lo privado y lo público. Expresa que
todos los emprendimientos son privados, pero nunca exentos de condiciones públicas prescritas, y agrego, inscritas en los principios de la ciudadanía.
Una parte que me resulta atractiva es cuando Mouffe señala que los deseos, las
decisiones, así como las elecciones son privadas, porque son parte de la responsabilidad
individual; sin embargo los desempeños son públicos porque tienen que sujetarse a los condicionamientos especificados por los principios ético-políticos del régimen que faculta la
gramática de la conducta del ciudadano.
El tránsito de los fragmentos literarios hacia la cosmovisión de ciudadanía responde a
un hilo conductor que se preocupa por la participación política de las mujeres, y de cómo se
evidencia dentro de ello el peso “del mito”, así en abstracto, al punto de que las autoras del
artículo: Los intereses de las mujeres y el estado post-estructuralista, comiencen su texto con
la confesión de un sueño que ficcionaliza una preocupación latente, y es la dificultad de despojarse del símbolo del monarca, rey, patriarca aún vestido con ropajes femeninos:
“Matamos a la Reina. Nos abrimos paso por una serie de habitaciones privadas
y la acuchillamos (…) Luego nos encontramos en el tribunal entre un numeroso grupo de mujeres vestidas con túnicas de penitente que realizaban una
Donde ese “involucrarse” transmite, en mi opinión, una necesidad de llevar a la escena
de “lo público” un compromiso íntimo, ¿personal?, entrar de lleno en sus asuntos y por tanto
conseguir una participación dentro del debate que se realiza a través de la enunciación de determinados “discursos”. Donde, a su vez, esos “compromisos estructurados de acuerdo con el
poder” y en oposición al limitado mundo de la política (en términos tradicionales y positivistas, entiéndase las instituciones que incluyen y rodean a los estados y los gobiernos); conllevan al postulado de que lo personal es político.
Uma vez que aceitemos o conceito fundamental do feminismo de que o pessoal
é político, (...) não mais podemos afirmar que existem duas esferas da
realidade social: a esfera privada ou doméstica, da família, sexualidade e
afetividade, e a esfera pública do trabalho e da produtividade. (...) Em vez
disso, poderíamos imaginar vários conjuntos inter-relacionados de relações
sociais- relações de trabalho, classe, raça e sexo-gênero. (LAURETIS, 1994,
p.215).
Sin embargo, este postulado ha enfrentado algunas revisiones en el pensamiento de
autoras que comenzaron a llevar en consideración el contexto de la globalización neoliberal,
bajo la mirada de perspectivas económicas preocupadas por la sostenibilidad de dicho postulado como principio de acción para la transformación feminista.
Lo cual merece especial atención si concordamos con la existencia de una democracia
de tipo neoliberal, ya que la misma debe ser aprehendida dentro de la lógica mercantil y sobre
todo, del consumo. En la que los seres humanos llamados/as de ciudadanos/as son reducidos a
meros consumidores, que realizan su libertad en la elección de objetos a consumir. La
democracia es conceptualizada, de esta forma, como un sistema político supeditado a la
economía.
En ese caso encontramos a Zillah Eisenstein, quien declara que no hay política en lo
personal, porque lo personal es hecho privado. (Incluso en los textos de otras autoras se habla
de una privatización de la política por género). En esta mirada económica se expone que, al
parecer, estamos transcendiendo la división de lo público y de lo privado, pero de una forma
que Eisenstein describe como inconsistente y contradictoria; incluso en forma de pérdida. Ella
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intenta transmitirnos como la pérdida de un espacio implica la pérdida del otro, hasta ahora
considerado su contrario. Ocurriendo las pérdidas de espacios privados y públicos simultáneamente.
Ahora, una vez más, el capital global redefine la división entre lo público/
privado para los nuevos países del tercer mundo, privilegiando el mercado
sobre la intensiva domesticidad del trabajo del hogar y un estado ausente.
Mientras tanto la desindustrialización en los países del primer mundo produce
una nueva división de la creciente privatización. Lo que una vez fue la esfera
pública del estado ahora es privatizado por los neoconservadores, de tal forma
que cada individuo debe cuidar de sí mismo. (EISENSTEIN, 1997, p.232).
Su insistencia en lo económico viene dada por su idea de que la privatización del
mundo público ha creado una crisis para ambos mundos, y que cuanto más se haga en lo privado- la importancia de la privacidad individual y libertad de elección y de mercados- lo
público se va haciendo pedazos. Ella pregunta: ¿qué puede significar la privacidad cuando lo
público ya no existe? Si desaparece la noción de público ¿cómo es que uno puede vivir fuera
de sí? Es valioso recuperar la visión de que lo privado siempre existe en relación a lo público,
y que ellos se intercambian y se conflictúan uno con otro simultáneamente.
Aunque concuerdo con su postulado de que el capital transnacional necesita de la privatización de muchas cosas públicas, y agrego de numerosos bienes públicos en general, desprotegidos por la carencia o debilidad de políticas de bienestar social casi inexistentes. Me
pregunto si Zillah Eisenstein se estará refiriendo a la privatización de un espacio y/o ámbito; si
su visión alude a prácticas comercializadoras y de publicitación de aspectos familiares. Ya que
el imaginario científico social considera a la familia como menos privada que en otros
contextos anteriores en términos de control público, de ayuda y de intervención.
Ella prosigue diciendo que las “políticas sexuales” y lo definido por el poder encubierto como los momentos privados, son comercializados masivamente. Refiriéndose, de este
modo, no únicamente a un espacio, sino también a un tiempo, que pasa por las cuestiones de
identidad y de lenguaje.
“La comercialización masiva absorbe, publicita, normaliza y disciplina, todo a
la vez. La comercialización redefine los límites entre lo privado y lo público,
adentro y afuera, política convencional y cultura de masas, lenguaje feminista
e identidades de las mujeres. Las políticas feministas radicales quedan fuera
de las renegociadas fronteras, mientras que el estatus de víctima de las
mujeres se convierte en el nuevo voyeurismo”. (EISENSTEIN, 1997, p.217).
Retomamos la cuestión del discurso, unida a las identidades de las mujeres, que se presentan
cada vez más como identidades fragmentarias, transitorias. La aparente disolución de ambos
ámbitos, comporta según mi punto de vista, una situación en la que sean tomados en cuenta, la
transitoriedad, los entretiempos y entre-lugares, la permeabilidad que afectan notoriamente la
“realidad” postmoderna, desde un punto de vista post-estructuralista y que juega con las revisiones críticas de la categoría “identidad”.
Podemos caracterizar la situación de vida que experimentamos actualmente como dirigida por
principios de desdiferenciación de la organización del espacio y el tiempo en un contexto de
eventos no solo complejos sino también acelerados.
Termos como entrelugar, entremeio e entretempo (…) circunscrevem fenômenos e vidas oscilantes situados em espaços fronteiriços, numa esfera do além,
formulada por Bhaba como “momento de trânsito em que espaço e tempo se
cruzem para produzir figuras complexas de diferença e identidade”. (OLINTO,
2010, p.28).
1.3- Un par de ideas finales.
Así como lo personal fue comprendido como un campo abierto, permeable y transitorio, la política presenta connotaciones difusas, porque las relaciones de poder no son inmutables, y se resignifican, más en un contexto de vaciamientos, donde las identidades se fragmentan y pluralizan. Decir que lo personal es político merece un voto a favor y en contra al mismo
tiempo, dentro de una dialéctica oscilatoria que permite entender la desestabilización de lo
personal por lo público, la privatización de lo privado, la impronta de lo discursivo y la aparición de entre-lugares y entre-tiempos.
NOTAS
1 Existe un reconocimiento acerca de la ausencia de lo femenino en cuanto sujeto de derechos y ciudadanía
dentro del pensamiento político tradicional. Además como parte de la obsesión por los orígenes se ha colocado
como posible punto de partida para esta cuestión, la distinción entre dos esferas: la pública y la privada, consideradas también como ámbitos y/o espacios, dentro de los cuales se identifican de forma dicotomizada, por
ende, opuesta, a lo masculino con la primera y lo femenino con la segunda. Y este proceso de identificación se
tornó una especie de base para el pensamiento político patriarcal.
2 Este punto de vista será desarrollado en próximos trabajos.
3 Que se interesa por el discurso y me resulta útil para aprehender aspectos del lenguaje, narración, y la literatura.
4Colaboración con el proyecto de investigación de la Dr. Clotilde Proveyer Cervantes del Dpto de Sociología
(Universidad de la Habana): “Violencia de género en Cuba: “Los TTIB en La Habana y la atención a la
violencia contra las mujeres: Una propuesta de acompañamiento a actores locales para su atención”. (2011).
5Proyecto en andamiento: Nuevas formas de consumo cultural: jóvenes creadores y contrahegemonía.6 “Para
el liberalismo, en el pasado, este ámbito privado abarcó casi siempre, en palabras de Agnes Heller, “las emociones domésticas”, es decir, matrimonio, familia, trabajo doméstico, y cuidado de los niños. En suma, la noción
liberal de “lo privado” ha abarcado lo que se ha denominado “esfera de la mujer” como “propiedad del varón”
y no solo ha tratado de defenderlo de la interferencia del ámbito público, sino que también ha mantenido
aparte de la vida de lo público a quienes “pertenecen” a esa esfera: las mujeres”. (DIETZ, 2001, p.8).
7 “El concepto de derechos no sólo refuerza los principios liberales subyacentes de la libertad individual y la
igualdad formal, sino que establece también la distinción entre “privado” y “público” que inspira gran parte de
la perspectiva liberal sobre la familia y las instituciones sociales. Los derechos individuales corresponden a la
noción de un ámbito de libertad privado, separado y distinto del público. Pese a que los teóricos liberales no
coinciden con respecto al carácter y grado de intervención estatal en el ámbito público- y ni siquiera acerca de
lo que cuenta como “público”- aceptan no obstante la idea de que determinados derechos son inviolables y
existen en un ámbito privado en el que el estado no puede interferir legítimamente”. (DIETZ, 2001, p.8).
8 Volveremos a esto con algunas formulaciones de Nancy Fraser sobre Habermas.
9 “a moderna categoria de indivíduo foi construída de uma forma que postula um “público” universalista e
homogêneo, relegando toda a particularidade e toda a diferença para o “privado”, o que tem conseqüências
extremamente negativas para as mulheres”. (MOUFFE, 1993, p.111).
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10 “Si uno repasa la historia reciente de las definiciones de los intereses de las mujeres, sus demandas han
sido planteadas mucho más para ganar control sobre su propio destino dentro del espacio privado que para
la creación de nuevas instituciones”. (HERNES, sa, p.29).
11 “El colapso de la familia hombre mantenedor-ama de casa ha aumentado la independencia de las mujeres
en relación a su marido y a la vez ha hecho a las mujeres más dependientes del Estado como empleadas,
clientes y consumidoras de los servicios públicos”. (BORCHORST, 1987, p.161).
12 “En el caso de las mujeres (…), su trabajo asalariado aún desempeñado fuera del hogar, lleva todas las
marcas de su trabajo doméstico, con horarios sumamente elásticos en función de “los pedidos – ya que
prevalece por doquier la fórmula de la subcontratación- , con un aprovechamiento de sus versátiles
habilidades a la vez que no se les reconoce cualificación alguna, con una subordinación a capataces masculinos que confunden sus servicios laborales con los que eventualmente podrían ser servicios sexuales o específicamente femeninos, etc. Como son percibidas como sirvientas más que como sujetos de derechos
laborales, sirven tanto para un roto como para un descocido: “son los trabajadores genéricos” por antonomasia. Son tan invisibles, tan sustituibles, tan indiscernibles, tan genéricas, en suma, que, a veces, aunque desaparezcan en buen número, como ha ocurrido recientemente en ciudad Juárez, lo hacen, al parecer, ante la
indiferencia de las instituciones”. (AMORÓS, 2007, p.327).
13 “Uma conceituação do problema que busca capturar as conseqüências estruturais e dinâmicas da interação entre dois ou mais eixos da subordinação. Ela trata especificamente da forma pela qual o racismo, o
patriarcalismo, a opressão de classe e outros sistemas discriminatórios criam desigualdades básicas que estruturam as posições relativas das mulheres, raças, etnias, classes e outras”. (CRENSHAW, Kimberlé, 2002,
pp.171-188).
14 Hombres, mujeres y otros que no se reconocen dentro de estas categorías.
15 En este sentido fue relevante la obra de Foucault.
16 “A cidadania não é apenas uma identidade entre outras, como sucede no liberalismo, nem tão-pouco a
identidade dominante que elimina todas as outras, como acontece no republicanismo cívico. Pelo contrário,
é um principio articulador que afeta as diferentes posições de sujeito do agente social, ao mesmo tempo que
permite uma pluralidade de filiações específicas e o respeito da liberdade individual. Nesta concepção, a
distinção público/privado não é abandonada, mas sim concebida de forma diferente. A distinção não corresponde a esferas discretas, separadas; cada situação é um encontro entre o “privado” e o “público”, porque
todos os empreendimentos são privados, embora nunca isentos das condições públicas prescritas pelos
princípios da cidadania. Os desejos, escolhas e decisões são privados, porque são da responsabilidade de
cada indivíduo, mas os desempenhos são públicos, porque têm de sujeitar-se ás condições especificadas por
um determinado entendimento dos princípios ético-políticos do regime, que faculta a “gramática” da conduta do cidadão”. (MOUFFE, 1993, p.114).
17 “En pocas palabras, el modelo cívico republicano destaca una visión de la política como un grupo de
personas que razonan juntas para promover un bien común que trasciende la simple suma de preferencias
individuales”. (FRASER, 1993, p.49).
18 “Al mismo tiempo el concepto de democracia es conceptualizado como un sistema político supeditado a
la economía en el que los sujetos desarrollan y amplían sus derechos como consumidores. La democracia
neoliberal tiene una dimensión fuertemente mercantil en la que los ciudadanos son definidos como meros
consumidores, pues en la elección del objeto a consumir se concreta la libertad”. (COBO, 2007, p.280).
19 “Finalmente, las defensoras de los derechos de las mujeres combatían públicamente tanto la exclusión de
la mujer del ámbito público oficial como la privatización de la política por género”. (FRASER, 1993, p.31).
20 “Parece que estamos transcendiendo la división de lo público y lo privado, pero en una forma inconsistente y contradictoria. La pérdida del espacio público se da, muchas veces, paralelamente con la pérdida del
espacio privado”. (EISENSTEIN, 1997, p.201).
21 “Porque lo privado siempre existe en relación a lo público, y porque ellos se intercambian y se conflictúan uno con otro simultáneamente, la privatización del mundo público ha creado una crisis para ambos
mundos. Cuanto más se haga en lo privado- la importancia de la privacidad individual y libertad de elección
y de mercados- lo público se va haciendo pedazos. ¿Qué puede significar la privacidad cuando lo público ya
no existe? ¿Si ya no existe la noción de lo público cómo es que uno puede vivir fuera de sí? El capital transnacional necesita de la privatización de muchas cosas públicas”. (EISENSTEIN, 1997, p.202).
Bibliografía.
AMORÓS, Célia. Globalización y orden de género. In.AMORÓS, C. e MIGUEL, A. Teoria Feminista: de
La Ilustración a La globalización. Madrid: Minerva, Ed. 2007, pp. 301-332.
BACHELARD Gaston. La poética del espacio. Fondo de Cultura Económica. México, 1992.
BORCHORST, Anette. Las mujeres y el Estado del bienestar avanzado. Una nueva forma de poder patriarcal? In. SASSOON, Anne (org) Las mujeres y el Estado.Madrid: Vindicación Feminista. 1987. pp 151-162.
COBO, Rosa. Globalización y nuevas servindumbre de las mujeres. In. AMORÓS, C. e MIGUEL, A. Teoria
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especial). México. 2001 pp. 3-32.
DIETZ, Mary G. Cidadania com cara feminista. Debate Feminista (nº especial). México. 2001 pp. 55-78.
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Feminista (Ano 8, Vol.15) México. 1997. Pp.198-243.
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existente. Debate Feminista (Ano 4, vol.7) México: 1993. Pp.23-58.
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cultura. Rio de Janeiro: Rocco, 1994. p. 243-288.
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Female Genital Mutilation - Truths and Lies
Γυναικείος Γεννητικός Ακρωτηριασµός -Αλήθειες και
Ψέµµατα
Abstract: This article examines and analyzes the controversial issue of Female Genital
Mutilation (FGM). With goal to find the truths and the lies around the issue, this article provides
a description and an analysis of important factual information regarding the practices of FGM
and its (FGM’s) relation to the cultural and religious norms of a society. In addition, it offers an
interesting theoretical discussion on the issue within the frame of two core theories, Universalism
and Cultural relativism. Aim of this paper is not only to condemn the FGM practices around the
world but also inform the readers properly on its harmful consequences on women’s/girls’ health
and rights. Based on the factual data and the discussion on FGM’s origins, it becomes obvious
that FGM does not have any actual religious basis. Although it is referred to as a society’s
cultural or religious custom through the study of the relevant academic literature, I reached the
conclusion that FGM derives mostly from outdated beliefs of individuals. These beliefs have
been passed and preserved over the years in many civilizations and as a result have become an
integral part of people's lives and cultural traditions. In many cases, the refusal of a woman to be
subjected to FGM is the reason why she can be refused the chance to be educated, get married
and finds a job as FGM practices have been associated with a woman's purity, cleanliness,
maturity and absolute obedience to her husband. Even though international human rights laws as
well as some domestic treaties have promoted and prohibited these practices against women, it is
a fact that FGM is still apparent in many countries of the contemporary world.
Απόσπασµα: Αυτό το άρθρο εξετάζει και αναλύει το επίµαχο ζήτηµα του Γυναικείου Γεννητικου
Ακρωτηριασµού (ΓΓΑ). Με στόχο να βρούµε τις αλήθειες και τα ψέµατα γύρω από το θέµα,
αυτό το άρθρο παρέχει την περιγραφή και ανάλυση σηµαντικών δεδοµένων σ΄ ότι αφορά τις
πρακτικές του ΓΓΑ και τη σχέση του µε τις κουλτουραλιστικές και θρησκευτικές νόρµες µίας
κοινωνίας. Επιπρόσθετα, προσφέρει µία ενδιαφέρουσα θεωρητική συζήτηση του θέµατος µέσα
στο πλάισιο δύο βασικών θεωριών, του Οικουµενισµού και του Πολιτιστικού Σχετικισµού.
Σκοπός της παρούσας µελέτης δεν είναι µόνο να καταδικάσει τις πρακτικές του ΓΓΑ σε όλο τον
κόσµο, αλλά και να ενηµερώσει σωστά τους αναγνώστες σχετικά µε τις επιβλαβείς επιπτώσεις
αυτών των πρακτικών στην υγεία και τα δικαιώµατα των γυναικών/κοριτσιών. Με βάση τα
δεδοµένα και τη συζήτηση γύρω από την προέλευση του ΓΓΑ , γίνεται φανερό ότι ο ΓΓΑ δεν έχει
καµία βάση θρησκευτικού περιεχοµένου. Παρά το γεγονός ότι αναφέρεται ως πολιτιστικό ή
θρησκευτικό έθιµο µιας κοινωνίας, µέσα από τη µελέτη της σχετικής ακαδηµαικής
βιβλιογραφίας , έφτασα στο συµπέρασµα ότι o ΓΓA έχει κυρίως τις ρίζες του σε ξεπερασµένες
πεποιθήσεις ατόµων. Αυτές οι πεποιθήσεις έχουν περαστεί και διατηρηθεί µε το πέρασµα του
χρόνου σε πολλούς πολιτισµούς και ως αποτέλεσµα έχουν γίνει αναπόσπαστο κοµµάτι της ζωής
και των πολιτιστικών παραδόσεων των ανθρώπων. Σε πολλές περιπτώσεις , η άρνηση µίας
γυναίκας να υποβληθεί σε ΓΓΑ είναι ο λόγος για τον οποίο µπορεί να της αρνηθεί το δικαίωµα
στο να µορφωθεί, να παντρευτεί και να αποκατασταθεί επαγγελµατικά καθώς οι πρακτικές του
ΓΓΑ έχουν σχετιστεί µε την γυναικεία αγνότητα, καθαρότητα , ωριµότητα και απόλυτη υπακοή
στον συζυγό της. Παρόλο που το διεθνές δίκαιο ανθρωπίνων δικαιωµάτων , καθώς και
ορισµένες εγχώριες συνθήκες έχουν προωθήσει και απαγορεύσει αυτές τις πρακτικές σε βάρος
των γυναικών , είναι γεγονός ότι ο ΓΓΑ είναι ακόµη εµφανής σε πολλές χώρες του σύγχρονου
κόσµου.
Keywords: FGM, Culture, Religion, Women’s Rights, Human Rights, Universalism, Cultural
Relativism, International Human Rights Law
Λέξεις-κλειδιά: ΓΓΑ, Πολιτισµός, Θρησκεία, Γυναικεία Δικαιώµατα , Ανθρώπινα Δικαιώµατα ,
Οικουµενισµός, Πολιτιστικός σχετικισµός, Διεθνές Δίκαιο Ανθρωπίνων Δικαιωµάτων
Athanasia Zagorianou
Strathclyde University, Glasgow.
Master in Human Rights Law.
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Introduction
Women’s rights have been globally established as human rights through the signatory
and ratification of numerous important International and domestic human rights treaties,
agreements, conventions and declarations. International and regional legal documents have
covered and concentrated on the various aspects of women’s rights such as domestic abuse,
gender inequality, discrimination etc.
Culture, an important factor for every state's operation around the world, can easily
affect and inspire the masses. A fact that sometimes might have serious consequences on
individuals' physical and mental health, as many cultures have their own philosophies and
strong views on issues such as health, illness, healing etc.
In some cultures, the role of women in the society is very limited and the compliance
with social standards can be extremely oppressive and detrimental to the mental and physical
health of women. It is not unusual for cultural norms and traditions to be linked with
sexuality, alcohol or nutrition. The status of women, which has been an everlasting issue, has
given rise to a variety of controversial situations as the broadly known issue of Female
Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C).
FGM is an issue that has been intensively criticized by the international community
since the reason that it is practiced is not medical and the girls and women that are subjected
to it do not receive proper medical care (WHO, Fact sheet N°241).
Female Genital Mutilation
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Female Genital Mutilation
(FGM/C) is defined as “every procedure that involves a part or total removal of the external
female genitalia for non-medical reasons.”(WHO, Fact sheet N°241).
Based on the study of the publication of Royal College of Nursing (RCN), Middle
East, South East Africa as well as twenty-eight countries of Africa are some of the most
common areas where FGM takes place (RCN, 2006, p.5). Moreover, women and girls are
also subjected to FGM due to immigration of individuals in Europe, Canada, Australia and
the United States (RCN, 2006, p.5)
According to WHO, FGM has been classified into four types, the first type is
Clitoridectomy (utter or partial amputation of the clitoris), the second is excision (utter or
partial amputation of external female genital organs i.e. clitoris and labia majora), the third is
called infibulation (the removal of all outer female genitalia organs i.e. clitoris labia majora
and labia minora) and sewing or tightening the vaginal hole and the fourth and last type has
been characterized as any-other non-medical, hurtful method on the female genitalia (e.g.
piercing, stretching, cauterization of some genital parts etc.) that can endanger the physical
health of a girl or a woman(WHO, Fact sheet N°241).
The 2005 United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Innocenti underlines that the
number of girls and women that have been subjected to FGM reaches “[the] 130 million
worldwide [while] three million women annually [are] exposed to these practices”. (Unicef
Digest Innocenti, 2005, p. vii)
The biggest issue with FGM is the dramatic and disastrous consequences of these
practices on women’s health and rights. During the conduction of FGM many young women
and female children have died from profuse blood loss, insufferable pain or shock (WHO,
2008 p.11). FGM is mainly conducted by traditional circumcisors that in most cases do not
have any surgical or even medical skills (Castledine, 2006). Most importantly it has been
noted that the surgical instruments used during the FGM procedure are not sterilized, a fact
that can cause serious and sometimes even fatal infections and diseases such as septicemia
and HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) (Alston, et al, 2007 p.547).
Women usually confront the dangerous consequences of this procedure during
pregnancy and childbirth. However, the practices of FGM do not only irreversibly hurt the
psychical health of women and girls but also their mental health as the traumas suffered in
childhood (due to the FGM procedure) are in a lot of cases one of the most important reasons
for psychological issues that appear later in their lives (Unicef Digest Innocenti, 2005, p.17).
It has been noticed that many of these women face problems manifested in the form of
depression, lower self-esteem, issues with their sexual life, a constantly compulsive need to
urine etc. (Royal Australian College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, 1997, p. 38).
Although the age of the girls that are subjected to FGM hinges on the customs of
every country, the most common age is between five and puberty. Countries as Eritrea,
Nigeria, and Mauritania are some of the countries that practice FGM on girls that are less
than five years old, while in countries such as Central African Republic, Somalia and Egypt
FGM is practiced on girls most commonly between five and fourteen years old.(UNICEF,
2013, p.50) Based on the above information regarding the age that FGM takes place, it is
obvious that the issue does not only revolve around the rights of women but also around the
rights of female children.
The practices of FGM violate some of the most important human rights treaties
regarding children’s and women’s protection against violation and maltreatment. Gender
equality, which is covered in Article 2 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC),
the right of children to the highest attainable standard of health (Article 24(1), CRC), the
prohibition of all forms of mental and physical violence and maltreatment (Article 19(1),
CRC) and the prohibition of torture or inhuman or degrading treatment (Article 5 of the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR)) are only a small sample of fundamental
rights that have been deprived from female children and women through the years due to
FGM.
Some of the major reasons that these harmful practices are still taking place during
the 21st century are high poverty, lack of education, lack of medical care and proper
information on the issue. Although the consequences of FGM as I have already noted above
are irreversibly harmful for women, a lot of them choose and support FGM as it is known
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that their disobedience can deprive them from their right to primary education and can
stigmatize them in their local society.
Culture - Religion and FGM
It has been claimed that FGM has its origins in a number of different religious,
cultural and social perspectives that have been endorsed, maintained and practiced by
families and societies for non-medical reasons through the years. However, based on the
study of different academic sources and researches it has been proven that FGM does not
have any specific origin.
The little data that helps with tracing the origins of FGM claim that the third type of
FGM, infibulation which is also considered one of the most extreme types in relation to the
others, derives from the Egyptian Pharoah, while it has been recorded that clitoridectomy (the
first type of FGM) was taken into practice in the Western world during the 50s' as a therapy
for women that have been diagnosed with hysteria, nymphomania etc. (Royal Australian
College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, 1997, p.16 & Castledine, 2006).
In many societies, the practice of FGM is required for the acceptance of women in the
society and prepares them for adulthood, parenthood and marriage while it also gives them
more chances to have access to a better marriage and educational perspectives (Alston et al,
pp.550-551). In other societies, FGM has been related to the sexuality of a woman. In
particular, FGM has been used as a limitation to a woman’s sexuality in order to supposedly
keep her away from her intense sexual tenses. In these occasions FGM symbolizes a woman’s
purity or her absolute obedience to her future husband (Bourdanne, 2005).
Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (Article 21), the CRC (Article 37(1)), the
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) and
many others. According to these articles, member-states of these treaties are required to adjust
or remove traditions that endanger an individual’s life.
In order to adequately comprehend the issue it would be interesting at this point to
have a careful look at the relevant article of CEDAW. Particularly, Article 5(a) of CEDAW
requires the states-member of the Convention
(1) to modify the social and cultural patterns of conduct of men and
women, with a view to achieving the elimination of prejudices and customary
and all other practices which are based on the idea of the inferiority or
superiority of either of the sexes or on stereotyped roles for men and
women.”(Article 5(a), CEDAW).
At least half of the African countries have adopted legislation against female genital
mutilation. Serious concerns have been expressed that these criminal practices have been
transferred to European countries through immigration. Among other states, Britain and
Sweden are the two states that have passed legislation for the prohibition of these cruel
cultural practices. Particularly, in the UK FGM became a criminal offence under the
protection of the Female Genital Mutilation Act 2003 and Prohibition of Female Genital
Mutilation (Scotland) Act 2005, Acts that have been replaced the previous Prohibition of
Female Circumcision Act 1985 (Kathy French, 2009, p. 198).
FGM - Universalism and Cultural Relativism
Although the practices of FGM have been preserved and promoted as part of a
society’s predominant culture and religion, it is a fact that there are not religious documents
or holy books referring to any kind of obligation of a woman to be subjected to FGM (Preston
D. Mitchum, 1993, p.593). According to the article Female Genital Mutilation by Nahid
Toubia, FGM is not related to the religion of Islam or any other religion but “[it] was spread
by dominant tribes and civilizations, often as a result of tribal, ethnic and cultural allegiances”
(Julie Peters, Andrea Wolper, 1995 p.230).
The issue of FGM and its cultural or religious dimensions has also been discussed
within the frame of the known debate between cultural relativists and universalists.
Following from this point, one can see that the practices of FGM have their origins in
a complicated and wide system of beliefs and ideas that have been embraced by societies
throughout the years. From my point of view, the relation of the issue to culture or religion
could not justify FGM’s heinous effects that are irreversibly dangerous for a woman’s
physical and mental health. It would be at least negatively challenging and scandalous to try
to defend these harmful practices relying on a society’s anachronistic religious and cultural
beliefs and theories. Even if the practices of FGM were grounded on actual and commonly
accepted religious or cultural basis, this could certainly not be used as a form of excuse or
justification for this custom’s (FGM’s) acceptance and integration in a society.
The idea of cultural relativism is mostly based on the respect of cultural diversity
among the states (Sandra Danial, 2013 pp. 4-5). For this reason, I have to point out that even
though cultural relativists support and promote cultural determination and diversity of
individuals, they have held a neutral position on the issue of FGM (Sandra Danial, 2013 pp.
4-5). However, I consider it really interesting to try to shoot down some of the arguments that
could be used support FGM within the idea of cultural relativism.
The obligation of the states to protect women and female children from these hurtful
practices has been legally covered by numerous human rights treaties such as The African
Without any intention to misinform or mislead the readers regarding the idea of these
theories and their values and with only aim to examine the issue of FGM within this longterm debate, I have to mention at this point that the general theory of cultural relativism is not
essentially consistent with customs or ideas that constitute a violation of human rights.
In order to discuss the issue of FGM in the frame of these two theories (Universalism
and Cultural Relativism) it would be necessary to write a few words for the principles that
they represent. Based on the theory of universalism, “all human rights are universal,
indivisible and interdependent and interrelated”. Principally, human rights are applicable to
all people, irrespective of location, gender, ethnicity, race, culture, political system or any
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other type of diversity (Alston et al, 2007, p 517-518). For this reason, every international
human rights treaty uses in its transcripts the universal terms as “everyone” or “no one” refer
to individuals instead of the word “citizens” (Alston et al, 2007, p 517-518).
On the other hand, the theory of cultural relativism is based on the idea that there are
no objective criteria by which people with different social and religious norms and
perspectives can be distinguished. The basic principle of cultural relativism is the respect of
diverse culture and traditions (Sandra Danial, 2013 pp.2-3). Every society has its own internal
system of values which often are in conflict with the universal values of human rights. For
these reasons, it (cultural relativism) supports the local autonomy and opposes against the
global imposition of the western model.
Objections regarding the idea of universalism have not been raised only from relativist
philosophers but also from social scientists and governmental representatives in international
conferences such as the Vienna’s Conference in 1993 where the issues of culture and women
rights within the frame of the two theories (cultural relativism and universalism) were
discussed (Sciolino, 1993). Although the idea of universalism has been intensively criticized
by the advocates of cultural relativism as a western idea that represents only the western
perspectives and not the universal ones, it is a fact that the theory of universalism has worthily
promoted and protected humanity through the years.
While it is important to recognize the cultural determination of many women around
the world regarding different human rights issues that have been subjects of debate between
universalism and cultural relativism such as the issue of Islamic veil (e.g. jihad) in the
Western world, I consider it necessary to note that FGM practices are nothing alike. Even
though FGM has been parallelized to male circumcision or other cosmetic surgeries that
women have undergone in the Western World, it is a fact that in contrast to cosmetic surgeries,
FGM is not a woman’s choice but a decision that is taken by her family, community in
accordance with the cultural and social standards of her society. Additionally, women
subjected to FGM are usually less than fourteen years old which means that they are still
children or teenagers that in most cases are not properly aware for the procedure and its
consequences on their health, an important factor that significantly contributes to their
vulnerability.
It is my firm belief that human rights representatives should respect and take into
account the diversity of cultures and religions on every human right issue that comes up. But
what happens when culture becomes the reason for women’s health violations? FGM has to
come to an end and this should not be negotiable even within the frame of cultural relativism
and universalism. FGM practices should be an issue that concerns not only the women
subjected to it but also all of us as it constitutes an important violation of human rights and a
serious threat against public health and human dignity.
Conclusion
During the writing of this article my belief that religion has nothing to do with harmful
practices against female children and women was enhanced significantly. I believe that FGM
is mostly related to deep anachronistic perceptions of individuals among states. Although the
law has made some progress in the effort to eradicate the spread and existence of this custom,
it is obvious that the impunity of these traditional practices is still intensively apparent. It
seems that in this case prejudices and cultural norms are stronger than laws.
At this point, as far as I am concerned, proper information and counseling to families
and children regarding the dangers of FGM would be more useful than the observation of
laws.I would propose the operation of free institutions, coordination of campaigns and
obligatory seminars at schools that would be sponsored by the government of every state in
the world. Their purpose would be to appropriately inform and advise families and girls on the
practices of FGM and its harmful dimensions.
To conclude, some ideas for future analysis could be the financial factors behind
FGM, discussion of cultural-religious norms of non-Western countries within the debate of
cultural relativism and universalism, the practices of FGM and their spread in the Western
World through immigration and others. Most importantly I consider that this article gives rise
for further analysis not only on the issue of FGM and its dimensions but also on other
violations against women's and children rights.
References
Alston, Goodman, Steiner, (2007), International Human Rights in Context’, Law, Politics, Morals (3rd,
Oxford University Press)
Castledine J, (2006). Female Genital Mutilation: An Issue Cultural Relativism or Human Rights? Mount
Holyoke College, International Relations Program
Dr Bourdanne H, (2005). ‘Excision’ Tearfund International Learning Zone(TILZ) Retrieved from:
http://tilz.tearfund.org/Publications/Footsteps+21-30/Footsteps+24/Excision.htm
French K, (2009). ‘Sexual Health’ Essential Clinical Skills Nurses series, 1st ed. Wiley-Blackwel
Mitchum D, P, (2013). Slapping the Hand of Cultural Relativism: Female Genital Mutilation, Male, Dominance, and Health as a Human Rights Framework, 19 Wm. & Mary J. Women & L. 585
Peters J, Wolper A, (1995). Women's Rights, Human Rights: International Feminist Perspectives,
Psychology Press
Royal Australian College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, (1997), Female Genital Mutilation
Sandra Danial S, (Spring, 2013).Cultural Relativism vs. Universalism: Female Genital Mutilation,
Pragmatic Remedies, Prandium - The Journal of Historical Studies, Vol. 2, No. 1,The Department of
Historical Studies, University of Toronto Mississauga
Sciolino E, (1993).U.S. Rejects Notion That Human Rights Vary With Culture, The New York Times, Retrieved
from:http://www.nytimes.com/1993/06/15/world/us-rejects-notion-that-human-rights-vary-with-culture.ht
ml?src=pm
UNICEF, (2005). Changing a Harmful Social Convention: Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting, Digest Innocenti, Retrieved from: http://www.unicef-irc.org/publications/pdf/fgm_eng.pdf
UNICEF, (2013). Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting: A statistical overview and exploration of the
dynamics of change, Retrieved from: http://www.unicef.org/media/files/FGCM_Lo_res.pdf
WHO, (2008). Eliminating female genital mutilation, An inter-agency statement OHCHR, UNDAIS,
UNDP, UNECA, UNESCO, UNFPA, UNHCR, UNICEF, UNIFEM, WHO
WHO, (2012).Female genital mutilation, Fact sheet N°241 Official Website Retrieved from:
http://www.who.int/gender/genderandhealth/en/index.html
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Vidas Sumisas: la Mujer Indígena
Submissive Lives: the Indigenous Women
Resumen: Nuestro estudio va a consistir en una mirada a las mujeres indígenas en
América Latina. Éstas se encuentran en una situación de pobreza y subordinación,
viven en un contexto de doble rechazo por el hecho de ser indígena y mujeres. Con
ello no queremos generalizar y dar a entender que se tratan de sociedades exclusivamente machistas pero sí que ciertos sectores deben asumir una actitud más respetuosa
con las mujeres indígenas. Otro factor a tener en cuenta es el hecho de que nos
situemos en un área geográfica tan vasta y heterogénea como lo es América Latina y
que, por tanto, no todo lo que se comente tiene que ser visto de un modo generalista.
Abstract: Our study consists of a reflective look at native women in South America.
They find themselves in a situation of great poverty and subordination; they live in a
double rejected context because they are indigenous and women. However, we do not
want to imply that this exclusively concerns chauvinist societies, bur certain sectors
must demonstrate a more respectful attitude with native women. Furthermore, another
factor must be kept in mind; we are situated in a geographical area as vast and as
diverse as Latin America. Thus, not everything can be commented from a general
point of view.
Palabras clave: Mujer, Comunidad Indígena, América Latina, pobreza, Movimientos
Indígenas Femeninos.
Keywords: Woman, Indigenous Community, Latin America, poverty, Feminine
Indigenous Movement.
Lorena Yañez Ruano
Mestrando en Estudios Latinoamericanos: Cultura y Gestión, por la
Universidad de Granada
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“Mi nombre es Esther, pero eso no importa ahora. Soy zapatista, pero
eso tampoco importa en este momento. Soy indígena y soy mujer, y eso
es lo único que importa ahora…Quiero explicarles la situación de la
mujer indígena que vivimos en nuestras comunidades,… La situación es
muy dura”(1).
INTRODUCCIÓN
Para poder entender el contexto en el que nos movemos deberíamos hacer una
pequeña incursión en su ambiente habitual. En este sentido reconocemos dos tipos de
mujeres indígenas las que continúan viviendo dentro de sus comunidades de origen, en el
ámbito rural y las que, por diferentes razones, han debido trasladarse a las áreas urbanas.
¿Qué entendemos por indígena? Aquellas personas que continúan preservando sus
tradiciones espíritu-culturales así como sus lenguas, diferentes a las del resto de la población.
Por lo tanto, cuando nos referimos a una comunidad indígena estamos entendiendo como «el
espacio en donde no solo se manifiesta plenamente la identidad indígena, sino también el vínculo esencial con la tierra y la territorialidad (como espacio material, pero también simbólico
o sagrado), las expresiones más definidas de las culturas indígenas, las lenguas o las fiestas […](2)».
mente se trata de sociedades en las cuales la mujer queda relegada a un segundo plano. De
acuerdo con un testimonio de primera mano:
La mayor parte, si no es que todas las mujeres indígenas que han logrado
participar en el espacio público, las que han desplegado su capacidad organizativa en procesos sociales, las que los encabezan, sea la instalación de un
molino de nixtamal o la procuración de justicia en la comunidad, han conocido en carne propia o de cerca y de manera directa, muy diversas formas de
violencia contra las mujeres: violencia física, golpes y torturas; sexual,
violaciones; psicológica, desprestigio, descalificación y amenaza; de Estado,
intimidación o muerte; sus verdugos han sido generalmente varones, sean sus
compañeros de vida; sus compañeros de lucha dentro de organizaciones mixtas; sus enemigos políticos y de clase. La violencia se halla entre los recuerdos y experiencias primarias y se vive también en el presente, no es algo aledaño o periférico de sus vidas […](5).
EL ROL DE LA MUJER EN LA COMUNIDAD INDÍGENA: madres, esposas, trabajadoras e invisibles.
En el mundo prehispánico el rol de la mujer en su comunidad se limitaba a su condición de madre relegada a las tareas domésticas pero… ¿Cuánto ha cambiado su situación? En
el momento en el que la mujer indígena nace va a tener ciertas pautas que cumplir:
Desde pequeña es entrenada en labores pesadas, recoger leña, cargar agua y,
por supuesto, cocinar lavar, cardar la lana y tejer. A los catorce años, el Mamo,
sacerdote de la tribu, indica cuál es el hombre que le conviene y al que debe
seguir para obedecer, cuidar y ayudar durante toda. Desde esa temprana edad,
comienzan las obligaciones de mujer casada, que van desde buscar el bastimento y la leña para las comidas, acarrear el agua, procrear y cuidar hijos en
una tarea sin término. Siempre ocupa el segundo lugar […](3).
Si tenemos en cuenta el “prototipo” de familia indígena éste se va a configurar por la
pareja y un promedio entre 7 y 10 hijos en las zonas rurales. La familia es vista como núcleo
económico, social y cultural en la que las mujeres juegan un papel fundamental en tanto que
son las encargadas de la educación de sus hijos. Son las transmisoras de los valores y
tradiciones y se esfuerzan por conseguir la perpetuación de sus culturas por lo que la mujer es
una pieza fundamental en este proceso de transmisión de las tradiciones culturales dentro de
los parámetros de su comunidad.(4)
Sin embargo, nos encontramos ante una sociedad históricamente patriarcal, bajo la
mirada masculina, en la que la violencia de género continúa presente en sus vidas a través del
maltrato doméstico, la maternidad temprana, el derecho de pernada o la esterilización sin consentimiento. Asistimos ante la importancia de la familia como núcleo económico, social y
cultural donde las mujeres son vistas como un útero generador de vida y continuidad, dejando de lado la sexualidad o el placer. Los comportamientos se suelen basar en relaciones
machistas entre hombres y mujeres, sometimiento de éstas, en definitiva, una sociedad regida
por el hombre en el que la mujer debe de soportar humillaciones y discriminaciones. Básica-
En este sentido, se debería intentar buscar una alternativa que fomente el equilibrio y
la igualdad. Sin embargo, la problemática que nos surge es: ¿cómo intentar hacer compatible
el comportamiento sociológico de las comunidades indígenas en referencia al tratamiento de
la mujer con el estado de derecho de los países que integran a estas comunidades? ¿Realmente si intentamos mejorar la situación de la mujer indígena dentro de su comunidad
estamos alterando gravemente sus estructuras organizativas? Al respecto y desde una
perspectiva de desacralización de las culturas indígenas en cuanto al tratamiento de la mujer
se refiere, consideramos que una mejora de la situación de la mujer indígena dentro de su
comunidad no implica daños a las estructuras y comportamientos sociológicos de la
comunidad. Al contrario, la construcción hacia un camino igualitario que deje de lado la humillación y discriminación femeninas aportaría un enriquecimiento cultural. Debe destacarse
que las indígenas están luchando en el interior de sus organizaciones y comunidades (y no
sólo en el ámbito de las políticas públicas) por cambiar o eliminar aquellos elementos de la
tradición que las discriminan y las oprimen (6). Comprenden que tienen una serie de
derechos por el mero hecho de ser indígenas y mujeres, manifestando su oposición a aquellos
hábitos tradicionales que atenten contra su dignidad y derechos, en especial la violencia
doméstica. No obstante, son conscientes que deben reforzarse y recrearse para mantener vivas las tradiciones, pues, al fin y al cabo, son ellas las transmisoras de los valores en la
comunidad (7).
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EL VIAJE DEL CAMPO A LA CIUDAD
En no pocas ocasiones, las circunstancias de extrema pobreza en las que viven parte
de los indígenas en las zonas rurales les obligan a emigrar a las ciudades en busca de una
mejor vida. Sin embargo, para el caso de las mujeres, al introducirse en el mundo “no
indígena” las relaciones de dependencia masculina van a sufrir ciertas modificaciones. La
disyuntiva que se plantea cuando las mujeres indígenas llegan a los ambientes urbanos es un
aumento en la pérdida de autonomía. Además de esta discriminación de género la mujer
indígena se enfrenta a la discriminación racial y cultural. Sufren un doble rechazo por el
hecho de ser mujer e indígena. Al menos, en su comunidad quizás estuvieran infravaloradas
por el hecho de ser mujeres pero no por el de ser indígena por lo que se sienten con bastantes
más derechos en la comunidad mientras que en la ciudad experimentan un mayor sentimiento
de marginación.
En concordancia con lo anterior, la gran mayoría de las mujeres que llegan a las ciudades se dedican al trabajo doméstico deficientemente remunerado o bien se agrupan en los
mercados, las ventas o la mendicidad. «Por ser mujeres, se les paga menos que a los hombres
indígenas cuando hacen el mismo trabajo; y, por ser indígenas, reciben menos pago que las
mujeres ladinas»(8).
Testimonio de primera mano:
La mayoría de veces piensan que las mujeres indígenas no podemos seguir con
los estudios, que siendo mujeres no somos capaces. Esto dicen incluso los
mismos indígenas. En la comunidad prefieren a los hombres. Seguramente, por
la costumbre misma que los hombres son fuertes, que (ellos) son los que pueden;
y por un poco de machismo también. Pero, viéndolo de otra manera, pienso que
no es así, que también las mujeres indígenas somos capaces de estudiar, de interrelacionarnos con otras personas que no son indígenas, compartir las costumbres,
intercambiar ideas, qué nos parece, cuál es la visión del hombre indígena y cosas
así (11).
Debería surgir un esfuerzo colectivo por mejorar la situación de la educación
indígena, ya no sólo me refiero a la femenina sino también a la masculina. Sería conveniente
esforzarse por logar una educación intercultural bilingüe para que los indígenas no se sientas
desplazados ante el monolingüismo educativo actual que ayude a contribuir a la valorización
de su cultura e identidad así como a la preservación de sus tradiciones.
Asimismo, las mujeres indígenas han sido valoradas por algunos gobiernos y agencias
de desarrollo como elementos retardatorios de la modernización, consideran que las realidades de extrema pobreza que presentan la gran mayoría de los países con altas tasas de indigenismo se debe, en parte, a las elevadas tasas de natalidad indígena por lo que contribuyen a
incrementar la pobreza nacional (9).
No pretendemos romper con las estructuras indígenas
incluyéndolas en lo que podríamos denominar una especie de
“integración nacional” en la que las mujeres padecerían una
situación de inferioridad más exacerbada sino lo que se
pretende es un intento por crear conciencia a gran escala en la
mentalidad de la mujer indígena sobre sus derechos con el
objetivo de mejorar sus condiciones de vida para lo que deberíamos tener en cuenta sus preocupaciones cotidianas y plantear
alternativas reales.
PROBLEMÁTICA EDUCATIVA
En el ámbito de la educación podemos observar de
nuevo esa marginación. Entre la población indígena se observan bajos niveles de logro escolar y altos niveles de monolingüismo, deserción escolar y bajo rendimiento académico que
para el caso de las mujeres se agudiza puesto que cerca de la
mitad de las mujeres indígenas no cuenta con educación
primaria, sea por inasistencia o abandono. Históricamente han
sido marginadas lo que se traduce en una menor oportunidad de
acceder a la educación. De hecho, con relación a los hombres, existe un mayor número de
mujeres son analfabetas y monolingües. Asimismo, sus niveles de escolarización son inferiores, tienen altos niveles de fecundidad y reportan un alto riesgo de muerte por complicaciones derivadas del embarazo y parto (10).
(12)
MOVIMIENTOS INDÍGENAS FEMENINOS
Las mujeres indígenas han estado presentes en el nacimiento y evolución del
movimiento indígena en América Latina. Sin embargo, los movimientos feministas han sido
absorbidos por los movimientos indígenas que son absolutamente patriarcales. Además,
muchos hombres consideran que las mujeres deben formar parte de los movimientos indígenas pero no ven la necesidad que las mujeres tienen de reivindicar sus derechos aparte de los
hombres. Por otro lado, las movilizaciones de este tipo concluyen que el factor para el
desarrollo reside en su identidad étnica, dejando de lado los problemas específicos de la
mujer.
La violencia sexual y de Estado es una de las formas llevadas a cabo para intentar amedrentar a mujeres que participan en los movimientos “feministas indígenas”:
Había mucha violencia contra Rancho Nuevo de la Democracia. En
1998, entró el ejército a Barrio Nuevo de San José y fueron violadas dos
mujeres y asesinados dos compañeros indígenas. Entonces ahí comenzó mi
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lucha: defender el derecho de los pueblos indios y de las mujeres indígenas.
En 1999 denunciamos estas violaciones y fui perseguida por el ejército y por
el gobierno de Guerrero. Entonces me dio miedo y me quise salir del
movimiento, pero ya no pude porque había mucha amenaza: si salía era peligro y si me quedaba también. Me quedé por las mujeres, es cierto que había
mucha violencia del Gobierno hacia la gente, pero también mucha violencia
de pareja. En marzo de 99 me pusieron una parada en el camino; yo iba en
una camioneta y echaron bala, me tiraron pero no me tocó. Me fui al monte.
Siempre hay riesgos por estar dentro de una organización, encabezar a un determinado grupo (13).
En cuanto a la actuación de las mujeres podríamos clasificarlas en dos dimensiones: interna y
externa. Desde un punto de vista interno las mujeres indígenas han debatido y luchado en el
interior de sus comunidades criticando su situación de subordinación respecto al hombre y
trabajando por lograr un ambiente libre de violencia. En lo que se refiere a la dimensión externa podríamos decir que las mujeres intentan combatir y transformar la sociedad machista,
racista y pobre en la que se mueven (14).
En este sentido, en los últimos años se viene observando una mayor presencia
de la mujer indígena en los espacios públicos y sociales así como su paulatina
participación en organizaciones y eventos de carácter mundial. Por tanto, “la
experiencia y participación de las mujeres indígenas ha sido el marco para la
construcción de sus derechos y se presenta bajo distintas modalidades, desde
comités comunitarios de educación y salud, los cargos de auxiliares en los
gobiernos locales […] Estas organizaciones han ido tejiendo una red
internacional para la formulación, legitimación y reconocimiento de los
derechos de las mujeres”(15).
NOTAS:
1Discurso de la Comandante Esther del EZLN ante el Congreso de la Unión, México, 27 de febrero de 2001.
2 Zolla, Carlos y Emiliano Zolla (2008): Los pueblos indígenas de México: 100 preguntas, México D.F: Universidad Autónoma de
México, p.24.
3 MUJER/FEMPRESS, La mujer indígena (edición especial), Chile apud Hernández, Teresita y Murguialday Clara, Mujeres indígenas, ayer y hoy: aportes para la discusión desde una perspectiva de género, Talasa Ediciones, 1992, Madrid, p.89.
4 Hernández, Teresita y Murguialday Clara (1992): Mujeres indígenas, ayer y hoy: aportes para la discusión desde una perspectiva
de género, Madrid: Talasa Ediciones, p.91.
5 Testimonio de Martha Sánchez Néstor, amuzga de Xochistlahuaca y una de las principales líderes de la CGMI y del movimiento
de mujeres indígenas en México apud ESPINOSA, Gisela (2009): “Liderazgo y violencia de género en el guerrero indígena”, Revista Venezolana de Estudios de la Mujer, nº32.
6 PARDO, Rodrigo (2008): Profesión de fe de María Sabina: Lectura y recreación del mito de la mujer indígena, México: Fomento
Editorial, p.21.
CONCLUSIONES
Lo que hemos pretendido en este artículo es ayudar a configurarnos una idea de la
realidad de las mujeres indígenas, de los abusos e injusticias que padecen diariamente. En este
sentido, son vistas como madres, bocas que alimentar, cargas incómodas que no aportan beneficio al núcleo familiar aunque trabajen tanto, o más, que los propios hombres. Sin embargo,
como hemos comentado, ellas mismas se han movilizado en organizaciones que contribuyen a
la defensa de sus derechos y que, de forma paulatina pero efectiva, van adquiriendo mayor
importancia tanto en el interior de la sociedad latinoamericana como a nivel mundial. Aún así,
basta decir que no se trata de un camino fácil por lo que se debería fomentar y apoyar con
mayor fuerza las iniciativas llevadas a cabo por las mujeres indígenas así como la elaboración
de proyectos que sitúen a la mujer como elemento principal de desarrollo, de cooperación con
las mismas mediante talleres o debates en las que participen mujeres tanto indígenas como no
indígenas de diferentes edades para que puedan compartir e intercambiar conocimientos, visiones que les permitan enriquecerse mutuamente y contribuir a este mundo pluricultural en el
que nos encontramos. Para finalizar véase el siguiente vídeo que ejemplifica en primera persona todo lo comentado anteriormente:
7 Ibidem.
de género, Madrid: Talasa Ediciones, p.100.
de género, Madrid: Talasa Ediciones, p.100-102.
10 Plan Nacional de Desarrollo para Pueblos
Indígenas apud http://pnd.calderon.presidencia.gob.mx/igualdad-de-oportunidades/pueblos-indigenas.html [consulta: 02-2014].
11 Testimonio de Ketty Sánchez apud http://interculturalidad.org/numero01/b/arti/b_dfo_040404.htm [consulta: 02-2014].
12 Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia de España (2006): Educación de mujeres y niñas en Iberoamércia: I Jornadas de Cooperación
Educativa sobre Género y Educación, Antigua, p.26.
13 Testimonio de Hermelinda Tiburcio, mixteca de la Costa Chica-Montaña, cuenta el hecho y destaca el vínculo entre éste y la
lucha de las mujeres apud ESPINOSA, Gisela (2009): “Liderazgo y violencia de género en el guerrero indígena”, Revista Venezolana de Estudios de la Mujer, nº32.
14https://www.justassociates.org/sites/justassociates.org/files/los_derechos_de_las_mujeres_en_el_movimiento_indigena_latinoam
ericano.pdf [02-2014].
15 Bonfil, Paloma (2012): “Mujeres indígenas y derechos en el marco de las sociedades multiétnicas y pluriculturales de América
Latina”, Revista Ra Ximhai, nº1, p.164.
16Tierra de Mujeres. Dir. Adriana Estrada, prod. Programa de Investigación Desarrollo Humano en Chiapas UAM, Instituto de
Investigaciones Antropológicas UNAM, Programa de Participación Ciudadana Universidad de Sussex Inglaterra, 2003.
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Análises da contribuição harmônica da execução em piano do
“Concerto Italiano-971 de Bach”
Analyses of the harmonic contribution in the implementation
of the piano “Italian Concerto-971 of Bach”
Resumo: O timbre é dos atributos do som, o que maior complexidade apresenta e são
os harmônicos componentes de um som os que caracterizam o seu timbre. No
presente trabalho apresentamos a análise timbrística de um fragmento do Concerto
Italiano-971 de Bach executado em piano. Tal fragmento foi tido em consideração
porque representa um dos pontos cume da música. Para fazer a análise do timbre foi
aplicada a Transformada Rápida de Fourier com o objetivo de transformar o sinal
sonoro que estava inicialmente no domínio temporal num sinal no domínio da
freqüência. As curvas de contribuição marcam destaque, fundamentalmente, das
faixas 5, 4 e 1 associados aos intervalos de freqüências (500-1k250 Hz), (250-500 Hz)
e (32-64 Hz) respectivamente. Nesse sentido, conseguimos verificar nas curvas de
contribuição harmônica que o destaque do quinto harmônico, corrobora a tabela da
faixa de freqüências harmônicas para os instrumentos musicais.
Summary: The timbre is the more complex sound’s attributes and it’s characterized
by the harmonics components of a sound. In the present paper we investigate the
harmonic contribution of a fragment of the Italian Concert-971 of Bach. This
fragment was taken in consideration because it represents the peak point of the music.
To study the harmonic contributions was applied Fast Fourier Transform. The curves
marked contribution highlight fundamentally bands 5, 4 and 1 frequency. In this
sense, we can verify the harmonic contribution curves are coherent with featured the
fifth harmonic of piano with regard to the range of harmonic frequencies for musical
instruments.
Keywords: frequency, harmonics, timbre, harmonic contribution.
Palavras chaves: freqüência, harmônicos, timbre, contribuição harmônica.
Pedro Javier Gómez Jaime
Doutorado Multidisciplinar e Multi-institucional em Difusão do
Conhecimento (DMMDC), Universidade Federal da Bahia (UFBA),
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1.
Introdução.
Este artigo se propõe fazer uma análise dos harmônicos de um fragmento do
“Concerto Italiano-971 de Bach” executado em piano. Assim, um dos critérios pelos quais se
escolheu esta foi pela magistral execução que faz o interprete no instrumento. Também, pelo
fato de ser Bach um autor de elevado reconhecimento em nível mundial e termos execuções
deste mesmo tema musical por outros instrumentos e interpretes. Sendo assim, o nosso
interesse pela pesquisa ao redor da relação entre Física e Música encontrava sustento, pois
tendo ao menos como referência três instrumentos poderia fazer uma análise harmônica de
cada um deles e ter mais referência do comportamento timbrístico, embora aqui como dito
acima, nos referiremos só ao estudo harmônico do piano.
O fragmento alvo deste estudo tem uma duração de 34 segundos e constitui um intervalo que subjetivamente consideramos como o ponto de destaque. Em tal momento existe a
repetição de frases sempre com uma dinâmica diferente destacando-se a intencionalidade do
autor no andamento da peça e na medida em que são explorados recursos sonoros no diálogo
que se estabelece entre as vozes participantes. Este tema é uma música instrumental e,
portanto, possibilita realizar uma análise harmônica em que não se considera a voz humana,
na qual também estaria envolvida a intencionalidade do intérprete. De forma que embora a
nossa análise se limite ao estudo harmônico desta música a metodologia que utilizaremos é a
mesma que seria utilizada para uma análise timbrística ou tímbrica, pois são os harmônicos
os responsáveis por esta qualidade do som (timbre). Falar deste atributo no que diz respeito a
questões científicas e acústicas implica levar em consideração o comportamento harmônico
que forma parte do evento sonoro, porém de um único instrumento ou voz, no que se refere à
música. É por isso, que se faz necessário falar de timbre, pois ele está ligado à estrutura dos
harmônicos que possui um som específico e dedicarmos à análise da contribuição harmônica
nesta música nos levará à identificação daqueles harmônicos que tem maior destaque dentro
do fragmento musical objeto de estudo.
fundamental e os outros são denominados de parciais os quais podem ser harmônicos e se
estes forem semelhantes à série harmônica derivada da mesma freqüência fundamental,
também são chamados de alíquotas ou concordantes.
O número de harmônicos que formam o timbre de cada som é recorrente direto do
corpo que o produz e da forma como o instrumento é executado. A mesma nota pode ser produzida em instrumentos diferentes e ainda assim sempre poderemos distinguir um do outro.
Por exemplo, uma mesma música produzida por instrumentos diferentes, digamos, cravo,
violino e piano apresentam uma característica distintiva que é o timbre. E esta distinção está
dada pelos harmônicos que podem ser escutados em cada um destes instrumentos ou
qualquer outro que não tenhamos mencionado até aqui, pois os sons que ouvimos se diferenciam enquanto a intensidade e a distribuição de energia. As figuras 1a, 1b e 1c os sons neste
caso não têm os mesmos harmônicos em freqüências, e também a sua distribuição das intensidades é diferente. Ver figura 1
Vale argumentar que é o timbre, dos atributos do som, Loureiro e Bastos (2006), o
que maior complexidade apresenta, pois não está associado unicamente a uma dimensão
física, portanto, não pode ser especificado quantitativamente no sistema de notação musical.
Neste sentido, estes autores defendem a idéia do timbre ser percebido devido à interação de
propriedades dinâmicas e estáticas que influenciam aspectos psicológicos e musicais a partir
de um complexo conjunto de entes auditivos.
E a vivência da audição timbrística sempre teve e tem ainda hoje nas
obras de Bartók, a função de fazer com que a “alma” vibre internamente
com ela (...) O timbre como tal caracteriza não apenas uma reação do
ouvinte, e sim é também em si mesmo um importante elemento
estilístico e formal da música ocidental. (Hamel, p. 169, 1976)
Um corpo sonoro Calvo-Manzano(1991), ou seja, um corpo que emita som pode produzir vários sons em dependência das condições em que este vibre. Por exemplo, uma corda
de violão produz um som perto da ponte e outros distintos se esta fosse pulsada na boca da
caixa sonora ou acima do braço do instrumento. O mais grave destes sons é chamado de
Por outro lado, existem duas limitações Calvo-Manzano (1991) que impossibilitam ao
ser humano, em teoria, a percepção de infinitos harmônicos produzidos por um som
complexo segundo o teorema de Fourier. Aqueles harmônicos cuja freqüência está no limite
superior da audição humana, ou seja, acima dos 20 k não são perceptíveis para o nosso ouvido e tampouco o serão aqueles cujo nível de intensidade esteja abaixo do umbral audível 20
Hz. Estas limitações fazem com que o número de harmônicos que o ouvido humano percebe
seja relativamente reduzido e são denominados harmônicos presentes.
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1.1
Espectro Acústico.
Como dito acima, a qualidade do timbre de um som não é mensurável como acontece
com a altura e intensidade deste; devido à dependência do timbre com a complexidade do
movimento vibratório que o originou é impossível estabelecer uma unidade de medida ou escalas que possibilitem a comparação de sons no que diz respeito ao seu caráter tímbrico. Neste
sentido, no que se refere à análise tímbrica de um som o que se pode obter é um espectro acústico. Neste artigo, a utilização do espectro acústico tem sido fundamental para conseguir a
análise timbrística do fragmento escolhido do “Concerto Italiano-971 de Bach”, pois este (o
espectro) oferece a obtenção de gráficos com
a distribuição dos harmônicos com os seus
valores relativos de freqüências e intensidades. Tal espectro constitui um diagrama da
freqüência dos tons parciais que formam
parte do som, em função da amplitude de
cada um deles. Ver figuras 1 e 2.
Os picos no gráfico definem cada um
dos harmônicos que compõem o som e a sua
freqüência relativa é representada no eixo X e
a intensidade do mesmo é medida no eixo Y
(ver figura 2).
No estudo que fazemos tendo em
vista o piano nesta peça de Bach, faz com que
se obtenha um espectro característico. Da
mesma forma, cada instrumento tem um espectro típico que o identifica pelos harmônicos que
o compõem em dependência da complexidade do pulso sonoro em questão. Tal situação difere
em concreto da forma da onda que adotaria um instrumento que emita um som puro. Neste
caso último, o som emitido terá uma freqüência única, chamada também de fundamental. Isto
não acontece com o piano na música que analisamos. O mais grave dos harmônicos é relativo
à freqüência fundamental e os demais valores de freqüência correspondem aos outros harmônicos que por sua vez também diferem em suas amplitudes relativas. Os instrumentos musicais
e até a voz humana devem o seu timbre característico à presença de harmônicos com as suas
respectivas freqüências e amplitudes.
1.2 Fatores que influenciam o timbre do piano.
Conseguir produzir um harmônico, leva ter em consideração um aumento da
freqüência do movimento oscilatório da fonte, para isso é preciso diminuir o comprimento, de
uma corda ou aumentar a vibração em outras. No caso que seja um instrumento de corda colocando o dedo de uma forma específica segundo o número de ordem do harmônico que se deseja. Se for o segundo na metade da corda; se for o terceiro o dedo deve ser colocado num
terço da corda e assim por diante. De forma que o timbre destes harmônicos é diferente ao dos
sons fundamentais e tendo menor intensidade.
Antes de começar a descrição do comportamento timbrístico do piano, acho pertinente
uma abordagem na qual se toquem alguns aspectos relativos à história deste instrumento e
dizer que é este conjuntamente com o clavicordio e o cravo, também conhecido como
clavicémbalo, instrumentos musicais recentemente inventados pelo homem. E logicamente
aperfeiçoados no transcurso do tempo. No que diz respeito ao piano, instrumento objeto deste
estudo, pode-se dizer que este demorou quase um século em se impor ao cravo.
Os pianos conhecidos na atualidade
são identificados como pianos de cola ou
piano vertical. A figura 3 a seguir mostra o
dito anteriormente e representa o mecanismo
interno de um piano horizontal e nela o martelo não está fixado na tecla, o mesmo acontece no piano vertical.
Aqui o martelo recebe o impulso da
tecla através da alavanca de escape, após este
instante o martelo se separa desta e segue o
seu curso até atingir a corda. Daqui se conclui
que o marte não fica em contato com a tecla
no momento em que este golpeia a corda.
Assim uma vez percutida a corda ele retorna a
uma posição intermédia regulada pelo suporte posterior permitindo que a corda oscile livremente. Justamente o fato de que o martelo esteja desligado do resto do mecanismo no
momento do contato com a corda, faz com que o som produzido unicamente seja afetado pela
velocidade com que o martelo chega à corda. Ou seja, com a maior ou menor força com que a
tecla é tocada o que não modifica só a potência sonora do instrumento, mas também o seu
conteúdo timbrístico. Este aspecto também se vê afetado pelos sons “parasitos” ou “parasitas”
os quais são devidos ao ruído do próprio mecanismo ao se movimentar e ao se deter; aqui
também participa o ruído que produz o dedo do intérprete ao golpear as teclas. Este último é
denominado como ruído de tecla superior e o que produz a tecla ao impactar no fundo do teclado é chamado de ruído de tecla inferior. Este tem uma contribuição significativa no efeito
sonoro final e devem ser considerados durante uma execução musical, de forma que diminuam as suas influências nas características timbrísticas do piano.
Durante o contato do martelo com a corda também se produz um efeito que influencia
o som emitido. Nos primeiros pianos os martelos estavam cobertos por couro, mas este perdia
muito rápido a sua elasticidade, isto foi a razão pela qual ao redor do ano 1830 este fosse substituído por feltro, material que ligado a sua dureza, a sua grossura, a textura assim como a
massa e o tamanho dos martelos são parâmetros vitais no conjunto sonoro. O contato da corda
com o martelo dura aproximadamente, Burred (1999), 2 milissegundos, neste tempo a força
aplicada sobre a corda pelo martelo não é constante e bem determinada pelos processos de
deformação que acontecem internamente e pela reação da corda. Sendo assim o tempo de
contato pode ser dividido em dos momentos, o primeiro devido ao impulso onde predomina a
força do martelo sobre a corda, o segundo será o retrocesso no qual a corda que atua como
uma mola que reage sobre o martelo. Assim, acontece uma transferência de energia cinética,
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inicialmente do martelo à corda e logo em sentido oposto, neste processo o feltro de comprimirá e se expandirá respectivamente. Se a velocidade do martelo é elevada maior será a excitação dos parciais superiores e conseqüentemente as notas que sofram indicações de
fortíssimo terão uma melhor qualidade sonora, Burred (1999) na parte alta do espectro do que
as notas pianíssimo. Tais compressões e expansões ocorrem de forma diferente em dependência da altura da nota que ative, ou seja, para notas mais graves a deformação do martelo é
maior. A figura 4 apresenta o efeito da não-linearidade ao qual fazíamos referência acima para
as notas LA0, LA3 e LA6.
Assim também, outro fator que influencia o timbre é a longitude da superfície do martelo que faz contato com a corda. Uma forma de que os parciais de maior freqüência (agudos)
sejam afetados é que a longitude da superfície do martelo que golpeia a corda seja maior do
que a longitude de onda de um modo específico o qual será atenuado devido a esta questão.
Dessa maneira, os martelos pequenos do registro agudo provocaram um melhor som no que se
refere a parciais superiores. Diferentemente do que acontece com os martelos do registro de
menor freqüência (os graves).
1.4 Aspectos gerais do timbre.
A figura 5, a seguir mostra que para o LA0 não se tem contato entre a corda e o martelo permitindo que o feltro se expanda o que indica a linha em pontos da figura em questão.
Esta perda do contato, Burred (1999) aparece devida às primeiras reflexões da onda que se
gera pela ação do martelo sobre a corda.
No piano o fato da corda ser percutida faz
com que o tempo de contato seja pequeno,
mas suficiente para que se formem ondas
estacionárias harmônicas numa fração
curta da corda. Imaginemos que tal
contato entre o martelo e a corda acontece
num sétimo da corda, as ondas estacionárias que se originariam, Burred
(1999) constituirão a série harmônica de
uma nota de freqüência sete vezes
superior à da corda em todo o seu comprimento que seriam os harmônicos 7, 14,
21, 28, etc os quais se supõem eliminados.
No momento em que o martelo deixa de fazer contato com a corda todos estes harmônicos
apareceram na corda e assim todos os modos de vibração estarão presentes na corda. É aqui
onde o timbre se vê afetado pelo tempo de contato. Na medida em que este seja maior quanto
menor será a amplitude dos harmônicos múltiplos de 7 devido à perda de energia das ondas
estacionárias nessa parte afetada da corda antes destes se propagarem.
A especificação do timbre no sistema musical aparece quando é considerada a sua complexidade e a contribuição dos outros atributos sonoros, entre os que se encontra a altura
(freqüência), ritmo (tempo) e do volume (Intensidade). Neste sentido, o timbre tem sido
muito utilizado para o reconhecimento de diferentes instrumentos assim como no
reconhecimento de técnicas de escalonamento multidimensional as quais são determinadas por
pequenas variações ao longo de três dimensões as quais são denominadas de: attack time, spectral centroid e spectral flux. Um exemplo do dito até aqui se pode evidenciar nas mudanças
(indicações) de intensidade na partitura e combinações de alturas que induzem no ouvinte
manifestações psicológicas relativas às variações timbrísticas. Para autores como Le Groux e
Verschure (2010) os sons podem ser descritos principalmente por cinco componentes perceptuais, quatro deles foram mencionados acima e adicionam a estes a espacialização. Esta devida
à relação destes elementos no espaço timbrístico, se manifestando assim, também, a sua multidimensionalidade. Outros estudos, segundo estes mesmos autores, têm relatado as dimensões
perceptuais do som através de descrições acústicas. Tais descrições podem levar em
consideração o elemento espectral, temporal e o elemento espectral-temporal e assim gerar um
espaço timbrístico. O espaço timbrístico é determinado utilizando a análise multidimensional
derivada da experimentação, na qual ouvintes estimam a disparidade entre pares de sons com
diferentes características timbrísticas.
Para autores como Grey (1977); Risset (1991) e Loureiro e Bastos (2006) está claro
que na percepção do timbre participam elementos como a evolução da intensidade global. Denominada por estes dois últimos pesquisadores como envelope de amplitude; outros fatores
como as flutuações de volume e altura; a distribuição espectral (amplitudes das freqüências
dos componentes espectrais) e a própria evolução temporal intervêm na percepção timbrística
não só dos instrumentos musicais, mas também da voz humana. De forma que, a análise que
se faz desta música estará permeada da utilização de uma metodologia quantitativa que possibilite analisar e interpretar o comportamento harmônico da mesma.
1.5
Efeitos de freqüências.
A seguir apresentamos uma descrição dos efeitos psicológicos provocados por valores
de freqüência durante a execução de instrumentos musicais e a voz. Nesse sentido, temos que
de 31 a 63 Hz encontram-se as freqüências fundamentais de bumbo, tuba, baixos de 6 cordas e
pedal do órgão. Essas freqüências dão ao som a sensação de "potência". Se enfatizadas, fazem
o som ficar "emplastado". Na voz, dão sensação de poder de alcance de cantores excepcionais
(baixo). De 80 a 125 Hz, o reforço destas freqüências causa o efeito de "boom" pronunciado.
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O corte de 120 Hz ajuda na rejeição do ruído de rede elétrica (1º harmônico) isto porque a
rede elétrica tem uma freqüência de 60 Hz e seus harmônicos estão nos 120, 180, 240 Hz, etc.
De 160 a 250 Hz estão situadas as freqüências fundamentais de tambores e baixos
(fundamentais da voz, também). Se reforçadas, podem causar o "boom". O corte em 180 Hz
ajuda a eliminar ruídos de rede elétrica (2º harmônico). De 315 a 500 Hz as freqüências
fundamentais de cordas e percussão em geral e constituem um intervalo de freqüência
importante para a qualidade de vocal. De 630 a 1000 Hz estão as freqüências fundamentais e
harmônicas de cordas, teclados e percussão. Embora tenhamos declarado anteriormente que o
nosso estudo não aborda a voz humana, vale a pena assinalar que este intervalo é importante
para a "naturalidade" da voz, ou seja, o momento que em não existem variações tonais ou de
outro tipo sejam quais forem as causas da mudança. O reforço excessivo causa aos instrumentos o som de "corneta de lata" e na voz aquele som de "telefone". De 1,25 a 4 K Hz são encontradas as freqüências fundamentais da bateria, guitarra, acentuação de vocais, cordas e contrabaixo. O excesso de reforço nestas freqüências também causa a "fadiga sonora", que cansam o
ouvinte após cerca de 30 min.
Vocais podem ter mais brilho reforçando freqüências em torno de 3 kHz, mas é necessário ao mesmo tempo atenuar um pouco a mesma faixa para os instrumentos. De 5 a 8
kHz temos freqüências que acentuam a percussão, como por exemplo, pratos e caixa de bateria, acentuação de voz feminina e falsetes. Reduções a partir de 5 kHz tornam o som mais "distante e transparente", pois o mesmo se dispersa no local. Atenuações nessa faixa auxiliam a
redução de chiados. A faixa de 1,25 kHz até 8 kHz governa a claridade e definição do som,
tanto para voz como para instrumentos. De 10 a 16 kHz estão as freqüências de pratos e agudos em geral. Tendo como base as informações expostas acima, foi possível determinar a contribuição harmônica, a qual é apresentada na seguinte seção.
2.
Fourier Rápida (FFT – Fast Fourier Transform) com o intuito de identificar os harmônicos
associados a pontos específicos (discretos) de cada teste em estudo e a correspondência de
cada um deles (os pontos) com valores de freqüência e amplitude.
A Transformada de Fourier Rápida permite colocar um sinal que está no domínio do
tempo no domínio da freqüência; a utilização desta no nosso estudo encontra subsídio, pois a
nossa sensibilidade auditiva tem uma relação explícita com a freqüência e implícita com o
tempo. A transformada foi aplicada aos diferentes fragmentos, isto levando em consideração o
espectro de freqüência e equalização para instrumentos musicais e de áudio. De forma tal que
os intervalos de freqüência a seguir são apresentados relativos aos instrumentos característicos
e os prováveis efeitos que podem induzir no ouvinte; tendo em vista a descrição feita no item
1.5. Foi a partir desta caracterização que fixamos valores de freqüência (faixas de freqüência)
sobre as quais foram determinadas as contribuições harmônicas de cada segmento (fragmento)
musical: 32, 64, 125, 250, 500, 1k250, 2k500, 5k, 7k500, 10k, 16kHz.
3.
Resultados obtidos.
Metodologia.
Uma vez definida a música alvo do nosso estudo foi feito um reconhecimento daquele
fragmento em que se ressalta a intencionalidade do autor. O trecho que identifica este estado
cume é utilizado em várias ocasiões marcando uma dinâmica diferente em cada uma das repetições; insistindo desse modo na chegada da música ao seu clímax. O fragmento de destaque
ao qual dirigimos o nosso estudo, foi identificado como Teste2 (ConI)-piano e compreende o
intervalo de 34 s da música original. Este foi segmentado em outros três momentos os quais
chamamos de Testes, com o objetivo de facilitar o estudo quanto ao elevado número de dados
associados a cada ponto em análise da música em questão. O primeiro dos testes é chamado de
Frag 1_1, Frag1_2 e Frag 1_3. Por sua vez, estes foram submetidos a uma segunda segmentação agora considerando os
trechos periódicos, embora estes possam variar de um teste
para outro, mas esta segmentação permitiu que um mesmo
trecho periódico não fosse analisado duas vezes por estes estarem presentes mais de uma vez nos diferentes segmentos.
Figura 6. Exemplo de fragmento período na segunda segmentação
Este processo de fragmentação da música possibilitou
a aplicação da análise harmônica a partir da Transformada de
No presente item mostramos os resultados a partir da análise realizada aos diferentes
fragmentos. Em geral obtivemos 106 fragmentos relativos à segunda segmentação do piano,
ou seja, à divisão dos Frag 1_1, Frag 1_2 e Frag 1_3 em seus componentes correspondentes.
Tais fragmentos (trechos) foram denominados de componentes parciais em decorrência de tal segmentação. A soma destes componentes para cada um dos fragmentos iniciais foi que chamamos de
SCP (soma dos componentes parciais) a qual se apresenta na tabela
1 para cada segmento nos intervalos de freqüência previamente
estabelecidos sob os quais foi medida a contribuição harmônica.
Para tal tivemos em consideração os efeitos de freqüência tratados
com anterioridade. Foi a partir dos valores da tabela 1, em concordância com as respectivas faixas de freqüência, que determinamos as contribuições de cada fragmento um a um; dando como
86
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resultado o que chamamos de “Piano”. Devido a este processo obtivemos a curva de contribuições para o instrumento analisado a qual é apresentada na figura 3.
3.1
Análises dos resultados.
Na análise dos resultados foi considerado o destaque das bandas de freqüência nas
quais se tem a maior contribuição harmônica dentre os fragmentos estudados. Nesse sentido,
foi possível de identificar as bandas 5, 4 e 1 correspondentes aos intervalos de freqüência
(500-1k250 Hz), (250-500 Hz) e (32-64 Hz) respectivamente. A tabela 2, a qual mostramos
a seguir, apresenta os intervalos de freqüências associados à fundamental e aos harmônicos
de um conjunto de instrumentos musicais. Analisando esta, pode-se ver que a freqüência
fundamental do piano se encontra entre 28- 4k196 Hz o que corrobora o nosso resultado.
Como vimos anteriormente referindo-nos aos primeiros harmônicos a intensidade
destes vai diminuindo com a freqüência o que é possível comprovar também na figura 3
“curva de contribuições harmônicas”. Neste caso existe uma diminuição considerável para a
oitava faixa de freqüências (5k-7k500 Hz). Intervalo de freqüências onde segundo a tabela 2
está situada a faixa de freqüências harmônicas para o piano.
Vale chamar a atenção na faixa de freqüência fundamental (quinta banda) que o
piano pode atingir e conferindo na tabela 2 vemos que dentro desse intervalo encontramos
também as fundamentais de: fagote, trompete, trombone, tuba, baixo acústico e elétrico, sax
soprano, violino, violão e guitarra elétrica,
viola e cello. No que diz respeito à faixa de
freqüências harmônicas ainda que a
fundamental do piano contemple a destes
instrumentos, são estas freqüências as que
conseguem marcar a diferença perceptiva
que nos permite distinguir o piano do resto
dos instrumentos. Por exemplo, para o limite
superior de freqüências harmônicas do piano
(8 kHz), segundo a tabela 2 encontramos
harmônicos, superiores no violino, na viola,
no violão e no sax soprano. Harmônicos inferiores ao limite inferior do piano (5 kHz) no
próprio violão, no cello, na viola, no violino
e na tuba. São estas freqüências componentes (harmônicos) as que nos permitem identificar a fonte sonora. A forma como estas são
produzidas pelo interprete no instrumento,
seja através do dedilhado, da percussão ou
pela fricção, no caso de um instrumento de
cordas friccionadas por arco, provocará
variação no número de harmônicos que acompanhe a fundamental e conseqüentemente no
seu timbre.
4.Considerações finais.
As figuras 1a, 1b e 1c as quais correspondem a fragmentos analisados para cravo,
piano e violino respectivamente amostram a complexidade do som emitido por estes instrumentos, os quais em confronto entre eles mesmos e com a figura 2 permitem visualizar a
diferença existente entre cada um levando em consideração as freqüências fundamentais e os
seus respectivos valores de amplitude (Intensidade). No caso do piano, instrumento ao qual
enfocamos o nosso estudo, se vê que entorno dos 600 Hz há um pico súbito que caracteriza a
freqüência fundamental enquanto que na medida em que esta aumenta há uma diminuição
das amplitudes, ver figura 1b e analogamente comprovaremos a diminuição da amplitude
dos harmônicos superiores.
No caso das contribuições harmônicas dos Frag1_1 piano (SCP), Frag1_2piano
(SCP) e Frag1_3 piano (SCP) os quais representam o total das contribuições por faixa (trecho) se tem, respectivamente, os valores: 3293,17; 2270, 95 e 7386,23 os quais representam
o cociente da soma dos valores de freqüência por cada faixa de medida e a amplitude entre
cada uma das faixas antes mencionadas as quais tributaram ao pico quinta faixa.
As contribuições das faixas 4 e 1, ainda que com menor amplitude, também aportam
à estrutura sonora (timbre) do piano executado nesta peça. Chama-nos a atenção que
segundo a metodologia utilizada obtivemos resultados conflitantes com o intervalo de
freqüências harmônicas para o piano apresentado na tabela 2, entre (5-8 kHz). Neste sentido,
supomos que tal disposição harmônica se deva à ampla banda de freqüências que abrange
este instrumento.
REFERÊNCIAS
BURRED, Juan. La acústica del piano. Conservatorio profesional de música. Madrid, octu. 1999
CALVO-MANZANO, Antonio. Acústica físico-musical. Real musical, Madrid, p.122, 1991
GABRIELSON, Alf; JUSLIN, Patrik. Emotional expression in music performance: Between the performer’s
intetion and the listener’s experience. In psychology of music, vol. 24, p.68-91, 1996
GREY, John. Multidimensional perceptual scaling of musical timbres. J. Acoust. Soc., 1977
________ Na exploration of musical timbre. Rep. STAN-M-2, Stanford University, 1975
________An exploration of musical timbre using computer based techniques for analysis, synthesis and
perceptual scaling. Department of psychology, Stanford University, 1975
HAMEL, Peter. O autoconhecimento através da música: uma nova maneira de sentir e viver a música. CULTRIX. São Paulo, p. 169, 1995
Le GROUX, Sylvain; Verschure, Manzolli. Situated interative music system: connecting mind and body
through musical interation. Mc Gill University, Montral, 2009
________Perceptsynth: mapping perceptual musical features to sound synthesis parameters, Las Vegas,
April 2008
________Emotional responses to the perceptual dimensions of timbre: a pilot study using physically informed sound synthesis. SPECS, Barcelona, 2010
LOUREIRO, Maurício; PAULA, Hugo. Timbre de um instrumento musical. Per Musi, Belo Horizonte, n.14,
p.57-81, 2006
RISSET, Jean-Claude. Computer music: why? Laboratoire de Mécanique et d’ Acoustique. CNRS, Marseille, 1991
87
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© Nevena Milosevic
Send a letter to the editor by e-mailing:
Nº 7
Celebrating Woman!
Rita Eluwade
Author of the book “Trafficked Women- a Problem of
Vulnerability without Rehabilitation”
In celebrating Women’s day, there is a need to
place more emphasis on the female gender.
The female sex is one of the two sexes made
from the time of creation. The exemption of
the female gender in most countries of the
world can only be attributed to man-made
factors; factors which have associated women
with complexities which vary from country to
country. The identity given to women does
not totally portray their potential in most
cases. To list but a few, they are seen as the
weaker sex, women are often seen as those
who have no values in some cultures of the
world. They are easy to take advantage of in
times of war and family disputes, they are
seen as not having significant roles in most
communities, women are often given out in
marriage; this indicates they reduce the
growth rate of their birth families and
increases that of another family. In addition
women are seen as useless because they are
not strong enough to contribute to the
agricultural profession of their communities,
which requires heavy farming to support all.
As insolent as the above listed attributes of a
woman are, there is the need to showcase the
many attributes of women, attributes which
ought to be saluted and admired. The female
gender may be vulnerable, but they are the
most resilient group of people one can ever
see. What would you call a girl or a woman
who gets pregnant, and carries another human
being inside of them for nine months and on
the day of delivery, in excruciating pain bring
another human being to life? This is one
aspect of women, the world needs to respect
and applaud. Moreover, women in the last
decade have accomplished more than they
have been expected to accomplish. In some
countries we have seen and heard of women
who have done very well for themselves and
their countries by changing how the game is
played positively to accommodate all. This
must first be understood from the context that
female child who becomes the woman of
tomorrow needs to be given opportunities and
tools she needs to build a better future for
herself and her community.
The word ‘opportunity’ comes to
play when we talk about women and
celebrating them as the female gender. Today's
young girl who is faced with child marriage or
child trafficking fails to achieve a better and
brighter future for herself and her generations
to come if she is not adequately supported and
provided with tools for a better future. There
are negative impacts in relegating women to the
background. Such impacts will be evident in
the quality of children raised by these women
who have nothing to bring to the table.
Empowered women would be in a better place
to support her children and those in her
community. This goes to show that a woman
who has the appropriate tools to support herself
and her children would not necessarily see a
reason to sell her daughter into sex trafficking
or slavery, this is because she is empowered
enough to fight traditional and cultural beliefs.
Women who find themselves in these
situations, still can’t be condemned for their
action, because this is all they know and it is
time we re-educate these women and give them
the tools they need to make informed decisions
concerning themselves and their children. The
saying that when you educate a woman, you
educate a nation ought to be rightly so, but
what is seen in many communities around the
world is that, women are not educated enough
and they lack tools to impact their world
positively.
the love and support from others such as
aunties and sisters. Taking this further some of
these men have daughters who they profess to
love and care about. If this is indeed the case,
why won’t such men celebrate the female
gender irrespective of their age, race, colour,
size, religion and abilities? In celebrating
women, the male gender must rethink how
women are characterized and supported in
global communities. It is no longer okay for
women to be relegated to the background or to
be seen as inactive and unimportant. Women
are becoming more assertive; they are fighting
and using every opportunity given to show that
the world can be a better place when women
are entrusted with power and authority. There is
a passion that oozes out of women who want to
make a difference in their communities and
their world, this must be admired and
supported.
The old norms which held women bound must
be discontinued, if not totally eradicated.
Education and training for women should be
promoted as we move forward, women may be
classified as the weaker sex, but they should be
given opportunities to contribute to their falling
world which needs them. What they bring to
the table is distinct from what their male
counterpart brings because they are made
differently.
It is quite repulsive to see how some men in
position of power and authority make laws
which affect women negatively. These men
sometimes forget they are a product of a
woman, who happens to be their mother and
some of these men have at some point enjoyed
89
Nº 7
About Our Evolution To Everlasting
World Peace
Earth belongs to all of us.
Therefore, every human being has the
universal right to a meaningful human
existence. This also means that all of us
have the right to enjoy this life in Peace
everywhere on this planet. And even if
we cannot now, we can envision this in
our minds. It is true: WORLD PEACE
IS POSSIBLE.
Our world has more than enough
food for all of us; but we waste it, overeat
ourselves and because of this, we deprive
those in underdeveloped countries of
these resources. We leave our brothers,
sisters and children in those areas in war,
extreme poverty and starvation.
Hundreds of nuclear power plants
are still being built. We have wildlife
vanishing and our bio-balance is coming
adrift. This destroys much of our health
and peace of mind, while others devour
our food supply. We have unbalanced and
power-hypnotized people – who are
drawn like moths to a flame. We can see
and can measure the chilling
consequences of an untamed lust for
wealth.
Most people merely watch events
rather than educate themselves to bring
about change and a better quality of life.
There are many dire crises both local to
global which staring us in the face
Fukushima and its effects on the Pacific
Ocean is an example. There is real
possibility death of all life could be
happening as radiation kills and, or
contaminates all food, water and air. An even
worst-case scenario is the potential of World
War III!
For a very long time many people
have lived in sadness and despair. However,
a glimmer of hope is rising on our horizon.
The Age of Aquarius has begun. This
particular Earth age in human time is also
called the Age of Love and Brotherhood.
According to spiritual predictions, in this
new Age, terms such as Oneness, Unity,
Brotherhood of Man, and Lasting World
Peace are within our reach. A next step in
human evolution is that we will be
communicating from the universal language
of our hearts; which is love. It is love that
will heal and repair all that needs to heal on
our planet. We humans all truly yearn in our
deepest being for world peace and all that
goes together with this; an end to hunger,
trauma, and poverty.
There is hope here in this message for
all of us. “We are now at the dawn of a
glorious future. One in which we will know,
firsthand, from the depth of our beings, the
glory of the decision and choice we made in
that now dim and distant past. That decision
was to go on a new adventure into form. It
was the promise of this New Age wherein
we will remember who and what we are, as
well as our place of origin.” (1)
We a r e e x i t i n g t h e P i s c e a n
experience, which was marked by division,
separateness and war. – On the other hand
however, we saw great accomplishments in
education, the development of the mind, and
a deep desire for peace, made poignant by
two world wars and many cultural religious
and racial conflicts.
“We are embarking on a new
adventure in which science will penetrate the
depth of matter to reveal to humanity the
presence of Spirit that it holds. Likewise the
spiritual world will unveil its secret mystery
which in turn will help mankind remember
its origin and purpose here. All this will be
facilitated by the power and rulership of
Uranus the planet of occultism and absolute
unity of all humanity and all life. The
mystery of fire, air water, sound, color and
light will be uncovered and this knowledge
will help humanity to understand our true
nature and our divine essence” (1)
The female power on this planet, so
necessary for humanity to achieve harmony
peace and balance, has not gained the same
empowerments as has the male force. The
empowerment of females to an equal
balance with males is the true key to evolve
as one humanity; to the stage of everlasting
world peace.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
90
Nº 7
Our world and its citizens must
now transform, to defeat an army of
problems which are escalating wildly
beyond our efforts to rein them in -- a
side-effect of the mental discord we
have accepted as 'normal', by seeking
undue profit on return [ie. beyond the
basic requirements we need for
continuance] -- at a time of rapidly
increasing global survival crisis.
Instead, let us ‘maximize
philanthropy' – i.e. provide maximum
social assistance where needed, by
sharing excess. Such dramatic shift in
the economy due to a greater personal
and global social responsibility will
maximize our personal to global
transformation. By such inner
realignment we will achieve greater
personal responsibility and discover
the joy of being able to outreach to
help save Earth from a vast array of
planetary future nightmares - beyond
all control.
Through personal giving ~
largesse ~ we provide sufficient
momentum for all to enjoy normal,
h e a l t h y, m a t u r e a n d e t h i c a l l y
responsible lives. In short, we must
adopt a magnanimous and ethical
planetary culture - to accept our vital
personal role in helping to balance all
imbalances, and reach out to help the
mass of individuals already caught in
the tidal backlash of poverty, stemming
from maximizing returns, which have
destroyed the basic needs of those who
live lives of simplicity and survival.
How can low-lying Pacific and
other islands ever recover
economically -- to provide recently
overwhelmed families and their
children for a life of purpose and
potential, unless we reject the
imbalanced lifestyle we've accepted so
blindly, by maximizing returns? To
continue under this mindset is to miss
the chance of discovering the true
adventure of life -- to be WELL -- i.e.
WISE - EMPOWERING OTHERS LOVING - LIGHT-FILLED [that is, to
become ennobled].
It is time to pioneer a
remarkable future for all! ~ Let us thus
ponder ways to convene a social and
political Summit -- to change the lifestyle of senior members of society, so
the trickle-down effect ensures that
those who work hand-to-mouth are
able to survive -- with all having the
time and energy to volunteer -- to help
heal the planet!
Let us now develop a lifestyle
which embraces goals that embrace
planetary survival -- in the getting of
Love and Wisdom. These go hand in
hand, to increase our inner 'firestone-
burning', i.e. heart-centered living -the ideal lifestyle for our futures, as it
gives back to Earth our individual
respect and joy for the gift of being
born as a member of this remarkable
planet.
Sending Love, Peace, SelfTransformation! Goodwill Wishes To
Y ( o u r ) W o r l d , Melcir Erskine-Richmond
CEO: “First the Earth ~
Thank you to the following sources;
permission received:
(1)
Etta D. Jackson, Understanding
Your Choice, 2009
(2) Mr. Ivan Torrent, The Creator of
the Music of the Trailer, 2013
Catharina van Staveren
Chair at Worldpeace Is Possible
www.worldpeaceispossible.com
HEAVEN-on-EARTH
Planner Holistic Circular model
Eco-University Cities & Tallship
Ocean-Earthcare Network
91
Nº 7
Indigenous Women of Ecovillages in
Orissa Asserts their Rights
initiatives by which
grass root level leaders
generated and shows
their strength/power to
exercise over the illicit
implementation system
of government.
Normally the voice of the Poor and
Hard core poor in particular indigenous
people is not being heard by government
departments, because after 66 years of
independence India, still these excluded
groups are struggling for their livelihood.
The grass root democracy and empowerment
process of Gram Sabha and Palli sabha is not
well recognized and the planning process
has not been operationalised thoroughly. The
benefit packages of Government under
different Acts are not reaching to the
excluded and there is rampant exploitation
of the programmes and schemes. To mitigate
the challenges and address the problems,
Orissa nari samaj (ONS) the federation of 54
tribal women’s organisations in Orissa, India
rigorously did series of capacity building
The tribal women
formed labour union in
each cluster of villages
and created their own
institutions to demand their entitlements.
Several times they met with Sub
collector, District collector and Addl.
District Magistrate, PA, ITDA and raised
their issues and problems of non
implementation in effective way of Mahatma
Gandhi National Rural Employment
Guarantee Act and Forest Right Act. But the
departmental heads were not taking it
seriously and avoided the situation. In this
situation, the mob led by Orissa Nari Samaj
along with representatives of district level
and Block level labour federation assembled
at District headquarter on 2nd December
2013.
Over 1000 and above male and female
assembled at the district headquarter and
contributed their labour and they borne their
own travel expenditure. The rally started from
District stadium and proceeded within the
town area. Different slogans on different
entitlement schemes and its failure to deliver
was expressed and shouted by the mob, which
provided a better environment for the
participants to fight for their rights.
After the rally they rushed to the
District collector, Addl. District Magistrate in
front of District collector’s office. The leaders
raised their voice against all types of non
cooperation of Revenue officials, OTFD
issues, bribing system, harassment of
government people, Non cooperation of
Banking institutions, no effectiveness of
Government
programmes for PTGs,
etc. One memorandum
also was submitted to
Collector which
contains 50 Issues and
problems on National
Rural Employment
Guarantee Act and
Forest Right Act along
with constructive
suggestions. The mob
started at 12 Noon and
ended by 2.30 PM. The
District collector gave
assurance to take the memorandum seriously
and all sorts of problems will be solved within
15 days. The strong voice of women leaders
and PTGs are being influenced by the district
administration. The Mass led by Ms. Jayanit
Patro, Nari Rashmi Samaj, Kaincha Matia,
Women Legal aid cell counselor, Basnati
Murumu, Nari Unnati Samaj, Hemal Soren,
Nari Jayasri Samaj, rushed to the collector’s
office without and protection by police and
government officials, presented the overall
issues and problems of entitlement schemes
and its failure before the district
administration which was tremendous process
of community empowerment by which the
socially excluded groups/communities
asserted their rights and entitlements. The
provoked mob seeing the spirit among them
was thunderstruck by the district officials.
92
Nº 7
Increasing Women and Community Knowledge
About Gender Issues and their Capabilities to
End VAW in Sudan
Huwayda Mohamed Ibrahim
Projects designer and developer at Consultancy office at Sudan
E-mail: [email protected] Women are still suffering from
marginalization, different types of violence,
exclusion and social injustice especially, in
the rural areas and from the sense of
superiority they are being treated with, in the
conservative societies. The vast majority
remain suffering under poverty, ignorance,
illiteracy and harmful customs. Women
always suffer from the consequences of the
armed conflict and tribal fighting by being
displaced and losing their husbands. Women
are always vulnerable to different types of
violence. The above facts give women an
expected role in advancing gender equality.
To this, international standards and principles
should be adopted to ensure an active,
responsible and positive participation to
support the gains achieved and to achieve
more.
Despite the fact that the Sudanese
Women’s Movement had started as early as
the 1950s, women in Sudan still face the
problem of a staggering and inconsistent
policy atmosphere that neither explicitly calls
for gender equality, nor breaks the silence
about women’s real abilities to share in power
and wealth. There is still no clear and
systematic progress in reducing the gender
gap in favour of women. There is lack of data
on different types of violence practiced
against women. However in conflict areas,
women and children were subject to shelling,
abduction, rape and violence. Domestic
violence is a legal ground for divorce, but
many women are reluctant to file formal
complaints against such abuse. About 90% of
females in Sudan have been subjected to
Female Genital Mutilation. Despite the efforts
of the ministry of health and many NGOs.
Child labour and early marriage for girls as
young as 11-14 years is practiced.
Basis on this SWGU developed a project: Increasing women and community
knowledge about gender issues and their
capabilities to end VAW in Sudan it will be
implemented in 3 states (White Nile and Blue
Nile and Khartoum states), it is funded by
French Embassy in Khartoum through the
Social Development fund which supports project implemented by local NGOs in the
country".. It started on Jan-2014 and
implementation is going on:
The aim of the project is to empower
women and community people in the above
mentioned locations(Khartoum, Blue Nile and
White Nile states), to be able to
support ending violence against women and
gender justice interventions (FGM, GBV, early
marriage, and other forms of VAW). Women
usually are the first to be affected by the
conflict situation and they face increased
vulnerabilities and exploitation from various
forms of Sexual and Gender Based Violence
(SGBV). The aim of this project is to empower
the people and women from communities of 3
states (Khartoum, Blue Nile and White Nile
states) to be able to articulate their sociopolitical and economic issues and be able to
determine their destiny. The target groups will
include 240 individuals who are the local
leaders, Women and the general community of
target states.
The main activities envisaged by
Sudanese Woman’s General Union, which
include seminars and workshops targeting the
local leaders, women to create awareness on the
need. Workshops on gender issues, ending
violence campaigns and establishment of a
theatre and drama groups to strengthen delivery
of information.
The project objectives are:
1- To build the capacity and self-esteem of the
vulnerable women through enhance their life
skills in order to promote their socio-economic
through building capacities and abilities to
exercise their rights to life, protection, and
social security.
2- To assist in harnessing the capacity of
community and women to engage women
empowerment activities
3- Strengthened capacity of the target
communities in Advancing Equality, ending
violence against women and mitigation and the
enhancement of the capacity of institutions that
enforce law and order.
Estimated impacts of the projects:
Increase target women knowledge about gender
issues and human rights with improvement in
their skills to advocate their rights and to
participate in decision making, it will also has
impact the children through the work with
teachers and within schools- as well as the
whole community through public event
community mobilization and so on.
Strengthening the involvement of civil society
organization to establish gender forums, rebuild
confidence, and give voice to the people
Reduction in incidence of violence against
women with prevention of FGM and early
marriage.
Prevention of all sort of violence against
women.
Long term impacts:
• Eradication of harmful traditions that
deprive women of their rights, through
awareness raising of women and community
about the risks of tradition, supporting the
laws that will eradicate these traditions.
• Application of laws that protect women’s
rights
• Alteration of negative stereotypes of women
through media, through media messages
• Integration of human rights in educational
curriculum
• Prevention of all sorts of violence against
women.
• Bodies dealing with gender and VAW
resolution to be more empowered.
93
Nº 7
The Statesman
Gandhiji My Greatest Hero
José Manuel Ramos-Horta, the United
Nations' Special Representative and Head of
the United Nations Integrated Peacebuilding
Office in Guinea-Bissau (UNIOGBIS), is
former President of East Timor. A corecipient of the 1996 Nobel Peace Prize, he
is a founder member of the Revolutionary
Front for an Independent East Timor
(FRETILIN). He served as the exiled
spokesman of the East Timorese during its
Indonesian occupation.
After East Timor achieved independence in
2002, Ramos-Horta was appointed as the
country's first foreign minister, then Prime
Minister and President. In February 2008, he
had escaped an assassination attempt. He
found time to talk to JOSE KALATHIL
about what freedom means to him and his
vision for the country during his recent oneday stay in the national capital.
You were at the forefront of Timor Leste's
freedom struggle. What was the situation in
the country then that prompted you to join
and lead this struggle?
I believe that any of us, as a citizen of a
country, has an innate, instinctive response to
situations of domination and subjugation; we
all desire freedom; so for me there was no
hesitation in joining others in searching for
ways to attain freedom for the country, no
matter how minuscule we might look on the
map. But on the ground, there are people
with a distinct history, identity and values,
who want to live in freedom.
What was your experience during this
movement for your country's freedom. How
was its independence finally achieved?
Timorese are moulded by the majestic
mountains, by hundreds of years of living in
that island, fending off invaders, or when
necessary co-existing with them to survive,
learning from them, pretending to accept
subjugation and rising up when they feel the
moment is ripe. Timorese are warriors, very
astute and cunning. That's their strength, the
unforgiving mountains that shelter them and
mould them to be tough. But we also learn to
navigate the complexities of international
diplomacy, building a vast network of
contacts and friends around the world. We
never resorted to extremist tactics like
kidnapping and killing innocent civilians; we
had a very strict code of conduct that never
allowed us to descend to the barbarity of the
other side. We resisted the temptation of
violence for the sake of violence. Not a
single Indonesian civilian was harmed
during the 24 years of our struggle. Captured
soldiers were set free after a few months. We
never abandoned our humanity. This way we
also won much sympathy from Indonesians
themselves. Today Timor-Leste and
Indonesia enjoy the best possible
relationship between any two countries in
Asia. Both sides decided from day one that
we would cross that bridge, meet half-way,
embrace the present and the future, without
forgetting the violence and the victims of the
past, but without allowing either the past to
dominate our present.
What is the situation in Timor
Leste at present? Has it improved?
Timor-Leste is among the 10 fastest growing
economies in the world, posting double digit
growth since 2007; on the UN Human
Development Report, it has outdone all subSahara African countries, except for South
Africa and Cape Verde; in Asia we have
overtaken Bangladesh, Laos and Myanmar. In
terms of liquidity, and as percentage of GDP,
we have the highest surplus in the world. Our
Sovereign Wealth Fund is rated the best
managed in Asia.
What is your prescription for solving the
problems that your country faces now?
The coalition government led by Prime
Minister Xanana Gusmao has launched a 20year Strategic Development Plan that began in
2011 aiming at transforming Timor-Leste in the
course of the next two decades, from low
middle income country to upper middle income
with an annual per capita income of at least
$10,000. Our GNP is now at $5,000. Life
expectancy has gone up to 64 years; school
enrolment is over 90%. The government is
investing heavily in education, professional
development, new infrastructures like modern
electrification with fibre optics connecting the
whole country.
Where and how did you get the inspiration to
launch the freedom movement? What was your
inspiration and who were your role models?
We were young people with different
inspirations and influences, deriving lessons
from African, Cuban and Asian liberation
experiences.
Was Mahatma Gandhi's non-violence relevant
to your struggle?
In many ways yes. Mahatma Gandhi's nonviolence philosophy influenced our urban
youth. As for me, Gandhiji remains my greatest
hero.
What are your thoughts about India, its
democracy and its current situation?
When one looks at India, this vast country with
1 billion people, one cannot but admire its
founding fathers and subsequent leaders who
have kept the country together; we have
difficulties managing our country of 1 million;
compare this with India's 1 billion! India's
democracy has survived decades of test and has
proven to be resilient, vibrant and chaotic. But
it is better to have a chaotic, vibrant democracy
than have a one party rule! There is still a long
way to go to eliminate extreme poverty, to
bring more sustainable development, more
equitable, closing the deep gap between rich
and poor. India can invest much, much more in
salvaging its environment, its forests, lakes,
rivers, seas. The 1 billion people of India
extract much from Mother Earth; you have to
help replenish our common Planet.
94
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