Ford Fellows at The Texas University at Austin

A Story from Kuala lumpur

2011-02-25T04:51:00.002-05:00

Her name was Koniah. She seemed confuse with the seat-belt and she put it on her thigh. A few minutes later, a flight attendance announced to all passenger to buckle-up and the flight gate were closed. Koniah looked at me with her obvious hesitation. Her eyes pronounced the word fear, burden, and hopeless. She might feel little to sit with a stranger who spoke English for minutes without any words she knew except I love you, a most common sentence that half of people around the globe understand. I realized she had been looking at me and smiled when she listened the word "I LOVE YOU" burst from my lip. She might remember the time she met with a man she married with, her husband.

I gave my friendly smile to her and showed her my availability for the help she was needed. She used Bahasa Melayu as fluent as Malaysian and she called me "miss". The word miss is used by Indonesian domestic workers to call their female unmarried employer or respectable person equal to their employer. Again I showed her my friendly smile and started to open conversation with her using Bahasa Indonesia with Java accent. I said to her "mbak, do you know how to buckle the seat-belt?". All of sudden her face seemed relax, she smiled at me and said that she thought I was a Malaysian. She told me that it was her second time in an airplane. Four years ago she used airplane to Malaysia but she were accompanied by a person from a worker agency. Finally she mentioned "I don't know how to buckle the seat-belt".

Having this conversation, I realized that she needed a friend to make her relax during the travel.
I opened our conversation by asking why did she wait four years to be back to Indonesia. I was pretty sure that she would give long and uncover information about herself as rural people from many parts of Indonesia used to do. I was right!... The first word she mentioned was "ALHAMDULILAH" to express her feeling of freedom after four years she had to work for long hours without proper rest. She came to Malaysia as a domestic worker after a recruiter from worker agency in Lampung recruited her. She said that she was originally from Cimahi and at the age of 18 she got married with a 40 years man from Lampung. Since then she lived in Lampung with her husband and her husband's parent. She told me that she did not like her husband at the beginning, but her father said that she must received the marriage proposal because she would turn 19 and so far no man was interested in her because her face ain't beautiful. She had no option because her father said it and she realized that young man might not interested in her because she was not even graduated from elementary school. She said after few years she could enjoy her family life although she got no kid.

moreover, the absent of children in her family life leaded her to try a new journey in her life. She spoke to me that she wanted to have a kid because she felt lonely at home. Her husband job as security in a factory made her difficult to be with her, especially at night. She was only a housewife and she had no income. There was no problem between her and her husband, but she felt lonely at home all the time. One day, a recruiter came to her house and offered a job in Malaysia. She said no one had offered any job to her and she thought that was her only opportunity to have working experience abroad.

I was curious about her story, so I kept her telling her story.
In the past she worked in a factory in Jakarta as a cleaning service but it was only short time because she had to marry. She said that she did not want to lose the opportunity to get a job so she requested permission from her husband to go abroad. According to working procedure published by Ministry of Man Power of Indonesia, married female who want to work abroad must submit permit letter from her husband. Her husband did not allow her to go abroad and he did not sign the letter she was needed. Because she really wanted to go abroad, she decided to leave her house and stayed at a center belong to the worker agency. She got the letter signed by pak Lurah (village chief) and she got birth certificate too. she spent a month in the center and had no money, so she called her husband. She realized that her husband really loved her and he gave her money before she leaved Lampung for Malaysia.

She told me that at the beginning she got two years contract as domestic workers but she got another two years contract to work in a soy milk factory. She mentioned that she had good employers but they requested her to do long hours work. She started to work at 7 am and often she finished her work at 1 am. I was wondering "what does good mean to her?" but I did not ask this question to her.

During her stay in Malaysia, she maintained contact with her husband through cellphone. She used Indonesia phone provider that has international roaming program in Malaysia. Once a month her husband called her and her husband bought minutes for her from Indonesia. She has not many friends so she spent less money for minutes. She said that she used to send text message to communicate with her husband and he would reply by calling her.

Additional word "ALHAMDULILAH" emerged from her lips. She spoke as she felt a great freedom. She told me that she would not longer have tiring days similar to days she spent in Malaysia. "Good bye hardship" was the words she mentioned. She did not want to work in Malaysia because she knew the situation was different from stories she listened.

Koniah... I hope you are safely back home.
Danger is not only in Malaysia, there are too many people taking advantage from a simple woman like you. Especially in the Terminal 4 of Soekarno-Hatta International Airport.
Be careful Koniah... My prayer with you.

Telecentro Lomas de Colchagua

2008-05-01T23:06:00.001-05:00

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Documental - El Juicio de Pascual Pichún.

2008-03-23T12:19:00.000-05:00

What is happening in Chile

2008-01-05T16:51:00.000-05:00

BubbleShare: Share photos - Safe Toys

Mapuche group attests that member was killed during a police confrontation

2008-01-03T15:24:00.000-05:00

Jueves 3 de Enero de 2008

Fuente :Iván Fredes, El Mercurio Online

http://www.lasegunda.com/ediciononline/economia/detalle/index.asp?idnoticia=383515

Leaders of the Malleco Arauco Group said that the incident occurred on Jorge Luchsinger's property. Police however, have not yet confirmed this information.

TEMUCO.- Leaders of the Arauco Malleco Group maintained today that a young mapuche boy was killed during a confrontation with police at Santa Margarita homestead. The property in the Ninth Region belongs to farmer Jorge Luchsinger.

The young man, Matías Valentín Catrileo Quezada, was studying Agricultural Science at La Frontera University in Temuco.

The leaders indicated that the boy's body is located at La Roca school in a rural area of Vilcún near Luschsinger's land. Police officials however, have not yet confirmed this information.

Police have only confirmed that a group of twenty hooded individuals attacked Luschsinger's ranch early this morning, burning 60 of the 150 bales of hay that were being stored there.

If verified, the incident represents the most severe case since the death of Mapuche member Alez Lemún in November of 2003. Lemún was killed during a confrontation at the Santa Elena homestead, in the town of Ercilla.

LA HUELGA DE HAMBRE DE LOS PRESOS MAPUCHE

2007-12-12T23:44:00.000-05:00

Ante la completa indiferencia de las autoridades y de los medios de comunicación nacionales, en el día de hoy los presos mapuche Florencio Jaime Marileo Saravia, Héctor Laitul Carillanca, Juan Millalen Milla, José Benicio Huenchunao Mariñan y Patricia Roxana Troncoso Robles, cumplen 56 días de huelga de hambre. Para varios de ellos esta constituye la segunda huelga de hambre que emprenden con el fin de llamar la atención de las autoridades del Estado de Chile sobre la violación de sus derechos individuales y de los derechos colectivos de su pueblo. A través de su acción testimonial, los presos mapuche evidencian que las referidas autoridades han hecho uso abusivo del poder punitivo del Estado para reprimir las acciones de protesta social del Pueblo Mapuche y desactivar sus organizaciones por la vía del encarcelamiento de sus líderes.
Como hemos informado en reiteradas oportunidades a la opinión pública, los dirigentes antes individualizados cumplen condenas de 10 años y un día por el supuesto delito de incendio terrorista de una plantación forestal perteneciente a Forestal Mininco S.A. Fueron además condenados a pagar 425 millones de pesos por concepto de indemnización. Estas condenas han resultado de la aplicación de la Ley Antiterrorista, lo que ha permitido sancionarlos con penas de máxima gravedad y suspender las necesarias garantías procesales para un justo y legal juzgamiento.
A través de esta acción de ultima ratio los presos mapuche solicitan a las autoridades del gobierno chileno que se les otorgue de inmediato su libertad y se proceda a la revisión de sus causas. Que, en este contexto, se declare la inaplicabilidad de la ley antiterrorista en su caso, puesto que les asiste la convicción de que su proceso judicial adoleció de las garantías mínimas para asegurar un debido proceso y que, además, no es aplicable a los delitos que se les imputa el tipo penal terrorismo. Se trata de situaciones que han sido constatadas por diversos organismos internacionales de derechos humanos, como Human Rights Watch, el Relator Especial sobre libertades fundamentales y derechos de los indígenas, Rodolfo Stavenhagen, el Comité Derechos Económicos y Sociales (DESC) de la Organización de Naciones Unidas (ONU), Amnistía Internacional, la Federación Internacional de Derechos Humanos (FIDH) y, en marzo del año 2007, por el Comité de Derechos Humanos de la ONU. Todas estas instancias internacionales han condenado el uso de legislación antiterrorista para la persecución de la protesta social, y eventualmente de delitos comunes que puedan haber cometido los mapuche en el marco de los conflictos por tierras. Estos organismos han hecho un llamado a las autoridades para que en cumplimiento de las obligaciones internacionales asumidas por el Estado, a través de la suscripción de los principales tratados sobre derechos humanos, reviertan a la brevedad esta situación.
De particular relevancia en este sentido es lo señalado en marzo este año por el Comité de Derechos Humanos, al manifestar su preocupación ante "la definición amplia de terrorismo comprendida en la Ley Antiterrorista 18.314, lo que ha permitido que miembros de la comunidad Mapuche hayan sido acusados de terrorismo por actos de protesta o demanda social, relacionados con la defensa de los derechos sobre sus tierras". Respecto a la misma Ley el Comité observa que las garantías procesales, conforme al 14 del Pacto de Derechos Civiles y Políticos del que Chile es signatario, se ven limitadas bajola aplicación de esta ley.
Para abordar esta situación dicho Comité recomienda en forma vinculante al Estado chileno "adoptar una definición más precisa de los delitos de terrorismo, de tal manera que se asegure que individuos no sean señalados por motivos políticos, religiosos o ideológicos". Agrega que "tal definición debe limitarse a crímenes que ameriten ser equiparados a las consecuencias graves asociadas con el terrorismo y asegurar que las garantías procesales establecidas en el Pacto sean respectadas". (parág. 7)
La situación que estos organismos de derechos humanos constatan y denuncian adquiere mayor
connotación este año en que la Organización de Naciones Unidas ha aprobado la Declaración Universal de Derechos de los Pueblos Indígenas, y Chile concurrió con su voto ha dicha aprobación.
El Observatorio de Derechos de los Pueblos Indígenas se suma a la condena internacional e insiste en representar que la aplicación de la Ley Antiterrorista en contra de los dirigentes Mapuche - hoy una vez más en huelga de hambre - no garantiza el derecho humano al debido proceso, y en la práctica ha determinado la aplicación de condenas totalmente desproporcionadas para acciones que en ningún caso pueden ser tipificadas en el restrictivo campo de las acciones terroristas. Mantenemos la convicción, ya expresada en ocasiones anteriores, de que sus condenas son injustas y que su encarcelamiento es la dramática consecuencia de la política de criminalización de la protesta social indígena impulsada por los gobiernos de la Concertación de Partido Políticos por la Democracia.
A pesar de que la Presidenta Bachelet, en reunión con organizaciones indígenas congregadas en Nueva Imperial, efectuada durante su candidatura presidencial, asumió el compromiso de darcumplimiento a las recomendaciones del Relator de la ONU para los derechos indígenas, eso no ha ocurrido. Por el contrario, se han mantenido las situaciones de criminalización de la protesta mapuche por la vía de aplicar a sus dirigentes tipos delictivos comunes, cuyas penas han sido agravadas a través de modificaciones legales efectuadas recientemente, como es el caso del delito de abigeato o robo de animales y, asimismo, manteniendo en prisión a dirigentes indígenas condenados por aplicación de la ley antiterrorista.
Otra muestra de esta política se expresa en el hecho de que se han mantenido inalterables las situaciones de intervención de los territorios indígenas, mediante la ejecución de megaproyectos extractivos de recursos naturales en dichos espacios, sin procesos de consulta adecuados y muchas veces en contra de la voluntad de las comunidades indígenas. Lo más grave, sin embargo, sigue siendo la tolerancia a situaciones reiteradas de abusos policiales en comunidades indígenas, las que no obstante haber sido denunciadas a las autoridades, se mantienen como una práctica habitual que no es investigada ni menos sancionada. Ello además de la indolencia de las mismas frente a hechos de extrema gravedad, como es una huelga de hambre que se extiende por 56 días.
En razón de lo expuesto, instamos a las autoridades a que, en consonancia con las recomendaciones de los organismos internacionales de derechos humanos antes referidas, varias de las cuales son vinculantes para el estado de Chile, respondan a las demandas de los presos mapuche, considerando la situación de injusticia que generan las condenas que se les han impuesto. Ello antes de que se deban lamentar perdidas humanas que agravarán los conflictos que, lamentablemente, han marcado la relación entre los pueblos indígenas, el estado y la sociedad chilena en los últimos años.

Observatorio de Derechos de los Pueblos Indígenas
5 de diciembre de 2007

Yo y el burro

2007-10-22T22:45:00.000-05:00

Yo y el burro

( o el burro por delante)

Recopilacion de Amador, Ford Fellow realizando phd en linguistica.

(Este texto es la version recopilada por Amador, de un cuento de una mujer inmigrante hondurena que conocimos hace un tiempo aca en Austin)

Es sabido que a los burros les gusta lo salado,

si dejas tu sombrero o cualquier prenda sudorosa a su alcance

pues será golosina o casi manjar para el burro.

Bueno sucede que un día, hace mucho

de mis manos solía darle sal a mi burro

Siempre que lo hacia sentía una cosquilla agradable en las manos

por cada lengüeteo del burro.

Esto se convirtió en una manía, darle sal al burro en la palma de mis manos.

Una vez después de terminarse la sal

junte las palmas de mis manos.

Las junte como se juntan cuando juega uno a las sombras

en la pared y se quiere sacar la cabeza de un perro, o

así como cuando uno se hecha un clavadito en el río, (o debería decir alberca?)

bueno así junte mis manos,

y empecé a juguetear con el hocico esponjoso del burro,

y le daba golpecitos de izquierda a derecha

de derecha a izquierda

con mis manos en forma de ‘listo para un clavadito’.

Me estaba divirtiendo de lo lindo, y el burro enfadándose.

repentinamente sentí las manos aprisionadas en

la boca del burro.

el burro no pretendía tritúramelas,

por que empezó a correr el tiempo, y no pasaba nada

no sentía ningún dolor, solo la molestia

Babosa y salobre de las fauces del burro

Y un miedo lejano,

y pensaba

‘y si aprieta sus mandíbulas’ este burro

Yo me quedo si manos, … la sangre es salada…

Y mil conjeturas mas.

Bueno y siguió pasando lento el tiempo

y mis manos seguían presas

Yo le suplicaba y le re-suplicaba al burro para que me soltara

‘ burro, burrito por favor suéltame las manos’

‘anda suéltame y te traigo mas sal’.

Y nada que me las soltaba, el canijo burro,

le sonreía al burro, le decía cositas agradables, pero ni así me soltaba

Entonces se me ocurrió estirar mis pies, sin los huaraches por supuesto

Y empecé a echarle cosquillas en su panza.

Fue cuando supe que los burros no tienen cosquillas.

Me empecé a desesperar, pues mis manos seguían

dentro de las fauces del orejón

Pasado unos unas dos horas, el burro

se aburrió por fin de mis suplicas

y me soltó las manos… ufff que alivio .

Y pensé; burro, o sea ‘yo’ jamás vuelvas a darle sal

A un burro.

Experimental Design

2007-10-15T20:24:00.000-05:00

Experimental Design

Ser negro no Brasil hoje

2007-10-08T22:47:00.000-05:00

Publicado en Antroposmoderno el 2003-02-12
Milton Santos

Há uma frequente indagação sobre como é ser negro em outros lugares, forma de perguntar, também, se isso é diferente de ser negro no Brasil...
Ética enviesada da sociedade branca desvia enfrentamento do problema negro

Milton Santos

http://www.ige.unicamp.br/~lmelgaco/santos.htm

Há uma frequente indagação sobre como é ser negro em outros lugares, forma de perguntar, também, se isso é diferente de ser negro no Brasil. As peripécias da vida levaram-nos a viver em quatro continentes, Europa, Américas, África e Ásia, seja como quase transeunte, isto é, conferencista, seja como orador, na qualidade de professor e pesquisador. Desse modo, tivemos a experiência de ser negro em diversos países e de constatar algumas das manifestações dos choques culturais correspondentes. Cada uma dessas vivências foi diferente de qualquer outra, e todas elas diversas da própria experiência brasileira. As realidades não são as mesmas. Aqui, o fato de que o trabalho do negro tenha sido, desde os inícios da história econômica, essencial à manutenção do bem-estar das classes dominantes deu-lhe um papel central na gestação e perpetuação de uma ética conservadora e desigualitária. Os interesses cristalizados produziram convicções escravocratas arraigadas e mantêm estereótipos que ultrapassam os limites do simbólico e têm incidência sobre os demais aspectos das relações sociais. Por isso, talvez ironicamente, a ascensão, por menor que seja, dos negros na escala social sempre deu lugar a expressões veladas ou ostensivas de ressentimentos (paradoxalmente contra as vítimas). Ao mesmo tempo, a opinião pública foi, por cinco séculos, treinada para desdenhar e, mesmo, não tolerar manifestações de inconformidade, vistas como um injustificável complexo de inferioridade, já que o Brasil, segundo a doutrina oficial, jamais acolhera nenhuma forma de discriminação ou preconceito.

500 anos de culpa

Agora, chega o ano 2000 e a necessidade de celebrar conjuntamente a construção unitária da nação. Então é ao menos preciso renovar o discurso nacional racialista. Moral da história: 500 anos de culpa, 1 ano de desculpa. Mas as desculpas vêm apenas de um ator histórico do jogo do poder, a Igreja Católica! O próprio presidente da República considera-se quitado porque nomeou um bravo general negro para a sua Casa Militar e uma notável mulher negra para a sua Casa Cultural. Ele se esqueceu de que falta nomear todos os negros para a grande Casa Brasileira. Por enquanto, para o ministro da Educação, basta que continuem a frequentar as piores escolas e, para o ministro da Justiça, é suficiente manter reservas negras como se criam reservas indígenas. A questão não é tratada eticamente. Faltam muitas coisas para ultrapassar o palavrório retórico e os gestos cerimoniais e alcançar uma ação política consequente. Ou os negros deverão esperar mais outro século para obter o direito a uma participação plena na vida nacional? Que outras reflexões podem ser feitas, quando se aproxima o aniversário da Abolição da Escravatura, uma dessas datas nas quais os negros brasileiros são autorizados a fazer, de forma pública, mas quase solitária, sua catarse anual?

Hipocrisia permanente

No caso do Brasil, a marca predominante é a ambivalência com que a sociedade branca dominante reage, quando o tema é a existência, no país, de um problema negro. Essa equivocação é, também, duplicidade e pode ser resumida no pensamento de autores como Florestan Fernandes e Octavio Ianni, para quem, entre nós, feio não é ter preconceito de cor, mas manifestá-lo. Desse modo, toda discussão ou enfrentamento do problema torna-se uma situação escorregadia, sobretudo quando o problema social e moral é substituído por referências ao dicionário. Veja-se o tempo politicamente jogado fora nas discussões semânticas sobre o que é preconceito, discriminação, racismo e quejandos, com os inevitáveis apelos à comparação com os norte-americanos e europeus. Às vezes, até parece que o essencial é fugir à questão verdadeira: ser negro no Brasil o que é? Talvez seja esse um dos traços marcantes dessa problemática: a hipocrisia permanente, resultado de uma ordem racial cuja definição é, desde a base, viciada. Ser negro no Brasil é frequentemente ser objeto de um olhar vesgo e ambíguo. Essa ambiguidade marca a convivência cotidiana, influi sobre o debate acadêmico e o discurso individualmente repetido é, também, utilizado por governos, partidos e instituições. Tais refrões cansativos tornam-se irritantes, sobretudo para os que nele se encontram como parte ativa, não apenas como testemunha. Há, sempre, o risco de cair na armadilha da emoção desbragada e não tratar do assunto de maneira adequada e sistêmica.

Marcas visíveis

Que fazer? Cremos que a discussão desse problema poderia partir de três dados de base: a corporeidade, a individualidade e a cidadania. A corporeidade implica dados objetivos, ainda que sua interpretação possa ser subjetiva; a individualidade inclui dados subjetivos, ainda que possa ser discutida objetivamente. Com a verdadeira cidadania, cada qual é o igual de todos os outros e a força do indivíduo, seja ele quem for, iguala-se à força do Estado ou de outra qualquer forma de poder: a cidadania define-se teoricamente por franquias políticas, de que se pode efetivamente dispor, acima e além da corporeidade e da individualidade, mas, na prática brasileira, ela se exerce em função da posição relativa de cada um na esfera social.
Costuma-se dizer que uma diferença entre os Estados Unidos e o Brasil é que lá existe uma linha de cor e aqui não. Em si mesma, essa distinção é pouco mais do que alegórica, pois não podemos aqui inventar essa famosa linha de cor. Mas a verdade é que, no caso brasileiro, o corpo da pessoa também se impõe como uma marca visível e é frequente privilegiar a aparência como condição primeira de objetivação e de julgamento, criando uma linha demarcatória, que identifica e separa, a despeito das pretensões de individualidade e de cidadania do outro. Então, a própria subjetividade e a dos demais esbarram no dado ostensivo da corporeidade cuja avaliação, no entanto, é preconceituosa.
A individualidade é uma conquista demorada e sofrida, formada de heranças e aquisições culturais, de atitudes aprendidas e inventadas e de formas de agir e de reagir, uma construção que, ao mesmo tempo, é social, emocional e intelectual, mas constitui um patrimônio privado, cujo valor intrínseco não muda a avaliação extrínseca, nem a valoração objetiva da pessoa, diante de outro olhar. No Brasil, onde a cidadania é, geralmente, mutilada, o caso dos negros é emblemático. Os interesses cristalizados, que produziram convicções escravocratas arraigadas, mantêm os estereótipos, que não ficam no limite do simbólico, incidindo sobre os demais aspectos das relações sociais. Na esfera pública, o corpo acaba por ter um peso maior do que o espírito na formação da socialidade e da sociabilidade.
Peço desculpas pela deriva autobiográfica. Mas quantas vezes tive, sobretudo neste ano de comemorações, de vigorosamente recusar a participação em atos públicos e programas de mídia ao sentir que o objetivo do produtor de eventos era a utilização do meu corpo como negro -imagem fácil- e não as minhas aquisições intelectuais, após uma vida longa e produtiva. Sem dúvida, o homem é o seu corpo, a sua consciência, a sua socialidade, o que inclui sua cidadania. Mas a conquista, por cada um, da consciência não suprime a realidade social de seu corpo nem lhe amplia a efetividade da cidadania. Talvez seja essa uma das razões pelas quais, no Brasil, o debate sobre os negros é prisioneiro de uma ética enviesada. E esta seria mais uma manifestação da ambiguidade a que já nos referimos, cuja primeira consequência é esvaziar o debate de sua gravidade e de seu conteúdo nacional.

Olhar enviesado

Enfrentar a questão seria, então, em primeiro lugar, criar a possibilidade de reequacioná-la diante da opinião, e aqui entra o papel da escola e, também, certamente, muito mais, o papel frequentemente negativo da mídia, conduzida a tudo transformar em "faits-divers", em lugar de aprofundar as análises. A coisa fica pior com a preferência atual pelos chamados temas de comportamento, o que limita, ainda mais, o enfrentamento do tema no seu âmago. E há, também, a displicência deliberada dos governos e partidos, no geral desinteressados do problema, tratado muito mais em termos eleitorais que propriamente em termos políticos. Desse modo, o assunto é empurrado para um amanhã que nunca chega.
Ser negro no Brasil é, pois, com frequência, ser objeto de um olhar enviesado. A chamada boa sociedade parece considerar que há um lugar predeterminado, lá em baixo, para os negros e assim tranquilamente se comporta. Logo, tanto é incômodo haver permanecido na base da pirâmide social quanto haver "subido na vida".
Pode-se dizer, como fazem os que se deliciam com jogos de palavras, que aqui não há racismo (à moda sul-africana ou americana) ou preconceito ou discriminação, mas não se pode esconder que há diferenças sociais e econômicas estruturais e seculares, para as quais não se buscam remédios. A naturalidade com que os responsáveis encaram tais situações é indecente, mas raramente é adjetivada dessa maneira. Trata-se, na realidade, de uma forma do apartheid à brasileira, contra a qual é urgente reagir se realmente desejamos integrar a sociedade brasileira de modo que, num futuro próximo, ser negro no Brasil seja, também, ser plenamente brasileiro no Brasil.

Artigo escrito por Milton Santos, geógrafo, professor emérito da Faculdade de Filosofia, Letras e Ciências Humanas da USP
Fonte: Folha de S.Paulo - Mais - brasil 501 d.c. - 07 de maio de 2000

Social Work Issues

2007-09-22T11:33:00.001-05:00

The Profession of Social Work

in Indonesia

By Tuti Alawiyah

Why is the profession of social work is important? This question leads me to think about the situation in Indonesia. As part of the third world, Indonesia faces many social problems such as unemployment, a poor education system and health service, mal-nutrition, high mother and child mortality rates, and infectious disease, among others. I always wonder why more children still cannot go to school even though the government has launched the free-education program? Why cannot many poor families see a doctor or go to hospital since the government has started a free-health service for poor people?

Essentially, people in every place have rights to get those things (education, health service, and job) because these basic needs are protected by the Constitution of Indonesia. In terms of fulfilling these rights, the social work profession is important because its goal is helping disenfranchised people enhance their ability for social functioning and create social circumstance that support people's access to social services (NASW, 2007). There are two reasons why social work is important. First, poor people badly need help from others. Second, nowadays, fewer people who want to do this job.

First, poor people badly need someone who helps them improve their capacity for social functioning in order to access social services. There are some reasons why the poor cannot access services. First, poor people often come from uneducated families who do not know much about their rights and do not know how the social system works. Besides, they have limited access and opportunity to social and economic sources.

The second reason is that the social work profession is not recognized as a professional job and consequently becoming unpaid-work. Traditionally, people in Indonesia often work voluntarily to help people in need. They consider this work as a spiritual response based on their faith. In many areas, especially in villages, poor people support each other so that they get help from their community and neighborhood. However, because this work is seen as voluntary and more people are involved in more professional jobs, people who engage in this work are few. Due to these reasons, I see that initiating social work as a professional job is important in Indonesia.

In conclusion, the profession of social work in Indonesia is important because as the third world, this country is facing many social problems. Poor people who are often ignored by social system need social workers who can help them improve their capacity to access social services. Furthermore, social work as a profession should get more attention in order to increase the number of social workers. By making it a paid-job probably will increase the number of social workers and as a result increase the number of disenfranchised group that get a help.

--oo00oo--

Social Work Issues

2007-09-22T10:09:00.000-05:00

Apa dan Siapa Pekerja Sosial

Oleh: Tuti Alawiyah

Apa dan siapa pekerja sosial? Mungkin itu pertanyaan yang muncul ketika menyebut kata pekerja social. Pekerja social (social worker) adalah pekerjaan yang sesungguhnya banyak dipraktekkan dalam masyarakat kita. Seorang ibu yang membantu tetangganya mendapat akses pengobatan TBC gratis dari puskesmas adalah pekerja social. Ia membantu seorang pasien yang membutuhkan pertolongan untuk mengobati penyakitnya. Tanpa diberitahu dan diantar kalau ada pengobatan gratis sampai ia sembuh (minimal 6 bulan) si pasien mungkin tidak dapat memanfaatkan layanan kesehatan tersebut. Contoh lain adalah seseorang yang membantu orang lain mengatasi stress atau depresi karena ditinggal suami bekerja ke luar kota selama beberapa bulan sedangkan dia harus menghidupi beberapa anaknya juga pekerja social. Dengan menjadi pendengar keluh kesah si ibu dan mencarikan jalan keluar (problem solving) bagaimana mengatasi kesulitan ekonomi dan mengasuh anak, ia adalah pekerja social.

Tapi apakah pekerja social hanya melakukan pekerjaan-pekerjaan seperti di atas yang biasa dilakukan banyak orang di Indonesia tanpa menyebut dirinya pekerja social. Pekerja social yang bersifat profesional seperti yang terjadi di beberapa negara maju seperti Amerika ketika seorang pekerja social membantu seorang klien mengatasi persoalan dalam lingkup individu, ia tidak hanya bekerja dengan klien tersebut. Namun, sebagai seorang pekerja social umum (generalist social worker), yang nanti berbeda penangananya dari pekerja social spesialis, ia dapat membantu individu tersebut dengan menganalisis berbagai factor yang berada dan berpengaruh terhadap akses untuk mendapat layanan (services). Untuk membantu seorang ibu rumah tangga dengan anak yang sakit berkepanjangan namun tidak mampu berobat, misalnya, seorang pekerja social bekerja untuk memfungsikan bagaimana si ibu bisa memperoleh akses terhadap rumah sakit umum gratis. Skema yang digunakan pekerja social untuk membantu klien tersebut adalah bekerjasama dengan berbagai pihak termasuk individu (ibu rumah tangga), keluarga (suami, orang tua, atau adik dari ibu tersebut), komunitas (RT, Desa) dan organisasi/institusi (Rumah Sakit Umum).

Contoh lain dari pekerja social adalah guru yang berfungsi memberi bimbingan dan penyuluhan terhadap murid yang bermasalah di sekolah. Guru dengan fungsi tersebut sering disebut guru BP (singkatan dari bimbingan dan penyuluhan). Mereka yang bertugas membantu murid di sekolah mengatasi berbagai persoalan yang dihadapinya baik dengan teman, orang tua, guru atau siapapun yang mungkin mempengaruhi perilakunya di sekolah adalah pekerja social. Guru BP selama ini di Indonesia lebih sering diambil dari guru biasa yang berlatar belakang sarjana pendidikan atau sekolah guru dan bukan berlatar belakang sarjana psikologi atau sarjana pekerja social (Bachelor of Social Work --BSW--). Tanpa bekal training atau pendidikan yang memadai di bidangnya, mungkin akan sulit bagi guru BP untuk membantu persoalan murid-murid yang memiliki masalah. Pekerja social di sekolah di Amerika, sebagai contoh, akan bekerja dengan mekanisme tertentu mengatasi persoalan tersebut seperti memberikan analisis terhadap persoalan murid bersangkutan dengan melihat juga lingkungan dan kehidupan social yang mempengaruhinya dan mencari cara paling tepat untuk mengatasi masalah tersebut dengan mendasarkan diri pada beberapa teori seperti systems theory, problem-solving theory, task-centered theory, cognitive-behavioral theory, dan lain-lain.

Dari penjelasan berbagai contoh di atas, pertanyaan apa dan siapa pekerja social mungkin dapat terjawab. Meski banyak penjelasan teoritis dari berbagai literatur, dalam tulisan ini saya mencoba untuk menjelaskannya dari berbagai praktek yang sudah kita kenal sehingga lebih mengena untuk memahami arti dari pekerjaan social (social work) dalam konteks Indonesia.

Penulis adalah Ford Foundation International Fellow dan menjadi PhD Student pada School of Social Work University of Texas at Austin.

International Potlock at LBJ

2007-09-16T22:25:00.000-05:00

This album is powered by BubbleShare - Add to my blog

From Mexico

2007-09-02T16:56:00.000-05:00

Chilean Music

2007-09-02T03:12:00.000-05:00

Inti Illimani

Poverty and Equity

2007-08-31T00:22:00.000-05:00

The IDRC: The International Development Center

Has interesting resources on line, specially free e-books, you can search on the web site but today I would like to share with you an interesting and usefull book:
POVERTY AND EQUITY
Measurement, Policy, and Estimation with DAD
Jean-Yves Duclos and Abdelkrim Araar

Springer/IDRC 2006
ISBN 1-55250-229-5
416 pp.

POVERTY AND EQUITY
Measurement, Policy, and Estimation with DAD

Book(s) 21 of 206

POVERTY AND EQUITY
Measurement, Policy, and Estimation with DAD

Jean-Yves Duclos and Abdelkrim Araar

Springer/IDRC 2006
ISBN 1-55250-229-5
416 pp.

This book addresses the understanding and alleviation of poverty, inequality, and inequity using a unique and broad mix of concepts, measurement methods, statistical tools, software, and practical exercises. Part I discusses basic fundamental issues of well-being and poverty measurement. Part II develops an integrated framework for measuring poverty, social welfare, inequality, vertical equity, horizontal equity, and redistribution. Part III presents and develops recent methods for testing the robustness of distributive rankings. Part IV discusses ways of using policy to alleviate poverty, improve welfare, increase equity, and assess the impact of growth. Part V applies the tools to real data.

Most of the book’s measurement and statistical tools have been programmed in DAD, a well-established and widely available free software program that has been tailored especially for income-distribution analysis and is used by scholars, researchers, and analysts in nearly 100 countries worldwide. It requires basic understanding of calculus and statistics.

THE AUTHORS

Jean-Yves Duclos and Abdelkrim Araar are researchers and teachers in the Department of Economics at Université Laval in Canada, members of the Poverty and Economic Policy (PEP) international research network financed by IDRC, and belong to the Centre interuniversitaire de recherche sur le risque, les politiques économiques et l’emploi (CIRPÉE).

download the book here

Peruvian Sicko (In Spanish)

2007-08-27T17:26:00.000-05:00

SICKO A LA PERUANA

Después de haber visto la película SICKO debo confesar mi más ferviente admiración por Michael Moore con una sola palabra “Extraordinario”. Lamentablemente muy pocos americanos son conscientes de la importancia del derecho a la salud que tiene toda sociedad civilizada. La mayoría esta convencida o mejor dicho les han hecho creer que la salud cuesta mucho y que lo que sucede en Canadá, Francia o Inglaterra es apenas una febril quimera. Pero esto naturalmente es otro tema por lo que me gustaría compartirles lo que sucede con un lugar específico allá en Latinoamérica y entender cual es el punto de vista no muy lejano del documental SICKO de lo que es no tener un seguro universal de salud en un país llamado Perú.

Al igual que en muchos países de Latinoamérica y del mundo la exclusión y la desigualdad en salud son las desafortunadas características que tiene el Perú. Para tener una idea, la mortalidad materna es una de las más altas del continente americano y actualmente uno de cada 4 peruanos no tiene derecho para acceder al sistema de salud, generalmente por barreras económicas. A esto se suma un deficiente manejo de las políticas publicas sectoriales de los gobiernos de turno como por ejemplo tenemos que desde la década de los 90 se ha gastado alrededor de 200 millones de dólares en programas sociales de apoyo nutricional sin obtener ningún impacto significativo para la población teniendo como consecuencia las tasas de desnutrición infantil aun elevadas conocidas por las estadísticas de la región.

Ante esto, la lógica deducción nos obliga a plantearnos que el aseguramiento universal de todos los peruanos y peruanas es la clave para iniciar la verdadera reforma sanitaria del Perú. Pero antes necesitamos entender ¿Cual es la situación actual de este sistema sanitario? El SICKO a la peruana es la fragmentación del sistema de salud dividido en cuatro importantes sectores: El Ministerio de Salud, EsSalud a cargo del Ministerio de Trabajo, las sanidades de las Fuerzas Armadas a cargo del Ministerio de Defensa, y el de las Fuerzas Policiales a cargo del Ministerio del Interior. Es decir cuatro ministerios a cargo de la salud de toda una nación. Esta atmósfera en la actualidad, hoy 27 de Agosto del 2007, significa para el estado alto gasto presupuestario, duplicación de funciones, capacidad ociosa no utilizada e ineficiencia que se traduce en personas sin acceso a los servicios de salud.

Es por ello que la propuesta que se viene trabajando desde hace unos años es la de crear un Fondo Público Común que vendría de las 4 instituciones que manejan la salud publica nacional y no solo que consista en un aporte estatal sino también contribuciones obligatorias de los que estén en condiciones económicas para hacerlo. De esta manera se tendría un estado solidario que garantice un seguro de salud básico, equitativo y con justicia social. Así, acabar con el sistema fragmentado y que el Ministerio de Salud sea el que por su naturaleza represente al estado en garantizar el derecho social inherente al ser humano que es la salud. Esta es la mejor manera dentro de nuestro punto de vista para acceder a un aseguramiento universal con un plan de beneficio básico garantizado y obligatorio. Entonces, las inquietantes preguntas surgen ¿Porque el estado peruano a través de sus políticas no lo hace? ¿Acaso la salud pública dividida otorga mayores ventajas a las compañías privadas de salud? ¿Hay en la intención del gobierno privatizar la salud con el cuento de la munipalización? Tal vez se requiera un Michael Moore peruano para que nos ayude a descifrar estas interrogantes. Son nuestros urgentes deseos que aparezca uno.

Victor Melt Campos

University of Texas

vymelt@gmail.com

Sicko

2007-08-23T12:18:00.000-05:00

2007-08-22T13:44:00.000-05:00

The earthquake of August 15, has left 34,000 families without a home, more than 1,000 wounded, countless others severely injured that had to be evacuated to Lima, and more than 500 dead. The most affected are people of Pisco, Chincha, and Ica. They need our support. They need blood, coats, food, tents, water and money.

One way to help all of the people is with money through Peruvian organizations that are working in the affected areas or through the North American organizations that have opened exclusive bank accounts for helping Peru.

If you would like to help with food or other items, it would be appreciated, but you must also consider that the cost of transportation of this help to Peru is going to be more in some cases, than the price of the item you are donating. That is why a monetary donation is the best way to help.

How to actually help? The Peruvian embassy in Washington DC has opened a bank account at HSBC Bank. The info for this account is at the end of the communication. Also if you prefer, you can make a direct transfer to the accounts set at the Peruvian banks such as Interbank.

Another alternative to make a donation is through North American charity organizations that have established specific accounts for the victims of the earthquake. These are:

a. Unicef: www.unicefusa.org
b. Save the Children: www.savethechildren.org
c. Oxfam America: www.oxfamamerica.org
d. America Cares: www.americares.org
e. IR Teams: www.irteams.org

These organizations have already created a fund for our country, so you have to be sure you are specifying a donation for the victims of the earthquake in Peru.

Bank information for donations:

For Caritas Peru: (www.caritas.org.pe)
Account Name: “Emergencia por los damnificados del Terremoto en Pisco, Ica y Canete”
BANCO DE CREDITO MIAMI
Account Number: 201030010003521
ABA: 067015355
SWIFT: BCPLUS33

Un techo para mi Pais:
Please go to: www.untechoparamipais.org.pe (You can donate there with your credit card).

Interbank:
Account Name: "Damnificados Ica - Peru"
Account Number: 200-0000001118
The following money transfer services will not charge any commissions for transfers to the Interbank account:
Xoom, Bancomercio, Uno, Dolex, BTS, Via Americas, Transfast, Pronto Envios, Vigo, Girosol, MFIC, Intertransfers and Mateo Express. For more information on money transfers to the Interbank account please call 1-866-352-7378

Embassy of Peru:
Account Name: "Embassy of Peru – Sismo Peru 2007"
Account Number: 389060178
ROUTING NUMBER: 021001088
BANK ADDRESS: HSBC Bank , USA , NA
1130 Connecticut Avenue, NW.
Washington DC 20036

or by sending your donation by check to:

Name: "Embassy of Peru – Sismo Peru 2007" Address: Embassy of Peru
1700 Massachusetts Ave. NW
Washington DC 20036

Pictures say more than words

http://s20133.gridserver.com/peruenemergencia/index.html

We would appreciate if you send this letter to your American friends, so they can also help.

Victor Yosef Melt Campos

About Health Center

2007-08-18T14:00:00.000-05:00

The last days I recived some questions about health center, then I decide to write a little paragrah in function of my experice as a frequent client of the service:

The medical consult are free: eehhhhhh
The laboratory or radiologic exams are not free: buuuu
The good new: the insurance company reimburses you almost all the exams and medicines' bills, but they descount 25 USD for every new "event" or illness.
For example: if you have diabetes: the first time that you declared the illness they discounted 25 dollars in the bill's riembursed, but if you need to take medicines every month or taking blood exams every month, they will cover all your bills at 100%.
If you are the same person with diabetes, but now you have allergy, you will need to send your bills and they will cover all, except 25 USD, because is a new "event" and that is the procedure of the insurance's company.
They don't cover preventive exams (for example Papanicolau) or vaccines.
The health center charges the bills to your university account don't be confused, the first time that I used the system I though: guuaau excellent I don't need to pay nothing, but NO, if you go to your UT direct, in the section MY OWN, you will find the bills.
You need to pay all the bills of the semester to be able to register, then, go to the UT web and be sure about don't have debts.
If you needed vaccines, the insurance company doesn't cover it cost. Don't be panic, go to the International Office, talk with the Accountant and he will charge that cost to the fees.
If you need copies of your bills (you need that to send it to the insurance company) you can go to the second floor of health center, turn to rigth hand of the upstair, go to the insurance office and ask for your bills.
If you need the form to send the bills to the insurance company, go to the second post in this blog and download the doc.
If you need more information, you can read the insurance's policy or to write to

Jennifer Teeter RN
Claims Manager
International Educational Exchange Services
PO Box 370, Ithaca, NY
Ph ; X 225
Fax
jteeter@iees.com

If you have others questions about health center, go here.

Another good information

2007-08-16T23:12:00.000-05:00

You can see the translation in diferent idioms clicking in the "arrow" below the timer.

F.Y.I (for your information)

2007-08-16T17:21:00.000-05:00

What is a wiki??? Really important in the new ciber culture.

Wixage Anai: Despierta y Levantate (Awake and Rising)

2007-08-10T19:31:00.000-05:00

I would like to share that documentary that I found in youtube with you because I'm a mapuche too and I liked to show you a little part of our town (Pueblo). Even the documentary is about some radial program, they talk about a wide aspect of the mapuche people and life, you can watch some tradicional music, places and stories and you can watch some chilean people's opinions, I know those opinions are not representative of all chilean people, but some prejudices are strongly rooted in the chilean society.

I hope you can have patient and enjoy the 3 part of the documentary, it is a great job and it has translation (that is an important reason I had to choose it!!!!!).

A cinco metros documentary about a Mapuche radio program in Santiago Chile. Directed and Edited by Anthony Rauld, Produced by Kate Hurowitz in conjunction with Yvfken Mapu. Featuring Elias Paillan, Elizabeth Huenchual and Jose Paillal. Coordinating editor: Luis Carcamo-Huechante.

I don't speak mapudungun, but if you have some question about mapuche town feel free to ask me or to share your appreciations and ideas.
Sigrid Huenchunir ( a "weird" last name in Chile)

Dia Internacional de los Pueblos Indigenas

2007-08-09T12:09:00.000-05:00

COMUNICADO DE PRENSA DE LA CEPAL
*******************************

9 de agosto, Día Internacional de los Pueblos Indígenas del Mundo:

PUEBLOS INDÍGENAS DESTACAN POR INNOVACIONES SOCIALES
PARA SALIR DE LA POBREZA

Sus quehaceres son diversos pero todos buscan superar la pobreza y
potenciar su identidad cultural.

(8 de agosto de 2007) Del mundo indígena proviene el 28% de las
iniciativas sociales innovadoras finalistas del concurso
“Experiencias en innovación social”, de la Comisión Económica para
América Latina y el Caribe (CEPAL) y la Fundación Kellogg. Tras un
riguroso proceso de selección, 36 finalistas se destacan entre 2 600
postulaciones provenientes de casi todos los países de la región.

Los quehaceres de las iniciativas indígenas son muy diversos, pero
tienen un denominador común: capacidad de asociarse para superar la
pobreza y potenciar su identidad cultural. Buscan una participación
creciente como ciudadanos sujetos de derechos económicos, sociales y
culturales y como pueblos, con derechos colectivos.

Sus proyectos destacan por la creatividad e innovación. Son
propuestas que se fundan en la participación comunitaria y que pueden
replicarse en otros lugares por su bajo costo, sencillez de operación
y resultados. En pocas palabras, utilizan estrategias eficientes para
mejorar su calidad de vida.

Entre un 8% a un 10 % de la población total del continente es
indígena, con más de 400 grupos linguísticos diferentes. Son los más
pobres, tienen menor acceso a salud, educación, servicios básicos y
agua potable, las condiciones de vida más precarias y escaso
reconocimiento cultural.

· Decididos a revalorizar su identidad y a cambiar la imagen de
la comunidad blanca, que asocia a los indígenas con indigencia y
marginalidad, comunidades de Salta, Jujuy, Formosa, El Chaco y Santa
Fe, Argentina, armaron una red de comunicaciones indígena. Hoy 135
emisoras transmiten sus noticias, recogidas por corresponsales que
viven en las localidades. (Contacto: Jorge Frías, Email:
coordinacionrci@arnet.com.ar ; Tel: (54) 3722-421600).

· En una reserva en la Amazonía peruana, una comunidad se
asocia con una ONG y genera un modelo de desarrollo sostenible que
protege una zona vulnerable pero a la vez asegura la generación de
ingresos a sus habitantes. (Contacto: Javier Noriega,
pronaturaleza@pronaturaleza.org ; Tel: (51-65) 23-50-53).

· Una comunidad de mujeres quechuas creó, con ayuda de una
monja, una empresa de tejidos a mano en alpaca con calidad de
exportación. Hoy venden su producción en Estados Unidos, estudian
ingresar al mercado japonés. (Contacto: Victoria Quispe,
cip_victoria@yahoo.es ;Tel: (51-51) 327589 y 322224).

· Una cooperativa reúne a 140 pequeños productores
descendientes de pueblos originarios de la Quebrada de Humahuaca,
Jujuy, Argentina, para recuperar cultivos andinos . Ya venden más
de 40 variedades de papas y diversos maíces. (Contacto:
javierrodriguez@cauqueva.com.ar, Tel: (54) 388 499 7185).
En el altiplano peruano un grupo de familias de escasos recursos
desarrollaron, con el apoyo de una organización no gubernamental, la
tecnología propia para cultivar truchas a más de 4 000 mts de
altura, con las que hoy complementan sus ingresos. (Contacto: Pedro
Ramos Jara, iniquillach@hotmail.com , Tel: (51 51) 503690).

En el altiplano boliviano 773 familias suman su trabajo para
erradicar de sus tierras una maleza venenosa que mata su ganado e
invade los cultivos, obligándolos a emigrar a las ciudades.
(Contacto: Giannpierre Fiorilo, teléfono (591) 2 528 1288,
giannpierre@yahoo.com ).

· El Consejo General de Caciques Williche de Chiloé, isla en el
sur de Chile, acordó con las autoridades un modelo de gestión
compartida de salud que incorpora la cosmovisión indígena y los
conocimientos de medicina ancestrales a la salud moderna. (Contacto:
Manuel Muñoz Millalonco, ccchilwe@telsur.cl , Tel: (56-65) 532-660 /
(56-65) 532-661).

· En el departamento colombiano de Tolima, Colombia, se aplica
el modelo bicultural de medicina tradicional para los pueblos pijao
y paéz. Se promueven las huertas de hierbas medicinales, los
medicamentos populares y la atención médica con cosmovisión indígena.
(Contacto: cesarculma@hotmail.com , Tel: 5798 – 2625085).

· En el Estado de Amazonas, Brasil, una ONG trabaja con los
indios hupdäh, en un modelo de atención en salud y educación que
incluye el desarrollo de un alfabeto hup, la enseñanza de la lecto-
escritura y la formación de promotores de salud indígenas capaces de
dar atención básica a enfermedades no conocidas por la medicina de la
etnia. (Contacto: Marina Machado, Email: sslim@uol.com.br ; Tel:
(5511) 5539 – 2968 / (11) 5539 – 3803).

· Mujeres voluntarias de la propia comunidad, quechua
parlantes, capacitadas para atender el problema de la violencia
intrafamiliar y apoyar a las víctimas en el proceso de denuncia y
seguimiento, trabajan en el Cusco. Ellas suman a toda la comunidad en
el cambio hacia una vida mejor y vincula a hijos, esposos, policías,
jueces, profesores.(Contacto: Rocío Franco, rfranco@idl.org.pe ; (51-
1) 422-0244).

**********************************************************************
**********************
Amplia información sobre este concurso en español, inglés, francés y
portugués, así como material multimedia en la página web
http://www.cepal.org/dds/innovacionsocial.
Correo electrónico innovacion.social@cepal.org. Teléfonos: 562-
2102148/ 2451/2263.

What do you thing about ancestral healing in your country?

2007-08-01T15:28:00.001-05:00

In the last decades, the use of Traditional, Alternative and Complementary Medicines has been increasing exponentially. These medicines are officially recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO) as widely used by people from all over the world. The indiscriminate, sometimes irresponsible or non-regulated use of several alternative therapeutic methods is unfortunately leading either to put in risk the health of the general population, or to the loss of reputation of an ancestral medicine, with well-known efficacy and importance.
Many professionals ( including me ) are interested in establishing a mechanism to learn more about them and at the same time to look for their harmonization with the purpose of improving Public Health. Feel free to email or blog your comments.

2007-08-01T00:10:00.001-05:00

information

2007-07-31T23:02:00.000-05:00

watch here

Great Victor

2007-07-31T00:03:00.001-05:00

Hi Victor:

Congratulations for your work, your web page is really good, I hope that our partners go in the same way, we have really interesting worlds and words but we need to share!!!!!

Again congratulations!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oxford Internet Institute - Civil Society Practitioners Programme

2007-07-24T17:06:00.000-05:00

*Oxford Internet Institute - Civil Society Practitioners Programme*

Invitation to apply

The Oxford Internet Institute http://www.oii.ox.ac.uk
(University of Oxford) invites applications from the global South to fill two places in its Civil Society Practitioners Programme.

This visitor programme is intended for Civil Society Practitioners of distinction or outstanding promise who wish to visit the Institute for a period of six weeks between February and December 2008, to undertake research concerning the social impact of the Internet and related ICTs.
Visitors are expected to reside in Oxford during their stay, and to participate fully in the intellectual life of the Institute. The successful applicants will receive:

* A subsistence allowance of 3800 GBP (7500 USD) to cover research expenses and living costs during their stay in Oxford
* A travel grant of up to 1000 GBP (2000 USD) for travel to and from the UK

Applications will ideally be submitted by Civil Society Practitioners in or from the global South, active in the areas of freedom of expression, media reform, media justice, and communications and information policy in the globalized context of the Internet.

How to apply

For details on how to apply, please download:
Information for Applicants (PDF, 45kb) at
http://www.oii.ox.ac.uk/people/CSPP_Application_Information.pdf

<http://mail.google.com/people/CSPP_Application_Information.pdf>

You may also request to have this information emailed to you in plain
text form. The deadline for completed applications to reach the OII
Academic and Student Affairs Officer (by post or email: contact details
below) is *26 September 2007*. Please note that incomplete applications
cannot be considered.

Final notification of an award will occur in November 2007. Successful
candidates will be expected to take up their six week residency in
Oxford at any time between February and December 2008.

Contact

Laura Taylor
Academic and Student Affairs Officer
Oxford Internet Institute
University of Oxford
1 St Giles, Oxford OX1 3JS
United Kingdom

This programme has been made possible through funding by the Ford
Foundation <http://www.fordfound.org/>´s Media, Arts and Culture unit.

2007-07-23T14:49:00.000-05:00

Wazap????

2007-07-19T23:06:00.000-05:00

Mmmm, I don't know what happen with my partners of scholarship, nobody writes!!!! I know that technologies could be really hard, but the only way to overcome the afraid is trying to do something.

As you can see, we have some personal space for everyone, you can write and linking anything that you like: pictures, thinkings, ideas, problems, proposals, etc.

All of us have valuable and extense experiences in different knowdlege's field and countries, then now we can share our background between us and with others people. I imagine that your families and friend must be very happy to see you in action, to know about you and your life here, in Austin. In addition, we can built bridges between us.

The school, the books and the grades are only a little part of that experience and even and certainly, we need to study hard and hard and hard, there are others things more relevant and significatives for the future.

When I think about me in 10 or more years far in the future, I would like to see on back and to feel that was a good time, a great experience of life, a lot of conversations with diverses people, and the most important, I would like to have a lot of friend.

I don't know if I'll finish the master, I don't know if the master could be really a big impact in my life, maybe yes, maybe no; however I know that the most important in all my life have been my family and my friends, they are my second family in the world and I would like to built a second family here in Austin, in special a second family with some of my partner of scholarship.

I don't know, sometimes I'm really flying, exigent and idealistic, I don't know if my English is the "correct" I'm sure that the answer is NO, but I prefer to writing and speaking bad again to be silent.

The most significative learning in my career as psychologist, was had learnt how to built, work, dream and believe in a group. I still believe and hope that here, in Austin.

Some Tips to Survive in Austin

2007-07-14T18:38:00.000-05:00

Even sometime Austin looks completely pacific and quiet, to survive with a little amount of money requires some strategies. I'w like to share with you some of the thing that we discover this semester:

If you don't have a car (the most probably if you are ford fellow) It's a great idea to buy a bike. You will be able to go to almost any place and you won't need to spend money in taxi if the bus is not comming. Rememeber that the buses have and particular and reduce schedule.You can check prices here. I know nobody likes walmart, but for me it was the shipper place.
If you need to buy anything o looking roomates, a good place to search is craistglist.
The best place to buy good and shipper clothes: ross

The best place to having eat: Dobie Mall . Ahhhh!!!! in dobie you have in the 2nd floor a garden food, but the correct and wonderful place in on the 3th floor. There is the students'cafeteria and you can buy a ticket for lunch for 6 dollars, the system is buffet and you can choice and eat a lot of thing. For me is the best place at the moment.
Another good alternative is the Castillian Cafeteria, for the same price of Dobie you have a good buffet, but dobie has better deserts!! The cafeteria is on the 11 floor and they accept only cash (in dobie you can pay with cash, credit card or to buy some special offer for 10 meals at 53 USD)
KingSolving, The system is the same. really I had never try to having lunch here, but some friends give me good recommendations!!.
And the last: Jester Hall, close to PCL and GRE.

Our best friend: THE GYM, we love go to the gym and UT has a big and great gym, you only need to go and show your ID, this semester all ford fellow who came to ESL can go to the Gym, we are very happy for that, because the last semester we needed to pay 200 USD for enjoy the gym, the GO!!!!!!

Ufff I think that it's a lot of information, If you know another information please share with us. And please give a hang with the English and correct my mistakes.

First Alumni IFP meeting, Peru.

2007-07-12T11:10:00.000-05:00

insurance form

2007-07-12T00:56:00.000-05:00

When you need to send the bills to the insurance company, you need to complete this form and send it to the company in addition with the recipes. You can pick up the form here, only download. Good luck.

Health Insurances's policy

2007-07-11T23:58:00.001-05:00

Welcome Indonisian Fellows

2007-07-11T23:23:00.000-05:00

That was a little meeting with the new Ford Fellows from Indonisia arrived on Jun.