Las vueltas de la vida

Ok, there have been quite a few months now of no-blog updates. My apologies to the five or so of you who love me so much to keep checking. But this time I had a pretty good (well decent) reason.

Since my Maguire fellowship ended, I have gotten a job. Which in itself has been quite a shift - paychecks every two weeks rather than a big lump sum for a year, actually having to look somewhat respectable, commute in the morning along with millions of other individuals in the subway or the bus, have lunch breaks and lunch meetings.
But more than just a job, I´m the program assistant of the SIT study abroad program Argentina: Human Rights and Social Movements that I did myself three years ago in the fall 2007.

It´s been great. I´m in contact with human rights organizations and travelling around the country. But the thing is, since most of my stories these days have to do with the program it obviously wouldn´t be right or professional to post stories that involved any of the 23 students here now, which, considering how much time we spend together, leaves me little to post about. That there is my excuse.

But it´s not a particularly good one.

Two weeks ago I got back from our two week trip to NOA (Northwestern Argentina). One of the most incredible experiences was visiting La Quiaca, Argentina - Villazón, Bolivia. These border towns are nothing like anything else in the world. This is a picture of what they call "contrabando hormiga," or ant contraband... Though its not illegal what they are doing, maybe it should be for the sake of their physical well-being. At this border town, to avoid paying taxes on the trucks that carry in goods from Bolivia into Argentina, the trucks stop at the border and have groups of organized Bolivians carry their goods from one side to the other. This movement of smaller quantities of goods by individual persons is not taxed.

So for a few hours a day, bolivians move as quickly as they can back and forth carrying loads on their backs of around 100 kilos. Which, for those of you not used to kilos... is an incredible amount. I weigh 60 kilos. Over time, carrying this amount of weight has deformed the bodies of many of the women who you´ll see permanently bent over and bow legged.

After studying the US - Mexico border, this is the most extreme opposite I´ve ever seen. Talk about permeable. It´s further proof that human rights issues can spring up not only in intensely militarized border zones like ours but in the most permeable regions as well. Closed or open border policies in themselves are too simple to guarantee that human dignity will be respected.

It´s much more complicated, and there´s much more to say, but it´s a start..