SIS/LSJ 322: Human Rights in Latin America

1. SIS/LSJ 322:Human Rights in Latin America Fall 2009 Prof. Angelina Godoy

2. Goals for this class: 3 threads • Basic familiarity with evolving global field of human rights • Civil/political to social/economic • Open question: how do we face urgent challenges of the 21st century? • Basic human rights history of Latin America • Rooted in sociopolitical struggle • Multiple vantage points • Situating ourselves in the mix

3. What are human rights? • Fluid and changing concept • Not a concrete “thing” defined in laws on the books, but a constantly-changing dialogue about the kind of world we want • There are multiple ways of understanding rights, but too often we assume there is a sort of consensus around the vision of rights we find most familiar • This means taking Latin American voices, views seriously

4. De la marimba de chavalos de la Tirsa Este tal Quincho se las gana a los demás Con sus diez años no cumplidos todavía Es hombre serio, como pocos en su edad. Mientras su mama se penquea en la rebusca Quincho se faja como todo un tayacán Mañana y tarde vende bolis en los buses para que puedan sus hermanos estudiar. Of the group of kids from Tirsa This kid Quincho beats the rest of ‘em, He’s not yet ten years old But he’s a serious man, like few kids his age. While his mother barely scrapes by scavenging, Quincho pulls himself up like a tayacán (leader) Day and night he sells pens on the buses So that his siblings can go to school. Carlos Mejía Godoy, “Quincho Barrilete”

5. Que viva Quincho, Quincho Barrilete, Héroe infantil de mi ciudad, Que vivan todos los chavalos de mi tierra, Ejemplo vivo de pobreza y dignidad. Que viva Quincho, Quincho Barrilete Su nombre, no se olvidará, Porque en las calles, plazas, parques y barriadas El pueblo lo repetirá. Long live Quincho, Quincho Barrilete Child hero of my city, Long live all the kids of my land, Living examples of poverty and dignity. Long live Quincho, Quincho Barrilete His name will not be forgotten Because in the streets, plazas, parks and slums The people will repeat his name.

6. Joaquín Carmelo viene a ser solo un membrete que le pusieron en la pila bautismal, pero su nombre de combate es Barrilete le cae al pelo, con su personalidad. Allá en el Open, vive desde el terremoto, a hacer lechuzas este Quincho es un campeón, por un chelín, te hace un cometa prodigioso para ponerle un telegrama al colochón. Joaquín Carmelo is just a label They put on his baptismal certificate, But his combat name is Barrilete And it suits him perfectly, with his personality. There in the Open, where he lives ever since the earthquake, He’s a champion at kitemaking For 25 cents he’ll make you a great kite That you can use to send a telegram to God

7. El tiempo sigue, incontenible, su camino Y el chavalito que vivió en el Open tres No volvera a ponerse más pantalon chingo Ni la gorrita con la visera al revés. Un dia va a enrrollar la cuerda del cometa Y muy feliz mirando al sol se marchará Enfrentará las realidades de su pueblo Y con los pobres de su patria luchará. But time keeps passing And the boy that lived in the Open Tres One day won’t be wearing shorts anymore Or that cap with the visor facing backwards One day he’s going to roll up his kite strings And happily, with his eyes on the horizon, he’ll march off He’ll confront the realities of his people And alongside the poor people of his country he will struggle.

8. Kids in Open Tres today (now known as Ciudad Sandino)

9. Assumptions about rights? Assumption that US is “more advanced”: what’s wrong with this? • World interdependent-> we may be part of the problem even if the symptoms crop up elsewhere • Countries follow different historical trajectories • For any solution to be sustainable, has to be driven by local participants; models imposed from outside don’t work

10. What are human rights? 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights • established rights that every human being should have, simply by virtue of his/her humanity • these include full spectrum of rights, civil and political as well as social, cultural, and economic

11. Types of rights Political rights enable people to participate freely in the political process. -right to participate Civil rights (or civil liberties) are the freedoms to develop views, institutions and personal autonomy apart from the state. Protect the individual from abuses of his/her liberties by the state. -right to fair trial -right to exercise one’s own religion

12. Social, economic, and cultural rights Social, economic and cultural rights include rights to : adequate levels of food dignified housing, and work conditions rights to education, health rights to retain one’s cultural identity UDHR includes all types of rights, but political circumstances especially in the North have led to greater acceptance of civil/political rights as rights

13. Overview of the class Authoritarian period in Latin America -Birth of contemporary human rights movement -Primary concern with civil/political rights: torture, disappearances, extrajudicial executions “Quincho Barrilete”

14. Overview of the class Contemporary period -Transition to democracy failed to resolve underlying socioeconomic issues -Increasing attention to social, economic, and cultural marginalization as rights issues -New opportunities and challenges for human rights

16. El Alto, Bolivia 13,000 feet up 90% indigenous (Aymara) 50% lives on less than USD $1 a day

18. Raza insana Mi .38 que no juega El altiplano se une Ecuador y Bolivia Hip hop de lucha De Tawantinsuyo somos los hijos Somos latinos, negros, indios y mestizos Hoy vivimos cambios, complicaciones ¿Cómo no? si somos hijos de violaciones (2x) Insane Race My .38 doesn’t play around The highlands unite Ecuador and Bolivia Hip hop of the struggle We are the children of Tawantinsuyo (the Inca nation) We are latinos, black, indigenous, and mestizos Today we’re living through change, and complications How could it be otherwise? If we are the children of violations/rapes (repeat chorus) Raza Insana, “Hijos del Tawantinsuyo” / Children of Tawantinsuyo

19. Somos hijos de asesinatos y violaciones durante mas de cinco siglos de cultura. Casi estamos extinguidos. Hemos aprendido la vergüenza, la apariencia, el miedo a la naturaleza. Primero nos roban, luego nos cambian la idea de riqueza, ahora empieza a cambiar la cosa. De la tierra la Pachamama nos da su fuerza. Hemos salido de la union Bolivia y Ecuador que flow, luchar en contra del racismo Luego en la sangre, but… Raiz cultural Con mucha humildad Recorriendo muchos caminos, senderos, retos Seguros y perfectos Desde El Alto We are the children of murders and rapes over the course of more than 5 centuries of our culture. We’ve almost been extinguished. We’ve learned shame, superficial values, fear of nature. First they stole from us, then they changed our idea of what “riches” means. Now things are starting to change. From the land, Mother Earth gives us her strength. We have been born of union Bolivia and Ecuador, struggling against racism It’s in our blood, but… Cultural roots With great humility Travelling along many paths, ways, challenges Secure and perfect From El Alto

20. Mi casa, mi hogar Llego y llevo el pensamiento de masacrar Para el mundo Y mashutikangi soy micrófono del imperio inca que eran miles de guerreros. Una nueva invasión hace tiempo que empezó. Ahora tiene que tener claro de que lado estas vos. De Tawantinsuyo somos los hijos Somos latinos, negros, indios y mestizos Hoy vivimos cambios, complicaciones ¿Cómo no? si somos hijos de violaciones (2x) Hijos de la Mama Pacha Cachas el poder y ahora haces masas Nos levantamos y despertamos My house, my home I’ve come and I bring thoughts of massacres To the world (Aymara word) I am the microphone of the Inca empire, which was thousands of warriors. A new invasion started, some time ago. Now you have to get straight which side you’re on. We are the children of Tawantinsuyo We are latinos, black, indigenous, and mestizos Today we’re living through change, and complications How could it be otherwise? If we are the children of violations/rape (repeat) Children of mother Earth You catch power, and now you move masses We awaken and rise up

21. Del sueno eterno trepados en los Andes cielos Hijos de Tawantinsuyo Rompiendo las cadenas de la dominación, ahora en este flow ya doy mi opinión, alze mi voz, y ya sabés Somos los verdaderos pues, Subimos los senderos, luchando con fuerza y valor Resistencia hasta este día Yo, flow, luchando con fuerza y valor Pana ¿Qué pasa? Masa trasmasa Matico en la casa Quinientos años de prisión Esta es la ocasión donde entra mi flow Esta es la canción Tawantinsuyo Humillación y traición From the eternal slumber on the mountaintops of the Andes, skies, Children of Tawantinsuyo Breaking the chains of domination, now in this flow I´m giving my opinion, I raised my voice, and you know We are the true ones, We walk up the paths, struggling with strength and valor Resisting to this day Struggling with strength and valor What´s happening? Mass mobilizations Matico’s in the house Five hundred years of prison That´s the scenario where my words are coming from This is the song of Tawantinsuyo Humiliation and betrayal

22. Mi gente despierta, lucha y protesta Causa de los aprovechadores del primer mundo Guerreros de sangre morena Por ellos mi sangre encierra, estoy sintiendo palabras, viendo masacre, fuera de juego Hechos y perfectos Siempre causando injusticia Mi gente se achica Se vuelve suicida Siguen actuando Y encierra mi futuro Dices te juro y lo digo seguro… (palabras aymaras) My people wake up, struggle, and protest Because of those from the first world who take advantage of us Warriors of brown blood For them, my blood closes up, I am feeling words, seeing massacre, out of bounds Facts and figures Always causing injustice My people get smaller It becomes suicidal They keep acting Closing off my future You say, I swear, I tell you for sure… (Aymara words)

23. What does Raza Insana tell us about human rights? • Legacies of historical inequalities • Requiring everyday resistance and rebellion • Shaped by distinct cultural traditions, but also by globalization