Creating a Bridge

The Arrogrance of Cancun

2010-12-16T12:10:00.001-08:00

Climate change is on many people's minds these days and countless articles are written on the subject. A friend of mine posted on Facebook one that is worth reading. The Arrogance of Cancun by Gustavo Esteva is about what really happened, or more accurately, really didnt happen in Cancun last week.

Read it and let us know what you think.

NEW BOOK RELEASED

2010-11-16T06:40:00.000-08:00

Several years ago a young man named Ben Dangl stopped by La Republika Cafe to toss down a beer and ask for some information. Soon he and his partner April Howard become regular fixtures in Bolivia.

The result of their time in Bolivia is reflected in his well known web site Upside Down World a great source of alternative news on all of Latin America.

He also wrote two books. The first is called The Price of Fire: Resources Wars and Social Movements in Bolivia and is a series of essays on Bolivia (AK Press, 2007) and a worthy read.

The second book was released in the past couple of months and is called Dancing with Dynamite-Social Movements and States in Latin American and is getting rave reviews.

Congratulations Ben, we look forward to your next visit!!!

BOLIVIA: THE COUNTRY THAT WANTS TO EXIST

2010-07-29T07:20:00.000-07:00

By: Eduardo Galeano

A gigantic gas explosion: This was the popular uprising that shook all of Bolivia and culminated in the resignation of President Sanchez de Lozada, who fled, leaving behind him a trail of corpses.

The gas was to have been shipped to California--for a minuscule price in exchange for a few miserable gifts--across Chilean land that used to be part of Bolivia. This last detail was just salt in the wound for a country that for more than a century has been demanding, in vain, restoration of the sea access it lost in 1883 in the war that Chile won.
But the route of the gas was not the primary cause of the fury that erupted throughout the country. There was another, which the government responded to with bullets, as is its custom, leaving the streets strewn with dead. The people rose up because they refused to allow to happen with gas what had previously happened with silver, saltpeter, tin, and everything else.

***
In 1870, an English diplomat in Bolivia was the victim of a disagreeable incident. Dictator Mariano Melgarejo offered him a glass of chicha, the national drink made from fermented corn. The Englishman thanked him but said he preferred chocolate. So Melgarejo, with his customary delicacy, made him drink an enormous vat of chocolate and then paraded him on a mule, seated backwards, through the streets of La Paz. When Queen Victoria, in London, heard of the incident, she had a map brought to her and pronounced ''Bolivia doesn't exist,'' crossing out the country with a chalk "X."

I'd heard this tale many times. It may or may not have happened exactly this way. But this phrase, attributed to British imperial arrogance, could also be read as an involuntary synthesis of the tormented history of the Bolivian people. The tragedy repeats itself like a revolving wheel: For five centuries, the fabulous riches of Bolivia have been a curse to the people, who are the poorest of South America's poor. Indeed, for its own people, ''Bolivia doesn't exist."

***
For over two centuries, back in colonial times, the silver of Potosí was the primary nourishment of the capitalist development of Europe. ''It's worth a Potosí'' meant something was priceless.

Midway through the sixteenth century, the most populous, most expensive, and most spendthrift city in the world sprouted and grew on the foot of the mountain that oozed silver. This mountain, called Cerro Rico, swallowed Indians. ''The streets are thronged with people,'' wrote a rich miner from Potosí: Entire communities were emptied of men, marched as prisoners from every direction to the opening into the mines. Outside, it was freezing. Inside, it was hell. Only three of every ten men led in left alive. But these short-lived inhabitants of the mines generated the fortunes of Flemish, German, and Genovese bankers, creditors of the Spanish crown. It was these Indians who made possible the accumulation of capital that transformed Europe into what it is today.

What remained in Bolivia of all this? A hollow mountain, an incalculable number of Indians worked to death, and a few palaces inhabited by phantoms.

***
In the nineteenth century, when Bolivia was defeated in the so-called War of the Pacific, it not only lost its access to the ocean and found itself locked into the heart of South America. It also lost its saltpeter.

Official history, which is military history, has it that Chile won the war. But real history confirms that the winner was British businessman John Thomas North. Without firing a shot or wasting a penny, North won the lands that had belonged to Bolivia and Peru and made himself the king of saltpeter, which at the time was the fertilizer necessary for the tired fields of Europe.

In the twentieth century, Bolivia was the primary supplier of tin to the international market. The tin cans that made Andy Warhol famous came from the mines, which produced both metal and widows. In the depths of the mineshafts, silica dust gradually asphyxiated the workers, who ruined their lungs so the world could have cheap tin.

During the Second World War, Bolivia contributed to the Allied cause by selling its precious mineral at a tenth of its usual price. Workers' pay was slashed to almost nothing, a strike ensued, and the machine guns opened fire. Simon Patiño, owner of the business and master of the country, didn't have to pay compensation because killing by machine gun is not a workplace accident.

At the time, Don Simon paid $50 a year in taxes on his profits, but he paid much more to the president of the nation and his cabinet. He had been a dirt poor man touched by the magic wand of Fortune. His grandchildren entered the European nobility and married counts, marquis, and the relatives of kings.

When the revolution of 1952 dethroned Patiño and nationalized tin, little was left of the mineral--the meager leftovers from half a century of boundless exploitation in the service of the world market.

***
More than 100 years ago, historian Gabriel Rene Moreno discovered that the Bolivian people were ''cellularly incompetent." He had compared the weight of an indigenous brain and that of a mestizo and found that they weighed between five, six, and ten ounces less than the brains of members of the white race.

Time passed, and the country that doesn't exist remains ill with racism. But the country that wants to exist, where the indigenous majority is not ashamed of what it is, doesn't spit at the mirror.

This Bolivia, tired of living to fuel foreign progress, is the true country. Its history, ignored, abounds in defeat and betrayal but also in those miracles that scorned people are capable of when they stop scorning themselves and fighting each other.

These fast-moving times are marked by astounding, impressive achievements.

***
The year 2000 featured the so-called ''water war'' in Cochabamba. The peasants marched from the valleys and blockaded the city, which also rose up. They were met with bullets and tear gas as the government declared martial law. But the collective rebellion continued, unstoppable, until in the final clash the water was wrested from the grip of the Bechtel Corporation and restored to the people and their fields. (Bechtel, based in California, is now receiving relief from President Bush, who has awarded it multi-million-dollar contracts in Iraq.)

A few months ago, another popular explosion throughout Bolivia vanquished nothing less than the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The IMF made them pay dearly for the defeat--more than thirty assassinations by the so-called forces of order--but the people succeeded in their task. The government had no option but to annul the payroll tax that the IMF had demanded.

Today, there's the gas war. Bolivia contains enormous reserves of natural gas. Sanchez de Lozada called this false privatization ''capitalization,', but the country that wants to exist showed it has a good memory. Would it allow a rerun of the old story of the country's riches evaporating in foreign hands? ''Gas is our right,'' proclaimed posters at the demonstration. The people demanded and continue to demand that the gas be used for Bolivia and that the country not submit again to the dictatorship of its underground resources. The right to self-determination, so often invoked, so rarely respected, begins with this.

Popular disobedience derailed a juicy deal for Pacific LNG, comprised of Repsol, British Gas, and Panamerican Gas, known to be a partner of Enron, renowned for its virtuous ways. Everything indicated that the corporation stood to make ten dollars for every one invested.

As for the fugitive Sanchez de Lozada, he lost the presidency but he won't be losing much sleep. Though he has the crime of killing more than eighty demonstrators on his conscience, it wasn't his first bloodbath. This champion of modernization is not bothered by anything that can't turn a profit. In the end, he speaks and thinks in English--not the English of Shakespeare but that of Bush.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Eduardo Galeano, a Uruguayan journalist, is the author of "The Open Veins of Latin America," "Memory of Fire," and "Soccer in Sun and Shadow."

COCHABAMBA ROCKS!

2010-06-30T09:21:00.000-07:00

What we all already knew..thanks to Nicole Caven for sending us this link http://frugaltraveler.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/06/29/all-advice-leads-to-cochabamba-bolivia/

WHO'S DOING WHAT

2010-06-18T09:16:00.000-07:00

We thought it would be fun to let you know what some of our former volunteers are doing so over the next couple month we will post news or links to their current activities.

Emily Franz came to Bolivia in the summer of 2006 to volunteer with us and get to know Bolivia. Today she can be found in playing music in Carborro, NC playing music. She and Andrew Marlin are Mandolin Orange. We can't get the office computer to live stream their music but reading about them we think you should check them out.

EVENTS COMING UP

2010-03-11T09:01:00.000-08:00

For those who like to attend large activist events here is a listing of some of the international events coming up.
April 12 to 18 is the III Feria International del Agua organized to commemorate and honor the people of Cochabamba heroic struggle to recuperate water as a common good. To see all the activities planned click here.

April 19, 20, 21 and 22nd is the government organized World People's Conference on Climate Change and the Rights of Mother Earth which promises to gather 5,000 activists from around the world to debate climate change issues. Hopefully, beyond the government hoopla, there will be some good workshops and conversations about deepening the analysis of western notions of development. To get an idea of what is going on check it out.

Lastly in the US this summer, The US Social Forum will take place in Detroit on June 22nd to 26th. More about this here.

TRAVEL ADVISORY CUSCO

2010-01-27T05:49:00.000-08:00

A bit of information for folks thinking about heading to Cusco, Peru...

This warden message is being issued to alert U.S. citizens residing and
traveling in and around Cusco, Peru of travel difficulties due to bad
weather. Heavy rains since January 22, 2010 have caused landslides
throughout the Sacred Valley, blocking routes into and out of Cusco.
Travelers should consider postponing visits to Cusco and Machu Picchu
until the weather clears and the roads and train are re-opened.

We have received reports of the following:

- The airport in Cusco is closed;
- The train to/from Cusco and Machu Picchu has been cancelled
since January 23 due to landslides;
- The roads into and out of Machu Picchu are currently closed;
- The Pisac bridge has collapsed;
- The Huallabamba bridge is under water; and
- There was a landslide in Oropesa en route to Puno, travel is
limited.

Peruvian authorities are working to open a route out of Machu Picchu.
The U.S. Embassy will continue to monitor this situation. Travelers to
this region should consider postponing until the weather clears and the
roads are open. U.S. citizens may wish to monitor local media sources
for new developments and exercise extreme caution if travel to this
region is unavoidable.

Cambia Todo Cambia

2009-12-23T10:59:00.000-08:00

A last blog before the end of the year and what a year it has been here in Bolivia! Evo won the presidential elections with a stunning 64% solidifying his MAS parties place in Bolivian history. Global warming and its effects in Bolivia took front stage at Copenhagen’s talks. A black man became president of the US and then went on to show us that even he can control the prevailing economic system as banks not people were bailed out of one of the worse economic crashes since the Great Depression. And so it goes.....

We want to thank all the people who came as volunteers, students or visitors for their support, their kind words and their willingness to spend some time in Bolivia trying to understand this increasingly complex country. We believe that as the international crisis deepens so does the need for us to deepen our roots and to build bridges between peoples.

Libertad, Democracia Y Justicia to All.

It is good for them to know, the gentlemen of money, that the times of yesterday will no longer be those of today nor those of tomorrow.... They shall no longer humiliate those of us who are the color of earth. We always had a voice. But it shall no longer be a murmur which lowers its head. It shall now be a shout which lifts the gaze and which shall force them to see us as we are, and to accept us as we are."

Zapatistas

Water for All

2009-11-13T11:22:00.000-08:00

A new offering on water from the Democracy Center's Blog. Keep posted for more on water as the 10th aniversary of the Cochabamba Water War draws near.

Cochabamba's Poorest Neighborhoods
Take on the Challenge of Water

Dear Readers:

Today we bring you a special edition of the Blog from Bolivia which took a good deal of work by a team of people to produce -- an important new video about how the people of Cochabamba's poorest neighborhoods have taken on the challenge of getting water.

A decade ago the streets of Cochabamba were made known worldwide when the people of this city came out by the thousands to take back their public water system from Bechtel in the now-famous Cochabamba Water Revolt.

As the ten year anniversary of the Water Revolt approaches, we are going back to it, to dig deeper, and especially to look at a basic question – What difference did it make? We have already written a good deal about that, including
this chapter from our recent book Dignity and Defiance and this briefing paper published last year. These writings have not been varnished versions of that history. They have included accounts of the ongoing problems with Cochabamba's state-run water company along with the stories of the heroism and courage involved in taking it back a decade ago.

With this Blog we want to focus on a very specific piece of the post Water Revolt story, one of the lesser known: How the neighborhoods of Cochabamba’s impoverished south side have taken into their own hands the challenge of getting water.

Because of it's length, 15 minutes, we have broken the video into two parts. Here are the links on YouTube:

Part One
Part Two

The production of the video and the accompanying article below was a collective effort of the Democracy team but in particular Elizabeth Cooper, a student at Mt. Holyoke College in Massachusetts who joined us for part of her summer to work on the project, along with Democracy Center stalwarts Leny Olivera and Aldo Orellana. I think you will see that they have offered up something truly worth watching and reading.

Jim Shultz
The Democracy Center

Bolivia’s Dilemma: Development Confronts the Legacy of Extraction

2009-11-03T08:20:00.000-08:00

This is an article written by Linda Farthing, I have included her bio below but more than her bio she is a good friend of ours so give it a read!!

Linda Farthing is a writer, educator and activist. She has written and edited books and articles on Mexico, Peru, Panama, and Bolivia, worked as field producer for documentary films in Colombia and Bolivia, and administered college semester abroad programs throughout the Americas.

Bolivia’s Dilemma: Development Confronts the Legacy of Extraction
by Linda Farthing

As with so much else in South America’s landlocked and impoverished heartland, Bolivia’s natural environment excels in superlatives: It is home to the world’s largest salt flat (Salar de Uyuni in the southwest); the world’s highest navigable lake (Titicaca, straddling the border with Peru); and the second-largest high mountain plateau (the altiplano), after that of Tibet. The result is an often breathtaking landscape of magnificent snow-covered mountains surrounding windswept plateaus and lakes of an almost unimaginable deep blue, high valleys unfolding eastward into dense, vast jungles to the north, and open savannas to the south.

Less fortunately for both Bolivia’s environment and its people, the exploitation of the country’s considerable natural resources has also been nearly unparalleled: The country was once home to the Spanish colony’s richest silver and gold mine (Potosí); boasted one of the world’s richest tin mines (Siglo XX); and today has two of the world’s largest silver mines (San Cristóbal and San Bartolomé), an estimated half of world’s lithium reserves (Salar de Uyuni), the future largest iron ore mine (Mutún), and the second-largest proven gas reserves in South America (after Venezuela’s). It comes as no surprise that Bolivia’s history and environment have been dominated by relentless extraction.

to read the rest

WORTH READING

2009-08-24T08:12:00.000-07:00

This is a fairly well written article about Bolivia and the real reason to come bolivia es la Gente!!

check it out!!!

2009-07-24T11:34:00.000-07:00

The Institute for Policy Studies is pleased to invite you to a video discussion
Deflating Bolivia Hyperbole in the US
featuring Kathryn Ledebur
Director, Andean Information Network (AIN)
Cochabamba, Bolivia

In many ways, perceptions of Bolivia in the US resemble a Rorschach test on which to project one's fears, dogmas or utopian visions. In reality, Bolivian political and social dynamics are complex, constantly shifting, and impossible to force into preconceived external formulas. Neither an Andean socialist paradise nor an extension of the "Venezuelan-Iran-Cuba axis of the Bolivarian Revolution," recent reports perpetuate stale stereotypes and misconceptions and prevent a balanced evaluation of the challenges faced in Bolivia. This briefing will deconstruct one such recent publication Into the Abyss: Bolivia Under Evo Morales and the MAS as a typical case study and offer a deeper, more nuanced analysis of recent developments.

Link to the video discussion: http://www.viddler.com/explore/InstPolcyStdys/videos/2/

Since 1999, Kathryn Ledebur has directed the Andean Information Network (AIN), wich promotes human rights and socioeconomic justice in Bolivia and more humane and effective illicit drug control policies. AIN provides information and analysis to NGO colleagues, the media and international policymakers on developments in Bolivia and the impact of U.S. government and European policies.

Book Presentation

2009-07-10T12:50:00.001-07:00

Our good friends Ben Kohl and Linda Farthing are presenting their newest book this Monday July 13th in the ex-Martadero. Co-written with Felix Muruchi the book is titled "Minero con Poder de Dinamita: La vida de un activista boliviano", Plural Editores 2009.

Felix lives in El Alto and is quite an amazing person whose history includes exile during the dictatorships. Linda and Ben also authored Impasse In Bolivia: Neoliberal Hegemony and Popular Resistance (Zed Books 2006) a great history of Bolivia that we recommend to all of our volunteers.

So join us Monday for the presentation:

Ex-mARTadero Monday July 13th, at 17:00
Calle 27 de agosto y Ollantay
Esq. Ladislao Cabrera
www.martadero.org

HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE!!!

GOING ONS

2009-06-25T08:09:00.000-07:00

It is winter in the south but summer in the north and we are busy. Lots of volunteers and also a visit from Rutger University professor Daniel Goldstein and his merry group of 13 students. You can check out what they are doing by reading their blog.

Well for now got to get back to work but hope to see you all soon in cyberspace.

IN THE KNOW

2009-05-15T12:36:00.000-07:00

When I first moved to Bolivia in 1994 and was the co-director of the Andean Information Network we had to send out human rights alerts by fax and our dial up email connection, one of the first in town, was slow at best. Since that time, for better or for worse, Bolivia has become connected to the world. We have email, internet cafes, wifi and cheap phone calls just like the north

I suppose one of the benefits of all this hooking up is the appearance of a number of sources on the internet for information about Bolivia and the rest of Latin America. So I figured rather than rant about the evils of technology I would share with you a few of my favorite web sites.

Ben Dangle came to Bolivia a number of years ago and hung his hat in our now defunct café La Republika. Since then he has gone on the write a book about Bolivia called “The Price of Fire” and he edits the website Upside Down World a great place to read about all of Latin America.

I have never met Fred Fuentes as he lives in Oz, he is a bit of a chavista but I like his website Bolivia Rising especially as he takes the time to translate lots of articles about Bolivia. Check it out, he also links to a number of other good sites.

The Bolivia Transition Project is the Web Log for news, information and policy updates on the Bolivia transition team from Digital Warrior Media in conjunction with WBAI-FM & Pacifica Radio.

Accion Andina was founded by my good friend and former roommate Theo Roncken. It is a good source of information on a mix of issues including coca, migration and conflict resolution. Be sure to note most of the information is in Spanish.

Toro Toro Backpack Distribution

2009-04-21T12:04:00.000-07:00

By Julia Haas

Dear Friends and Supporters,

We are pleased to announce the completion our backpack distribution project! As most of you know, we were unable to raise our usual, yearly support for a Christmas project. Instead, we decided to use the donations we received to buy school supplies for schools in Toro Toro, a small village about five hours from Cochabamba. The goal of this year’s plan was to deliver backpacks containing school supplies to the students of small local schools.

The week prior to delivery two of our volunteers, Julia and Bill, prepared the supplies by packing pencils, pens, notebooks, erasers,colored pencils, journals,
rulers, and sharpeners into the backpacks for the long trek through the mountains.

The journey began on a sunny, Thursday afternoon. We managed to fit all the backpacks and our four volunteers for the project into our four-wheel drive vehicle for the journey ahead. Toro Toro is a village deep in the mountains that is known for its beautiful scenery, spectacular canyon, caves and dinosaur fossils. It is still quite un-touched by the western world because of its remote location. The road to Toro Toro from Cochabamba is a winding path of rocks laid into the mountain. It crosses rivers, streams, and other obstacles making it an interesting drive. Luckily, we successfully made it to our destination on Thursday night.

On Friday, we woke up bright and early to the extraordinary scenery Toro Toro has to offer. We prepared the backpacks one last time and began our expedition deeper into the mountains to our first school. Although sometimes it seemed unlikely we would make it through the paths that are considered “roads,” we somehow managed. For the first school, we parked our truck on the side of the road with no school or building in site. We then grabbed the packs and made a half-hour trek on foot through the mountains.

Eventually we arrived at a small school with about eighteen students who live nearby in the mountains. They hardly spoke Spanish (since they speak Quechua instead) and were obviously tentative to approach the gringos that had arrived. Despite their reservations, they gladly accepted the new backpacks. It was an unforgettable experience to see these children who live so remotely. In the words of our volunteer Bill, “that was mind-blowing.”

The third and second schools were much easier to access. The second school was actually visible from the path through the mountain and had about twenty-two students. These students were thrilled to havevisitors and receive new backpacks.

As we made our way back to Cochabamba, we handed out the remaining backpacks to the children who live near the road. As soon as they saw we had backpacks for them, they came running with big smiles on their faces!

Although you were not able to accompany us on this memorable experience, without your support, this whole trip would have been impossible. As we distributed each backpack to every smiling child, it was as if you were there with us making a difference too.

Thank you so much for your support in this project. There are now over 200 children with new school supplies to enhance their education.

To see a slide show of the adventure click here.

BOLIVIA BACKGROUND

2009-04-16T12:09:00.000-07:00

Bolivia is famous for its breathtaking Andean landscapes, Inca ruins, large indigenous population and Lake Titicaca, the world’s highest navigable lake. Less well known, however, is the fact that two thirds of the country is covered with virgin rainforests that form part of the Amazon basin. Given its enormous variety of ecological zones, the country also offers an enormous diversity of cultures, from the Guaraní of the orient to the better-known Quechua and Aymará Indians in the altiplano.

Bolivia is infamous as the country that has had 190 coups since independence in 1825. Despite its relatively small population, enormous reserves of natural resources and relatively stable democracy over the last 20 years, Bolivia is still one of the poorest countries in South America. Many experts say that this is largely the result of wide-spread government corruption and the international imposition of neo-liberal economic measurements. The city of Cochabamba, for example, became internationally known in April 2000 when the local population refused to except the sale of its local water supply to transnational companies. Notwithstanding all this, Bolivia remains one of the safest countries for traveling in Latin America.

Volunteer Bolivia is based in the city of Cochabamba where most of our activities take place. Bolivia has three major cities: La Paz/ El Alto, Santa Cruz and Cochabamba.
Third in size, Cochabamba is home to approximately 800,000 people and the largest open-air market in the country. Nestled in a high valley (8,430 ft./ 2570 Mts.) and surrounded by numerous small-farming villages, the department of Cochabamba produces a wide variety of fruits and vegetables. These features, combined with the Mediterranean climate (temp. mean of 66F/19 C) throughout the year, make it a highly desirable place to live.

NEW ARTICLE

2009-04-14T14:04:00.000-07:00

Just a quick note to let all know we have an article in the recent copy of Canadian Student Magazine check it out.

CARNAVAL 2009

2009-02-16T05:32:00.000-08:00

Carnival in Bolivia is a without a doubt the most popular of the Bolivian festivals. Each region of the country celebrates carnival in their own manner. These festivals are the best demonstration of our folklore and traditions. The biggest carnival festival is in Oruro and has been declared by UNESCO as Cultural Patrimony of Humanity”.

The traditional legend is that in 1789 the Virgin of the Socavón (loosely translated as mine shaft) miraculously appeared in the largest sliver mine in Oruro. Since this time the festival has honoured the virgin and even today the most important parts of the festival of take place in front of the at the shrine of the Socavón.

The preparations for carnival take place all during the year with uncountable ceremonies and rituals. The largest of these celebrations takes place in Oruro when thousands of dancers take to the streets accompanied by large brass bands and dance for kilometres. The main dance is the diablada but one will also see morenada, caporals, suri-sicurus la llamerada, la kullawada and Tinku as well as dozens of others.

Come with us to experience this unforgettable event Saturday 21 of Februrary.

Cost: $ 70
Contact: info@boliviacultura.com or call 452-7272

Moving On: Bolivia Ratifies New Constitutional Draft

2009-01-28T11:49:00.000-08:00

Many folks have contacted us over the last few months asking about the vote on the new Bolivian constitution. Well at last we have a result....we offer this article from the AIN to keep you informed.

Moving On: Bolivia Ratifies New Constitutional Draft
By Erin Hatheway, Andean Information Network.

January 27, 2009

As predicted, Bolivian voters ratified the new constitutional draft in the national referendum held on January 25, 2009. Exit polls project that the winning margin will be approximately 62 percent. (1) This referendum also set the limit for private land holdings at 5,000 hectares, winning over the other option of 10,000 hectares by an unconfirmed margin of 79 percent. (2) The National Electoral Court continues to tabulate official votes, and final results should be available within several days. [Please refer to the Electoral Court website (in Spanish) for frequently updated official tabulations at http://www.cne.org.bo/.] Although this approval represents a significant achievement for the MAS government, it also marks the beginning of a necessarily long legislative process, perhaps involving more than 100 laws to enact the constitutional reforms.

There were no significant incidents of violence or protest reported on Election Day. Regional voting percentages also followed familiar patterns, with lower approval levels in the lowland departments. Generally, rural results are slower to register, which suggest that “Yes” votes could be higher

Most Bolivians Choose Lower Land Limit

Somewhat unexpectedly, however, an overwhelming majority of voters chose the smaller private landholding limit. The two options, left undecided by the political impasse of the 2007 Constitutional Assembly, were 5,000 hectares (19.5 square miles) or 10,000 hectares (39 square miles). This stipulation will not apply retroactively, but will only be enforced for future land purchases and property formations. The wide margin by which voters approved the limit represents an important mandate for the MAS government to continue with agrarian reform measures.

Response from Both Sides

Lowland opposition leaders had mixed reactions to the approved referendum. Volatile Santa Cruz prefect, Ruben Costas, spoke to a crowd gathered in the city’s main plaza to celebrate the “No” victory in their region on Sunday night. According to the Santa Cruz newspaper, El Deber, Costas demanded that the government recognize the constitution did not win the majority of votes, or they would be met with “unyielding resistance.” (3) Also ignoring the dynamics of the democratic process in a national vote, Santa Cruz autonomy leader, Carlos Dabdoub stated: “No constitution can be implemented if it has not been approved in all of the departments.” (4)

However, the leader of the Santa Cruz Civic Committee, Branko Marinkovic, and Tarija prefect Mario Cossio reportedly asked for negotiations with the MAS government to “build a new Bolivia.” (5)

President Evo Morales praised the referendum outcome in a speech in La Paz Sunday night. “I would like to take advantage of this opportunity to express my great recognition of all our Bolivian sisters and brothers, all of our compatriots, all of the citizens who, by their vote, through their democratic participation, have decided to recreate Bolivia.” (6) Morales also agreed to dialogue and negotiations with opposition, using the new constitution as a starting point.

Important International Support

Raul Lago, the Organization of American States (OEA) delegate in charge of their electoral observers, praised the absence of violence in the January 25 referendum. (7) The delegation stated that it “understands that this election expresses the decision of the Bolivian society to continue advancing to the establishment of the democratic process in Bolivia.” (8)

It is also important to highlight the positive response of U.S. Secretary of State Acting Spokesman, Robert Wood, in his daily press briefing on January 26: “We congratulate the Bolivian people on the referendum, and I don’t think the results are final at this point, but we look forward to working with the Bolivian government in ways we can to further democracy and prosperity in the hemisphere.” (9) When further questioned whether the referendum promoted democracy, Wood responded: “Well, a free, fair democratic process certainly does contribute positively, but what I said was I wanted to wait until we can see the final results. But we certainly do congratulate the Bolivian people on that referendum.” (10) This represents a crucial change under the new Obama administration, after the punitive discourse adopted by Bush officials following the expulsion of Ambassador Goldberg and their lack of public recognition of the legitimacy of the August 2008 recall vote.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(1) ABI, “TVB: El Sí gana con el 61,96%.” 25 January 2009. http://abi.bo/index.php?i=noticias_texto_paleta&j=20090125234805&l=200901250068_El_S%ED_festej%F3_en_la_plaza_Murillo._(ABI).

(2) Corte Nacional Electoral, “Referéndum Nacional Constituyente 2009.” 26 January 2009. http://www.cne.org.bo/ResultadosRNC2009/wfrmDirimidor.aspx.

(3) El Deber, “El Sí triunfa y el No apunta a un pacto.” 26 January 2009. http://www.eldeber.com.bo/vernotaahora.php?id=090126025210.

(4) Romero, Simon. “Bolivians Ratify New Constitution.” The New York Times, 26 January 2009.

(5) El Deber, “El Sí triunfa y el No apunta a un pacto.” 26 January 2009. http://www.eldeber.com.bo/vernotaahora.php?id=090126025210.

(6) ABI, “Presidente celebra el triunfo del Sí y anuncia refundación inmediata del país.” 25 January 2009. http://abi.bo/index.php?i=noticias_texto_paleta&j=20090125231705&l=200901250066_Evo_Morales_saluda_en_plaza_Murillo_la_victoria_del_S%ED_y_la_refundaci%F3n_del_pa%EDs._(ABI).

(7) EFE, “OEA destaca voluntad de bolivianos para mejorar sus instrumentos democráticos.” 26 January 2009.

(8) ANF, “La OEA entrega a la Corte Electoral evidencias de irregularidades.” 26 January 2009.

(9) U.S. State Department, “Daily Press Briefing,” Robert Wood, Washington, D.C., 26 January 2009. http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/dpb/2009/jan/115389.htm.

(10) Ibid.

hApPy nEw yEaR 2009!!

2008-12-31T06:50:00.001-08:00

Volunteer Bolivia wishes everyone Happy New Year and hopes for a 2009 with more justice in the world.

J'ALLALLA

2008-12-04T07:40:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends,

It is hard to believe Christmas is only a month away and that once again the “Pro-Navidad” campaign is upon us. If you helped us out last year, thanks so much we raised more than $2500. We would like to do the same this year if possible.

If you don’t know what we are talking about read on. Since 2000, Volunteer Bolivia has organized a Christmas campaign “Pro-Navidad”. For the past 2 years we travelled to the small Andean village of Toro Toro where we will once again be celebrating the holidays. We would like to give a small gift to the children and food baskets with staples such as rice, sugar and powdered milk to their families as well as invite all to a cup of hot chocolate.

WHY TORO TORO??

Over the years we have developed a special relationship with the village residents and the area’s amazing natural beauty. We, and our volunteers, have benefited from the both the kindness and generosity of the families we have met and stayed with. Christmas is a great time and opportunity to give back to the community

Please consider joining us this year, even the smallest donation can help tremendously! We also encourage you to pass this information to friends and family. All help is appreciated..

HOW TO HELP

 Pass this letter on to friends and family so they can join the campaign as well.

 If you’ve got younger brothers and sisters in school, please give this information to them – in the past we have small fundraisers/events in schools to raise money.

 If you are a teacher please think about having your class do a fundraiser!!!

HOW TO DONATE

We have worked out various payment options.

THANKS AND DON’T FORGET TO LET US KNOW IF YOU IF YOU MAKE A DONATION!!!!!!

UNITED STATES

Donations made by check made out to Pat Cridland sent to 6 Bradford Drive, Syracuse, New York, 13224.

OR

You can make a direct deposit to:

Bank: Bank of America
Name of Account: Lee Cridland
Account No: # 938086 2999

AUSTRALIA

Bank: Commonwealth Bank of Australia
Name of Account: Paula M Pfoeffer
Account No: 2217 1026 2485

UNITED KINGDOM

Bank: Natwest
Name of Account: Javier Molina M
Account No: 87018853
Sort code: 51-50-14

Cheers,

From the 2008 organizing team!!!!

YES, YOU DO NEED ONE!!

2008-11-13T06:50:00.000-08:00

How US Citizens Get a Visa to Bolivia in 7 Easy Steps

Volunteers coming into our program are always asking about visa requirements. For most western countries you can get a 90 day visa once in Bolivia but for US citizens the situation is a bit different. Below is the information provided to us by the Bolivian Embassy. You can either do the paperwork in the US at the nearest Bolivian Embassy or bring it all and pay the fee in the airport once you land in Bolivia. It is just about paperwork so read on....

Tourist Visa Requirements for U.S. Citizens

1. The sworn statement for visa application form
2. A passport valid for six months
3. Hotel reservation or invitation letter
4. Photocopy of roundtrip ticket or travel itinerary
5. Proof of economic solvency
6. Payment of $135 visa issuance fee
7. International yellow fever vaccination certificate

CONFUSED??? A FEW MORE DETAILS

1. THE SWORN STATEMENT FOR VISA APPLICATION FORM . If the tourist does not already have the application form, he/she will be able to obtain one at each immigration checkpoint.

2. VALID PASSPORT. The passport must have a validity of not less than 6 months.

3. HOTEL RESERVATION. In case the tourist is unsure about which hotel he/she will stay at, the immigration officers will provide the tourist with a list of hotels to choose from, according to the tourist's travel budget. A tourist who arrives in the country bearing a letter of invitation shall submit such letter to the immigration officer.

4. PHOTOCOPY OF ROUNDTRIP TICKET OR TRAVEL ITINERARY. In the event the tourist does not have a photocopy of their ticket, he/she shall show a ticket stating his/her return to the United States or to a third country. This information will be recorded in the sworn statement for visa application form.

5. ECONOMIC SOLVENCY. Credit card or equivalent, which must be valid for the duration of the planned stay in Bolivia. In the event the tourist does not have either a credit card or an invitation letter, he/she must be in possession of at least US$50 per day for the length of the anticipated stay in Bolivia.

6. CASH PAYMENT. The US$135 visa fee payment shall be made in cash. No credit or debit cards will be accepted.

7. INTERNATIONAL YELLOW FEVER VACCINATION CERTIFICATE. In case the U.S. citizen does not have an international yellow fever vaccination certificate, he/she must sign an affidavit exempting the Bolivian state from any liability in case of yellow fever contagion within the Bolivian territory. This provision shall apply until further notice.

College Courses Summer 2008

2008-07-21T14:17:00.000-07:00

We have busy during the month of June with visits from both Rutgers University and Colorado College.

Beyond Development: Andean Social Movements and Their Struggle for Autonomy was the title of Colorado College's 4 week course in Bolivia. The goal of the course was to get students to think critically about the effects of neoliberal policies and the rise of "left" governments in the Andean Region. We visited women organizations, artist cooperatives, student lead social movements and environmental activitists. In an attempt to explore and understand the radical critiques of "western development". The group of 12 studetns left Bolivia with a deeper understand of the country and with, we hope, a new perspective on the United States.

Rutgers University students participated in a 6 week course called Law, Justice and Rights. This course combined lectures by various guest speakers with a serivce learning experience in the Zona Sur of Cochabamba. All 13 students lived with Bolivian host families as well as traveling as a group to La Paz, Chapare and Toro Toro.

We hope that both groups found their time in Bolivia worthwhile and Volunteer Bolivia looks forward to working with both universities in the future.

Paula - A Librarian Volunteer

2008-04-02T14:13:00.000-07:00

I came to Cochabamba in July 2003 and haven't left! The city is small and cosmopolitan, it doesn't have many tourists which makes it a nice place to be as a foreigner. It is an easy city to live in, safe, a lot of fun places to hang out and wonderful people.

Bolivia itself continues to surprise me, even after almost 5 years. If you are interested in travel then it's the perfect place as there is so much to see (Here´s me - second from the left - visiting Torotoro national park on a trip organized by Javier and Bolivia Cultura travel).

I knew nothing about Bolivia before I came here and I kind of preferred it that way as I wanted to discover it for myself. I guess I probably would have liked to understand the political situation a little more as within 3 months the government fell and I didn't believe anything the Australian government or press was telling me as it wasn't based in the reality I was witnessing. I would recommend these sites to read if you are interested:

www.upsidedownworld.org
www.democracyctr.org/blog
www.nickbuxton.info
www.boliviatransitionprojecti.org

and if you can get your hands on John Pilgers documentary "The War on Democracy" I would see that.

In terms of Volunteer Bolivia as far as my experience is concerned, nothing but positive. Although I didn't live with a family I have lots of friends who have and had wonderful experiences, and there was no problem with them going out late or organising other things to do, you just have to tell them and be upfront with them about what you expect and what you want.

What I can tell you about is the Spanish school and the volunteer experience. Cochabamba is a great place to learn Spanish because the Bolivian accent is easy to understand and people are very patient with you. I took lessons at another school for the first 2 years here and then changed and noticed the difference immediately. The school has some of the best teachers in the city, they tailor your classes to what you want to do and learn so you set the agenda. I learnt so much in a short time there that I cant recommend them highly enough.

Volunteering literally changed my life. The great thing about VB is that they work only with very small projects which have little or no outside help so you don't feel like you are swamped by huge NGOs and usually you are the only volunteer and you are really in the community. I'm a librarian so through VB I started volunteering in a small public library. After about 2 years of doing this I'm now working with a network of public libraries, founded during that time, to train librarians, find funding for resources and doing reading programs. So my life has taken quite a dramatic turn.

Both Lee and Javier have been a huge support to me, emotionally, professionally and personally. I'm independently working now and am outside the program but could not be doing what I am doing without the support they gave and still give me.

VB cares a lot about Bolivia and, more than other organisations, put a lot back into the country. Your experience here will be positive if you are prepared to be challenged and take what ever comes. The homestay option will help your Spanish enormously and you will get to see another side of Bolivia you wont get to see anywhere else.

Paula

2008-01-22T12:03:00.000-08:00

CHRISTMAS 2007

BY GEORGINA GIBSON

We hope you had a joyous holiday season, a Happy New Year and that 2008 brings us peace in the world.

We want to thank you for your generous donations to our annual Christmas campaign “Pro-Navidad”. Yet again it was a great success and with your help we raised over $us 1,700 and were able to give gifts to over 400 children and their mothers.

The campaign officially started bright and early one morning when the gang made their way to the huge outdoor market, La Cancha. With our shopping lists in hand and fighting the enormous crowds, we left hours later with balls, dolls, teddy bears, games and much, much more.

After a second shopping excursion the next day, we set about sorting and packing all the presents for Toro Toro.

The following day we packed ourselves (Georgina, Laura, Daniela, Carola, Claudia and Javier) and the gifts into the 4x4; and set about on our journey through the countryside to Toro Toro, giving biscuits to all the children we saw along the way.

As we arrived the crowds of children and mums had already began to gather. We unpacked the presents, blew up the balls and arranged the baskets of food for the mums. When we were ready we began to distribute the presents. It was amazing and humbling to see the joy on the children’s faces as they scurried off with a quiet gracias.

Once the gifts were distributed in town we re-packed the 4x4 and went to a nearby village. Arriving in a car full to the brim with balls, dolls and games it was hard not to feel like Santa and his elves with the 4x4 acting as the sleigh. It was wonderful to watch children excitably running down the road as word spread that we were there.

The next day we woke up early feeling good about how well everything had gone so far. Before we left Toro Toro we made hot chocolate and gave cookies to all the children.

As we still had lots of presents to give out which we decided to distribute to the children we saw on our way back home to Cochabamba. The journey back home was unforgettable. We all had our eyes peeled for kids, when we saw them we shouted for them in our newly learned Quechua to come and get their presents. They ran as fast as they could and were all so pleased with their new gifts - the dolls and the soccer balls were especially popular.

After the last present had been given out, we were soon back in the hustle and bustle of Cochabamba. Our time in Toro Toro was incredible and whole experience made us all realise what Christmas is really about.

Thank you once again for supporting the “Pro-Navidad” Christmas campaign and Peace in 2008,

From all of us!!!

CHRISTMAS IN TORO TORO

2007-11-29T14:25:00.001-08:00

Dear Friends,

It is hard to believe Christmas is only a month away!!! If you supported “Pro-Navidad” last year, thank you – you helped raise more than $2000.

For the past six years, Volunteer Bolivia has organized a Christmas campaign “Pro-Navidad”. For the first 5 years we were in the villageKami, then last year we travelled to the small Andean village of Toro Toro. of This year we will once again be celebrating the holidays in Toro Toro. We would like to give a small gift to the children and food baskets with staples such as rice, sugar and powdered milk to the families.

WHY TORO TORO??

Over the years we have developed a special relationship with the village residents and the area’s amazing natural beauty. We, and our volunteers, have benefited from the both the kindness and generosity of the families we have met and stayed with. Christmas is a great time and opportunity to give back to the community.

Please consider joining us this year, even the smallest donation can help tremendously! We also encourage you to pass this information to friends and family. All help is appreciated.

If anyone is interested in seeing pictures of last year’s festivities please visit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/71377790@N0

To donate please contact us at volunteerbolivia@gmail.com or www.volunteerbolivia.org

BUILDING FENCES

2007-09-05T08:28:00.000-07:00

Emily Ulrich came to Bolivia for a "gap year" experience and spent Fall 2006 living and working in Cochabamba with volunteer Bolivia. Already speaking Italian, she quickly learned Spanish and became a volunteer at Mis Huellitas. Huellitas is a children's center for neighborhood kids where they can spend the day while their mothers work as maids in the large condominiums nearby.

As most volunteers do Emily quickly fell in love with the kids and became an integral part of the teaching team. Her days were filled with caring for the smallest children in the center some of which are only months old!!! She quickly realized that the center needed a fenced in area where the smallest kids could run and jump and play safely.

In December Emily returned to the United States and made contact with her former high school. When they heard about her experiences and the need for a fence they began to raise money for the project. They raised $us 2,200 with various fundraisers!!

The money has arrived and the families whose children go to the center have organized several work days to build the fence but more on that in the next posting.

Physiotherapy in Bolivia

2007-08-17T13:04:00.000-07:00

Just a quick post to let everyone know that Pascale Baumann a Canadian physioterapist who worked in two of our volunteer posts in 2006-2007 has written an article for Physiotherapy Today about her time with us. below is a taste of the article and you can see the whole article by clicking on the link at the end of the article.

"In September 2006, I left Thunder Bay for Bolivia carrying only a backpack, Reciprocating Gait Orthosis, and other assorted physiotherapy tools. Before leaving, I could count the things I knew about Bolivia on one hand. I knew that it is landlocked, one of the poorest countries in Latin America, and that for the first time its people have recently elected an indigenous president. But Bolivia came to mean so much more to me. Over six months, I learned the language which opened many doors, lived with a Bolivian family, joined the local volleyball and swim teams, and explored the country from the high Andes to the Amazon jungle. The people along the way taught me about the difficulties they are faced with every day – such as having no drinkable water, the regressing jungle resulting in the loss of hunting grounds and the fight to grow coca. At the same time they also showed me their strong family bonds, culture, survival skills, and how to fish for piranhas! I felt privileged to visit and live in little communities that hadn’t seen many ‘white people and blue eyes’. Without a doubt, the six months in Bolivia were a roller coaster, emotionally and physically, and raised more questions than answers." To read more click here

News From Bolivia

2007-08-03T08:14:00.000-07:00

Many of our volunteers, especially the long term ones, write asking how they can keep up on the political happenings in Bolivia larga distancia. There are a number of websites and blog out there which you should check out.

My favorite at the moment is http://boliviarising.blogspot.com/ where Fred Fuentes posts great information and analysis on the current government.

Another long time favorite is www.democracyctr.org with a humorous blog that covers both Bolivian and international issues.

For those who haven't forgotten their Spanish I recommend, checking out www.bolpress.com which carries great articles from a number of well-known Bolivian politicians and journalists.

Last but not least I would recommend Indymedia Bolivia the Bolivian part of the world wide Indymedia empire!!! www.bolivia.indymedia.org

Hope you find these sites a start in keeping up with the happenings here in the llajta.

Peace

Volunteer Bolivia

Visiting Spanish Teachers

2007-07-22T08:09:00.000-07:00

For the next 2 and a half weeks Volunteer Bolivia will be hosting a group of 23 Spanish language teachers from Ohio State University's Summer Program SSAST. The teachers will be participating in linguistics courses in the morning and visiting different educational projects and schools in the afternoons. They will also travel for three days to Lake Titicaca and La Paz to learn about Bolivia and spend a relaxing weekend on the lake.

While in Cochabamba the group will be living with Bolivian families and enjoying this beautiful sun drenched valley. This is the first time Volunteer Bolivia and Bolivia Cultura have hosted the SSAST program and we look forward to their time here.

BENEFIT FROM CUSTOMIZED LANGUAGE CLASSES, VOLUNTEER WORK, AND A HOMESTAY

2007-07-17T11:45:00.000-07:00

by Sara O'Neill Kohl

During May through July of 2003 I participated in a program located in Cochabamba, Bolivia run by Lee Cridland and Javier Molina. Voluntarios Bolivia is a personalized combination of Spanish language classes, volunteer work, and homestay with a local family. Working with Voluntarios Bolivia gave me the opportunity to learn far more about the culture and people of the country than I could have otherwise.

The language classes at Voluntarios Bolivia are customized to your level and are either small groups (less than four students) or one-on-one. The teachers team-teach; one focuses more on conversation and the other on grammar and structural concepts.

The goal of the language program is not just to teach you Spanish to communicate but also to help you understand the cultural context. Often lessons consisted of discussions of current political issues or trips to the market.

While in Cochabamba I stayed with a wonderful Bolivian family that treated me as one of their own children. "We had meals together, went to el campo on the weekends, and I quickly became a member of the family. My Spanish improved rapidly thanks to the total immersion experience. My family was always patient but gently pushed me to get beyond feelings of shyness in order to learn as much Spanish as I could. They also had a strong connection to the rural village where the mother was from and taught me about the struggles and political success of the campesinos and the movement for Indigenous rights in general.

The volunteer work I did while in Bolivia helped to solidify my connection to the community and gave me another chance to use my Spanish. I worked at a daycare center located in the main market, Canaritos Pampenos. The center was founded by three women who saw the need in the community for this type of program. Many of the children who attended the center had parents who

worked at stalls in the market and had no safe place to do their schoolwork or relax and play.

The opportunity to learn from people I never otherwise would have known was a central component of my experience in Bolivia. The directors of Voluntarios Bolivia have connections to many social service organizations and NGOs operating throughout Cochabamba and will work with you to create a customized volunteer experience.

I would highly recommend Voluntarios Bolivia as a program for people who want to learn Spanish while getting involved in the community. The integrated and participatory approach to teaching about language and culture is an opportunity to

get to know Bolivia, and that is an experience you will never forget.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

Lee Cridland, Co-Director Volunteer Bolivia

Casilla 2411, Calle Ecuador 342 Cochabamba, Bolivia

Tel. 011-39 591-452-6028

Fax. 011-39 591-452-9459

info@volunteerbolivia.org

http://www.volunteerbolivia.org

Sara O'Neill Kohl is currently working in adult literacy in Chicago and would love to return to Bolivia soon. Contact her at sokohl@gmail.com.