waiting...

I've been here almost a month now, but it doesn't feel like nearly that long. I'm getting used to the language and the city, but I still feel like I'm waiting around for something to begin, in a more official sense. While this may be a greater existential issue I'll eventually have to deal with, for right now it mostly has to do with my internship.

I spent the first three weeks in the office, reading materials from their library and listening to people's conversations about the work they were doing, but without having any particular assignment. I've been able to attend a couple of talleres, (trainings or workshops) for the women in the barrios associated with the MEDH, but that has so far taken up about one day a week.

I am trying to adjust to a slower pace of life and different expectations, but also get involved in as many other activities as possible, so that I'm not just in the house all day. This week I will be starting a course in Argentine political history at the Universidad Popular Madres de la Plaza de Mayo, which I am excited about. The Madres are a very activist organization, and I'm pretty sure I'll get a perspective in this class that it would be hard to find in a typical university in the US.

Here is a link to their website:
http://www.madres.org/univupmpm/univumpm.asp

...and a photo (actually one of Laura's photos from when she was here):


I've also been exploring my neighborhood, and one of the first things I ran into a couple of blocks away from my house was this:





The sign says, "On this site, the clandestine detention, torture and extermination center 'El Olimpo' functioned from August 16, 1978 to the end of January, 1979." The memory of the time of the dictatorship is still very present everywhere here.

pictures!

El Hogar:


Las chicas de la casa:


Mileny y yo



Veronica



Laura



Rocio



Bety y yo



Rosie

some links and descriptions of THE JOB

So my main purpose in coming to Buenos Aires was to spend a year as an intern with the Movimiento Ecumenico por los Derechos Humanos (MEDH), or Ecumenical Human Rights Movement. Although I've only been here for a couple of weeks, I'll try to give a description of what I've learned so far about the organization, as it is very interesting! Here is a link to their website for further info (in Spanish):
http://www.medh.org.ar/
Before I left the US, a lot of people asked me what kind of human rights problems currently exist in Argentina, as the military dicatatorship has been over for decades. The MEDH was originally formed in 1976 as a response to human rights abuses and disappearances by the government, and has continued to provide support and accompaniment to families of the disappeared. However, much of the work the MEDH does today has to do with a much more comprehensive definition of the term "human rights" - the right to freedom from violence, for example, or the right to a dignified living. To that end, the MEDH conducts workshops and legal assessments with women and children from the poorest barrios, on the themes of domestic violence, police brutality, drug addiction, and nutrition, educating them on their legal rights and helping to create community spaces for dialogue and change.

These are links to a couple of short movies made by Cine en Movimiento, a project associated with the MEDH that works with kids in the poorest barrios, teaching art as a form of expression and an alternative to violence. They are precious:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dttJIxf2PY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RIai2U7hCbg

You can read more about the project here:
http://www.cineenmovimiento.com.ar/proyecto.html

It's cold here!

Things I am getting used to:

-The COLD! I thought that being from Minnesota, and having spent the last two winters in Chicago, I would be able to laugh in the face of whatever Buenos Aires could offer. Alas, coming directly from 90-degree weather and worse on my way through Minnesota, Chicago, and Miami has turned me into a friolenta. Also, because it doesn't get too cold for too long here, the houses are not designed to hold heat very well, and indoor heating is limited. There is supposed to be "frio POLAR" this week, and my poor little jean jacket is looking nervous...

-The time. Aside from getting used to the 24-hour clock, I am realizing that nothing here starts on time. The first time I got lost on the way to church and arrived half an hour late, I thought I would die of embarrassment, but about half of the congregation arrived even later than I did! It's nice not to feel rushed all the time, though, and no matter what else anyone may have to do, the most important thing is to be able to spend time talking to whoever is in front of them.

-Greeting people: it's polite to always greet EVERYONE when you enter a room, and when you leave a group of people, it's important to say goodbye to everyone individually with a kiss on the cheek. this of course makes everything take longer,(see 'time') but gives you more time to chat and get to know people. I kind of like it!

Primera Semana en Hogar Belen

I arrived safely in Buenos Aires, and am now officially a member of Hogar Belen, an 'ecumenical community' located in the Floresta neighborhood of Buenos Aires. Most of the Hogar's residents are women around my age, whose activities range from pursuing a master's degree in theology to working as a graphic designer.
My first night in the house we had a dinner 'a la canasta,' meaning everyone brings a dish to share. I also got to meet some of the other members of the Floresta Mennonite congregation who are frequent visitors at the Hogar Belen.

Enjoying dinner:




Alma is a member of the Floresta congregation:



Guillermo and Monica, more visitors from the Floresta congregation:


locuras: