¡Buenas!
running out of time! Not only in Germany but also in Panama, where one would not suspect ... In the land of 'tranquilidad' which is now 10 months since my home pass, the days are just flying! Today, there are still 59 days until it goes back to Germany and I do not quite know where this last year would remain. Then it goes on with the serious side of life.
So, you still take a lot. So I was on tour with a friend from the U.S. to explore the country a bit more while we have come to Costa Rica! On the work side, I have spent time in the technology center and solar lamps assembled in the office worked with (somewhat boring) paper work of micro-credit programs, honey distributed from the famous honey house to supermarkets and participated in a Campesino action, and next week you go to seminars in the villages, after a week I will in recycling workshops to participate with children and then a protest action comes before the House of Presidents, at least for me as "witnessing" participate.
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| Well, jealous? :-P Pura vida in Costa Rica |
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| When crossing the border to Costa Rica - on foot over the 106 year old bridge! PURA VIDA on the other side! :) |
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| The Hector Galleo shrine at CEPAS |
The aforementioned Campesino action was a day of remembrance of the Father Hector Gellego, the 39 years ago during the reign of the military junta Omar Torrijos "was gone." He has since become a symbol of the campesino movement in Veraguas (my province) has become. On Wednesday in his former church of Santa Fé was a memorial service was of course also invited our organization Cepas, as former colleagues.
to exhibition and a silent march, many people come from all over the region and although the disappearance of the Colombian priest was so long ago, he is still honored as a hero. It seems that people give to the poor as much hope, but also that these people just need a person ...
The history Hector Gellegos a good introduction to the political part of the blog entry is made, so to speak, the beginning of the chronology. He had a long time the poor organized and mobilized in order to stand up for their rights and protest, the military government of that time was not right of course. And that goes against the regime is often removed.
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| The participants of the "Eco Foro" in Santiago at the start of their Declaration |
here in Santiago today was an "Eco Foro ", a forum on energy and ecology politics instead. The activist Larissa, for the indigenous groups and rural residents committed throughout the country, had at this event and this has helped in the drafting of the Declaration of Santiago ".
then still should be a little more attention to the action and were on the street, singing with a few posters with slogans of the campesino movement. When the people came good - but not to the police! They were right there, on the bike and (as usual) with big guns ... Of course the police not to blame, but this is one of the great debates in the meeting were:
few weeks ago in Parliament a penalty is imposed on protests that "interfere with the traffic." This formulation can pretty much open right margin. Furthermore, the creation of a law that restricts protests also a psychological effect - be it for now consider poorer government opponents twice whether they really want to risk up to 2 years in prison ...
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| The police at times I watch the peaceful protests by |
The criticism that the movement is expressed that the Government represents only the interests of the wealthy citizens, and that the policy subject only to the rich is, therefore, they represent their own interests. There are sufficient examples:
the President is the owner of the largest supermarket chain in the country, the Vice-President, the company that manufactures the national liquor Seco (at the drinking habits of many Panameños probably profitable):).
In the current debate is a law called "9 in 1", to be defined in which, intended that nine dams may be built in the country, without that studies need to be made about the environmental impact. Here criticism is that these power plants are not the common good be used, as is claimed so often, but that the current is fed into the Central American electricity network. Thus would the directly affected rural residents and indigenous people not only benefit and the handful of energy companies with high profits went out of business.
order against precisely this nepotism and political patronage should be then protested in two weeks under the guidance of Larissa (below the image).
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| The activist Larissa in an interview |
why I will cooperate in the remaining weeks of a little more with it in order to learn about the social and political issues directly from the front row. From the inspiring commitment and the power that it has, I can hopefully bring something back to Germany ...
The next few weeks promise to be interesting, think of a more entries! (I hope this was not too much text ...)
your Niklas
