Aaaahhh politics...

Day 38

“Count up the results of 50 years of human rights mechanisms, 30 years of multi-billion-dollar development programmes and endless high-level rhetoric and the global impact is quite underwhelming. This is a failure of implementation on a scale which shames us all.”

Mary Robinson, Former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights

Ok, so this quote is from the Global Fund for Women’s annual report, and is referring to Women’s Rights issues around the world, but I feel it could apply to many human rights and equality issues.

Last week I attended a community meeting held here at MUSADE (but independent from the organization) where the objective was to brainstorm ideas of on how to motivate people into speaking their mind on political issues and getting involved. Ah, apathy in the general public, a topic that is near and dear to many social workers and other advocacy driven individuals. Well, at least it isn’t only a Canadian problem.

The current topic of choice is encouraging the people to speak their mind about the Tratado de Libre Comercio, TLC, (known as CAFTA in North America). Almost a year ago exactly, on October 7^th, there was a general referendum in Costa Rica to decide whether the country would sign proceed with the process to sign the Central American Free Trade agreement which would tare down the economical and to some degree political and social barriers between the Central American countries and the United States.

Many of the countries agreed to the accord fairly quickly, but Costa Rica being a slightly wealthier and democratic state was split in two. In the end the vote was in favour of proceeding with the accord, by a margin of 13 000 votes out of a total of roughly 1 million votes.

Each country needs to ratify certain laws to allow this process to take place before the agreement can be fully in place, and my understanding is that the process is as of yet incomplete in Costa Rica. And there is concern growing over the shaky U.S. market and the plunge quality of life has taken in other Central American countries since the signing of the accord. A notable example being Nicaragua.

There is, however, in many people a defeated attitude about the whole process, and hence the community meeting made up of many people, half of which are university students to try and get some momentum going. It has been very interesting and I love hearing the non-North American perspective, although I have been too timid to actually voice my opinion at a meeting, and I am not really sure it is my place to do so, not being Costa Rican, it has been interesting comparing their thoughts to Canada’s own experience with NAFTA.

I am the unique position of being able to be an observer without having to participate and I am finding it to be enjoyable. Although it is a condition that can only last a short time, with these issues I think there is always a point where people have to choose to either step out of their comfort zone and take a risk, or to bow out.

Relating back to the Global Fun for women (look a cyclical structure, Ms. AB would be so proud), it makes me think of all the risks many of the women working in controversial organizations abroad and at home take and the line between playing it smart and safe or pushing for change and standing by your principles.

“. . . another world is not only possible, she is on her way. On a quiet day, I can hear her breathing.”

Arundhati Roy

Impressions of the week....

• Lesson learned: Just because a person is in a position of trust and has been given a role of authority does not mean they won’t lie their ass off to you.
• Not that Costa Rica doesn’t have a LGBTQ community, and not that I think they are discriminated against more here than in Canada (not sure yet actually), but I am actually finding it odd not to have a daily presence of those issues. I guess discrimination against individuals from the LGBTQ community is such a prevalent and omni-present issue in Canada that the subtlety of it here is actually a bit of a minor shock. Go figure, never thought that would be a part of my cultural baggage.

Huh…concert on Saturday was not spectacular, although the one guy had a nice voice, but the after party was interesting.