The Displaced Blood, Tears and Sweat

By: Ayleen Cabas Mijares
Produced & Edited By: Megan Laird

© Courtesy of El Pais

“They go to any village and kill around 30 people. Then some of them play soccer with the heads of the murdered while their partners wander around raping women and children. The villagers who stay must pay the price. ‘Give us your land or we’ll negotiate with your widow’ is a catchphrase among these barbarians.”

Professor Martha Gutierrez serenely describes the horrifying experience many victims share in Colombia. After more than 50 years of armed conflict, Colombians are used to these kinds of stories, and Gutierrez knows them well after interviewing hundreds of internally displaced people (IDP) for her research at the Pontifical Javeriana University, in Bogotá.

Forced displacement depicts the humanitarian crisis Colombia currently experiences. According to the Consultancy for Human Rights and Displacement (CODHES), there are 5.7 million IDPs in the country, which represents almost 85% of the armed conflict victims and more than 10% of Colombia’s population. Moreover, this is the second highest rate of internal displacement in the world, as reported by the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre.

However, there is a group among the IDPs whose particularly intense struggle sets it apart from the rest: Afro Colombians. Their low income and education level, and their dependence on natural resources, make them the most vulnerable community when it comes to forced displacement, according to Jeroen Carrin, an official of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). Displaced Afro Colombians deal with unemployment, discrimination and hunger in the cities.

In The Crossfire

Gutierrez explains Colombia’s geography as vast and complex. Therefore, the State has never been able to extend its presence in the whole country. “This lack of control over the territory, the social inequalities that still exist nowadays and the rise of communist armed groups in the 60s were the breeding ground for the armed conflict,” Gutierrez says.

Four armed groups clash to gain political, economic and/or military control over resource-rich lands of many remote regions. The first group are the guerrillas, left-wing groups with political ambitions. The second group is composed of paramilitary forces, presumably connected to some entrepreneurs and government officials who try to protect their lands and wealth from the guerrillas. Drug cartels also own their place in the conflict, and finally the Colombian Army constitutes the only legal organization involved in the conflict.

© Courtesy of ICRC Colombia

Impoverished peasants dwell in the “battlefields” and often become casualties of the conflict. The survivors have two options: escape to other regions or stay and pay fees (what they commonly refer to as “vaccines”) to the armed groups in order to keep their lands —and their lives.

“Three years ago I had to escape from my village. I just knew those men would kill me,” Carlos Mora says. He was a fisherman and, after missing the deadline for one of the vaccines, he fled to Cali with his family. “Many friends of mine were killed in my village. I wasn’t letting that happen to us.”

Mora never identified who terrorized his hometown. According to Gutierrez, it is likely that they were paramilitaries. “They are the cruelest group operating in this conflict. Paramilitaries occupy territories just to keep their criminal way of life going,” she says.

Victimized… Again

Problems continue when people abandon their lands. The dynamics of the cities are diametrically different from those in rural areas. Jeroen Carrin is based in Cali, the city with the third largest displaced population in Colombia and the main host of displaced Afro Colombians. “Their livelihoods are inextricably linked to the land. When forcibly removed from natural resources, they become dependent on aid,” he says.

© Courtesy of ICRC Colombia

Mauricio Castaño, responsible of the Humanitarian Assistance Department of the ICRC in Cali, says it is almost impossible for displaced Afro Colombians to find a job since their abilities do not fit in the city’s occupation market. “Lots of peasants are illiterate and they are not used to the concept of work shifts,” Castaño says.

Additionally, IDPs have to handle with the locals’ prejudices. “I would never hire one of them. They are running for a reason, right? They just bring problems,” Camila Sanchez says. The opinion of this laundry owner from Bogota is shared by many others. “The armed conflict is an alien phenomenon for people in the cities. Some of them believe IDPs are criminals,” Gutierrez avers.

In his first year in Cali, Mora was not able to get a stable job and he lived on a day by day basis. “I did some construction work but I was not agile enough,” Mora remembers. A friend of his informed him about the ICRC occupational programs in which he could complete a bakery course.

ICRC officials also helped Mora find a job in a bakery. “I liked it but the 12 hour shift was too much for me,” he says. Now he works for a company that sells frozen food. “I want to guarantee my children’s education. I do not want them to go through the same things I did.”

No Simple Solution

© Courtesy of ICRC Colombia

Although Colombia developed a widely celebrated legal framework and institutions which defend the victims’ rights, many IDPs have not received adequate aid from the government. The scarcity of human and monetary resources is a problem cited by many government officials, but Castaño adds corruption to the issue. “The money assigned to some municipalities to help IDPs magically disappears,” he says.

Furthermore, land restitution processes demand a lot of effort from the victims. “The displaced have to prove their ownership over their lands so the State restitutes them. Many IDPs have never had property documents or had lost their ownership after trespassing their lands to an armed group,” Gutierrez explains.

Land restitution may not be the solution, though. According to CODHES, almost 80% of the IDPs do not want to return to their hometowns because they feel safer in the cities. The ICRC proposes the development of integral plans that facilitate the social and labor inclusion of victims into Colombian society. “The government should provide access to skills training and employment opportunities,” Carrin opines.

Poverty and Agriculture in Guatemala

By: Amanda DePerro

Produced & Edited By: Andrew Davis

In Guatemala, poverty and agriculture are a way of life. Throughout Guatemalan history, farmers have been marginalized to make room for big-name foreign corporations like the United Fruit Company. 

The effects are obvious today, as 70 percent of Guatemala’s poor population is made up of farmers, according to Kristin Lacy, CFO and coordinator of moderation and evaluation for Semilla Nueva, an organization dedicated to empowering farmers in Guatemala. To understand the plight of modern farmers in Guatemala, one must understand their history.

Semilla Nueva staff members in Guatemala city during a meeting
about the production, improvement and distribution of maize. © Semilla Nueva

A Troubled Past

Jacobo Árbenz, president of Guatemala from 1951 to 1954, was devoted to the agricultural state of Guatemala. However, his vision got in the way of the sprawling United Fruit Company, which was operating in many areas around Central America at the time, and was very profitable to the United States. The Central Intelligence Agency supported a coup d’état in Guatemala, and Árbenz was overthrown as threats of civil war emerged.

Small farmers are still feeling the consequences of that coup, as major companies are purchasing land that small farmers can no longer afford nor manage.

“The major problems with farmers and poverty is that land rights is a huge issue,” said Lacy. “Huge industries are buying a lot of land. Farmers don’t have any other option, their only asset they have is their land, so they have to sell it.”

The decline of private farmers has led many Guatemalans to turn away from agriculture in favor of more technological occupations.

“People who were farmers don’t want to be farmers anymore, they want to be tech guys. They think being a farmer is, like, being a poor person,” said Alexander Kronick, director of Caoba Farms, an organic farm in Antigua that produces food for Guatemala and connects nongovernment organizations, NGOs, with similar goals to one another.

Kronick contends that population growth in Guatemala has led to widespread pollution, which has led the population to become more aware of their environment.

Native farmers are being overrun by these corporations because of a lack of money, education and technology. They are unable to compete with massive businesses that can produce on a large scale.

“Most of smallholders’ agricultural activities are still traditional and manual, while continuing to use high amounts of chemicals,” said Joaquin Lozano, sub-regional coordinator and CPM of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) in Guatemala. “Agriculture is becoming less profitable for them, as they devote high resources to invest in a high-risk activity, more and more affected by climate change and natural disasters.”

Monsanto Law

Amidst the excitement of this year’s World Cup, Guatemalans were blindsided by the passage of a law that would potentially ruin smallholder farmers. The Law for the Protection of Plant Varieties, dubbed the “Monsanto Law,” would require the purchae of patents of certain seed varieties, patents that many small farmers in Guatemala could not afford.

“When people found out about it, the whole country kind of went berserk,” said Lacy. “Communities got together and put up roadblocks—they just stand in the highway and shut it down, which is pretty powerful.”

The law was rejected after the public outcry, but had the law succeeded in slipping past Guatemalans during the World Cup, it could have greatly damaged the agriculturally dependent country.

“It is not about being against GMO (genetically modified organisms) or not, it’s about seeking what is best for the countrymen,” said Juan Diego Chang, a physicist living in Guatemala City. “Many, many country people live from their own [sic] agriculture.”

Worms, distributed throughout the farm, inhibit healthy plant
growth at farms supported by Semilla Nueva. © Semilla Nueva 

The law would have hurt Caoba Farms, a large and successful farm dedicated to sustainability and the future of agriculture in Guatemala.

“In the long run it would make it more difficult to—there’s all sorts of new paperwork and registration to make the seeds more expensive, and it makes it harder for small farmers to come out,” said Kronick. “It’s just a way to control who can and can’t produce seeds. Basically, it’d make it more complicated and harder for the small agriculture guy to produce.”

Sustainable Farming

Many organizations, like Semilla Nueva and Caoba Farms, strive toward sustainability and the empowerment of small farmers through education and technological development. Since smallholder farmers don’t have access to resources including roads, it is difficult to compete with corporate-owned farms. This is amplified by the fact that many Guatemalan citizens are unable to read or write.

For Kronick, education is the key to the success of small farmers. Caoba Farms works with schools to teach agricultural education, and hopes to house students at the farm in the future.

“We’ll hopefully have a school of farming. We haven’t really gotten to that point yet,” said Kronick. “We’ll bring some people to the farm, house them, give them Spanish lessons. There are some people who have worked with us who don’t know how to read or write.”

Semilla Nueva uses a program named Farmer to Farmer to distribute technology that it tested on its own experimental farms. The technology can then be spread from farmer to farmer.

“We don’t want to hear that NGOs have to be here forever,” said Lacy. “Their money has flooded into the country, but it’s not really changing anything. So we’re really passionate about engaging with the state that can help carry out this agricultural development.”

According to Kronick, organic is the current trend. He hopes more people will embrace the possibilities that agriculture in Guatemala can offer.

“A lot of people are opening their eyes, and you can show them a lot of things,” he said. “Everything is a cycle—that’s what the Mayans said. It’s not a beginning, it’s not an end.”

Coaba Farms is nestled in the picturesque landscape of Antigua,
Guatemala. © Caoba Farms

Made In Germany

By: Andrew Davis

Produced & Edited by: Megan Laird

Germany’s recent recession is more complex than investors believe

Germany's flag waves over Berlin's Bundestage.  © Andrew Davis

It seems that the European Union is still in for some economic woes.  Even with the historic referendum failing to make Scotland an independent nation, other minority groups are calling for their own independence.

Now the EU faces the threat of dissolving, creating a disastrous effect for all countries currently holding memberships.  And at the center of the EU economy is Germany, which faces the most to lose.

And while many economists say Germany is on its way out as the powerhouse of the Eurozone, Germans aren’t as worried.

An employee for BMW, one of Germany’s biggest international companies, and he doesn’t think that Germany will lose influence anytime soon.

“I don’t know if BMW as a company is worried…for myself I don’t see the power decreasing, more the opposite the case.” they said.

Europe's Piggybank

After helping to bail out fellow EU member Greece, many investors in Frankfurt are being told to default on their loans. Germany, which boasts the fifth largest economy in the world, may be facing more troubles if other groups are successful in achieving their independence.

An Euro sign is lit up in Germany's financial hub
Frankfurt. © Andrew Davis

Germany’s economy features some of the most advanced production of steel, iron, and copper in the world.  But with its revenue reaching over two trillion dollars, it is easy to see why Germany is helping out its fellow EU members. But this is the leading cause to Germany having the fourth largest debt in the world.

Loans to other countries account for about 0.7% of Germany’s GDP.  And after bailing out several EU member nations, there are rumors that Germany is about to lose its spot as the leader of the EU economy.  Many loans have already been defaulted on and investors are being told not to expect their money back.

But with small regions now demanding their independence, the EU is looking at a bigger problem.  Germany is involved with the Eurozone meaning they, like the 17 other member nations, use the Euro as their currency.

With Ireland, Portugal, and Greece now having to default on loans, loans given out by Germany and other European countries, it drags the value of the Euro down.  Germany is already seeing a 2.1 rate of inflation, even though they are still one of the most powerful economies in the world.

Though with Germany’s Economy stalling, new measures are being taken.  Chancellor Angela Merkel announced that they will be using government spending in order to stimulate growth.  A tactic that many other countries are looking to as a leading example.

But many German citizens see this as a necessary action for their country to take. Another BMW worker says a popular phrase among Germany’s working class is the wages are too much to die but too little to live.

“Supporting countries, where people can retire with the age of 60 and having special rules is difficult to understand, why we have to work so hard for their support…

This is the view of quite a lot of people, but those that studied economics know, that it is a complex structure and that it is difficult to lead them being bankrupt.” They said.

“Germany is an export country and Europe is very important for our economy. Therefore it is difficult not to support the others, because this could mean a weaker economy for us as well.”

Eurozone Worries

All these problems in the Eurozone are leading to the largest slump in exports since 2009.  Which as an “export country” could mean more trouble down the road. Right now, Germany reported that their exports have slumped to just under six percent for the month of August compared to July. This has gotten to the point where American investors are starting to get worried.

However, German student Juli Schwartz says that exports are still what makes the fuels the German economy.

A luxury car is being assembled in BMW's plant outside of
Leipzig. © Andrew Davis

“The fact that "made in Germany" is still a sign for quality especially when it comes to cars but also engineering in general.” She said,  “German companies are known for a lot of technical know how. That’s the reason they get a lot of big projects like the Galileo project for the European space agency.”

There is still optimism for the current Euro crisis.  Many are calling for keeping exports high to keep investor confidence.  The employee says that not only should Germany be maintaining good relations with the countries they trade with, (the United States being one of the biggest ones) but also making sure the countries they support are able to support themselves in the long run.

To assume that the Germans hastily bailed out their fellow Eurozone members is incorrect.  The German government knew what they had to do in order to keep the EU together, the second largest economy in the world.  And the German people understand the importance of balancing Germany economic needs with the rest of the continent.

“As a citizen, I do support the actions until a certain point. Within the European Union the countries should support each other (where possible) to have a strong common economy.” Said the first employee.

Fighting On

By: Megan Laird

Produced & Edited By: Andrew Davis

© Courtesy of Radio Canada International

Women in Ghana were not permitted to vote until 1954. In addition, as of 2010, only 65.3% of women over the age of 15 in Ghana could read and write.

Dr. Jim Weiler is a senior lecturer and the acting Head of Department for History Education at the University of Education, Winneba. He gave his opinion on the rights of women in Ghana today.

“Women are still expected to be the ones who take care of the homes - men are not supposed to enter the kitchen - even in households where women have careers.”

These traditional mindsets about the role of a woman leads to women in Ghana who not only work jobs, but also are expected to raise a family and keep a house, entirely on their own. It makes being successful in school or in a field of work even more challenging.

Sandra Bamfo is an economics major at the University of Ghana, who discussed equality, or lack thereof, in Ghana.

“By law women have equal rights as men in Ghana. However, in a very suppressed way, in rural areas the rights of women are infringed upon. In Africa traditions counter the power of the law. This causes variations in how rights of women are respected across African countries in my view.”

Tradition and mindsets of the past, particularly those of men, run the country of Ghana. For example, in 2012, only 8.3% of women participated in politics, according to an article posted by The Foundation For Security & Development In Africa. Frederick Kponyo, a resident of Ghana, commented on the troubles Ghanaian women face.

“…Formerly in Ghana, women were subjected to doing house chores and not doing anything better than that… This problem stills has an impact in the society of Ghana. Women are undermined when it comes to job opportunities since they are seen to be fragile and too emotional…”

© Courtesy of Wikipedia

Working for Women

Women’s rights organizations have been fighting for years in Ghana, and women have increased their numbers in the government, even if those numbers are still dismal. Michael Tawiah is a foreign exchange student at Ohio University from Ghana, and he has a slightly more optimistic opinion on the political involvement of women.

“Ghana has shown significant change in its view of women in the past years; it has even started to show in politics despite a great deal of occupational prejudice. We now have our first female speaker of parliament, its first ever-female chief justice, a handful of MP's (member of Parliament), some top female TV presenters and some top female corporate executives....”

To look at the facts Tawiah stated and make the claim that women are more involved and more equal to men than they were in 1954 is true, however, there is still much to be done.

Women’s rights and activist groups are extremely common and vocal in Ghana. The Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, The Commission of Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), and the Rural Action Alliance Programme (RAAP) are only a few of the many organizations fighting for women. Opinions about the effectiveness of these organizations varied. Frederick Kponyo views The Ministry of Gender, Children, and Social Protection as effective.

“Groups such as The Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection are very effective. They serve as a mouthpiece for women in several ways since they have the resources and power to attack or address any problem women face... Sometimes they stand in for women who do not have the courage and power to come out to defend their rights.”

However, others believe that these organizations are low in their level of effectiveness. Michael Tawiah believes corruption can be blamed for ineffectiveness.

“The Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection doesn’t utilize the budget its allocated, not for lack of a sizable budget but due to corruption, most of the supplies that make it to the people that need them are mostly donations. Even then, most of it doesn’t make it.”

In countries that have historically been plagued with political issues, corruption may have an impact in the effectiveness of organizations that promote social welfare.

© Courtesy of A Ban Against Neglect Facebook

Women in Ghana have made some strides however, in the fight for equality. Activist groups are large in number and impact, and work to empower women in many different ways. They fight to raise awareness about domestic abuse, and the importance of education for girls. The changes that have occurred in Ghana can be credited in part to the work of these organizations. Women have grown increasingly vocal in recent years about being equal to men.

Doris Darkwah is the Programs Coordinator for A Ban Against Neglect (ABAN), which is a non-profit organization that works to empower young women in Ghana by creating products made out of recycled plastic that litters the streets of Accra. You can browse their website for handmade bags, wallets, and jewelry.

Darkwah stated, “As an organization, what we are seeking to do is to empower women economically, a model we believe will end the cycle of poverty in Ghana.”

© Courtesy of A Ban Against Neglect

What stands out with groups such as ABAN are the unique ways they work to empower women. The products ABAN sells are a perfect example of the creativity and dedication to their cause, and the work they have done to help women. Young women and children are often forced by poverty into begging stealing and even prostitution. 

Making bags and jewelry to raise awareness may not entirely solve the inequality in Ghana. 

However, the work done by these kind of organizations it definitely a start in the right direction.

Groups such as ABAN can give women in Ghana hope for more equality moving forward. Hope for a brighter future, where their daughters have just as many rights as their sons, and they do not have to live in fear of speaking their mind. For Ghana, the wall of inequality has begun to come down. It is up to the women and organizations to destroy it for good.