June 28th was the mid-term elections in Argentina. From the estimated 1 million argentines abroad, sources mention just about 1% of these do vote in the elections at the consulates. Voting from overseas seem to be a cause that unifies many Diaspora and migrant communities: Indians (Kerala to press Centre for voting rights of Diaspora) and Dominicans (Calls for Diaspora to vote abroad) abroad are lobbying and working hard to conquer their voting rights. And the ones that can’t, travel back to do so. One of the examples of active voting by “going back home” is the Lebanese (From Brazil to Byblos, Lebanese diaspora pours in for vote). As argentines we have the right to vote from abroad as a given, and hardly embrace it neither implement it. In my case, I not only see voting as a citizen’s right and an obligation, but as a celebration of democracy. I still can feel the excitement of my parents and grandparents on elections’ day in the 80s when democracy returned to Argentina. However, having been a resident abroad for the past 8 years, many times I am confronted with exchanges about the legitimacy of our votes, the most common comment being: you are not there and have not enough information about what is going on, how would you dare to vote? The discussion may go on and on, covering a wide range of angles including psychological, economic, and certainly, political, not reaching much conclusions (to many argentines this may sound familiar for other topics as well). Nevertheless, a positive development has been a Presidential Decree in 2007 that created Provincia 25 (there are 24 territorial provinces in Argentina) with the purpose to “strengthen the linkages with the citizens abroad…and effectively develop their condition as citizens, promoting spaces for democratic participation and making it easier to exercise the right to vote.” In parallel, some initiatives to raise awareness about the right to vote from abroad and to inform about the elections were started, including Argentinos A Votar and Argentina Elections.
Unfortunately, two reasons made me not to be part of the about 1% voting on June 28th. First, the registration with the consulate in the Netherlands, which I did as soon as arrived in early 2008, seemed not to go through properly. I am expecting a better explanation of what happened when I visit next week. Secondly, after conflicted feelings (should I come back earlier to vote?) I ended up traveling with a return ticket on that date which had to be postponed due to a flue. Luckily, this turned out to be the best option, as would have been highly frustrating arriving on time to find out I was not in the voters’ list (I found out when called to justify my no-vote).
Reading what other communities are fighting for, following the initiatives of the argentine government and academic and civic groups, and from my personal exchanges and experience, several questions come up about the meaning, incentives and possibilities of voting from abroad. What makes the voting abroad numbers so low, and what would the most appropriate registration system be to facilitate voting? What voting system? And most importantly, what are the motivations, the incentives, that will bring us to the ballot box? Voting by mail? Campaigns by politicians abroad? Some representation?
It will be interesting to see whether within the current political reform the argentine government is currently putting forward, there will be implications in the way voting for citizens abroad takes shape.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Thoughts from June 2009: diaspora conversations in Hilversum, Madrid and Córdoba (de la Nueva Andalucía)
June 2009 was an intense month with many Diaspora Cafes! It started with the fundraising cycling event organized by Fundacion Ombu in Hilversum, the Netherlands, which for the fourth consecutive year covers 100 kilometers with the objective to raise funds to support a project in Argentina. This year’s funds were for the Gabucha Project to support a hearing impaired children centre in Tigre, Buenos Aires. I did some training for it (cycling The Hague-Amsterdam and The Hague-Rotterdam port) and it definitely paid off! Cycling 100km was one of the best experiences for me in this country so far, bringing together the joy of cycling along the canals and small towns plus doing something for Argentina while learning of the Dutch solidarity, so present, so valuable and so invisible if you are not hanging out with them. The last 40 kilometers under the mostly heavy rain made me feel insanely strong, extremely happy, and worth the effort. Check the video here and here!
Further in June, I spent the Argentine flag’s day in Madrid participating at the First Argentine Migration in Europe meeting, organized by Fedear, the Federacion de Asociaciones Argentinas de España y Europa. It was an inspiring and emotive day as it brought together the three waves of migration from Argentina “back” to Europe. I knew of the theories, statistics and stories of argentines migrating to Europe, but meeting some of the people that have gone through it and listening to their reflections about the implications of migration for their identity and social, political and community life exceeded any expectations. From the ‘exiliados’ of the 70s to the job hunters of the millennium, Argentina keeps bringing us together, motivating us to not just share memories but also do something for our country of origin. There I presented about the challenges faced by the groups organizing voluntarily overseas, and the creation of these spaces as opportunities to extend Argentina’s civil society, its democratization, and the future possibilities for replication of virtual returns. There is work being done to publish the papers sometime later this year.
The last week of June found me in Argentina at the “V Congreso Internacional Cultura del Trabajo y Valores,” organized by Fundacion Inclusion Social Sutentable and that took place at the University of Cordoba, which focused on sharing and discussing about the public, private and civil society sectors’ approaches to youth and employment opportunities. I was part of a panel on Civil Society Approaches, presenting about the work we do with the International Institute for Communication and Development working with youth groups and information and communication technologies (ICT) in several countries. I introduced the Chawama Youth Project in the outskirts of Lusaka, Zambia, to illustrate how youth have taken on opportunities provided by ICT to produce their own music and business. I shared the panel with Gaston Pauls, the acclaimed argentine actor that runs Casa de la Cultura de la Calle, an organization that offers youth in the streets a chance to express, learn and create. Also was there Leonardo Bigi, from the Asociacion Pueblo Rugby, that trains kids and youth from one of the poorest areas of Cordoba, Villa El Libertador, to play rugby. All the initiatives shared working with youth in disadvantaged situations from an innovative, non traditional approach, bringing new opportunities through sports, art and technology.
How does the latter have to do with the Diaspora Café? The participation in the Congress was of immense significance, personally and professionally, meaning a welcome back from the University were I graduated from and from the organizers, a recognition of the common interest to exchange, learn from each other. This provided an opportunity not only to share my experiences with my work overseas, but also to connect it, share it, make it available and perhaps expand the possibilities for the local realities and approaches in Argentina which as a social worker I am daily committed and related to. Is this part of what we as Diaspora should/could do more of?
Further in June, I spent the Argentine flag’s day in Madrid participating at the First Argentine Migration in Europe meeting, organized by Fedear, the Federacion de Asociaciones Argentinas de España y Europa. It was an inspiring and emotive day as it brought together the three waves of migration from Argentina “back” to Europe. I knew of the theories, statistics and stories of argentines migrating to Europe, but meeting some of the people that have gone through it and listening to their reflections about the implications of migration for their identity and social, political and community life exceeded any expectations. From the ‘exiliados’ of the 70s to the job hunters of the millennium, Argentina keeps bringing us together, motivating us to not just share memories but also do something for our country of origin. There I presented about the challenges faced by the groups organizing voluntarily overseas, and the creation of these spaces as opportunities to extend Argentina’s civil society, its democratization, and the future possibilities for replication of virtual returns. There is work being done to publish the papers sometime later this year.
The last week of June found me in Argentina at the “V Congreso Internacional Cultura del Trabajo y Valores,” organized by Fundacion Inclusion Social Sutentable and that took place at the University of Cordoba, which focused on sharing and discussing about the public, private and civil society sectors’ approaches to youth and employment opportunities. I was part of a panel on Civil Society Approaches, presenting about the work we do with the International Institute for Communication and Development working with youth groups and information and communication technologies (ICT) in several countries. I introduced the Chawama Youth Project in the outskirts of Lusaka, Zambia, to illustrate how youth have taken on opportunities provided by ICT to produce their own music and business. I shared the panel with Gaston Pauls, the acclaimed argentine actor that runs Casa de la Cultura de la Calle, an organization that offers youth in the streets a chance to express, learn and create. Also was there Leonardo Bigi, from the Asociacion Pueblo Rugby, that trains kids and youth from one of the poorest areas of Cordoba, Villa El Libertador, to play rugby. All the initiatives shared working with youth in disadvantaged situations from an innovative, non traditional approach, bringing new opportunities through sports, art and technology.
How does the latter have to do with the Diaspora Café? The participation in the Congress was of immense significance, personally and professionally, meaning a welcome back from the University were I graduated from and from the organizers, a recognition of the common interest to exchange, learn from each other. This provided an opportunity not only to share my experiences with my work overseas, but also to connect it, share it, make it available and perhaps expand the possibilities for the local realities and approaches in Argentina which as a social worker I am daily committed and related to. Is this part of what we as Diaspora should/could do more of?
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