Juliana Amoretti´s Report (in Portuguese)

Car@s, aqui no México o movimento estudantil e social ferve no período de setembro e outubro de 2008, marcando os 40 anos do movimento estudantil de 1968. Foram diversas atividades para fortalecer a memória histórica e para dizer que a luta social segue de pé.Acompanhando a agitação da juventude e dos trabalhadores em Praga, na França, em Moscou, na Argentina e no Brasil o ano de 1968 também marcou fortemente o México. Foi uma gigantesca mobilização social que paralisou o país para discutir a situação política. Estou impressionada com as imagens e com os relatos. Foi também uma violência brutal contra a juventude e os trabalhadores.Setembro de 1968 significou o ápice do movimento libertário, crítico e socialista. No México, se espalhavam pelas escolas e fábricas os comitês de greve, e foi formado o Comitê Nacional de Greve que reunia 75 escolas, chamando para a greve geral. Foram muitas as assembléias, operários e estudantes assumiram a tarefa da propaganda, da panfletagem e da ampliação do diálogo com a sociedade, participando de brigadas populares. As manifestações pediam mudanças, educação, liberdade, trabalho, e comemoravam o início ...

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Foto: Niña subiendo trampolín, Iquitos
Cortesia de Beatrice Velarde (www.beatricevelarde.com)

Ervilha´s Report (in Portuguese)

Ao meu redor um teatro ocupado. Inúmeros escritos pelas paredes em diversas línguas. Pude entender apenas “Venceremos”. Pessoas nas cadeiras expressam seus pontos de vista sobre um determinado tema. Névoa de cigarro e cheiro de coragem. Não entendo absolutamente nada, elxs estavam falando grego. Algumas pessoas se exaltam e se retiram da assembléia. Percebo que voltam logo em seguida. Era só pra fazer cena. Vamos. Na porta da ocupação várias garrafas de cerveja. Reciclagem? Acho que não. Dou uma risada e continuo o caminho. Naquele momento eu não sabia onde estava. Eram as ruas de Atenas e uma hora avançada. Na esquina um policial vestido de verde segura uma metralhadora. O seu poder de fogo é sintomático em qualquer parte do mundo. Óbvio, não se tratava de proteger alguma vida e sim o estabelecimento. Pergunto para o amigo ao lado se sabia o que era o estabelecimento que o policial estava protegendo. Resposta negativa e vários outros de verde cruzam a esquina. Meu estômago agora se manifesta com calafrios. Parece que eles podem ler a minha mente, é assustador. Atravessamos ...

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Foto: Mal de ojo
Cortesia de Beatrice Velarde (www.beatricevelarde.com)

Haris Metaxa´s Report

14th of July, 2000.

I was flying from Paris to Palermo.
I was to visit Sicily for the first time. Years before, I had graduated in Philosophy in Florence. When I was living in Italy, I had often thought of Sicily, but I had never seriously considered actually visiting the place. I liked to travel on my own and in my head Sicily was full with Mafiosi and with their friends and accomplices, the whole population of the island, in fact. A small island, cramped full with Mafiosi falling from the rim of the gigantic cup that Sicily was.
Not my cup of tea, really!
I cherished choice, the opportunity to disagree, to be different and to change things. I also objected viscerally to women’s subordination and oppression. I was obsessed with the ideals (and ideas) of Freedom, Choice, Dignity. Dream was my attack line. My main belief was that you can force reality to respect you and to take into consideration your (female) wishes.
No, Sicily didn’t seem to allow all that.
So I never went there.
This perfectly balanced picture of a world of freedom against a world of doom was to change soon. As soon, in fact, as my plane touched ground. I was going to discover this hidden island, forgotten from history. Sicily. The whole island placed in a dark corner of our western world, suffocating under the weight of stereotypes.
Discovery was awaiting me.
During that time, my first Sicilian lover was waiting for me at the airport. She was the reason I was undertaking this adventure. I had met her in Paris few months earlier and I had been very surprised to discover that she was gay, professional and honest and, what was an even bigger surprise, she had chosen to remain in Sicily!
Nourished with what? Occupying what social space? Enjoying what visibility and dignity?
Paying what price of solitude and social exclusion?
I had wondered all this time and now answers were going ...

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Photo: Subtle presence of the next ruler: plastic.
Courtesy of Beatrice Velarde (www.beatricevelarde.com)

Yiting Liang´s Report

Thursday 4th April Cloudy Rennes France

Today I got on the coach of Eurolines whose destination is Portugal at 2:00 PM. Actually, I just bought my ticket 2 days ago, because the idea of visiting Portugal came out like a sparkle, that sudden and that quick, while I was hesitating whether to go to Vienna or not. I had been planning my journey to Austria for a few weeks, but I changed my destination at last minute. The grey sky out of the bus window was a little bit sad, it shouldn’t be! We are already in April which is the most hopeful month of a year: creatures have woken up from the freezing winter and plants begin to flourish, even though it’s still chilly. However, this journey makes me excite- travel alone in an unknown country. I can’t remember how many times I travelled alone. I like it sometimes, but sometimes I just have no choice: better be alone than have a bad companion. It’s getting darker and darker, can’t even read what I’m writing. I should stop here, and expecting my adventure in Portugal.

Friday 5th April Sunny Porto Portugal

Today was a good day, but a tiring day. I can fall asleep ...

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Photo: Frayed Marilyn
Courtesy of Beatrice Velarde (www.beatricevelarde.com)