To really know one’s self

As stated in numerous postings this has been an extraordinary experience and I feel incredibly fortunate to have been given (earned) this amazing opportunities. In my final days I met with more extraordinary women, a former first lady, who became a Senator and ran for president (sound familiar) and one of the most famous wine makers in Argentina.  The program in Argentina blew me away with the caliber of women that I met with and the strength of the Argentine women.

Unique to my program in Argentina the meetings have been women who have reached great success in their fields generally dominated by men. The two women I want to write about in this particular entry were both very different but knew themselves as leaders and were so strong in their conviction.

The first one, Susana Balbo, is the owner and operator of Domino La Plata Vineyard in Mendoza. She is one of the most famous wine makers in Argentina. This is extraordinary as this is a business that continues to be male dominated. In her meeting she talked about the importance of women taking risk, using women’s intellect/intuition: go with your gut.  She talked about not fearing mistakes but appreciating the lessons learned in the mistakes. She said that mistakes will occur but you grow and if you hesitate due to fear how can you truly succeed. She has taken great risk in her wine business but went with her gut and has yielded some of the best wines. She also talked about owning her business and wanting her work to revolve around quality and not the bottom line.

She does not over produce a particular wine because it sells well she only makes enough as it reflects the best quality available. She started the vineyard completely on her own with her own resources. She was able to spend 45 minutes with me and I soaked up every minute with her. She was so absolute in everything she said- whether it was about the business, managing men, being competitive in a global market, being a mom, a wife, a widow, etc. She knew herself so well and it was so evident in her energy. She did not make things out to be easy. As a leader she is incredibly hands on – involved in all aspects of the operations. She is working and developing her succession plan for her vineyard.

The second one is Senator Hilda “Chiche” Dulhaldo. Aside from being a Senator, Presidential candidate, who lost to the current president by 5% of the vote, she served as the nation’s first lady.  I say all this in this order as it is customary that women here no matter how successful are introduced and defined first by their husband’s (and if divorced by their previous husband) first.

She was a fireball.  All her work has focused on women’s rights, human rights and services.  She was a strong force as a first lady. She ran for President because she felt called to run as a true representative of her people. When she saw the competition she felt she could not be represented or defined by them. She felt strongly that all woman need to participate in politics. Women have a duty in democracy and only when women are at the table are women’s issues brought to the forefront. She also talked about being clear about what your specialties are so you can make a difference and have depth in specific areas. For her it is women’s issues.

I took all their counsel and left the meetings inspired by the confidence they had in themselves. They were not cocky it was self assurance. The owned their leadership and their successes.

Soccer and Public Housing

Why would soccer and public housing ever go together in a sentence- well in BsAs one of the well know teams home field is located across from one of the most dangerous villas (housing developments) In the City. Last night we attend the San Lorenzo vs Tigre Futbol match at the San Lorenzo stadium. Tickets are 110 pesos this is about $22.50 per ticket but $110 pesos here is a steep prices in comparison. It would be similar to the price of Eagles tickets in Philly.

The game was very well attended and the parking is right in front of the public housing. So I will describe both experience which I had independently with the game and housing issues in BsAs.

The game was a ton of fun and the drums and songs were deafening. Both songs had so many banners, signs, chants, dances etc.  Watching them was almost as interesting as the game itself. Both teams played well with great passion and it got very heated on the field, but the sportsmanship remained high.  San Lorenzo won by two scores and both goals were brilliant.  The lead player for San Lorenzo left the game with 10 minutes left and he received a standing ovation. I loved the men in the stands who would get so upset with any foul or error. The hand gestures and swears were hysterical.

The majority of the attendees were men of all ages. Many men with their sons, a few families and spattering of women.At the end of the game there is police in full on riot gear that helps escort the opposing team out of the stadium and out of the lot. As a matter of fact they held all the gates closed and we could not leave the stadium until the fans of the opposing team had left.  I thought that was really interesting and and probably for very good reason. There was tremendous patience for the gates to open. I could only think with my east coast temperament how well folks would take to waiting locked inside of the Linc, waiting for the other teams fans to leave. Chew on that.

Having the game directly across from the public housing says many things. There is an acknowledgement of poverty but in my eyes this current government has turn its back on extreme poverty. To put into context poverty and housing here are so incredibly different then the states. You rarely see the kind of poverty that exist here, in the states. Some rural areas and some of our bad neighborhoods can come close but not at the level and depth that you find here. 

There are a number of Villas (housing areas of extreme poverty) here. In the ones I have visit they came about in different ways. One that I visit included homes (shacks, tents) built with any kind of refuse, materials and scrapes that the family can find to create some from of shelter. There can often be one shack and then after some time there are multiples until you have a full community.  They have no water supply, no electricity, no kind of bathrooms. Other Villas like the one across San Lorenzo are housing developments that were underway and not completed. So shells of buildings. The folks who live there now have rigged electricity and have water reserves on their roofs so that they have some form of water supply.

The actual development of public housing varies greatly. The make shift shack communities can often make way for public housing- but not at all in the way we think of the new public housing units that are available. many are these Villas with various stages of completion. It is an atrocious.

When we met with folks who lived in the Villas they were so surprised to have American there and even more so that Cherelle was a legislature and I worked in local government. They said not one from their government ever comes to see them and not sure they even know they exist. Needles to say the visit to these locations were intense. There was an irony and perfect way of capsulizing the growing separation of the poor and the well off in BsAs. It is not a part of BsAs that most if any tourist see. It is also removed artificially from the center part of the City and most of those who reside here.

There are many folks working to address poverty in the USA I think we try to hard to compartmentalize the work. We focus on housing, health, general welfare. The real issues is education and poverty. We have tremendous infrastructure and ability. Our middle class is still very strong but the growing drop out rate and increases in poverty levels needs to be a wake up call for us.

In any event enough righteous rambling I will be home soon, inspired to move the work of poverty alleviation forward.

October 15th-17th protest observation

So I picked an interesting time to travel to all the countries I have visited.  In Chile we were fortunate to be there for their bicentennial, a hunger strike of the Mapuche people, and of course during key parts of the miners rescue. We were in Brazil for Columbus Day- oddly enough a pretty big vacation weekend in this part of South America.  For them t is one of the first long weekends in the Spring.

So in our last days we get to experience an very interesting recognition of a special day in Argentina (more in Buenos Aires), Peronist Day. This day recognizes Peron's release from prison. he was incarcerated well prior to his presidency because as the locals say he was gaining more power and influence and the president at that time found him as a threat. He was incarcerated for a short period of time.

As the tale goes while in prison who wrote beautiful letters to Evita and upon his release she was waiting for him at the gates. His popularity soared and his presidency would come soon after. So to commemorate there are gatherings of the perrionist parties who general have a rally, gathering type event.  This year since Mother's day is going to be celebrated on October 17th (their Spring) they decided it was best to demonstrate, gather on Friday the 15th.  There was an enormous rally and demonstration. 

Changing the subject sort of: On the same day there was a very interesting experience that Cherelle and witnessed on the was back from our last meetings.  We were driving on the expressway and were diverted off the highway and back on further up. About a half mile down cars started to pass us on the same side going in the opposite direction. This highway by the way is the equivalent of 76. In any event there is an enormous tire fire in the middle of the road set by protesters. We had to turn around drive in the wrong direction and find another way home.

They protested on this day as they knew people would be coming into Buenos Aires. The reason for the protest. There was a group that wanted the toll road to provide a "charitable contribution" to them. When the toll operators refused they decided they would make the road impassable.  So what is so interesting and highly different then Chile and USA is that we allow protest but when and where it is organized is determined.  Here the Police and Firefighters did nothing to put out the fire, the protesters were just hanging out  in the middle of the road and that was just the way it was.  In Chile similar protest on the road had occurred put the protesters were arrested and fires put out. In the USA you probably would not see the light of day for a while if you blocked 76 with a tire fire. What do you think?

I asked many locals about these kinds of protest paralyze the City and why the police or government do not do anything to contain or assist. The response was they only do if the protesters are against the Kirchner's (current President and her husband). In the end it took Cherelle two and half hours to return to the hotel versus the 50 minutes it originally took us to get there.  In my next entry I have to tell you about the Student protest and strike where the Students actually took over the Ministry of Education. This is our Department of Education at the Federal level with a make shift battering ram and the students fire housed the police.  It was a sight to see.

Miss you all.

The Value of Women’s Leadership

Raised the youngest of three sisters the question of the strength of the female gender was apparent at an early age.  We were always encouraged to do whatever we set our minds to- the questions of addressing gender as an issue was not directly discussed. I describe myself as a feminist and found that the comfort of using this term in South America is much like the states.  Somen women are completely comfortable with the term others less experienced have even said “feminist- oh no we do not have any of those here”.  In my travels in South American I have had the great privilege of meeting with a large number of women leaders from all sectors and level of experience.  In these meetings in my observations the lessons of my childhood the wisdom of my mentors sheds light on what it means to be a women and a leader.

First the concept of leadership is not exclusive to one gender and simply because you have power, money or a position of influence does not make you a leader.  Some leaders are born and others grow and learn their leadership abilities. My belief is that women by the nature have some qualities that innately are leadership characteristics. Women for centuries have had the ability to multitask, communicate clearly, plan, organize and nurture those around them, and make sound firm decisions. 

The unique observation about Bachelet’s leadership is that she remained who she was. She never tried to be one of the boys and used a number of her feminine traits to connect with the people of Chile. The average women could see herself in Bachelet.  All those close to her spoke about her intolerance for sexist comments or comments that reflected on her gender as a woman.  She never allowed even one comment to slide and would take it head on when some one said something to her.

Digress to say that much of Bachelet made me think of Hillary’s run for the presidency. In my observation a major mistake that she made early on was to not make her gender an issue.  Granted she had the press inappropriately comment on her wardrobe, hair style, etc. Hillary tried to hard to be measure completely the same with no reference to her gender.  Our gender is strength. She seemed more human when she showed a personal style in NH. Interesting if in her run we could have talked more about gender.  In the end she has made one hell of a Secretary of State.

We had the great pleasure to meet with Paty Politizer, who recently released Bachelet’s biography. She shared with us an example of the sexist comparisons Bachelet endured early in her presidency. The attacks against her when she came into office were purely personal. They constantly questioned her ability. She was held to a different standard. One example was that when her daughter was hospitalized for a very serious neurological issue Bachelet cut her meetings short and rescheduled a number of events. The press immediately commented that this is exactly what the country should expect of a woman putting her family first when she needs to run a country.  Years prior Lagos, the president preceding Bachelet’s mother in law feel ill and he rearranges his schedule for some time.  The press came out saying what a great son he was.  Sound familiar ladies. Women get portrayed as weak for making the same decisions that men make even if they are for the same reasons.

The most important lesson of the leaders I have met that have been successful is the connection to their femininity. The ability to connect, mentor, support, make critical decisions and the ability to be inclusive. I heard over and over- do not try to be like a man or lead like a man. That does no service to you and the other women who will come behind you.

Unfortunately I did meet with some more conservative minded women. In those experiences and meetings I observed that we as women can be the harshest on other women. Closing the door on opportunities. Separating women by class and not making way for other women and finally wanting to say they are no difference between men and women and that woman should be measured in the exact same way. In those experience I found it very masculine to hold the pwer and not share.

I will return energized with much greater resolve and understanding of my gender and its tremendous influence on my leadership.  I am grateful for the women I have met, the observations both progressive and conservative and I am proud of the way in which I have owned my femininity.

Buenos Aires (BsAs)

Robert and I arrived in Buenos Aires on Monday at 4pm and since then we have both been on the go.  I have attended a number of really excellent meetings and met with a number of the Argetine Fellows who are remarkable. My meetings here have included meetings with a wide range of strong and influential women in Argentina.

Most interesting is that Argentina has an election quota law to increase the number of women in elected positions.  They have an interesting electoral process and once the primary top position is chosen you vote for a party and the list of candidates for all the positions. We met with 2 congress women who were recently elected, both in their 30's both very capable and clear that their opportunity presented itself due to the quota law and that being elected is passing the first hurdle.

Originally the quota law resulted in the wives, lovers and friends of the male senators and congressmen being elected so in the beginning women were not taken as seriously.  This has changed dramatically. Another very interesting observation is that everyone we have met with speaks openly about the corruption in the government and the corruption runs very deep. Many NGO's refuse to take government funding because they do not want to be indebted to particular parties who then expect votes from the constituents who utilize their services. Even the Congress members we talked to openly talked about the corruption in government.

The President her Christina Kirchner is a complete contrast to Bachelet. She as described by many we have met with as ruling with more of an iron fist and makes decisions unilaterally. She as many has says "tries to rule to much like a man". In addition all speak to her and her husband corruption. But when you ask about her running again many say that it is likely that she will win. Some say because of lack of opposition and other say because of corruption and buying votes.

On a highly positive note the women are much more liberated here in Argentina but nothing like the United States. I have met with a broad spectrum of women (heads of NGO's, politicians, owner of a multi media company, journalist, and advocates) and all have a similar language about the progress of women in leadership and the importance of the quota law. Another high note is the recent presidential election in Brazil which resulted in another female president in South America. Coincidence that the three countries I have visited have elected female?? I think not. 

From a tourist perspective BsAs is very much like Paris, NYC and Madrid rolled into one city.  You walk every where. There is the most amazing shopping, coffee, food and wine everywhere. The women and men have a strong fashion sense. And the shoes....I could go on and on about the shoes.

Un abrazo fuerte,

Final meetings in Santiago

The end of my third week in Santiago was busy, busy.  There were a ton of really great meetings and we had a few really long days. I thought I would highlight some of the standouts.

Patricia Politizer: She is an author and was for years on national public TV in Chile. Most recently she just completed and released a biography on Bachelet (out this week) we had coffee with her and she shared with us her motivation to write the book and examples of Bachelet's leadership in office.  She confirmed much of what we had heard to date. It was not a shock that Bachelet won but rather her coming into office and the compostion of her cabinet that was about 50% women. She was treated very poorly in her first six months as president and there were a ton of personal attacks.  It took about 6-8 months for Bachelet to become comfortable with the idea of serving as president and she also made some radical changes to her cabinet.  She is said to be a leader that owned her decision, owned her mistakes and asked for understanding.  This of course was a tremendous departure from what the Chilean people are use to.  I would argue we as Americans are also not familiar with this kind of leadership and many of our leaders even after their time in office can rarely admit to mistakes they made. This meeting was fun and entertaining. The book is Michelle Bachelet President in a Land of Men. It is the first book out about Bachelet post her presidency.

Carlina Toha: President of the PPD part in Chile. She was just recently elected and prior to that she served  as a parlimentarian.  Like many progressives she lost loved ones to Pinochet. She was an extrodinary feminist who spoke about the challenges the Concepcion Coalition is facing. The Coaltion is comprised of the 4 progressive policitical parties. It is refreshing that you can truely know where people stand in terms of if they are far left, left, center left etc. It makes you realize why there is so much unrest in our political parties and how no candiate can truely make a political party happy. In any event she talked about how complacent the coaltion had become after 20 years of holding the majority and the Presidency. While the Progressive led the Conservattives organized and trained the next generations. Sound familiar to the training and organizing of the Republicans.  She talked about the social and economic challenges of women getting into politics and the great personal sacrafices they make.  Many are seperated and based on the challenges and expectations of women in Chile it is generally women of financial means that can engage in politics. She could be a future Presidential candidate.

Julia Herrara: Principal of a comprehesive school Pre-K through 12th grade. there are over 2000 students who attend the school and the school is located in a very poor neighborhood in Santiago and the children come from very high risk families including a large number of youth that are system involved.   This prinicpal is a god sent to the students and the community. The building and resources are amazing and the vision and leadership of this principa are amazing.  They have only 11% Truancy and the majority of students go on to higher education or sustaining careers. Julia loves these students as her own children and a huge part of the vision of the school is not just to teach them skills but to teach them to respect themselves as individuals.  I was so struck by how much all of the teachers cared for the children.  The school opens its door to the community on weekends and through the entire summer as most families in the area can not afford vacations and the schoool has a pool, many soccer fields and playgrounds.  This was an oasis in the community and the principal was a true leader in the trenches.

I promise more later in terms of reflecting on what Bachelet's presidency meant to Chile and some lessions I have gained about the benefits, challenges and realities of being a women and a leader.

Tremor- Earthquake

This entry will not be as nearly as profound as reflecting on feminism, political parties and government but rather the reality of living in a beautiful country that lays on a fault line. Since my arrival there have been reports that there were two very mild tremor (earthquakes). I did not feel these at all. Today however is another story.

During a meeting today the women we were meeting with looked at Cherelle and I and asked us if we could feel "it". I said "what". The answered "the earth".  Once I concentrated a bit you could feel a sensation like a vibration and for you lady friends of mine, think of the massage chairs when you get a pedicure and there is the mild vibration. So at first I was like wow cool I am in Chile experiencing my first earthquake. Then my heart sank into my stomach because the vibration became a short shake followed by another stronger shake and returned to a vibration and then ended. Cherelle and I held hands and the women we were meeting with were calm and told us not to worry. 

To put in perspective it all lasted no more then one minute. There were many feelings and reactions one can have in one minute. After that minute it was business as usual.  I was struck by the very matter of a fact way that everyone handle "it". To them it was a very mid tremor to me it was an earthquake. I was like does anyone else need a moment here or was I the only dramatic one that saw her life flash before her eyes in Santiago (okay a little dramatic but trying to share the craziness of my emotions at the time).

Interestingly enough it was totally a calm reaction there were no alarms, no leaving the building, just wait till it is over and return to business as usual.  I thought about the over reaction we would have in the states: once it was safe- everyone would need to evacuate the building, engineers, firefighters would need to determine it safe to return inside. People rushing to their children's school etc.

Well let's just say that it is not an experience I would like repeat- but an experience to remember none the less.

We have talked quite a bit with those everyone about the earthquake in February. It occurred at approximately 3:30am- so many folks were in bed at the time. The strength and duration of the earthquake was what folks share with you.  many explain not being able to move because every time you tried to stand up you just feel down and it felt like it was never going to end.

With the earthquake, the miners, a history of building a democracy from a dictatorship the Chilean people are incredibly resilient and strong.

MEMCH Movimento Pro-Emancipation de la Mujer Chilena

Today I had the most amazing and inspiring meeting with the co directors if MEMCH. Both have been co-directors since 1983 and are keepers of the organizational history.  Both women were exiled during the Pinochet regime (12-13 years) but returned prior to the end of his regime and participated at great personal risk in civil disobedience.

The organizations roots and history began in 1935 in the midst of an economic crisis. The group was formed by women to address equal rights, women in the work force and reproductive rights (consider that the discussion of reproductive rights occurred prior to much of the common contraception we use today). At the time it was a national organization and represented women of all classes.

The organization has a well respected and known history in Chile, as it was famous for forging the leadership and advocacy for women’s right to vote.  In 1947 women received the right to vote in local elections and subsequently in 1949 they received the right to vote in national elections. We saw photos in the Congressional building of MEMCH’s marches and protest.

The organization in its wisdom took a tremendous shift in acknowledging that the right to vote would not be enough and that once democracy and voting was a right for women they did not want women’s rights to be forgotten. Their motto was Democracy in the Country, Democracy in the Home. I shared with the leaders the sign that I have hung in my office since I received it as a gift in 1999 Sin Mujeres no hay Democracia (Without Women there is no Democracy). Now isn’t that the truth.

I must share the public and often secretive acts of civil disobedience they would perform during the Pinochet regime. Both women were arrested multiple times during these years. They would dress in all black and have signs with the names of individuals and colleagues killed by Pinochet’s regime. The would also create banners with the names of those who had died and they would hang the banners in the main square and throw red dye into the fountains so they would flow red like blood. They marched to one of Pinochet’s military bases and demanded his resignation. Finally, in the dark of night they renamed a street from Calle Septiembre Once (September

11^th Street

) to

Salvador Allende Street

. So little history lesson for context of what this means. Salvador Allende was a socialist President elected in 1970 and on September 11, 1973 there was a military coup lead by Augusto Pinchet where La Monda (equivalent to the White House) was bombed and Allende died.

What was amazing about these women is that they are still doing this work and are passionate as ever.  They have been very clear in their resolve that the emancipation of women is focused on empowerment and that they are not fighting against man but rather the systems. They both spoke of being immensely proud of being women.

Today their focus is women’s rights and reproductive health with an emphasis on access to abortion- still completely illegal but common. They also are fighting to ensure that with the new Presidential administration that is very far right that women do not lose too much ground. The new administration has already repealed the ability of midwives to prescribe the morning after pill to women.

These were living legends and lived through this country's most trying times and fought for women along the way.  They are a tremendous inspiration. They were so pleased to see us younger women taking up the torch and they value the necessity of mentoring and humility. I could go on and on about these two women and the tremendous stories they shared.  In the end they provide us with great counsel about moving the work forward and balancing our lives, our love, our passion and our feminism.

I left energized and blessed by the independence and strength that was taught to me by my mother and father and shared with my sisters. Most clearly these lessons were taught by example and a clear direction to ensure that we were always to be respected and we should hold ourselves with tremendous dignity. I carry that now with a husband who is a true partner and supportive of my independence and drive.  We now are attempting to impart these lessons to LOLA- the next generation feminist!

En La Lucha,

Mapuche: Chile's largest Indigenous Community

Chile has a rich indigenous community comprised of nine communities (tribes). They do not refer to them as tribes but rather communities.  The largest of the nine is the Mapuche people. They along with the eight other communities are the original inhabitants of this area of South America and have survived the conquistadors, colonization and westernization.

The Mapuche as with similar indigenous groups have suffered conflict with the government over land rights and the ability to self govern. Mapuche do not consider themselves Chilean (as reported by them). During our time here there has been a small number of Mapuche that were imprisoned for crimes and being tried as terrorist. The imprisoned Mapuche are on a hunger strike as they do not want to be judge under this law. The new government administration has called for Mesas de dialogo (dialogue tables/round tables)

Over the last several days we have met with the Mapuche people in the Cities of Temuco, Chochol, Pucon and a far rural section of Temuco. This included a very formal government meetings and visits and an unexpected rare excursion to a rural Mapuche community. The Government has a Presidential Office that manages all Indigenous affairs it is called CONADI. The Director of CONADI and other staff members are Mapuche. During our visit with CONADI we met a wonderful staff member who agreed to take us to a community who is fighting to regain rights to their land that was taken from them.

The visit to the rural community was extraordinary. We met with about 20 community members (men and women equally represented) who were attending a community meeting to discuss their next steps in reclaiming their land.  They were incredibly gracious host. Almost all of them had never met anyone outside of Chile and had never met an American. They were very surprised that we made it all the way there to see them. The are remote off of a long strech of direct roads in the mountains. They gave us a tour of their land and showed where private farm owners divided the land. Those who took the land away put a line right through their cemetery. When they harvested the land they had taken from the Mapuche and they reached the cemetery they threw bodies over the fence. The fight for the land is fraught with bureaucracy and the power of the private businesses. Agriculture is the leading business in Chile and they export to all over the world.

This particular community meeting was being run by a woman in the community who is leading the charge.  Woman play a critical role in this community and only a woman can be the Mache: spiritual leader of the community. We also broke bread with both communities we met with. The traditional food for these meetings include sopapillas (fried bread very yummy), hard boiled eggs, mate (herbal bitter tea) that they drop fresh eucalyptuses leaves into, and on special occasions pieces of meat (not always beef: goat, horse, and sheep). I ate one piece of the meat and hoped for the best.

Other interesting dynamics to mention: over the last two weeks in meetings with government officials when we asked about Mapuche people in their systems they reported very low numbers. When we met with the Mapuche people they report very different estimates. The head of the federal police force said their were none and the Director of CONADI stated that the police had 32%. The Director of CONADI agreed there is much education needed in all parts of Chile including the government. The majority of Mapuche people now live in Santiago to try to gain employment as their rural homelands offer very little economic opportunity. A large number of the elders still speak the language and pass it down to their children. I was humbled by their grace and the connection to the world around them.

Finally one of the theories as to why the nine indigenous tribes survived in Chile is that they were communities and not empires. Unlike the Incas, Mayas, Aztecs there was not one leader but rather multiple leaders and the communities were greatly dispersed. Makes you think. It was an honor to meet and share with the Mapuche people.

The Coast of Chile

We celebrated the bicentennial on the coastal town of Cachagua and Zappallar and made it to a very local"s only fair (reminded me of our summer excursions to the Wyalusing State Fair in PA). The traditional part of the celebrations is rodeo with very specific rules for herding calves. The Guasos (Chilean cowboys) ride with these beautiful colorful ponchos that are square shaped and there is much pride in wearing the.  The stirrups that put their boots into are made of carved wood and are very elaborate, the boots they wear crest over their knees and the spurs on the back of their boots are huge.

Aside from the rodeo there is arts and crafts, petty zoo and many food vendors. One of the very yummy thing to eat was called churripan, this is short for chorizo (sausage) in pan (bread), delicious!!!! At the fair the people were so interested in us. Again, this was a very small town. The vendors who served us approached us and talked to us and were surprised by the kind of positions we held in the US that we were so accessible to the public. They talked about the class separation in Chile and how the discussion at the community level is stifled. Also they were in love with Cherelle and her husband (one of the Fellows traveling with me), both of whom are African American.  Most of the people there had not seen an African American person and they believe it is good luck.  Everyone was so wonderful and greeted all of us.  Many told Cherelle and her husband that they made the celebration even more special since they were in their town.

We returned to Chile for a few meetings and headed out to Valparaiso on the central coast to see the National Congress and meet with a new State Representative as well as the Mayor of Valparaiso. It is a gorgeous coastal town.  There are miles of coastal towns and it is so lively. I had the most amazing seafood right from the water.

After our visit with a very right leaning state representative we had a nice encounter with the Mayor and then headed to the Open Community. To digress about the Right sided Representative meeting was nuts. The scary part is that he is very young and very handsome so an up an coming politician. He has serious view about the institution of marriage the role of women in the formative years of children etc.  I almost came out of my skin.  He was not apologetic but very clear and honest about his positions.  It was a very unique experience to engage a conservative about the role of women and women leaders.  It was not an argument but and discussion and clearly we were on opposing sides.

Okay back to Open Community.  Which by the way you can google as Open Community, Valparasion. This is a highly progressive, intentional community developed by artist and acrchitechs.  This place is so difficult to describe and needs to bee seen in person. We met with the couple who are among the founders. It is an enormous piece of land on the ocean, there are 12 homes, an out door amphitheatre, out door chapel, tons of sculptures and an extraordinary cemetery.  It has been operating for close to 40 years and the founders have lived there since the beginning.  No one member owns any private property, all decision and constructions are made by consensus. They created an architectural university. The designs for the houses are extraordinary. It is constantly toured now by people from all over the world. The founders Eugenia and Jose are extraordinary and Jose is a famous sculptor.

Unfortunately I can not upload my photos on this lap top, but I promise a great slide show when I return.

Fiestas de Padres/ Celebration of Founding Fathers (Independence Day)

The 18th and 19th Chile celebrates 200 years of independence unlike other years this is the bicentennial and the City is completely decorated.  A large number of folks flee to the coast to celebrate. This year all business are shut down Friday to Monday. I went to the grocery store yesterday and it was a mob scene- carts full of meat.   It is a total meat and seafood fest here.Chileans are know for their pork products and seafood- some stuff I have never seen before.

When I say shut down I mean a ghost town.  I woke up this morning to go for a short run.  I must digress for a moment to describe the tranquility and calm of my run this morning it really was a gift.  It was about 67F so perfect running weather. It is just the start of spring and all the flowers were in bloom there was a lot of dew for the early crisp air and the smell of gardenias and juniper were so fragrant. I felt like I was running through a perfume commercial. While my apartment is in a commerical district it only takes about 5 blocks to get into the residential areas with the gardens.

So back to the ghost town-There was no one on the street. Occassionally I came across an elder watering their yard and would get an odd look. I have not seen another runner since I have arrived- that may explain the looks.

Just the other day on the same run The traffic was at a snails pace and the sidewalks in the commerical district were shoulder to shoulder. Today no cars- a few buses and not one business open.  I mean it not a one. I thought I was on a movie set and showed up for the wrong day of production.  I could not believe it- even the restaurant at the Radisson Hotel across the street was closed. It reminded me of when I was very little in Florida on Christmas day where nothing would be open.  Here not even the equivalent to WAWA is open.  Can you imagine???

We leave in one hour to Zappallar on the coast about 2 hours away from Santiago. Will tell you all about it when I sign back on, on Monday.

Abrazos,

Women Leaders in Male Dominated Fields

Met today with two associate sub secretaries for the Ministry of Defense.  This is the equivalent of Deputy Secretariess for the Secretary of Defense in the US.  The Sub Secretary is responsible for the Police, army, navy and all military branches.  They have only one police force that is centralized through the Federal government.
The new leader for the Ministry of Defense is a women, in her early 30's and the two associate sub secretaries we met with today were in their 20's. It was really incredible to meet these young women in Executive level positions.  They spoke about the difficulty of being taken seriously in a male dominated environment and the challenges for women in all areas of defense. They did say that Bachelet helped them think differently about their career path and focus on being recognized for their skills and not looks.
Since Bachelet women have been highly successful in gaining elected positions. Most women who run for office win.
Finally we took a tour of the office and above the desk of the sub secretary was the original note sent by the Miners on September 17th indicating that they were safe and in the shelter.  It gave me chills to see and read it knowing the government is work to rescue them.  They say having it up is an inspiration to work harder. The note in red ink was so profound and so simple. (took a photo to share but not working right now)

Llego/Arrived

Landed 8:30am in Chile- thankfully no time change, just horribly tired from the long flight.  I spent two nights in a hotel that unfortunately did not have Internet access so I felt completely disconnected.  But now I am live. I have had three days of really wonderful meetings. Plus I did a wee bit of shopping- it is freezing here, had to!

Chile is such an interesting country that is a true blend of my experiences in Central America and Spain.  Some areas are very colonial and where I am staying is very similar to Madrid with many high rises, trendy restaurants, shops for your every need. The contrast is significant from neighborhood to neighborhood.

I am already struck by how well the NGO's are connected to the Government and how thoughtful they are in the creation of programs. Oddly enough while they consider themselves a conservative country, mostly from social and moral aspect (Abortion is completely illegal in all cases) they have so many structures in place that blow us away.  Example the pill (oral contraception) is completely free with your public benefits and a sliding scale for all women.  Sex education is common place in schools. The big debate currently is whether or not the morning after pill should be available free.  Also while abortions are completely illegal there are a large network of doctors who perform abortions and if they are caught the penalty is minor.

They also recently passed a juvenile law that ensure that 14-17 years are not tried as adults.  Again in the instances of adolescents the NGO's we met with work closely with the government to receive the referrals directly from Juvenile court to work with the adolescents. They consider the work with adolescents as a responsibility of social inclusion and social responsibility.

There is an amazing organizations (SERNAM) that is a part of the Federal government and there role is to promote the equality of women.  The current sub secretary reports to the Presidential Executive Cabinet level.  The current sub secretary was named by the president himself. Can you imagine a federal office with a budget to promote equality! They describe Chile's women movement as before Bachalet and after Bachelet.

I also met with clients at an intensive (9am-5pm) outpatient treatment facility.  This was an amazing place.  The clients are 100% part of the planning and operations of the center and the staff share in all that happens.  they prepare meals together and eat with the women.  The love and support this staff had for the women brought me to tears.  In Chile women are highly stigmatized for using drugs and are completely cast out of their communities.  I could go on and on about this program.  It was a true integration of client centered approach and teaching women to return the environments that influenced their use.  The founder is the wife of a Senator who we met and 100% committed to these women and raising funds for services.

Finally this weekend is Chile's independence day.  Not just any independence day- the bicenntenial.  With a year that has included an earthquake and the miners it is an especially special time here in this courty.  There are flags every where and wonderful signs of unity.  The symbol of the flag to them at this time they feel represents strength and unity to carry on, en la lucha!

I miss Lola and Robert terribly but have find even the short time I have been here very humbling.

besos y abrazos

I'm leaving on a jet plane.....

Woke up to rain and overcast skies in Philly, after a few glorious days. Thought the weather was a perfect reflection of my mental state.  The rain is so needed with the heat and drought we have been experiencing and the rain made it quite mellow and little melancholly. So  like the weather I am excited about this needed adventure and anxious about my pending departure only a few hours away. I have all the essentials, I think. Electronics, books, itinerary, underwear and not nearly enough shoes on purpose.

Last night Lola asked me who is staying with me? I explained again the series of adults who are at her beck and call.  This first round is her Papi, Jessica (the best au pair ever), and Aya (Lola's grandmother). After running through the list of caregiver, to this Lola responded "bueno". And I as I write this Lola just ran over to give me kiss.

My next entry will be from Santiago. I arrive Monday morning at 8:00am and have my first meeting at 11:00am at a recovery program from adults who are struggling with addictions. After a meeting with the director we are having lunch with the residents.

Hasta lluego,

Visas and shoes

I was thrilled to come home and find our visas to Brazil.  During my time in South America Robert and I will make a short trip to Iguassu Falls on the border of Argentina and Brazil.  We are staying on the Brazilian side. Check out Hotel Das Cataratas on line where we will be staying.

The packing is coming along slowly but surely.  The highs in Chile and Argentina are in the mid 60's  with lows in the 40's at night so trying to figure out the best clothing options.  The best idea from Rob so far- "don't bring a lot of shoes, you know you will buy shoes there."  So friends I think that is the official fair game for shoe extravaganza in SA.

I also received the first round of my schedule for the three weeks in Chile.  Can't wait to share! I have some wonderful meetings planned and two in country trips that look just amazing- including the opportunity to meet with Community Leaders and agencies working with Indigenous communities in the lake region.

Finally I had a really wonderful get together with my friends at one of my very favorite place in Philly- las Cazuelas. Alfredo was a wonderful host to us, the food and company was fabulous, and my favorite is the Beth made it into the filming of a comercial. Perfect.

Getting Ready

Exactly three weeks till my departure to South America. Finalizing some planning on the home front and trying not to stress too much about the packing and time apart from family and friends.  Just realized that my four year starts her first days of her new school on my first day in Santiago, Chile. I am very sad to miss her first day and yet at the same time there is something special that she and I are embarking on life changing events on the same day. One feminist finding her way and a pint sized feminsit beginning her journey.

Still looking for advise for anyone who has traveled for buisness for five weeks.  Tips?