On the outer edges of Buenos Aires proper, where the paved streets end and the narrow alleyways of one of Argentina’s largest shantytowns begin, visitors can find the En Haccore soup kitchen. The community endeavor is using renewable energy and the circular economy in an effort to improve quality of life for local residents.
Today, indigenous people in Argentina are struggling to preserve their way of life in a scenario made complex mainly due to conflicts over land. Ninety-two percent of indigenous communities do not have titles to the land they live on. “There are still legacies from the colonial era and the history of exclusion is still highly visible,” explained James Anaya, UN Special Rapporteur on Indigenous Peoples.
Argentina is experiencing an explosion of reports of sexual violence against women and children. “Thanks to the fact that someone broke the silence, I can now talk about what happened,” said actress Thelma Fardín.
The seed was planted more than 20 years ago by a group of indigenous women who began to gather to try to recover memories from their people. Today, women are also the main protagonists of La Voz Indígena (The Indigenous Voice), a unique radio station in northern Argentina that broadcasts every day in seven languages.
Between the dimly-lit, narrow alleyways of Villa 21, a working-class neighborhood in Buenos Aires, more than 50,000 people live in poverty. It was here that La Garganta Poderosa (which means powerful throat), the magazine that gives a voice to the “villeros” or slum-dwellers, was organized. “’Villeros’ don’t generally reach the media in Argentina. Others see us as people who don’t want to work, or as people who are dangerous. La Garganta Poderosa is the cry that comes from our soul,” says Marcos Basualdo, who works at the publication.
Copyright Toward Freedom 2019