Listening to Inca Pacha

A DECREE FOR BOLIVIAN STUDENTS

This morning Education Minister announced a Decree that benefit all Bolivian students. According to this Decree about 160.000 students this year will receive their bachellor diplomas free. In Bolivia, one has to go to school for 12 years: 8 years at primary school and 4 years at secondary school. After that, one receives a diploma, which is an important document to continue studies at the universities.

When I finished school I had to follow a lot of procedures to obtain this diploma: first at my school, then at Education Minister and finally at the local public university. This meant for me to spend a lot of money and a lot of time. I know a lot of people that although they finished school they couldn´t obtain that document mainly because of the lack of money. I remember that all the procedure to obtain that diploma was a complete nightmare in that moment. Situation was worse for students from rural areas because they had to go to the cities to make this procedure.

But, now, according to this Decree, students will receive their diplomas at their schools at the end of school year which is in December. There used to be a lot of complications to obtain this document in the previous years. I think that with this Decree a lot of students will benefit not only this year but also in the future. It is a door that opens an opportunity to continue higher studies.

Other Decree announced by Health Minister, says that from now on, the private and public health insurance covers people until they are 25 years old. Before, health insurance was only until 18 years old. Minister said that this Decree has the objetive that universty students or students from technological and other institutes could benefit with the extension of health insurance.

UNTIE THE COLONY...

"Untie the colony to built the plurinational", says a phrase included in the invitation for a third conference being developed since three months ago within a process of "retrieval of the ideological identity of indigenous movements and leaders".

Last January 25th, more than 51% of the population in Bolivia approved the new Political Constitution which recognizes all the indigenous peoples and afrobolivians. As part of the process of deep changes being held in this country, it was created a Decolonization Viceministry, leaded by an indigenous historian and an afrobolivian woman as one Director of this State office.

According to the invitation, this event will take place July 31, at 18:30 at the Vicepresidency Hall, at Mercado Street in La Paz, Bolivia.

SOME CHANGES

Last days La Paz, Bolivia has been celebrating 200 years of the independence, 1809-2009. However, something important to say is that indigenous peoples were not even allowed to enter the main square of La Paz, Murillo´s Square, during some decades of the Republic. However, along the time, indigenous peoples have been gaining positions in different levels.

INDIGENOUS REBELLIONS

Last June 26th. it was developed a seminar called "Indigenous Rebellions" at the Hall of the Vicepresidency of the Plurinational State in La Paz, Bolivia. Leaded by the Decolonization Viceminister, Roberto Choque Canqui, this was the second activity within a program of six events whose objective is to recover the ideological identity of the indigenous movements and leaders in Bolivia.

During his speech, Choque Canqui, briefly described the situation of indigenous peoples. "Since ancient times, indigenous peoples were owners of theirs lands in community, but with the arrival of invaders they started to lose them. This situation, got worse and worse with the time. Later, in 1874 the Government promulgated a law which would allow indigenous families to own lands individually. This law produced a lot of conflicts within the communities because before that law, ownership was in common ant they were accustomed to live that way. Taking advantage of the application of that law of 1874, strange people, with the help of local authorities, started to take lands from indigenous families by force and then, to keep these families as slaves, making them work without any salary. This situation, would produce frequent rebellions in different towns in rural areas of La Paz, Cochabamba, Potosí. Other reason to rebel during decades was the demand for schools for their children". Here, I have to point out that for years there was a high degree of illiteracy in indigenous adult men but mostly in indigenous young and adult women. In March 2006, President Evo Morales, inaugurated a big campaign to teach all illiterate people in Bolivia how to read and write. The first part of this program ended last year and this year started the second part and according to President Morales, this will continue with other steps.

GRAN PODER PARADE IN LA PAZ, BOLIVIA

Last Saturday it was developed one of the biggest parades in Bolivia. It is "Gran Poder" Parade which takes place every year in La Paz, Bolivia. About 58 groups participate in this parade starting in the neighborhood called Cementerio dancing kilometers and kilometers until to arrive to downtown. It generally starts early in the morning about 7:00am. and ends 2:00am. on Sunday. Each group of dancers aproximately dances about five or six hours from the beginning until the end of the route.

Generally, a big part of the citizenship participates in this event. This year, President Evo Morales accompanied this celebration too together with other autorities.

An author refers that during 1600, it was accustomed to make Inti Raymi (Celebrations to the Sun) celebrations in the Andes using lots of gold, silver and mullu (a kind of subtance used in rituals). As in the past, during Gran Poder parade female dancers used to have earings and ornaments made of gold.

Different kind of dances can be seen during this parade. Cullaguada, Llamerada, Caporales, Morenada, Diablada, Tinkus, Tarqueada and others.

AFRODESCENTS IN BOLIVIA

Last Monday May 18th. it started a Meeting of Afrodescendants that arrived to South Americas during colonial times. During three days they had the possibility to share the situation of afrodescendants in Bolivia and in other countries. In the bolivian case, the State Constitution approved last January 25th, 2009 recognizes all the rights of the afrobolivian people. I was something expected for a long time by afrobolivian because they were never included before in any Constitution, what is more, during the last census in 2001 there were not taken into account.

Yesterday, President Evo Morales, went to Chijchipa, one of the communities mainly inhabited by afrobolivians. There, he assured that in the next Plurinational Assembly afrobolivians would be included. Other important step is that since last March, an afrobolivian woman, Mónica Rey, for the first time in the history of Bolivia is responsible of a Direction that works towards the elimination of Racism and Discrimination.

There are different tools that afrodescendants have been using in order to ask for their rights. In Bolivia, it has been music and dance. As soon as they play their music, people accompanies them dancing. As afrobolivians say, they have opened doors with their art.

I INDIGENOUS CONGRESS 1945

228 years ago, May 18, 1781 one of the indigenous leaders Tupak Amaru, his family, his wife and his nearest followers were killed in front of a huge quantity of people. Amaru and his wife Micaela Bastidas before being killed, had to see how the other prisoners were killed. Some of them were hanged, other were cut their tongues before being hanged.

It seems to be a long time, however, from generation to generation the history of our leaders is kept in the memory of our peoples. As last January 25, it was approved in Bolivia a new Political Constitution where all the indigenous peoples in Bolivia are recognized, it is very important than younger generations know about our history to preserve our identity.

So, last Thursday it began a serie of conferences called "Retrieval from ideological identity from Bolivian movements and indigenous leaders", whose first conference was about the I Indigenous Congress celebrated in 1945. This Congress in 1945 was developed with the participation of the President of the Republic, Gualberto Villarroel. Since that time, it is the first time that the Plurinational State supports the realization of a conference to remember the Indigenous Congress. During the opening ceremony Vicepresident, Alvaro Garcia Linera, remarked the importance of these types of events taking into account that all the indigenous peoples are now included in the Constitution. Two historians were in charge of explaining the context, the development and the results of this Congress in 1945. But, I think that one of the main conclusions of this conference was to develop the II Indigenous Congress in the future.

MELODIES FROM QUECHUAS

Norte Potosi is the name of a group that belongs to quechua indigenous people located in the south part of Bolivia, Potosi. They write and sing their songs both in their mother language, Quechua and Spanish.

PRESIDENT EVO MORALES, AN INFLUENTIAL LEADER

This midday May 1st. at Murillo´s Square President Morales took part in the celebration of labour day. During his speech, he congratulated the bolivian workers and signed a number of decrees that favor their situation as a labour force. Later, in the afternoon, we knew through the magazine Time, that President Morales, is the 10th. more influential people in the world according to the votation process received through this magazine.

According to this maganize, he received 1,477.789 votes which allowed President Morales to become one of the most influential people.

DAY OF PACHAMAMA, OUR MOTHER EARTH

A river crosses the south part of La Paz. This river used to be clean but now, it is polluted with chemicals that some industries throw to it. I think something similar or perhaps worse happens in other parts of the world.

How different it is to be in the middle of a blue sky and a blue lake, than to be in front of a polluted sky and a polluted river.

We are on time to do something for our pachamama, our mother earth.

Andean indigenous cultures call pachamama to the earth and it is perceived as a mother since, she provides all of us all we need to live.

PRESIDENT EVO MORALES ON HUNGER STRIKE

Since yesterday morning, April 9th., President Evo Morales Ayma is on hunger strike at the Government House at Murillo´s Square in La Paz, Bolivia. Today he said that he will continue on strike together with leaders of Conalcam and Cob which represent the most important organizations in Bolivia until the Congress aproves the transitory electoral Law. According to transitory dispositions of the new Bolivian Constitution Congress had 60 days to approve the electoral law. This time limit finished last Wednesday April 8th.

For more than 20 hours members of the Congress were debating without arriving to a decision, and members of the Senate integrated mostly by members of the opposition decided to abandon the session last Thursday night. It was supposed to reinitate session this morning but it was suspended because members of the opossiton were absent, however, it was declared other interval until seven o´clock today Friday 10th.

Today, at aproximately 14:00 President Morales said the aproval of the Electoral Law is important since it will allow to develop elections next December 8th. If approved this law, next December bolivians will be electing members of the first Plurinational Assembly according to the new Constitution. Other important aspect of the Electoral Law is that it will allow for the first time the vote of bolivians living abroad.

Social organizations are expecting what is going to happen this evening. Meanwhile, aproximately 30 groups of hunger strikers have been installed in different cities of Bolivia in support to the decision taken by President Morales and to demand the approval of the Electoral Law.

JALQAS DANCE FROM NORTH POTOSI

Music and dance that belong to the northern part of Potosí. Potosi is one of the cities of Bolivia. They are singing using quechua, one of the indigenous languages in the bolivian Andes.

MEETING NAVIGATING TITICACA LAKE

Yesterday, early in the morning President Evo Morales, Vicepresident Alvaro Garcia, all the Ministers and Viceministers departed from Tiquina Strait to Sun Island in Titicaca Lake on a ship built by the loca navy. The purpose of this travel along the Lake was twofold. For one part, to promote the Titicaca Lake as a natural wonder of the world and for other part, to work in order to decide some policies that could help empoverished population.

During the whole day in downtown La Paz, people were voting for Titicaca Lake and at Sun Island President Morales and all the State autohorities voted too. According to results, this Lake is occupying the first place in the category F about rivers and lakes. If you want to collaborate with your vote you can follow the link Titicaca Lake.

As mentioned, three resolutions were taken as a result of the meeting developed along the travel. One is the Decree about creation of the National Council of Cultures. Other Decree is concerned with a bonus to be given to pregnant women and to children between 0-2 years. During, his speech President Morales, remarked the decolonization process that is living Bolivia and an important part of this process is to recover the knowledge, history, literature, music and dance left by our ancestors.

Titicaca Lake has a special energy, energy which I hope could have filled in the hearts of our governors to continue working to benefit all the bolivian population.

Bolivian President in Qatar Summit

Bolivian President, Evo Morales Ayma, participates in the II Summit of arab and latinoamerican countries that takes place in Doha, Qatar. According to the information provided by bolivian chancelor topics of this big event are addressed to talk about cooperation in the cultural, economic, scientific, technological and educational areas. However, one of the most important topics is concerned with alternative proposals to solve problems derived from climate change that is affecting and will affect to all our countries.

Whether here or there, the focus on human beings in our relation to mother land is a central point, since if we continue damaging our planet ¿what will there be for our children in the future?

MINISTRY OF CULTURES

For the first time in the history of Bolivia, culture acquired a important place within the structure of the Bolivian State. Called before Viceministry of Cultures, it became Ministry of Cultures since last February with two Viceministries: Viceministry of Decolonization and Viceministry of Interculturality. A month later, March 6th. members of two indigenous peoples were named as Viceministers, ceremony that took place at Government House. With the presence of President Evo Morales, Vice President, Alvaro Garcia, Minister of Cultures, Pablo Groux, an indigenous aymara historian, Roberto Choque Canqui, and an indigenous quechua economist, Esthela Vargas, were officially designated as Viceministers.

During his speech, President Morales, said that the new authorities have a challenge and huge responsabilities with the country, which seeks to include indigenous peoples and non indigenous people in order to have a unified country. He added that, all of us are native, some are millennial natives in reference to indigenous peoples that inhabited these lands since ancient times and others are contemporary natives.

KALLAWAYA INDIGENOUS PEOPLES

Last Friday March 20th, Kallawaya, one of the ancient indigenous peoples in Bolivia, where visiting La Paz in order to show their products, mainly hand knitted clothes and ornaments. Different communities brought not only their products but also shared their music and dance.

Some years ago, they were declared by Unesco as inheritance of humanity and considering this situation and other aspects, they asked to the Parliament to have a representative within the next Plurinational Assembly which will be elected next year in Bolivia. According to what they say, they expect that their petition could be accepted by parlamentarians.

INDIGENOUS LEADERS

Our most important leaders are Tupak Katari and Bartolina Sisa. Although, it has gone long time, we always remember them because of their strength and courage in their fight against oppression and abuses, against forced labour in the silver mines in Potosi, against all the forced and high payments indigenous peoples had to do to the autorities in those times, before and after March 13, 1781.

Last, March 13th, in different places of El Alto and La Paz, indigeneous organizations developed meetings to remember our leaders.

EL ALTO ANNIVERSARY

Last March 6th. El Alto celebrated its 24th. anniversary. As it happens every year all the social organizations participated in this important event.

MY BLOG´S BIRTHDAY

It is my 85th. post since last year. Last February 28th. Indigenous Bolivia was born far from the place where I live now. Thanks a lot to the people that pushed me to start blogging in English.

From the beginning, I had one idea in my mind, to write about my indigenous origen and my culture. It is very important for me to continue writing about the different events, life, music, dance, etc.

I start a new year, a second year. I feel really happy.

Thank you very much for visiting this blog and you are always welcome.


¡Jallalla Indigenous Bolivia!