Wie-wat-waar en hoe?

Het wordt tijd dat ik ook even het project voorstel waarvoor ik drie maanden zal werken. De organisatie heeft Vima, Vicaria del Medio Ambiente, en heeft zijn hoofdzetel in Jaen (Cajamarca).

Een kleine introductie. Peru heeft een mijncultuur: tweeds in de wereld voor zilver, 3e voor zink, 4e voor lood, 5e voor koper en 6e voor goud. Hiertegenover staat dat een derde van de bevolking actief is in de landbouw. Het zal sommigen al beginnen dagen. Indirect en direct gezien biedt de mijnbouw maar aan een kleine 5% van de Peruviaanse bevolking werkgelegenheid. Bovendien zijn de productie-eisen voor autochtone firma´s te veeleisend en komen ze dus niet in aanmerking om met buitenlandse mijn-multinationals in zee te gaan.

Ten tweede worden de opbrengsten niet opnieuw geïnvesteerd in de gemeenschappen, in behoud van de natuurlijke rijkdommen etcetera. Enkel een luttele 2,6 % gaat naar de Peruviaanse staat, terwijl er 50 % buitenlandse cash reserve is. Daarenboven betaalt Peru zijn lening/ schulden aan de Wereldbank in mineralen.

Momenteel wordt een vijfde van mogelijke rijke grond verkend of geëxploiteerd, maar door de stijgende prijzen van de mineralen is er een echte boost van mijnbouw. Concreet worden 3000 gemeenschappen bedreigd, is er een impact op de biodiversiteit en ecosystemen. Het project Rio Blanco - Majaz, waarbij Monterrico Metals 6500 ha exploiteert, heeft intussen 5 bedreigde diersoorten: de Andes tapir, de majaz (soort grote cavia), de Andes kat, het Andes hert en de brilbeer.

De regio waarin ik me nu bevind is ook rijk aan mineralen, maar Vima ijvert om deze regio, Ayabaca en Huancabamba te laten beschermen als natuurgebied omwille van hun ecologisch belang (nevelwouden zorgen voor waterbekkens en voor proper water).

Gisteren ging ik mee naar een dorpsbijeenkomst met ´ronderos´(boerenvertegenwoordigers van de verscheidene gemeenschappen) om te zien hoe alles aan de man gebracht wordt. Hoog in de bergen, zingende Peruvianen in de auto, rode vlinders, gele vogeltjes, kleurenpalet aan groen, ... Alles tesaam een mooi tafereel.

Some pictures of Lima and my room

my room!

Jaen

The bus trip to Jaen took a little bit longer, the roads were not that good, we had to wait three hours at peaje, we nearly drove a little bit downstairs into the valley ( I am not kidding, even the Peruvians were holding there breaths) because the mist was so bad at some point. One kilometer further all sunny again. But I arrived well, took a mototaxi and could instantly enjoy the hospitality and warmth of the Peruvians.
There was another suprise: a girl from my age from Ghent is volunteering at the same time. Her name is Eva and we already know that the world is small,well it is being demonstrated again: she did an internship at Habbekrats and she and my sister have a similar friend (Selien). Saar, jij moet ze dus kennen?!

Tomorrow I will go to a little village, see their work at the field.

Beso!

Bestolen - Robbed

Dagje in Lima kostte me mijn analoog fototoestel. Ik kan mezelf wel slaan. Had ik de hele dag waarschuwingen gehoord en ze opgevolgd (voor de wijsneuzen onder ons), zet ik me 5 seconden neer om mijn grote rugzak op slot te doen en lap. Iemand gooit een sleutel, ik kijk en raap op en als ik hem afgeef, valt mijn cent (briefje dus). Ik kijk. Te laat. Het is klote dat ik dit toestel kwijt ben, want nu kan ik het niet gebruiken en sleur ik de telelens voor niets mee. Maar veel meer klote is dat ik dat filmpje ook kwijt ben. Geen foto´s van de protesten, onder wie de 2 naakte mannen, en weinig foto´s van de trouw van Queen en Selcuk. Tsss. De volgende drie uren hebben de security agenten rond mij gehangen. De moraal? Tja, wat kon ik doen?
P.S.: Christophe: wel op slot doen, die bagage ;-)

One unexpected day in Lima costed me my analog photo camera. I was being robbed. I had spent the whole day watching out because multiple persons told me to be careful. When I came back into the bus station I wanted to lock my bag. While searching for the key I wasn´t watching for 5 seconds. Somebody throws a key, I look, pick it up and hand it back. On that moment it hits me, I look right but too late... Camera was gone.
That I have lost this camera is shitty, but there were pictures of the protest mars in SF and some from Queen´s wedding. I took one beautiful and I was going to frame and send it. I am truly sorry Queen :-( . For the next three hours security agents stayed next to me... I am fine, there wasn´t much I could do right?

For Turkey: Moralim daha bozulmadi, merak etme

Brief news

Buenos dias a todos!

I have left the States (much easier then getting in) after a really nice week with Queen and Selcuk in San Francisco. I liked this city actually. I should visit a city in the East now in order to compare because I was told it is quite different.

I am in Lima after two flights, a closed door at where I was supossed to sleep (but I was too tired to be frustrated or cry). My visit to the historical center is kind of unexpected, because I thought the bus to Jaen would have been earlier in the day. Lucky me.
I talked to Ricardo (yes in Spanish, wiseguys) , tourist police, and he showed me places to visit because since I had not planned a visit here I took my friend Mr Improvise. So I saw the changing of the guards, the cathedral and some other big building in this huge, crowded city.

In a few days I arrive in Jaen and I will definitely tell you much more then!

un gran beso

San Francisco news

I promised news written in English... :-) For the others: scroll down, there are some impressions I had not yet told you.

I have been a week in SF now and I must say on some points I am surprised and other things are to be confirmed. How can I possibly know that? Well, not staying in a hostel in downtown SF really gives you another view and it has been a priviledge to stay with my friends.

The first day was a day on air full with ridiculous and unlogical customs ' rules and I crossed the ocean in 24 hours but only 12 hours passed when I arrived. That was something interesting. Up to today I attented a baseball game, which I left after one hour because the audiene was sooooooooo calm and boring, I tried to see the Olympic Torch but the San Franciscan police fooled us and all I ever saw were the protesters which was fun as well, because I actually saw two naked men (...) and I went all the way to Muir Woods, a reserved redwood that is celebrating there 100 years as a national monument.
And off course I saw the Transamerica building, the cable car, the crookest street, Chinatown, Pier 39 and its seelions, Alcatraz island, the Mexican quarter, Twin Peaks, the Golden Gate Bridge and Park, ...

But I also have some impressions:

+ On Pier 39 we saw a man with a group of children saying: "You should eat your mini-donuts first in order to get some candy of this bag." It was 10.30 am. And secondly, what is the difference between a donut and candy?
+ the streets seem very quiet and the life seems not stressful and hasty
+ when they build houses they put wood in between walls as a earthquake prevention
+ the streets, even the fancy ones like the Financial District (Embarcadero), are filled with homeless people
+ they sell Belgian beer and Brussels sprouts in Whole Foods Supermarket
+ I did not see smoking in the streets: they can't
+ they even have dog 'bagels'
+ pedestrians are given the way TOTALLY ( A woman pulled back and apoligised to me and let me cross, I however was dreaming and was just waiting for her to pass)
+ I met a man who took a world tour: 4 countries in 5 weeks....
+ 4 dollar per apple! No wonder they eat crappy things.
+ you have to make a play date in order to play with your friends
+ surprisingly little publicity in the streets
+ a lot of educational publicity (about AIDS, environment)
+ I heard a radio publicity on the promotian of special bulbs (spaarlampen in Dutch) and she addressed to the Californian public.
+ the police have a friendly face and expression so you can easily ask them questions (nothing like the UK or some Belgian ones)
+ Whenever a child is nagging parents might say: "Your voice is hurting my ears, please stop it".
+ a child of 5 possesses already an I-pod, tv, games, ....
+ They do have organic food stores or sections in the supermarket. There are two but's: it is rather expensive which results in only upper middle class people able to buying it (and so it becomes a symbol of status). And at the same time they don't recycle garbage...
+ they have a nice sense of humor, well some of them (so that is probably a universal thing)

Today, on my last day, we plan a trip to Berkeley and maybe Oakland. So I'll get back to you!

P.S.: I put pictures on my facebook