I think that perfect solidarity is almost impossible to find in any community, with any issue. Nonetheless, in reflection on my three projects, I will rank the solidarity of the issues I work with from greatest to least.
I find the most solidarity has to do with the protection of children’s identity, security, and privacy online. I can’t recall any interaction that I have had here, or anywhere, that negates this belief.
Following child safety online, I find that the work that I do at Campo de la Ribera is fairly undisputed. Most locals recognize the effects of the dictatorship on their citizens including the kidnapping, torture, and murder of countless citizens. However, as I said, solidarity is likely impossible to find. The current president denounces that the dictatorship ever occurred and alludes to a “civil war” instead of the illegal kidnapping and torturing of citizens that occurred. (To further bury the evidence of the truth, the president is defunding and closing the clandestine centers around Argentina that are now home to museums that commemorate the space and the loved ones lost).
Finally, and most controversial regarding solidarity, is the work that I do with the homeless. With the economic crisis at hand, it is understandable and common that families or individuals find themselves in impoverished situations. However, the multigenerational impact of constant economic despair has for some, emphasized that it is more important to teach a man to fish rather than feed him for a day. Especially because, in this day and age, the economic crisis has lasted more than a day, in fact, several decades. Because of the number of people who have experienced economic barriers, many people both support and dislike the work I do. Those in support believe that such resources should exist, and recognize that with such economic instability, a country should provide resources to sustain its people. (I will comment that the quality of support is nothing like I have seen in the United States. The food people provide is food that the workers and volunteers, including myself, also want to eat. The homeless are provided a heated, warm space with a TV and have access to a mattress to sleep on. When it’s cold, the homeless have extended access to sleep in government-funded hotels, if they follow government rules which include bathing and staying sober. Beyond the immense literal resources they are provided, how they are being intellectually treated is unlike anything else. Instead of being referred to as “homeless” they are referred to as “personas en situacion de calle”, which roughly translates to “people in homeless situations”. This title is to evade condescending language and empower them to do and hope for the better. Beyond the title, workers know the names and personalities of many of the homeless. They are not afraid to touch or talk to them, emphasizing the humanity of the work). Nonetheless, others having been in a similar economic crisis, believe that having a smaller safety net encourages people to aspire for themselves. They believe that hitting rock bottom or the real possibility of it is the only way up. It is very common, not unlike the United States, that generations are stuck in poverty. However, unlike the United States, Argentina provides a vast variety of resources that often impoverish American people. The best examples are the health care and education the state provides. Cancers that often push Americans into thousands of dollars of debt are cured here for free. Even more considerable is the price and availability of a quality education. (In America the literacy rate for adults is 79% and $108,584 is the average price for a four-year college education, which often unlocks the most reliable and accessible form of job security for Americans. With the amount of economic crisis in Argentina, the literacy rate is astonishingly 99.51% and the cost of a college education is a whopping zero dollars). Some believe that these examples are the reasoning in which they do not fully support the amount of physical and economic support the government provides.
The truth is that there is controversy behind every issue. Solidarity does not exist, and it is very evident. In comparison, some issues weigh more than others, obviously striking my interest. I hope to continue my understanding of these controversial topics in my remaining time. Thanks for reading!
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