Yesterday was an exceptional day. I had my first one-on-one interview with an OPD leader. He was very helpful and shared his story with me, I will not go into any details of that here, but his testimony and answers to my questions will be very helpful for my thesis analysis.
After our conversation, he invited me to stay for a meeting with an NGO and other leaders to coordinate a march that will take place next Friday (July 17th). This march happens every year as a commemoration of the creation of the Law 387, which is the centerpiece of Colombian legislation on forced displacement. The law was enacted in 1997 and was the result of a collective effort by scholars, government entities, the Red Cross, and UNHCR, among others. It outlines the rights of the displaced population, the responsibilities of the government, and designed a plan of action to tackle the problem of internal displacement in Colombia. Law 387 established the politics of prevention, emergency humanitarian attention, and voluntary return or resettlement of the displaced population among other important issues such as collective action. Friday's march will not just be commemorative, but it will also denounce the fact that although the law is there it has not been honored fully and, in many cases, the rights of the displaced population keep being violated and ignored.
After observing the coordination meeting, there was another meeting, this time it was of the MOPDM (Mesa de Organizaciones de Poblacion Desplazada de Medellin), which is the table of Organizations of Displaced Population in Medellin. There are over 30 OPDs that participate in the MOPDM, and it was great to be able to witness first hand one of their private meetings. I am very grateful to them for allowing me to observe it.
On that note, I can't stress enough how well received I have been (and my work) among the displaced population. Everyone has been very helpful, and has answered all my questions, and has welcomed me into their organizations and their collective participatory processes, meetings, marches, workshops, etc. Without their willingness to help me, I would not have learned as much as I have thus far.
I must say that it is hard to hear most of my informant's stories, but at the same time I know that by lending a willing ear, my new found friends can unload some of the heartache, and they have shared with me that it helps them to be able to vent and to know that there are people out there who care about their stories and want to help to make them visible. That is one of the things that is very important to them, visibility.
Last week, I attended another PIU workshop, and I have a small anecdote to share with you. This meeting was held at the city council, and that day (last Friday) there was a very important event, the first re-establishment of land for the displaced population, and many government leaders were there, as well as some international figures. Security was tight, and as always I had my camera in my backpack. Since the event was so "delicate," only the media that had been authorized in advance could enter the building with cameras. Obviously, I wasn't one of them. The guards at the door refused to let me in with the camera and there was nowhere for me to leave it. I was stunned, flattered and honored when one of the displaced persons I have been working with said, "we will not go in until they settle this problem with the camera. If she can't go in, we won't go in either." So, there I was, an anthropology student from Berkeley, with 7 leaders of organizations of displaced population at the door. Their solidarity toward me was moving, and I have to say that everyday I love fieldwork more. I love being around and dealing with people and learning about what they do and why they do it. Luckily the camera problem was settled and all of us went in and spent the day working on the PIU.
What I felt was one of the most interesting things that came out of that particular workshop was realizing that I chose a topic for my thesis that matters a great deal, not just to me, but also to the displaced population. Over and over, leaders would echo how important their community is to them, and how they would not be alive and well without others who are in their same situation. In all the exercises we did, time and again the community would come up as the key player, not institutions or NGOs, they came in second and third, but the community was always first. This is exactly what I have been studying with their help, that cohesion of the community and how displaced persons help each other and how they organize themselves collectively to demand their rights. Friday reminded me why I am here, and it is nice to have that validation, to know that this topic matters, and I feel a huge sense of responsibility. It is up to me to do a good job, and not to let them, or myself down. The issues I am studying are not simple on their own, but the Colombian context makes everything that much more difficult and wrapping one's head around them can be a very daunting task.
For me, the most important part of this is not to allow myself to forget that is a project about people. It will contain their deepest pains and sorrow, and that cannot be utilitized in any way. These are people who have suffered a great deal, but who remain strong, who organize in order to defend and fight for their rights, who have a deep understanding of the problems and dynamics of "the game" they are playing. They are all very aware that this is all very political, and that by staying united, sticking together, they can achieve much more than if they stand alone. As I have said many times before, I don't mean to romanticize internal displacement or it's victims, on the contrary, although I acknowledge their suffering, I want to highlight their actions toward inclusion, equality, and the observance and fulfillment of their rights, not just as humans, but also of the specific rights they have as victims of forced internal displacement.
After our conversation, he invited me to stay for a meeting with an NGO and other leaders to coordinate a march that will take place next Friday (July 17th). This march happens every year as a commemoration of the creation of the Law 387, which is the centerpiece of Colombian legislation on forced displacement. The law was enacted in 1997 and was the result of a collective effort by scholars, government entities, the Red Cross, and UNHCR, among others. It outlines the rights of the displaced population, the responsibilities of the government, and designed a plan of action to tackle the problem of internal displacement in Colombia. Law 387 established the politics of prevention, emergency humanitarian attention, and voluntary return or resettlement of the displaced population among other important issues such as collective action. Friday's march will not just be commemorative, but it will also denounce the fact that although the law is there it has not been honored fully and, in many cases, the rights of the displaced population keep being violated and ignored.
After observing the coordination meeting, there was another meeting, this time it was of the MOPDM (Mesa de Organizaciones de Poblacion Desplazada de Medellin), which is the table of Organizations of Displaced Population in Medellin. There are over 30 OPDs that participate in the MOPDM, and it was great to be able to witness first hand one of their private meetings. I am very grateful to them for allowing me to observe it.
On that note, I can't stress enough how well received I have been (and my work) among the displaced population. Everyone has been very helpful, and has answered all my questions, and has welcomed me into their organizations and their collective participatory processes, meetings, marches, workshops, etc. Without their willingness to help me, I would not have learned as much as I have thus far.
I must say that it is hard to hear most of my informant's stories, but at the same time I know that by lending a willing ear, my new found friends can unload some of the heartache, and they have shared with me that it helps them to be able to vent and to know that there are people out there who care about their stories and want to help to make them visible. That is one of the things that is very important to them, visibility.
Last week, I attended another PIU workshop, and I have a small anecdote to share with you. This meeting was held at the city council, and that day (last Friday) there was a very important event, the first re-establishment of land for the displaced population, and many government leaders were there, as well as some international figures. Security was tight, and as always I had my camera in my backpack. Since the event was so "delicate," only the media that had been authorized in advance could enter the building with cameras. Obviously, I wasn't one of them. The guards at the door refused to let me in with the camera and there was nowhere for me to leave it. I was stunned, flattered and honored when one of the displaced persons I have been working with said, "we will not go in until they settle this problem with the camera. If she can't go in, we won't go in either." So, there I was, an anthropology student from Berkeley, with 7 leaders of organizations of displaced population at the door. Their solidarity toward me was moving, and I have to say that everyday I love fieldwork more. I love being around and dealing with people and learning about what they do and why they do it. Luckily the camera problem was settled and all of us went in and spent the day working on the PIU.
What I felt was one of the most interesting things that came out of that particular workshop was realizing that I chose a topic for my thesis that matters a great deal, not just to me, but also to the displaced population. Over and over, leaders would echo how important their community is to them, and how they would not be alive and well without others who are in their same situation. In all the exercises we did, time and again the community would come up as the key player, not institutions or NGOs, they came in second and third, but the community was always first. This is exactly what I have been studying with their help, that cohesion of the community and how displaced persons help each other and how they organize themselves collectively to demand their rights. Friday reminded me why I am here, and it is nice to have that validation, to know that this topic matters, and I feel a huge sense of responsibility. It is up to me to do a good job, and not to let them, or myself down. The issues I am studying are not simple on their own, but the Colombian context makes everything that much more difficult and wrapping one's head around them can be a very daunting task.
For me, the most important part of this is not to allow myself to forget that is a project about people. It will contain their deepest pains and sorrow, and that cannot be utilitized in any way. These are people who have suffered a great deal, but who remain strong, who organize in order to defend and fight for their rights, who have a deep understanding of the problems and dynamics of "the game" they are playing. They are all very aware that this is all very political, and that by staying united, sticking together, they can achieve much more than if they stand alone. As I have said many times before, I don't mean to romanticize internal displacement or it's victims, on the contrary, although I acknowledge their suffering, I want to highlight their actions toward inclusion, equality, and the observance and fulfillment of their rights, not just as humans, but also of the specific rights they have as victims of forced internal displacement.
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