Building on the Voices of Latin America book published in January 2019, the authors are back to provide an update on Latin America’s new activism. From Bolsonaro’s presidency and Chile’s estallido social to Colombia’s peace process and regional migratory caravans, we will be discussing Latin America’s developments from the past few years and talking about how social activists have adapted to these new challenges.
The series forms part of the Voices project, and so the testimonies of activists will be at the heart of the seminars. We will catch up with some of the activists and leaders featured in the book as well as hear from new changemakers in pre-recorded interviews. Each seminar will be followed by a Q&A with the speakers and a Latin American activist.
A note: We have taken the decision not to make the COVID-19 pandemic the focus of these seminars. The pandemic has indeed infiltrated every aspect of life during the past year and has taken a disproportionate toll on the underprivileged communities of Latin America. Here, however, we seek to talk about other ongoing and long-term issues that Latin Americans face. LAB is currently producing a Voices project specifically about the impact of COVID-19, which will be publicised and made available in due course.
Schedule
13 March | 3:00-4:30pm | State Violence and Student Resistance
We catch up with Ana Paula Oliveira, from Mães de Manguinhos, Rio de Janeiro. Ana discusses the increased police violence in Brazil’s favelas under Bolsonaro’s presidency, its links with racism, and how her organisation gives mothers political training to fight the epidemic of violence.
We also talk to Narciso Obando, from the popular university Clementina Suarez. Narciso talks about how the university is tackling the key issues that Honduras faces today and what it means for the university to be run by its own students.
We introduce the new Voice of Valentina Miranda, from CONES (Coordinadora Nacional de Estudiantes Secundarios) Chile, who explains the role and motivations of Chilean students in the 2019 social uprising, which led to the current process of re-writing Chile’s Pinochet-era constitution.
Guest Voice: Pavel Nuñez, founder of Universidad Clementina Suárez and voice from The Student Revolution and State Violence, Policing and Paramilitaries chapters.
Speakers: Mike Gatehouse, author of ‘State Violence, Policing and Paramilitaries’ chapter; Emily Gregg, author of ‘The Student Revolution’ chapter; Ali Rocha, author of ‘LGBT Rights, the Rainbow Tide’ chapter.
Book your place here.
10 April | 15:00-16:30 | The Rainbow Tide and Fighting Machismo
8 May | 15:00-16:30 | The Rights of Nature and Indigenous Peoples
12 June | 15:00-16:30 | Cultural Resistance and the City
*All times are UK local time.
For enquiries, please contact emily.gregg@lab.org.uk
Thank you to the Society for Latin American Studies for their generous grant which made this series possible. Thank you also to LAB’s volunteers for their assistance in this project.