Silvia Sarria, ex Directora de Fe y Alegría en Nicaragua, trabajó durante seis años como coordinadora pedagógica en Latinoamérica y otros tantos como educadora popular tanto en ámbitos de educación formal como no formal. Por su experiencia, se convirtió en la invitada de honor de la charla que ofreció la Delegación de Entreculturas en Valladolid a mediados del mes de marzo.

Silvia compartió con todos los asistentes el modelo de desarrollo planteado por Fe y Alegría para América Latina, un modelo basado en la educación popular que potencia no sólo los aspectos sociales, políticos y económicos, sino también los culturales y ambientales, ya que entiende la educación como un elemento transformador y generador de pensamiento crítico. "[Este modelo de desarrollo] no deberá ser una imposición externa, nacerá de las propias necesidades de la comunidad y de modo que no se comprometan a las generaciones futuras", afirmó.

La idea es que todo lo que se ahorre en la partida de este material respecto al año pasado vaya destinado a financiar el proyecto de Atención socio-educativa y sanitaria a huérfanos por causa del Sida.

¿Qué buscamos con esta actividad?

1. Ser los primeros en dar ejemplo a otras empresas e instituciones en el uso racional de ciertos materiales  y consumo energético.
2. Crear hábitos respetuosos con el medio ambiente y encaminados a disminuir el despilfarro y la contaminación.
3. Propiciar la colaboración y el espíritu de equipo entre el personal.
4. Lograr apoyo financiero para uno de nuestros proyectos en el Sur, con el consiguiente impacto positivo en los más desfavorecidos.

Ruth Lázaro, voluntaria de Entreculturas en La Rioja, dio a conocer a los medios de comunicación el proyecto "Capacitación y Formación para el empleo de mujeres de comunidades marginales del sector noroeste de Guayaquil-Ecuador". Este proyecto, ejecutado desde el año 2006, contempla la capacitación y formación para el empleo de 1.000 mujeres que viven en condiciones de extrema pobreza en los asentamientos ubicados al nor-oeste de Guayaquil. La propuesta incluye la construcción de 8 aulas, y la ejecución de 10 cursos de formación y capacitación dirigidos a fortalecer la capacidad productiva y a organizar los microemprendimientos, así como a informar sobre la metodología para la obtención de microcréditos que les permitan concretar sus iniciativas.

El objetivo de este evento -en el que han participado también una profesora y cuatro estudiantes venezolanos- era fomentar la unión de todos estos jóvenes comprometidos a fin de que se conocieran e intercambiaran valores e ideas comunes en torno a la construcción de un mundo más justo y más igualitario. Para ello, tras la inauguración -para la que se contó con la asistencia de Carmen Dolç, Directora General de Cooperación Internacional de la Generalitat Valenciana-, se desarrollaron múltiples talleres en los que los chicos, divididos por grupos, se pusieron de acuerdo en la redacción de un manifiesto: ¿quiénes somos? ¿qué queremos? y ¿cómo vamos a conseguirlo?

Ser niños de la calle en Brasil significa tener que desenvolverse en un contexto de pobreza y de carencia de servicios sociales básicos como alimentación, vivienda, salud, educación, y un largo etcétera que a veces cuesta imaginar. Ser un menino da rua significa, en muchos casos, estar expuesto a un riesgo muy elevado de caer en la ociosidad, en el consumo de drogas y alcohol, en el crimen, la violencia y los abusos. Por otra parte, el vínculo familiar de estos niños y niñas se reduce a la contribución económica a partir de los ingresos que consiguen de actividades como limpiabotas, limpiador de coches o cristales, recogida de cartones y papeles y práctica de la mendicidad.

Se llama Marta Ganso Gutiérrez y es la ganadora del concurso organizado por Entreculturas y Pueblo Inglés a finales del pasado año. Marta es profesora y lleva cinco años trabajando como voluntaria en los equipos de formación de nuestra Delegación de Valladolid. Se enteró de la convocatoria a través de una noticia publicada en nuestro boletín electrónico y no dudó en probar suerte y contestar a la pregunta que se le formulaba: "Who is your uncle's brother's mother's grandchild?". Tras el sorteo que se llevó a cabo entre los acertantes, la respuesta de Marta salió ganadora. El último paso consistió en una entrevista-examen personal con un representante de Pueblo Inglés para la que no tuvo ningún problema. Ahora Marta podrá disfrutar de un curso de inmersión lingüística completamente gratuito durante 8 días en la Alberca (Salamanca).

245 edificios escolares del área rural de Beni fueron destruidos completamente por los desbordamientos de los ríos.

80 unidades educativas fueron arrasadas en el municipio de Moxos, 54 en el de Marbán, 18 en el de Vaca Diez, 25 en Santa Ana, 15 en Ballivián, 15 en Mamoré, 12 en Iténez y 26 en Trinidad, haciendo un total de 245 edificios destruidos.

66 escuelas están rodeadas de agua y requerirán reconstrucción, pues la mayoría se desploma debido a la humedad.

Las escuelas que están en buen estado sirven de albergues y, por su uso intensivo, se están deteriorando rápidamente.

Desde el pasado mes de febrero, todos los hoteles de la cadena mallorquina Barceló Hotels & Resorts dispondrán de bolsas de recogida de teléfonos móviles usados y folletos de información sobre la campaña "Dona tu Móvil" que Entreculturas lleva años impulsando junto a Cruz Roja española. Esto se debe a la firma de un convenio entre dicha entidad y nuestra Fundación, en el marco de una política de relaciones institucionales y responsabilidad social corporativa.

Este Plan, que surgió como un encargo de la Cumbre de Salamanca (octubre de 2005) a la Secretaría General Iberoamericana (SEGIB) y que ha sido elaborado por la Organización de Estados Iberoamericanos para la Educación, la Ciencia y la Cultura (OEI) con el patrocinio de la Agencia Española de Cooperación Internacional (AECI), tiene como objetivo general universalizar -en el menor tiempo posible y, en cualquier caso, antes de 2015-, la alfabetización en Iberoamérica y ofrecer a la población joven y adulta la posibilidad de completar su formación. 

Pro Búsqueda es una Asociación apoyada por Entreculturas que trata de localizar a los niños y niñas desaparecidos forzosamente durante el conflicto armado que vivió El Salvador entre 1980 y 1991. El trabajo de búsqueda del paradero de los hijos e hijas desaparecidos se compagina con una labor de incidencia política para lograr avanzar en la reconciliación y se acabe con la impunidad. Pro Búsqueda cree necesario que el Estado se responsabilice de lo sucedido y que se reinstauren la verdad, la confianza, la libertad de expresión y la justicia.  www.probusqueda.org

Since December, rains have already caused 51 deaths and have affected more than 400.000 people in Bolivia and they are expected to continue until the month of April.

According to experts, due to the climatic phenomenon of El Niño, during January and February it has rained 43% of the total amount that is usual for the whole year. Farmers say that 12.000 sugar cane hectareas are at risk which would mean the loss of around 23 million dollars.

Eight out of the nine Departments are in alert. Infections such as "dengue" have started to show. In addition to destroyed crops, people are witnessing the loss of their cattle. Infrastructures and machinery are destroyed and homes and schools completely flooded. Thousands of children have not been able to start school and "even if the school year is stretched, it will be difficult due to flooding and the changes in school calendars" says Salomón Vargas, director of El Deber newspaper.  Instructions were given to school headmasters in those schools where there are no lessons to continue extra curricular activities with the children so they may continue studying. According to the Emergency Operations Centre, 40% of the affected are boys and girls under 12.

Under the motto "Why we care, Move in Network", the meeting was a platform through which all groups shared their participation experiences in making a fairer world.

After the inauguration, attended by Carmen Dolç, International Cooperation Director of the Valencia Autonomy, many workshops took place to produce a manifesto with the theme: Who are we? What do we want? How shall we obtain it?

The manifesto was read on Sunday at noon in a public event before dozens of citizens. Entreculturas presented its Youth Network Initiative with the aid of the famous Hip hopper El Chojín and dozens of balloons to show that "another world is possible" and it is everyone's responsibility.

To be street children in Brazil means to grow up in a poverty context with the lack of basic needs such as food, housing, medical aid, education and a long etc., sometimes hard to imagine. To be a menino da rua means, in many cases, to be exposed to a high risk of falling into drugs and alcohol, crime, violence and abuses. On the other hand, the family ties of these boys and girls are reduced to economic contribution by activities like shoe cleaners, car or glass cleaners, paper and carton collection or begging.

Fe y Alegría Brazil, a Popular Education Movement supported by Entreculturas, tries to offer this youth opportunities to live experiences that might strengthen them and allow them to be proud of themselves, their origins and their capacities. This Movement works in various areas, such as street rescue, the establishment of ties with adults of reference, setting up work groups with periodic contact and the personal follow up of each menino da rua so as to answer their problems and school, health and family needs.

Refugees regularly face discrimination, but women refugees are particularly vulnerable to discrimination. Forced to flee their homes, refugee women are often exposed to different types of violence and persecution. For instance, a lack of documentation exposes women to risks of sexual violence.

As JRS Eastern Africa Regional Advocacy Officer, Anne Peeters describes how:

"Many refugee women are forced to live in urban areas like Nairobi. Upon arrival they find casual employment, for instance as housemaids. Alone and without work authorisation, their male employers can beat and sexually abuse them without fear of being brought to justice. These undocumented women frequently fear detention and deportation if they report their abusers. In fact, a lack of documentation even means it is difficult for them to gain access to basic healthcare".

Radio education is an effective tool to fight the population's illiteracy. The radio, as a massive communication media, reaches where schools and institutes cannot do so, because the majority of the households, even the poorest, usually have a radio. It is especially efficient in women's education.

This is true with the work carried out by the Fe y Alegría Radio Institute of Peru, supported by Entreculturas. This Institute teaches primary and secondary school lessons by radio. Two out of three of its pupils are women over 15 who did not attend school or were forced to drop out because of economic reasons. The radio becomes their school and they follow their lessons with books adapted to the cultural, economic and social reality of the most deprived groups. They attend physical school once a week and voluntary teachers explain their problems. Apart form offering primary education, the Institute seeks to generate personal alternatives to improve their social integration and quality of life. For this purpose and as an alternative activity, there are workshops on Saturdays related to productivity.

The absence of this right does not allow women to become agents of their own development. Without education, their lives will remain tied to family dependence, the domination of the husband or less qualified jobs with less responsibility and social influence. We are all responsible for this reality: local governments, the international community, international financial organizations and the citizens in general.

World situation on women's education

We understand as poverty, a situation where the basic needs are not covered (medical aid, food, education) and the lack of access to loans, land, inheritance, recognition of the work and participation on decisions regarding community and home.

Pro Búsqueda is an association supported by Entreculturas that tries to find boys and girls disappeared by force during the armed conflict in El Salvador between 1980 and 1991. The work of finding the disappeared sons and daughters is combined with political advocacy to advance on reconciliation and end impunity. Pro-Búsqueda finds necessary for the State to take on responsibility for what happened and to reinstate truth, confidence, freedom of expression and justice.www.probusqueda.org

El Salvador has lived one of the worst tortures that a human being can suffer: the disappearance by force of their sons and daughters. During the armed conflict in the 80s, thousands of boys and girls were torn away from their families, to spread terror among the population and to negotiate their freedom. Francisca is an example of a woman fighter who persevered in the search of her daughter, disappeared 23 years ago and given for adoption in France. This is the testimony she gave in Entreculturas; the heart wringing testimony of a brave woman who did not fear reprisals and who has found her daughter in France.

What are we looking for with this activity?

1. To be the first to give example to other institutions and corporations on the rational use of certain materials and energy.
2. Create respectful habits towards the environment in order to diminish its waste and contamination.
3. Promote collaboration and team work among staff.
4. Obtain financial support for one of our projects in the South with the consequent positive impact on the less favoured.

How can we do it?

Since its launching in September 2004, the "Donate your Mobile" campaign has proved efficient both in social and environment awareness as well as in fund raising. At the end of 2006 almost 118.000 mobiles were collected. Their recycling and re use produced more than 336.000 Euros, directed to finance development projects in the less favoured countries of the South.

On the other hand, Entreculturas also reached an agreement with Sun Microsystems by which this firm will donate 40 stations (high potency computers) to be used in the Info Technologies for Classrooms Project in Latin America, carried out by EC in 16 countries. Conscious of the importance of technologies in education and development, EC is very grateful this firm's commitment with whom we are also working on joint project financing with employees and their participation in volunteer sessions.

This project carried out since 2006, works on capacitating and job training for 1.000 women living in extreme poverty conditions in the North East of Guayaquil. The proposal includes the construction of 8 classrooms and 10 courses of capacitating and training directed at strengthening production capacity and organizing micro entrepreneurships as well as information on micro credits to enable them to carry out their initiatives.

The event was attended by high officials from La Rioja Government and had extense media coverage on International Women's Day.

This plan was originated at the Salamanca Summit in October 2005, and has been elaborated by the "Latin American Sates Organization for Education, Science and Culture", (OEI) and sponsored by the Spanish Agency for International Cooperation (AECI). Its general aim is to universalize - in the shortest time possible and before 2015- literacy in Latin America and to offer the young and adult population the possibility of completing their education.

Specific objectives are the following:

1. Develop in every country the universalization of literacy national plans until the completion of basic education.
2. Install in the region a renewed literacy vision, integrating primary education in young and adult population.
3. Provide stable and sufficient financial aid for literacy and adult primary education.
4. Promote multilateral cooperation between Latin American countries on literacy and adult primary education issues.
5. Articulate the plan with strategies to prevent failure and school abandon in primary education for every country so as to prevent illiteracy.

From Entreculturas we value this initiative very positively and we pledge for turning the declaration into action. After receiving an invitation from the participating entities to coordinate our education activities, Entreculturas is committed to strengthen its adult education in Fe y Alegria's centres in Latin America. Currently more than 80.000 pupils are enrolled. A very widespread and efficient strategy to achieve this objective is radio based education. The wave transmitted lessons are combined with written materials and with a weekly physical lesson to solve problems.