July 2003 Newsletter
Article written by Emily Dulcan
Sticking to the promise I made two weeks ago, I am pleased to be writing the third edition of Emily's Chiapas Peace House Project (CPHP) diary to you yet again from the Chiapas Peace House. The last two weeks (ok, it's been about three) have seen some exciting developments for the house. Perhaps the most exciting for me is that last Sunday my brother flew into Chiapas. He will be staying with me in the house for a month, improving his Spanish, partaking in some volunteer work, and improving the vibes in the house with his humor and wit. This edition of my web diary isn't very long, but I'll still break it down for you. It looks like this:
I. Volunteer Update
II. CPHP Project with Al Sol
III. Translation is Good for Youn
IV. Bye-Bye
I. Volunteer Update
Like any good, lasting organization, CPHP is taking small steps leading
toward our larger vision. With that fact in mind, I have been helping
people interested in human rights volunteer work plug into
opportunities here in San Cristobal. Therefore, while we have yet to
house a volunteer participating in the full CPHP program, we have
helped many people get accredited to do human rights observation and
we've handed over loads of translation work. We have also made our
library available to people who want to learn more about the political
and social situations in Chiapas. I hope to get some good feedback on
curriculum reading from volunteers and friends here in San Cristobal.
II. CPHP Project with Al Sol
I am excited to announce a new CPHP volunteer project with the San
Cristobal's micro-credit organization Alternativa Solidaria, or Al Sol.
What is micro-credit (or micro-lending, micro-finance)? Micro-credit
institutions are nonprofit organizations that give small loans (as
little as $50) to the poorest of the poor, mostly women. Borrowers then
have enough capital to start their own businesses, cutting out
middlemen who often charge a lot of money for raw materials or other
business needs. Al Sol has provided small loans to about 3,000 women in
Chiapas, many of whom are single, shunned by their families and
communities, and who lack access to basic social services. In addition
to banking, Al Sol is currently developing reproductive health and
literacy programs for members and a handcraft professionalization
program so members have easier access to commercial markets. Al Sol has
asked CPHP volunteers to help them interview bank members so as to
learn their stories and how they got involved with micro-credit.
Volunteers will have the opportunity to travel to communities near San
Cristobal and talk to women who have taken advantage of Al Sol's
micro-lending program. Interested volunteers and I will be meeting with
Al Sol staff next week to discuss the project in further detail.
In addition to the member interview project, Al Sol has an ongoing need
for volunteers with photography, video, and design experience. To learn
more about micro-credit, visit www.microfinancegateway.org
III. Translation is Good for You
During the past couple months, I have spent a lot of time translating
documents for research and support NGOs in San Cristobal. Translating
has been a wonderful exercise for my brain. The first document I
translated was a report for SIPAZ, an NGO that helps communities heal
inter/intra-community conflicts. They produce a report every three
months to update their members about recent happenings in Chiapas. I
translated their eight-page April report from Spanish to English, and
by the time I was finished I was completely exhausted! Of course I
didn't do it all in one sitting, but I must have spent at least 12
hours pouring over this document. In the midst of my first foray into
translation work, I emailed my good friend in Spain who is studying
translation, asking him if he had any advice. The most important goals
when translating a document, he responded, are maintaining the feel of
the original document and producing a finished document that readers
can't tell has been translated. Oh, is that all?
still feel the activation of a relatively dormant part of my brain when
I sit down with a new document, but as I exercise my noggin it becomes
more willing to produce high quality translations. Something that most
people may not realize is that translation is in fact a very creative
process. It is impossible to literally translate from Spanish to
English (or between any languages for that matter). If one were to do
so, many sentences would come out as run-ons, and a lot of the
allusions and phrasing wouldn't make sense. When I translate,
therefore, I must understand enough Spanish to pick up subtleties and
have a good enough grasp of English to select the appropriate
translated meanings. All in all, it's really fun, and it vastly
improves my Spanish. For example, did you know that ganadero means
'livestock?' It's awfully close to ganador, which means 'winner.' So
the next time you lose a game of cards to a Spanish speaker, try to
avoid calling him a farm animal. Here are some other interesting bits
of info that I picked up from the CIEPAC (research NGO studying the
effects of neoliberalism on the economy in southern Mexico) document I
just finished translating:
-- According to estimates by the US Department of Agriculture,
eliminating customs barriers (import taxes) alone during 2003 will
raise the number of poor Mexicans to 8 million, two times the
population of the state of Chiapas. Impoverished Mexicans are potential
migrants to the US in search of the American dream, people that the
United States government made poor with its own policies and violations
of trade agreements.
-- The importation of bovine products from the United States caused the
bovine sector in Mexico to lose 440,000 jobs between 1995 and 1998 and
reduced production of livestock by half.
-- Since the enforcement of NAFTA, Mexico has covered 40% of its demand
with imports from Canada and the United States, further deepening the
nation's dependence and decreasing its sovereignty. It is projected
that by the end of the Fox administration in 2006, this number will
have increased to 70%.
IV. Bye-Bye
So, now that I'm getting used to this whole journal thing, you're sure
to hear from me again in two (or three) weeks time. Until then, adios,
hasta luego, paz y amor,
Emily
Sticking to the promise I made two weeks ago, I am pleased to be writing the third edition of Emily's Chiapas Peace House Project (CPHP) diary to you yet again from the Chiapas Peace House. The last two weeks (ok, it's been about three) have seen some exciting developments for the house. Perhaps the most exciting for me is that last Sunday my brother flew into Chiapas. He will be staying with me in the house for a month, improving his Spanish, partaking in some volunteer work, and improving the vibes in the house with his humor and wit. This edition of my web diary isn't very long, but I'll still break it down for you. It looks like this:
I. Volunteer Update
II. CPHP Project with Al Sol
III. Translation is Good for Youn
IV. Bye-Bye
I. Volunteer Update
Like any good, lasting organization, CPHP is taking small steps leading
toward our larger vision. With that fact in mind, I have been helping
people interested in human rights volunteer work plug into
opportunities here in San Cristobal. Therefore, while we have yet to
house a volunteer participating in the full CPHP program, we have
helped many people get accredited to do human rights observation and
we've handed over loads of translation work. We have also made our
library available to people who want to learn more about the political
and social situations in Chiapas. I hope to get some good feedback on
curriculum reading from volunteers and friends here in San Cristobal.
II. CPHP Project with Al Sol
I am excited to announce a new CPHP volunteer project with the San
Cristobal's micro-credit organization Alternativa Solidaria, or Al Sol.
What is micro-credit (or micro-lending, micro-finance)? Micro-credit
institutions are nonprofit organizations that give small loans (as
little as $50) to the poorest of the poor, mostly women. Borrowers then
have enough capital to start their own businesses, cutting out
middlemen who often charge a lot of money for raw materials or other
business needs. Al Sol has provided small loans to about 3,000 women in
Chiapas, many of whom are single, shunned by their families and
communities, and who lack access to basic social services. In addition
to banking, Al Sol is currently developing reproductive health and
literacy programs for members and a handcraft professionalization
program so members have easier access to commercial markets. Al Sol has
asked CPHP volunteers to help them interview bank members so as to
learn their stories and how they got involved with micro-credit.
Volunteers will have the opportunity to travel to communities near San
Cristobal and talk to women who have taken advantage of Al Sol's
micro-lending program. Interested volunteers and I will be meeting with
Al Sol staff next week to discuss the project in further detail.
In addition to the member interview project, Al Sol has an ongoing need
for volunteers with photography, video, and design experience. To learn
more about micro-credit, visit www.microfinancegateway.org
III. Translation is Good for You
During the past couple months, I have spent a lot of time translating
documents for research and support NGOs in San Cristobal. Translating
has been a wonderful exercise for my brain. The first document I
translated was a report for SIPAZ, an NGO that helps communities heal
inter/intra-community conflicts. They produce a report every three
months to update their members about recent happenings in Chiapas. I
translated their eight-page April report from Spanish to English, and
by the time I was finished I was completely exhausted! Of course I
didn't do it all in one sitting, but I must have spent at least 12
hours pouring over this document. In the midst of my first foray into
translation work, I emailed my good friend in Spain who is studying
translation, asking him if he had any advice. The most important goals
when translating a document, he responded, are maintaining the feel of
the original document and producing a finished document that readers
can't tell has been translated. Oh, is that all?
still feel the activation of a relatively dormant part of my brain when
I sit down with a new document, but as I exercise my noggin it becomes
more willing to produce high quality translations. Something that most
people may not realize is that translation is in fact a very creative
process. It is impossible to literally translate from Spanish to
English (or between any languages for that matter). If one were to do
so, many sentences would come out as run-ons, and a lot of the
allusions and phrasing wouldn't make sense. When I translate,
therefore, I must understand enough Spanish to pick up subtleties and
have a good enough grasp of English to select the appropriate
translated meanings. All in all, it's really fun, and it vastly
improves my Spanish. For example, did you know that ganadero means
'livestock?' It's awfully close to ganador, which means 'winner.' So
the next time you lose a game of cards to a Spanish speaker, try to
avoid calling him a farm animal. Here are some other interesting bits
of info that I picked up from the CIEPAC (research NGO studying the
effects of neoliberalism on the economy in southern Mexico) document I
just finished translating:
-- According to estimates by the US Department of Agriculture,
eliminating customs barriers (import taxes) alone during 2003 will
raise the number of poor Mexicans to 8 million, two times the
population of the state of Chiapas. Impoverished Mexicans are potential
migrants to the US in search of the American dream, people that the
United States government made poor with its own policies and violations
of trade agreements.
-- The importation of bovine products from the United States caused the
bovine sector in Mexico to lose 440,000 jobs between 1995 and 1998 and
reduced production of livestock by half.
-- Since the enforcement of NAFTA, Mexico has covered 40% of its demand
with imports from Canada and the United States, further deepening the
nation's dependence and decreasing its sovereignty. It is projected
that by the end of the Fox administration in 2006, this number will
have increased to 70%.
IV. Bye-Bye
So, now that I'm getting used to this whole journal thing, you're sure
to hear from me again in two (or three) weeks time. Until then, adios,
hasta luego, paz y amor,
Emily
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