Just slogans?

…a difference.
…make a difference.
…actions make a difference.
…our actions make a difference.
Your actions make a difference.

Naivety? Well, a cynic will never change the world.

Amazing ladies

I recently interviewed Hebe de Bonafini, who is one of the founders of an organisation called Madres de Plaza de Mayo. This is a group of women who, in April 1977, during a military dictatorship in Argentina, started a protest in order to find out what happened to their missing children and husbands. It was common at that time that people deemed anti-government would simply disappear, being usually kidnapped by a secret police or paramilitary groups supported by the military government. Most of them were killed (probably a total of 30 thousand) and their bodies rarely found; many were dropped alive from airplanes into the ocean.

More than 30 years later the organisation is thriving. Hebe, currently 82 years old, is the boss and the face of the organisation. I can guarantee that many much younger people would envy her vitality and sharp mind. The energy that these elderly women have does not however come from the sense of the revenge they have, despite the fact that most of the people involved in the military regime have not been sentenced. The organisation is very involved in promoting human rights in Argentina and beyond. Madres also have their own radio, magazines, build affordable homes and get actively involved in politics. During her first international trip the new president of Brazil, Dilma Rousseff, made sure that the meeting with Madres is included in her very packed agenda.

The whole story of the organisation is extremely interesting, but primarily a great example that what seems like an end can be a great beginning, that even the worst experience can be turned into a positive action, that action is better than doing nothing, that action is satisfying and bitterness brings nothing. 

Poor of hope

I always see this man on my way to the gym. He sells all kind of cheap crap (pencils, small toys, sweets, etc) from his spot on a pavement. What strikes me about him every time is the apathy clearly visible in his sad eyes and crooked posture. I have never seen him sell anything and it is hard for me to imagine that anyone would really be interested in buying anything from his stock without him applying active sales techniques such as smile, eye contact, perhaps a witty slogan.

Does he have any useful skills? Probably. Does he do anything else than selling? I don’t know. Does he feel he is in control of his life? Highly doubtful.

I don’t think I will be very original here (I remember that Kapuscinski made a similar observation in one of his books), but I realised that the moment you become really poor is when you lose hope. Hope gives a direction, energy, sense of purpose; switches the light at the end of the tunnel. Lack of hope means that this light will always be perceived as the approaching train in the tunnel with no exit. 

Not so politically correct

In January there is a big lottery in Argentina called “El Gordo”. The name can be translated either as “the big one” or more literally “the fat man”. It seems to be quite popular here and when I arrived there were many posters advertising the big prize. Normally such posters have symbols of local currency and perhaps a picture of some expensive stuff such as cars, exotic locations, etc. The posters here were however much more aligned with the name of the lottery and featured a sitting chubby man, who in Asian cultures is known by the name… Buddha.

I don’t know if the Argentinean Buddhist community have already contacted the organisers of the lottery protesting about the misuse of Buddha’s image, but I know places where it would certainly happen. Being born in Poland, where people tend to get offended quite easily, and then having spent many years in a very politically correct England, I actually welcomed the smiling fat lottery-Buddha with a smile myself. I’d like to think that he wouldn’t mind this either. If we need to worry about anything it should not be something of such little significance. 

Improvisation

“Adam, you are a thief and you want to rob this kiosk. Bear in mind however that this is your first time - you are very nervous and do not really know what to do. You may hesitate and finally not proceed with the crime at all. It’s up to you and depends on how the scene develops. Have fun!”

I am a thief.

Location

Kiosks are usually small and full of fairly cheap stuff – sweets, beverages. This one will have toys on shelves and some souvenirs for tourists. The till will be on a counter to the right.

Situation

I need to keep myself busy for a while after I enter the kiosk; I can’t make the robbery right away – this would almost automatically be the end of the scene. I know there will be other people in the kiosk. How do I interact with them? I can pretend I am from the local tax office and need to check accounts and look around. Is this believable though? I may need a piece of paper to present as ID.

Behaviour

It would be good to introduce a bit of a comedy to the scene. How would Woody Allen approach it? I am going to stutter! That would be a clear presentation of my nervousness and would deal with the fact that I am not yet that fluent with Spanish. Anything else? Probably not; I do not want to overdo the scene and it is after all an improvisation. 

I am a thief. Action!