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Vera-zavala: Reading children books in Diyarbakir
Commentary, May, 29 2007
America Vera-zavala
Vera-zavala's ZSpace page
Mayor Abdullah Demirbas has 17 accusations against him raised by the Turkish state. The case has reached the High Court, where he is facing charges against both criminal law and administrative law. If found guilty, he can be sentenced to prison, a...
Vera-zavala: Change Or Intervention In Bolivia
Commentary, December, 19 2005
America Vera-zavala
Vera-zavala's ZSpace page
If you look down from the visitorsÕ balcony in the national parliament in La Paz, you see a divided parliament. On the right hand side you have all the members of parliament from the right wing parties; all white, well dressed in suits and ties, c...
Vera-zavala: Participatory Democracy In Venezuela
Commentary, December, 08 2005
America Vera-zavala
Vera-zavala's ZSpace page
The learning process is a basic argument for, and an important outcome of, participatory democracy. Parallel to the decision-making, a process of learning takes place where people learn how different things work and function and how they can influ...
Vera-zavala: Even You, My Sweden
Commentary, August, 28 2005
America Vera-zavala
Vera-zavala's ZSpace page
There is a lot of talk about Venezuela these days. Few can have missed that the Reverend Pat Robertson called for the assassination of President Hugo Chavez in his own TV-channel Christian Broadcast. In short he said: 'We have the ability to take ...
Vera-zavala: Venezuela - The Country Of Parallels 3 - Short For Socialism
Commentary, June, 25 2005
America Vera-zavala
Vera-zavala's ZSpace page
The anti-globalisation movement has repetitively been criticised for not being clear on the alternative to capitalism. The movement wants to replace capitalism, change the world but does not talk about socialism, which according to some lefties is...
Vera-zavala: Venezuela - The Country Of Parallels Ii
Commentary, May, 27 2005
America Vera-zavala
Vera-zavala's ZSpace page
To introduce participatory democracy in Venezuela as a parallel to representative democracy is one of the hardest, but also one of the most interesting, challenges the country is facing. If they succeed it would mean having a society in power, tha...
Vera-zavala: Venezuela - The Country Of Parallels
Commentary, May, 12 2005
America Vera-zavala
Vera-zavala's ZSpace page
Venezuela - The Country Of Parallels
Vera-zavala: Why Did They Loose?
Commentary, March, 13 2005
America Vera-zavala
Vera-zavala's ZSpace page
The Workers Party, Partido dos Trabalhadores (PT) lost one of its most symbolic cities in the last municipal elections. Porto Alegre was won in the first elections after dictatorship in 1988 and has since then stayed "petista". It is interesting t...
Vera-zavala: A Democratic Intifada
Commentary, January, 15 2005
America Vera-zavala
Vera-zavala's ZSpace page
Democracy is probably going to be the most misused word in the news during the month of January. If there had been a way of measuring we even might have come to the conclusion that the month of January was going to be the month when democracy was ...
Vera-zavala: The Quarrelling Left
Commentary, November, 17 2004
America Vera-zavala
Vera-zavala's ZSpace page
When I was younger my mother used to tell me that the fights within the left made people tired. She told me that all argues and the fights between the left groups in Chile weakened the Allende regime as much as the US aggression. People were tired...
Vera-zavala: Solidarity
Commentary, October, 03 2004
America Vera-zavala
Vera-zavala's ZSpace page
Recently, at the fifth Asian European People«s Forum in Ha Noi I got to know that there will be a meeting between "the movement for global justice" and the Muslim movement in Beirut soon. I think that is good. It is good to have exchange between m...
Vera-zavala: Going Local
Commentary, July, 01 2004
America Vera-zavala
Vera-zavala's ZSpace page
It is much easier to have opinions about a social forum than to organize one. That is one of many conclusions that I could draw after the end of the Stockholm Social Forum (SSF) held in May.
Vera-zavala: Battles Over Funding
Commentary, February, 22 2004
America Vera-zavala
Vera-zavala's ZSpace page
Currency, money and funding can really upset people in India. Travelling around in Kerala, on a tour on the southern backwaters we were having a tea break. My boyfriend was trying to figure out which of the Indian coins to pay with, when a bunch o...
Vera-zavala: The Boxing Game In Paris
Commentary, December, 30 2003
America Vera-zavala
Vera-zavala's ZSpace page
I think the people that went there expected a boxing game, a good one, rather nice than brutal but still a fight. I also think that most people had paid a bet for either part.
Vera-zavala: An Extraordinary Coup at the WSF Part II
Commentary, November, 12 2003
America Vera-zavala
Vera-zavala's ZSpace page
In his book, Age of Consent, George Monbiot argues in favour of a world parliament and sees the World Social Forum as the beginning of such an institution. At the same time the second Assembly of the Social Movements will be held the day after the...
Vera-zavala: Victory in Sweden
Commentary, November, 02 2003
America Vera-zavala
Vera-zavala's ZSpace page
The same weekend that the world had reason to celebrate the breakdown of the WTO ministerial meeting in Cancun we had a great victory in Sweden. Sunday the 14th of September 55.9 % of the Swedish population voted against Sweden joining the Economi...
Vera-zavala: International dialogue at the Alfred Herrhausen Society
Commentary, July, 23 2003
America Vera-zavala
Vera-zavala's ZSpace page
I have never believed very much in dialogue with the powerful and after a two-day conference in Berlin I definitely learnt that dialogue is good - but it has nothing to do with good arguments and words but with power.
Vera-zavala: Suicide Bonmbing
Commentary, April, 27 2003
America Vera-zavala
Vera-zavala's ZSpace page
The big news in Sweden on the 10th day of the war against Iraq was a suicide bomber. One suicide bomber had killed 4 British soldiers when he waved them to a cab, asked for help and then detonated the bomb.
Vera-zavala: Lula Hope
Commentary, March, 03 2003
America Vera-zavala
Vera-zavala's ZSpace page
I hear Lulas voice from the raspy speakers. I'm in a cab with friends all late to go and see the president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva speak at the amphitheatre. The whole city of Porto Alegre has been preparing for this during the whole day. It has...
Vera-zavala: Oramento Participativo (OP) in Porto Alegre
Commentary, January, 23 2003
America Vera-zavala
Vera-zavala's ZSpace page
Will you be going to the World Social Forum this year? Whether you are or not, it might be interesting to know that the city of Porto Alegre that will host the forum for the third consecutive year is not an ordinary city. It is extraordinary when ...
Vera-zavala: Orçamento Participativo (OP) in Porto Alegre
Commentary, January, 23 2003
America Vera-zavala
Vera-zavala's ZSpace page
Will you be going to the World Social Forum this year? Whether you are or not, it might be interesting to know that the city of Porto Alegre that will host the forum for the third consecutive year is not an ordinary city. It is extraordinary when ...
Vera-zavala: Disobbedienti
Commentary, December, 01 2002
America Vera-zavala
Vera-zavala's ZSpace page
Early in the morning a sharp signal resound in Marghera to call the workers to the factories. When it sounds we are also on our way to "our factory", Rivolta, where the last preparations are going to be made and departure for the border is to take...
Vera-zavala: At a crossroad in Jenin
Commentary, October, 31 2002
America Vera-zavala
Vera-zavala's ZSpace page
I spent hours at a crossroad in Jenin standing either beside or in front of a group of stone throwing guys. A group of around 30 boys between 5 and 25 years old. Boys vibrating of restlessness, anger violence and adrenaline. Boys want to resist an...
Vera-zavala: Democracy As Resistance
Commentary, September, 25 2002
America Vera-zavala
Vera-zavala's ZSpace page
The Palestinian people have tried all means of resistance an occupied people can think of. One dangerous and effective way involved a lot of people and made the Israeli occupying power so full of fear it threatened and banned the act of resistance...
Vera-zavala: Soccer And Politics
Commentary, July, 14 2002
America Vera-zavala
Vera-zavala's ZSpace page
When the World Cup started I knew that due to rational political reasons I should not cheer the two teams where my heart belonged -Argentina and Brazil. Some people say that everything is political - and they are right to say so. Football is indee...
