Everyone probably did it at least once in their life or helped a good friend or family member doing it. It's usually a big step for everyone involved and may include lots of sweat and emotions. We, the team of Voluntario Global, did it as well: We moved into a new home in a historic place just a five minute walk from the volunteers' house in the center of Buenos Aires. Do you still remember moving into a new room in your parents' house when you were young? Or do you recall moving out of your parents' house and standing on your own feet for the first time? Think of the excitement of calling a new space your own. Remember the visions you had for your new kingdom - a place where you imagined your dreams to get wings and start flying. You built your own center of creativity, a place that was formed by your personality while significantly forming your personality at the same time. You grew with this place. You felt the growing power and influence you got, but also the increasing responsibilities that were awaiting you. For us – Voluntario Global – it’s just like that. Moving into a new office is like moving into a new home. It's a new chapter in the life of a person or in our case the team of Voluntario Global. A new home allows for new creativity and will bring new opportunities for us to advance in the work we do day by day. It was my first day of volunteering for Voluntario Global, when I first entered the building on Avenida Rivadavia - a building that looks like it has survived many storms and could tell many historic tales about Buenos Aires, just like a wise Granny sitting in the same chair as years before and telling all the stories of her life.
And yet, another storm was about to come up. The sky above Buenos Aires drakened that Tuesday afternoon. Thunder, follwed by lightning. Rain shattered on the transparent tiles of the roof that bring light all the way down to the first level of the building. A small sign welcomed me on the right side of the hallway. "Se ruega no escupir en el suelo" which means as much as “Please do not spit on the ground”. - This sign, still being original from when this building was first in use as a school for the Carmelites nuns in the beginning of the 20th century, takes you back in time a hundred years.
Entering the office, I could feel the thunder unfolding its power outside. Noticeable winds circulated through the building. The windows panes in the office opened and closed by itself. A little later the sky opened up again, marking some kind of new beginning. Just then our first meeting was about to start.
At Marketing and Communications, we know our duties well and are always on top of our work. This Tuesday afternoon, however, we logged out from all our social media channels for an hour and discovered some hidden talents. In the manner of an productive team building session for our newly formed team, we bundled the forces of our four heads, mastered the challenges of a lack of instructions and built up a nice and big meeting table. This table will be the center of our future creativity and will hopefully serve the team for many exciting years of creative work for Voluntario Global. Soon after, the first working plan was hung up as a wall decoration, bringing the first bits of colour to the walls of the office. These first steps into our new space will allow for new perspectives and build the foundations of everything that is about to come. Being an addition to the Voluntario Global family, our new office traditionally deserves a name. Reflecting its purpose of primarily being a place for social interaction and exchange between the team member, we are happy to announce that Voluntario Global now has a “Social Headquater” in Avenida Rivadavia, Buenos Aires.
“Armin´s Dream fundraising” is a campaign made to honor the memory of Armin, co-founder of Voluntario Global, who was killed the past 4th of March. He was convinced that the opportunity to travel and learn from other experiences and exchange was an essential way of training, motivation and creation of bonds among those seeking a more equal and fairer world. This is an essencial idea of VG until today. Armin died at the age of only 29 with a big dream remaining unfulfilled: he had always wanted to travel and experience cultural exchange himself.
Therefore, this fundraising campaign is looking to enable young people from the shantytowns in Argentina to volunteer abroad. It´s the desire of the people who knew him that others have the chance to travel, see the world and have an opportunity to broaden their minds.
Today Armin´s Dream campaign has collected $7524, giving five youngsters the opportunity to see the world, thanks the many ex volunteers that have donated for the cause. Participants will be thoroughly selected by our board of former volunteers and members of the community in Argentina.
In order to encourage participation, Voluntario Global team decided to call to action by giving those who presents their forms before the 30th of December the chance to be one of the first two selected travelers. Thanks to this move, young people from various areas and with different interests have reached Voluntario Global with questions, suggestions and wishs in order to complete their forms.
For example Ximena and Nicolas, whom had been student in an English school and now they have become teachers, decided to experience the language they had been practicing for so long in a native country. But this kids won´t be just traveling as tourists because they want to experience culture through an exchange in a rural high school. “We had been doing so much learning and teaching over the past years that this opportunity motivate us to mix our knowledge with the knowledge from another culture”
Samantha is another participant in Armin´s Dream campaign. She presented two optional destinations in witch learn more about environmental care and conservation. Samantha is an assistant at a kindergarten and is studying tourism. This way she will be able to learn how sustainable development can be combining with tourism experience. “I would like to work as a volunteer in a local organization abroad where I can learn how to assist in the care of the environment and then in the future use it in my dairy community activities ”
To keep making all these dreams come true donate at:
Many people who have been left outside the labor market are now creating their own way of business recovery. Some of these initiatives emerge from social organizations that pro-vide training, resources and motivation to grow. The Role of Networks and the Contribution of the State The first step is always the hardest. Therefore, the initial push is extremely valuable. As far as business ventures go, the civil society organizations are often `the push` engines. It is them who —due to proximity, presence, principles and knowledge—provide training to small entrepreneurs, help securing sources for funding and develop a method of operation so the wheel keeps on turning. Of course, while these proposals kick-start the process, the big challenge is to keep the ma-chinery going over time. At that point, the link with other stakeholders becomes the key. Especially with the State, who through social programs, subsidies and credits, can provide sustainability to such initiatives. "In most marginalized sectors, from which they have removed the possibility of accessing technical training, the presence of NGOs and the State facilitates retrieval of knowledge and experiences that enable the development of more complex forms of association. Probably, in many cases, the experience of these entrepreneurs spreads to family operated workshops and various forms of solidarity", says Patrick Griffin, president of the National Institute of Social Economy (INAES, in spanish).
Necessary Ties As its name implies, the organization Voluntario Global works to develop volunteer pro-grams that seek to promote social awareness and generate opportunities for integration, often through education. "We were pushing kids to finish highschool, to continue studying, but how are they supposed to do that? It is impossible for them to get a part-time job and attend University of Buenos Aires at the same time", says Valeria Gracia, co-founder of the organization. That crossroads, however, was the starting point for a cooperative called Su Lavandería, a run by young people from low-income sectors of southern Buenos Aires. This cooperative has been running for four years and was made possible by a collaborative network. Voluntario Global develops works in the sustainable tourism sector and is connect-ed to the Cámara Argentina de Hostels, which raised the need for a reliable laundry service that would allow them to take their sheets, towels and more. A hotel owner contacted a laundry machine business that sold them the first equipments at a good price. Meanwhile an international volunteer program from Spain and England began the search for grants, and they obtained the YPF Foundation for young entrepreneurs, which allowed for the laundry to open in 2008. The State became an important link in this process, through its Ministry of Labor Productive Program, which financed the purchase of three additional machines allow-ing more job positions. Today there are seven washing machines working and nine young individuals employed. "The laundry room could function with four people and be more efficient, but the goal is to generate as many cooperative job positions as possible," affirms the coordinator and em-phasizes that "the goal is not for these individuals to always work there "but for this to be "a passing cooperative" where they are able to study and at the same time experience "anoth-er type of work". So while they generate income in Su Lavandería, David is preparing to be a physical education teacher, Ariel is about to be a be a graduate in Odontology and Anabella is finishing highschool. "I am impressed at how this has grown. When I first arrived there were two washing machines and now there’s no space for anything; this is very good.
There’s a new ironing board... it is good that we continue with this", she gets excited before the cameras that record the fourth anniversary of the cooperative. Without the contribution of these social organizations and the State, Su Lavandería would not be have been possible In addition, the young people who are now leading this initiative would have surely had to abandon or postpone their studies. As long as the wheel keeps turning, these boys and girls will complete their studies and begin to look for jobs related to their interests and others will have a chance to resolve their studies by working in ´Su La-vandería´ project. Equitable Sharing The way in which the members of each organization are economically organized is key to ensuring their continuity and smooth operation. Following this aspect, Alameda Foundation put the focus on working with the Qom community in Formosa. "We, along with the CGT’s Human Rights Secretariat, have an obligation to monitor this as we are responsible for the machines (seized in sweatshops). In that context, we proposed an equitable distribution of income and if that does not happen, the contract for the loan terminates ”, declares Tamara Rosenberg, member of the organization. Thus, the mere existence of the project was subject to the equitable distribution of profits. The same premise applies for Añatuya, in Santiago del Estero, among the weavers of the Haciendo Caminos Foundation. "We have fairs once a month where we introduce and sell our work, and the money is distributed among the students of the workshop" confirms Etel Carrion, the coordinator. This is about —she affirms— “dignifying women”. Original spanish version Muchas personas que habían quedado al margen del mercado laboral encontraron en el aprendizaje de un oficio y la creación de un emprendimiento propio el camino a su reinclusión. Algunas de esas iniciativas, surgen al amparo de las organizaciones sociales que aportan capacitación, recursos y el impulso necesario para crecer.
El rol de las redes y el aporte del Estado. Textos: LUCIANA ROSENDE El primer paso siempre es el más difícil. Por eso, el empuje inicial tiene tanto valor. Si de emprendimientos se trata, las Organizaciones de la Sociedad Civil constituyen muchas veces los motores de ese impulso. Es que sonellas las que –por cercanía, presencia, convicción y conocimiento– aportan a pequeños emprendedores la capacitación, ayudan a procurar fuentes de financiamiento y desarrollan el modus operandi para que la rueda empiece a girar. Claro que, si bien estas propuestas permiten poner en marcha los engranajes, el gran desafío es que, con el paso del tiempo, la maquinaria siga funcionando. Allí, entonces, se vuelve clave el vínculo con otros actores sociales, sobre todo con el Estado que, a través de programas sociales, subsidios y créditos, puede aportar sustentabilidad a este tipo de iniciativas. “En los sectores más marginales, a los cuales se les quitó la posibilidad de acceso a la formación técnica, la presencia de ONG y del Estado facilita la recuperación de saberes y experiencias que permiten el desarrollo en formas asociativas de mayor complejidad. Probablemente, en muchos casos la experiencia de estos emprendedores se va extendiendo a talleres familiares y a diversas formas de asociativismo”, destaca Patricio Griffin, presidente del Instituto Nacional de Economía Social (Inaes). Lazos necesarios Como su nombre lo indica, la organización Voluntario Global trabaja en el desarrollo de programas de voluntariado que buscan promover la conciencia social y generar oportunidades de integración, muchas veces mediante la educación. “Estábamos impulsando a chicos para que terminaran el secundario, para que siguieran estudiando, pero, ¿cómo iban a hacer? Si para ellos es imposible conseguir un trabajo de medio tiempo y llegar a la Universidad de Buenos Aires”, relata Valeria Gracia, coordinadora de la entidad. Esa encrucijada, sin embargo, fue el punto de partida para la cooperativa de trabajo Su Lavandería, puesta en marcha y atendida por jóvenes de sectores de bajos recursos económicos del sur porteño. La iniciativa, que ya cumplió cuatro años, fue posible gracias a una red de colaboraciones. Voluntario Global desarrolla tareas de turismo sustentable y está vinculada a la Cámara de Hostels, que planteó la necesidad de contar con una lavandería de confianza para llevar sus sábanas, toallas y demás. Un hotelero hizo el contacto conuna empresa de máquinas lavadoras, que vendió a buen precio los primeros equipos. En tanto, un voluntariado internacional de España e Inglaterra se puso en campaña para la búsqueda de subsidios, y una beca de 8 la Fundación YPF para jóvenes emprendedores permitió que, en el 2008, la lavandería comenzara a funcionar. Los eslabones de esta cadena incluyen al Estado, que, a través del Programa de Entramados Productivos del Ministerio de Trabajo de la Nación, financió la compra de tres máquinas más y permitió generar nuevos puestos de trabajo. Hoy, hay siete lavadoras encendidas y nueve jóvenes trabajando. “La lavandería podría trabajar con cuatro personas y ser más eficiente, pero el objetivo es generar la mayor cantidad de puestos cooperativos”, aclara la coordinadora y enfatiza que “el objetivo no es que los chicos se queden”, sino que sea una “cooperativa de paso” en la que puedan estudiar y, al mismo tiempo, experimentar “otra manera de trabajar”. Por eso, mientras obtienen un ingreso en Su Lavandería, David se prepara para ser profesor de Educación Física; Ariel está a punto de recibirse de odontólogo y Anabella está terminando el secundario a través del Plan FinEs. “Me impresiona cómo creció. Cuando vine había dos máquinas y ahora no hay espacio para nada; está rebueno. Hay una plancha nueva… está bueno que sigamos adelante”, se emociona ella ante las cámaras que registran el cuarto cumpleaños de la cooperativa. Sin el aporte de las OSC y del Estado, Su Lavandería no sería posible. A su vez, sin la opción de este tipo de emprendimiento, los jóvenes que hoy protagonizan esta iniciativa seguramente ya habrían tenido que abandonar o postergar sus estudios. Si la rueda sigue girando, cuando estos chicos y chicas concluyan sus carreras y ya estén buscando empleos acordes con sus intereses, otros tendrán la chance de solventar sus estudios haciendo pie en Su Lavandería, la de todos. Reparto equitativo El modo en que se organizan económicamente los miembros de cada emprendimiento es clave para garantizar su continuidad y buen funcionamiento. Por eso, en ese aspecto puso el foco la Fundación Alameda al trabajar junto a la comunidad qom, en Formosa. “Nosotros, junto con la Secretaría de Derechos Humanos de la CGT tenemos la obligación de monitorear porque somos responsables de las máquinas (incautadas en talleres clandestinos). En ese marco, planteamos un reparto equitativo de los ingresos; si eso no pasa, se da por terminado el comodato”, advierte Tamara Rosenberg, miembro de la organización. De este modo, la existencia misma del proyecto quedó supeditada a la distribución igualitaria de las ganancias. La misma premisa rige en Añatuya, Santiago del Estero, entre las tejedoras de telar de la fundación Haciendo Camino. “Hacemos ferias una vez al mes donde se vende y se expone, y ese dinero se reparte entre las alumnas del taller”, afirma Etel Carrión, la coordinadora. Se trata –afirma– de “dignificar a la mujer". Para leer la nota completa que salió en el la edición impresa podés suscribirte a la revista aquí
My story as part of 30 years democracy party
I was one of the thousands that gathered at Plaza de Mayo this past Tuesday celebrating Argentina´s 30th anniversary of return of democratic rule. I did not know what to expect, only knew that this was a ´not to be missed´ event in Buenos Aires. After a quick stop to my house, Albi, a German volunteer, our Argentinian friend Marcela and I were on our way to Plaza de Mayo. We walked dowon Avenida de Mayo, which temporarily turned into a pedestrian street for this event, welcomed by chorizos, burgers, flying toys, vendors with 20-peso beer accompanied by festivities coming from the Casa Rosada. 
The Casa Rosada or "Government House" is the executive mansion and office of the President of Argentina, which has been declared a National Historic Monument of Argentina. We slowly made our way towards the house, but first, an important stop. Quilmes! You cannot celebrate 30 Years of Democracy without the national beer `Quilmes`. We arrived on the outskirts of the Plaza and all three of us stopped simultaneously in ahhh.. All around us were groups of thousands of people marching with flags, people chatting, drinking beer, eating street food and children of all sizes running around. The typically calm, cobbled street of Plaza de Mayo was rendered unrecognizable. It was moving, playing and jumping and had come alive. I sensed the freedom of this commemorating event as we heard marching chants in the distance, people staring intently at screens with an occasional hand in the air saluting. We kept moving on until we reached a comfy spot near a fountain. The event had various artists playing non-stop throughout the night from Leon Giego to La Renga. As we were satisfying our thirst with Quilmes and taking in engulfed stage of colors and lights, I was very happy that I had the opportunity to be there to celebrate with the Porteños. 
The celebration continued, as the artist Varela came on playing an accordion with a partnered violinist. The three of us were happily perched near the fountain watching a video of the democratic history of Buenos Aires with occasional chatter and looks reflecting our amazment of this celebration. Shortly after, a song I didn't recognize came on, but somehow I knew it was significant as heightened smiles and an energy of pride swooped through the square. It was Argentina's National Anthem with a twist of drums, accompanied by dancers on the ever so large constructed stage. At that moment, the crowd began singing, dancing and we began to swing side to side and move with the crowd. The patriotism and a long road to democracy was transformed in the energy that we all felt at that moment and I felt it through them. I was one of the thousands that had a chance to be there and this made me feel so grateful to share that moment, that evening, to always remember Argentina's 30 Year Democracy celebration. The song that had the plaza come alive with incredible energy was over as the crowd continued to ride the wave of happiness. The best way to finish the celebration was of course, fireworks. There was an amazing spectacle of fireworks surrounding us in the front and to the right and left of the plaza. We were so close we could feel the thunderous booms and smell the smoke and sulfar in the air. It was abs olutely beautiful and it is and event I will never forget.
On November 30, Voluntario Global held its annual meeting of organizations to celebrate the end of the year with those who have supported us in building ties of commitment and work. During the meeting we shared experiences about various projects that have occurred throughout the year. This time we were accompanied by: Lorena, Liliana, Stella, Claudia and Monica from kindergarten projects, along with our continued volunteer, Bernadette. Mabel and Christian were there representing Christian youth group. Silvia from the English School, was accompanied by two former students who are now teachers and are enrolled in "Armin's Dream" scholarship. Rocío, shared her experience in a monthly discussion about education. Jasmine and Sofia, help tutor English at a community center in La Boca neighborhood. One of the main topics was the scholarship in honor of Armin, a founder of Voluntario Global. This campaign seeks to develop the training of future grantees, giving them the opportunity to participate in international conferences or a volunteer experience abroad with the aim of generating an impact on both their lives and in their communities. As of now, Voluntario Global team released a list of possible projects in Latin America. Another issue discussed was the creation of space for Voluntario Global internal communication in order to promote sharing and exchange between different projects. Thus, each coordinator, teacher or project assistant will have the opportunity to share the experience of their daily work strengthening the links that help them grow and stay strong. In 2013 with a total of 200 volunteers, Voluntario Global continues to create ties for growth and reflection dedicated to education, health and solidarity. This was mentioned by Mikkel Mondrup, a volunteer from Denmark, who said ¨I think it was good to see a different side of Argentina (and the world in general) that tourists do not normally see. At first it was a little difficult, but now having worked and played with the kids and seeing them happy made me feel great, especially, when I was able to familiarize myself with them¨. On the other side of this, Lucile Bernard from France, had a more professional experience at a responsible tourism travel agency, said: ¨I really liked having a professional experience and learned how to be a professional on the job¨. From all this, we hope to start this new year with those who accompanied Voluntario Global in recent years and those who continue to contribute to our network. We look forward to continuing sharing experiences and new ways with everyone. 
by Stine Albrechtsen Purple trees, exotic smells, tango shows, big steaks and magnificent wine.
I heard nothing but good things about this city before I arrived, so, as one might guess, my expectations were set high. I left cold and grey Denmark in the middle of November, the first month of the hard and dark winters we have in Northern Europe. I always wanted to experience Buenos Aires, and if you ask why, I have no answer. It came to me a couple years ago, maybe I heard some Argentinian music, heard a travel story or saw something on the news. Anyways now I am here, not regretting my decision. Buenos Aires is a strange city. It is slow and fast going at the same time. It is ugly with an unquestionable beauty. It is extremely friendly and your worst enemy. It is everything, taking care of the good and the bad. Restaurants and cafes on every corner, tons of cultural wonders and events, pollution, trash, gigantic boulevards with non-stopping honking, majestic mansions three minutes from the shanty towns, pocket thief’s, street theatre and always this breathtaking history. Like all big cities or capitals. Could I just as well be in Rio, Barcelona or even Hong Kong? No. Who am I kidding; this city is one of a kind. I was given an assignment to write about Buenos Aires from a “25-something-girl-from-a-small-town-in-Denmark-Scandinavia” point of view. I guess it is no fun to write about the things that have made me cry, so my approach will be to write about the things that made me fall in love. And that will work, because I am completely and without any doubt head over heels with the big and beautiful BA. I do not know the best way to explore the city. My way to do it is a combination of personal wishes, recommendations from guidebooks, travel blogs or the local porteños, spontaneous ideas and then, most important, or I just go with the flow. I am no expert; I only have been here for something that feels like 20 minutes or forever. Actual time: 3 weeks. Let us begin. …How to meet new people 
Well that is actually very easy: go to a cemetery. Odd? At my second day in the city I went to Cementorio de la Recoleta, you know, the place where Eva Perón lies buried. Did you know her body was stolen by the way? It was - for nearly 20 years. Only three years after the whole country buried their true queen, angry anti- Perón forces stole Eva’s remains in the wake of a coup that deposed her husband, President Juan Perón. The body of the beloved Evita became a global odyssey, traveled across the world in the wrongs hands, including a new burial in Milan. Almost 20 years went by before Eva, the saint of Argentina, was back in the arms of a country, who had been craving her present and strength for the past 20 years of violence and chaos. This woman had reached a saint status, despite her early death in 1952, at the age of 33 she lost the battle to cancer. Her husband remarried again in 1961 to Isabel Martinez – an exotic dancer who he met during his exile in Panama. To add a little extra twist to the story of the Perón family, Isabel actually became the president of Argentina after the loss of her husband in 1974. From exotic dancer to being president of eighth largest country in the world - that is some career advancement! Well, back to my original purpose: the cemetery of Recoleta is an extremely beautiful place to visit. Both inside among the great tombs and outside under the shades of the purple trees. The sight inside has a formally mood, while the outside area is brimming with life: the locals are gossiping the latest news of the neighborhood while drinking mate and smoking cigarettes. Tourists are writing postcards and eating colorful ice-creams from one the three famous helado shops surrounding the park (try one!). There are young backpackers on the grass drinking wine and playing guitar. And that beautiful young Argentinian girl longing for a lullaby. Go here. You will definitely meet someone: a new friend, a travel buddy, a pickpocket or maybe even your soul mate. I met an American couple in their late sixties on their last week of a three month trip across South America. I shared beers with them the following day. …How to learn the language If you think you are rock star with Spanish, change your beliefs. The Argentinians are like their capital when it comes to the Spanish language: unique, too fast and nothing like you have ever experienced before. So here is an extra challenge on top of the 240 others you will be faced during you stay here. But I want to learn. Every time I get the opportunity to speak to a local, I try. If I am lucky, they understand fragments. Maybe they understand just as much as Isabel understood her country and its people. Fragments. As one might know, the weather in Buenos Aires can be extremely sweat provoked during December and January. I have found a little oasis where I can actually manage to stay alive during the hot hours of the day: Plaza General San Martin. I like to go there with my (at the moment) favorite book, ‘And the Mountains Echoed’, a cold soda and a fruit box from the local kiosko. One day when I was in the middle of the fourth chapter, an older woman with her 7 month old grandson joined me on the bench. We introduced each other, her name was Laura. I asked for recommendations for good restaurants, but instead of a proper answer I got a story: the story of San Martin, the war hero whose name laid the foundation to this nice park. The good Jose Francisco de San Martin is, according to Laura’s utterances, the true liberator of South America. The general was the prime leader of the southern part of South America's successful struggle for independence from the Spanish Empire. Well, thank you Jose! He was born in Corrientes, but moved to Malaga at the age of seven to study. In the year of 1812 (or something like that, Laura was not fully sure) he set sail for Buenos Aires and became buddies with the supporters for independence from Spain. It seems they got along very well, because they even managed to establish their own army; The Army of the Andes. After crossing the Andes on a mule (and noton a great white horse as the majestic statue in the middle of the parks tells) he and his friends freed Chile and Peru. Laura was just about to tell me the rest of the story when her grandson started crying. She had to leave, and kiss-kiss-chao she was gone. But I sure learned a lot of the Argentinian “language” that wonderful hour in the park of General San Martin. By the way: The Order of the Liberator General San Martin is the highest decoration one can receive by the Argentine government. I read that when I got home that day, curious by Laura’s story. When I have more time I need to find out what happened to this handsome war hero.
So to sum up: if you want to learn the language, take a couple of hours out of your day and find a bench in a nice park. If a porteño (well, that is the name of the people of Buenos Aires) does not join you in 10 minutes or so, find one and ask for restaurant recommendation. …How to treat your taste buds Note: if you are a vegetarian just jump to the next chapter, I am sorry but you will not find anything useful here. Or maybe you will, I guess it depends - if you like street art and artsy areas you can keep on going. The area is called Heaven on Earth by the author of my travel book. He lingers on with flattering words like trendsetting, a perfect get-away and magnificent. Palermo is the barrio of great restaurants, hip nightlife, local cafes and famous street art located north-west of the city centre. Of course I had to go there day one. And yes: I entered heaven on earth. It was the first real summer evening, so the girls of Buenos Aires wore their new summer dresses for the first time. So did I. As I wrote in the beginning of this article it is all about falling in love with the beautiful BA. As for me, I met my loved one in a Palermo restaurant close to midnight. BOOM! As a warm breeze hit my face I saw him for the first time. He was the most perfect thing, I have ever seen. Tender, delicious and finger licking hot. He was something; he was a Bife de Chorizo. I know it sounds crazy but when you literally want to make love to a piece of steak, you know you have entered heaven on earth. Such a shame I was in a public restaurant. Go to Palermo and fall in love. Maybe not with an actually human being (maybe?), but definitely with the Argentinian food culture. That is certainly a way to kick your taste buds to the moon and back. 
With the touch of my new love fresh in my memory I walked around Palermo. This barrio is divided into a couple of sub-areas: Palermo Chico, Palermo Viejo, Palermo Soho and Palermo Hollywood. One more trendy and more fantastic than the other. Just walking around cozy cafés, beautiful parks, fancy shops, local galleries - all covered with amazing, colorful and provocative street art. You constantly want to sit down in a café, on the pavement, whatever, just to take in the atmosphere of this area. Luckily there are many places to do so. And if you feel that you haven’t treated your taste buds enough: Go to Soria Bar in Palermo Hollywood and taste their mojitos!
I could keep and keep on writing about this concrete wonder. I always love to write about feelings, so I think I will end this article doing so. Expect to be touched by different, and sometimes completely conflicting, feelings during your time here. It is a love and hate relationship, an emotional roller-coaster. One moment you feel on top of the world, the next moment ready to leave this confusing car crash jungle overcrowded with freaks. Happiness and sadness are two feelings living as close neighbors in your heart, and an experience, a memory, is a car crash of different feelings. If you want to experience, expect to feel. In this city you feel a thousand different things during one day. And feel lucky for that. Because that brings you three times as many memories.
...By the way, I no longer doubt why they call this city Buenos Aires – the winds are actually what gets you through the day.
Article by Charlotte Amey Here in Argentina, legislative elections are to take place on Sunday to choose the new parliament under the incumbent President, Cristina Fernández de Kirchner (known simply as Cristina to give her a more approachable, amiable image). Bizarrely, a law dictates that shops aren’t allowed to sell alcohol up to 24 hours before elections, ostensibly to stop people turning up drunk to vote, but presumably also to lower the chances of violence after the results come out. Politics is a subject that most Argentines are passionate about, having not so long ago lived under a military dictatorship with a highly oppressive regime. A constant reminder of this period are the Madres de la Plaza de Mayo, who unite every Thursday to protest for their lost children, who disappeared during the ‘Dirty War’ of the dictatorship in the late 70s/early 80s. Unsurprisingly then, the locals are protective of their democracy and political parties are numerous and mostly fairly left-wing. Voting is also obligatory, under penalty of a fine if you fail to do so. 
Cristina with las Madres de la Plaza de Mayo 
Cristina with her late ex-President husband and Juan and Evita Peron Cristina’s party, ‘Front for Victory’ (Frente para la Victoria), is one of the biggest political parties. It follows the Kirchnerist movement, which was created during Cristina’s late husband’s presidency. This movement bases itself on left-wing neo-Peronist ideology, a notoriously difficult concept to describe initiated by former president Juan Peron in 1945, which in simplistic terms can be described as a capitalist system with social benefits. There is a lot of pro-Cristina graffiti on the streets and in bars. The lower classes and those living outside the capital generally seem to be content with her in power because of the social benefits that do exist, and for her support of cultural phenomena, such as popular music like tango and cumbia, or the local slang ‘lunfardo’, which have been prohibited under previous dictatorships. 
Pro-Cristina graffiti 
That said, there are many people, mainly among the middle classes, businessmen and entrepreneurs, who are strongly against her leadership and blame her for the economic situation in the country, whose high inflation rate makes saving in pesos or expanding a business practically impossible. What is worse is that the government misrepresents inflation and exchange rates in order to keep up morale - so much so that The Economist has taken the government-allied statistical body, INDEC, off the records[1] - fuelling a black market that will give you twice as many pesos for your dollar than the official rate[2]. Protests are organised almost every week demanding better job security and for abortion to be legalised. There are some who see her as hypocritical for claiming to be the representative of the poor whilst indulging in substantial wealth herself, using private jets, undergoing plastic surgery, and, over the last 10 years, going from having 7 to 89 million pesos (1 to 15 million USD) in property[3], whilst INDEC claims that individuals should be able to live on 6 pesos per day (roughly 1 USD)[4]. Cristina has also faced accusations of corruption and money laundering, and thousands took to the streets last April in protest of a move to put the judiciary under governmental control[5]. There is even speculation as to whether her re-election in 2011 was rigged. Her attempt this year to win back the Falkland Islands, known here as ‘Malvinas’, is considered by some to have been a tactic to distract the nation from the country’s problems, an argument also raised concerning the 1982 military dictatorship’s invasion. However, it is nevertheless a subject close to the heart of many Argentines, who are taught at school that the islands are part of Argentina, and thus most consider that she was acting out of public interest. 
Falkland Islands graffiti 
Workers’ protest The next presidential elections will be held in 2015, but the ones on Sunday will be a good indicator of the current general opinion on all the political parties. In the meantime, we await the fate of the governing party’s parliamentary percentage with bated, alcohol-free breath.
Article by Charlotte Amey
Everyone has big hopes for a trip volunteering abroad, and sometimes it doesn’t work out quite the way you imagined. Here are some potential disappointments you may encounter and my advice, as a current volunteer, for dealing with them.
- Buenos Aires
Expectation Anyone who is keen to travel in South America has a sense of adventure and a desire to push their limits. For those who haven’t ever travelled abroad for an extended period, South America may seem a daunting place to start. However, for those heading to Buenos Aires, some may be relieved to hear of the city’s reputation as the most ‘European’ city in South America, revered for its beauty and exciting nightlife.
Reality For some people, Buenos Aires may not present enough of a challenge and you may find yourself getting bored of a city that is too similar to home. All the Spanish you were expecting to speak goes out the window as the easiest people to get to know are your international room-mates, who all speak perfect English, drink in Irish pubs and go out to clubs like you would anywhere else in the world. For others, there will be enough differences to make you start appreciating life at home more, such as being able to flush your paper down the toilet rather than put it in a bin, or well organised bus timetables. Seeing poverty and shanty towns from your trip from the airport may be a shock and both tourists and locals will tell you horror stories of violent street crime and the machismo of the Latino men, and tell you never to go out in certain areas, let alone at night.
My advice Buenos Aires is a city that grew on me more slowly than I expected. The sights to visit are more limited than large European capitals and there is no beach to enjoy like in other Latin American capitals. The best way to get to know this city is through the locals, or people who have lived there long enough to know its more hidden spots and events. Language exchange nights and couchsurfing.com are great ways to meet people interested in showing you around, and are also a way to speak more Spanish and to feel more integrated into the local community. Crime and machismoare an unfortunate reality. You will talk to people who have been mugged to varying degrees of violence. Women will be stared at and commented on whatever you’re wearing. But you will also talk to many people who have never had any problems with crime at all, and you might notice that the comments men make are mostly harmless and complimentary, unlike in some European countries, where I for one have been aggressively insulted for wearing a skirt above the knee. Use common sense at all times but don’t let being scared ruin your time here. Everyone has a different comfort zone, but don’t forget to walk and take the bus rather than take a taxi everywhere and miss out on the adventure of finding your way around.
- Volunteering
Expectation Most volunteers want to help and get to know the local community from the inside, as well as to have enough spare time for sightseeing, whilst not getting bored with staying in one place for however many months. You expect to arrive at your project and immediately be given training on exactly what to do, given tasks that are emotionally or creatively rewarding, and be constantly aware of how useful you are and how much you are making a difference to these people’s lives.
Reality Instead, on arrival at your community project, you might be greeted with what seems like indifference from the locals and given petty tasks that anyone could do, and you start to question why exactly you are there.
My adviceIt´s easy to be naïve about how involved you can be as a volunteer, especially if you are only there for a short amount of time. Don´t expect to be given huge amounts of responsibility straight away. Your bosses will have seen hundreds of volunteers pass through their organisation – some lazy, some irresponsible, some totally uninterested. It is up to you to prove that you can be helpful and don’t need to be babysat, so be proactive, remember the information you have been told and be friendly and talkative to everyone you meet. Eventually, you will gain people’s respect, and once that is won, you will find your experience a whole lot more gratifying. Of course, the longer you stay and the more effort you make with the language, the more likely you are to really ‘make a difference’. When I visited the soup kitchen, all the locals I met there talked about one of the volunteer girls that had left a month ago, laughing together about their memories of teaching her Spanish, proving that if you take a real interest, locals here will respond and you will leave a lasting memory.
- The Future
Expectation You expect to become a ‘better person’ for having volunteered, more knowledgeable about the country and its customs, having learnt another language and made new friends for life. You´ll have something to add to your CV and experienced things that you can use when you´re asked to ‘talk about a time you overcame a difficult situation’ in a job interview, giving you more chance of having a successful career.
Reality All this can be true. Volunteering will have changed you for the better, even if you feel unsatisfied with how involved you were in your project. Just by getting to know a different culture and adapting to another country, your perspective on the world will have widened. If you have learnt another language and made lifelong friends, all the better. It can indeed be very helpful when it comes to (re-)entering the job market, improving your sense of initiative, your communication skills and your confidence.
My advice Volunteering is what you make it. Making a difference isn’t achieved just by paying the donation to be a volunteer and turning up on the day. It is an active process that, if done right, will give you memories for life, a new set of skills and a real sense of achievement. Just don’t expect it all to fall into your lap. Follow me on twitter: @Charlotte_Amey
Article by Florian Wieser
On the 12th of October, Argentina celebrates the day of cultural diversity in America. The Argentine government introduced the day in 2007 with the aim to raise awareness of the situation of the original inhabitants of Argentina, who still suffer from disadvantages and discrimination. At the same time it is an appeal for a more just and fair society. Although Argentina is largely influenced by immigration, being the country that has welcomed the second largest number of immigrants in total worldwide, indigenous people still account for a vital part of Argentine society. According to studies of the University of Buenos Aires, 56% of the Argentinians have at least one indigenous forefather. A census undertaken by the National Institute of Statistics and Census of Argentina (INDEC) in 2010 shows that about 900.000 (2.4% of the whole population) actually claim to be indigenous, which means that they live according to their traditions and cultural habits of their people. Most of these indigenous peoples can be found in the North-West (e.g. Quechua, Diaguita), North-East (e.g. Guarani, Mocovi) and the South (e.g. Mapuche, Tehuelche) of the country, although a lot of Indians have already moved to the bigger cities due to better working opportunities.
Not very long ago, introducing a day to raise awareness of the indigenous peoples, their needs and their interests, would have been impossible. Since the foundation of Argentina, Indians were treated as intruders rather than as Argentine citizens – most of their land was given to the state or the military, many of them were killed. Until the end of the military dictatorship in 1983, the indigenous population was suppressed and ignored. It wasn’t until 1994 that equal rights for indigenous people compared to Argentine citizens was officially recognized by the country’s constitution! However, by that time, the century-long suppression had already caused serious damage. Due to the exclusion of large parts of the education system, many of the native languages have been lost. Today only 10% of the people who count themselves to the indigenous population are able to speak a native language. Although education possibilities have been greatly increased in recent years, the illiteracy rate among Indians is still incredibly high. There are peoples in which almost one third of the members are unable either to read or write, a value that lies far above the Argentine average (INDEC, 2004). This accounts as well for the rate of poverty. On average, 14% of the Argentine population can’t afford what they require to meet their basic needs whereas the rate among the native Indians lies at about 25% (Eglau, 2010). As the Catholic University of Buenos Aires states, more than 80% of the Indian population living in rural areas of the country is suffering from malnourishment.
However, what actually bothers them most is the fact that the land that was once taken from them has still not been returned. The land plays an integral part in Indian tradition. It’s where they live, where they seed potatoes, where they work together, where they worship “pachamama“, mother earth. However there is some hope that the Indians can reclaim their former territories again soon. About 4 million hectares of land have already been returned to indigenous societies, 15 million are still being checked by Argentine authorities (Deutsche Welle, 2010). It would be a first step to further secure the continuity of indigenous life in Argentina. However, to secure a society in which native inhabitants have the same opportunities as Argentines of European origin, it seems that there is still a long way to go.
The Benefits of not Speaking the Local Language when Volunteering Abroad
Written by Jesica FrancoWith over five hundred million speakers worldwide, Spanish is the third most spoken language in the world, behind Mandarin and English. As the world becomes an increasingly interconnected place, knowledge of a second language is quite commonplace. Many students around the world are interested in improving their language skills through immersion. Because of this desire to achieve fluency, volunteering abroad has been an attractive proposition for adventurous young people around the world. Working everyday in a foreign language helps you pick up colloquial phrases while drastically improving your listening and conversational skills.
According to a recent survey by Voluntario Global, over 90 % of volunteers claim that their primary reason for choosing Argentina as the location for volunteering is to learn Spanish. But choosing Spanish-speaking destinations doesn’t imply that all the volunteers are fluent in the local language. In fact, many of the prospective newcomers and current volunteers have little foreign training. But regardless of your level of proficiency, it is only natural to be nervous about the language barrier.
Therefore, the logical question to ask is, is there a language barrier and how will it affect your experience? Of all the applicants that applied to work with Voluntario Global, 12% reported to have zero previous experience with Spanish, while 29 % reported that they spoke a basic level of Spanish. Obviously, a limited capacity to communicate yields some frustration, but that frustration can serve as a learning experience and an interesting opportunity for you to push yourself outside your comfort zone. The best time to immerse yourself in a language and culture is not when you are already fluent in the language. By choosing a country whose language you do not know well, you will be exposed to listening to it all the time: on the train, in the streets, in restaurants, in volunteer projects, etc. This constant exposure serves as thousands of hours of training because you get used to the sounds and cadence of the language.
Even by using your limited vocabulary with locals, every person you meet can become a conversation partner and an opportunity to practice. As a foreigner, showing that you have learned a few words of the language demonstrates to locals that you respect them enough to put in the effort to connect with them. Because of the respect you showed them, they feel compelled to help you learn their language. You can lean on the natives’ complete knowledge of the language when explaining concepts to absorb new phrases, slang, and cultural idiosyncrasies. That subtle student-teacher relationship that forms between you and your local conversation partners is a meaningful and rewarding human connection. Because even small successes, like someone understanding a simple request, can feel like colossal victories when done in a foreign language.
In addition to improving your abilities of verbal expression, you may also discover other effective and more universal methods of communication, such as body language, which can help enrich your experience. When you realize that even people in a different country understand that rubbing your stomach is a sign for being hungry, that universal sign language becomes another tool to lean on when you forget a word or phrase. And after recognizing what you are trying to communicate, your language partner will teach you the word or phrase for your future reference. Soon you will have acquired quite an extensive vocabulary without even realizing how many words you pick up.
To demonstrate some of these points, we interviewed some of our volunteers who claimed to have a very basic or nonexistent level of Spanish prior to arriving in Argentina. Allison Tran Phan from Australia said, “Although at first, It was hard to communicate with the teachers, I had no trouble communicating with the kids because I use a lot of body language and hand gestures.” While Tooka Zokaie of the United States said, “Just from shadowing my doctor, I've picked a lot of medical language, such as the names of diseases and medicine. The vocabulary that I've learned at the clinic has also come up in other places. It's been a great and fun learning experience overall."
As said before this teacher-student relationship causes strong bonds to form among the two people involved. One of the most rewarding experiences some volunteers have had is because of the fact that they do not speak the local language. Because it is difficult to explain the concepts behind cultural idiosyncrasies in simple terms, people try to teach the volunteers by using physical examples rather than explaining it in words. For instance, instead of verbally detailing the history and cultural importance of mate (typical Argentinian beverage), they may invite you to share a mate with them and their friends to demonstrate how it’s a physical manifestation of the trust that bonds people together.
The feelings of acceptance and connection to the local people and culture by speaking their language are both unique and gratifying. Although many people are friendly to tourists that travel to learn more about their culture, locals treat you differently if you have made a concerted effort to be an active member of their way of life. That acceptance and respect is greatly satisfying and may encourage you to be more adventurous in the future. Who knows? You may discover that you have a passion for languages or that you make lifelong friends of the people you meet. It takes a creative and brave person to take the risk of immersing yourself in an unfamiliar culture, but the benefits of doing so are both unexpected and valuable.
In summation, your experience is shaped as much by your attitude and open-mindedness as it is by your prior knowledge of the language and culture. As Jimena Rodriguez, Volunteers Coordinator at Voluntario Global, said, “It's more about the personality or attitude of the volunteers because there are many different ways to connect and communicate.” Sharing a cultural connection is not only about language because there are universal aspects of being human that help us all connect. No matter how fluent you are, you will encounter difficulty in some capacity. But your resilience and willingness to humbly allow others to teach you will enrich your experience in more ways that one.
VOLUNTARIO GLOBAL
Voluntario Global helps local communities by being available to discuss anything that local organizations need, and offering ideas for further change and development.
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CONTACT
Location: General Pacheco. Buenos Aires. Argentina
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