Wow, two months have certainly flown by! My last two weeks in Córdoba were certainly packed, and I am looking forward to a chance to reflect on the overall experience.
First, I finished up my brief period interning at RadioNativa, during which I conducted more street interviews (inquired about an upcoming bank strike, local events in the area), researched more current events (the station brought an economist on air to discuss Argentina's default, I pitched in with observations from the U.S. media), and joked around on-air with the hosts (José and Cristian are the best!).
Second, we had our last "Taller de educacion sexual" with the girls at Soaje which focused on healthy relationships and consent. After a brief discussion about the meaning of consent, we presented our activity, "El semáforo del sexo," or "The Sex Traffic Light" (it sounds a lot better in Spanish!). We handed the girls each a piece of red, yellow, and green colored "lights," and asked them to hold one up in response to a variety of situations in which consent was or was not given. The red light signified a situation in which someone should stop and leave a dangerous situation, the yellow one in which the couple should pause to discuss what the other wants, and the green one where both partners are comfortable to proceed. Surprisingly, the girls responded almost ideally to each situation that we presented-- they showed that they had a good grasp on the meaning and use of consent. However, we had to remind the girls that even in a committed relationship, they retain the right to say "no.". Although their rights had been violated without consent in the past, we hoped this workshop will encourage the girls to stand up for themselves in future relationships and sexual situations. The sexual education series has opened an important discourse on sexuality, relationships, abuse, drug use, and self-esteem that I feel privileged to have taken part in.
For my second-to-last day at Soaje, we decided to present the girls with a more general overview of human rights, based loosely off of the presentation I gave to the high school students. I found a Spanish version of a YouTube video that gives an excellent rundown of the history and definition of human rights to show to the girls. After, we ran through the thirty articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights so that they had a full understanding of the rights they are entitled. Hopefully, this workshop as well as our series on sexual education provided the girls with the necessary tools to live as empowered women upon leaving the institution.
Leaving Soaje was difficult—in my two months here I have seen the girls’ ups and downs, their new friendships in the making, and their growing confidence with us and with themselves. I hope that our work inspired them as much as they inspired us.
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There is more to share about my last week with the human rights office but it will have to be left to another post-- this one is far too long already! I wish I could post more work-related photos, but we are prohibited for confidentiality reasons-- the girls are in very sensitive legal and social situations. So instead, here are some photos from little day trips I have taken over the weekends!
Festival de Chocolate-- Villa Gral. Belgrano
Chocolate cake with hot chocolate at chocolate festival ;) Yum yum!
Cabin in Carlos Paz
I can't believe the summer is wrapping up so quickly! This Saturday I meet my parents in Buenos Aires to do a little traveling before leaving beautiful Argentina. Can't wait!
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