SAIH in Bolivia
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Operation Day’s work (OD) campaign of 1992
SAIH work with indigenous people’s rights, began with the support from the Operation Day’s work (OD) campaign of 1992. Operation Day’s work, or OD, is a Norwegian campaign where school students work for one day instead of attending school, and their earnings are given to OD and the particular cause that is being supported that year. The theme for the 1992 campaign focused on “indigenous education on their own terms”.
Indigenous youth with the right to a relevant education
The political and social situation for indigenous people in Bolivia today is very different from the situation in 1992, and SAIH has followed this development closely. After many years in the area, SAIH holds much experience with work on the altiplano, but is today also working on a national level in Bolivia. The target group of SAIH’s work is youth from various indigenous groups, between 15 and 35 years of age.
SAIH is involved with two programs in Bolivia:
The program “Higher education for indigenous youth in Bolivia” is focusing on indigenous youth’s right to relevant and good education.
In 2009, Bolivia developed a new constitution where indigenous people’s rights are strengthened. Within the processes that lie ahead, it will be essential with more competence within inter-cultural and multi-lingual education, especially so in the educational sector. At the same time, indigenous youth have the right to obtain relevant and good education where their own culture and identity is the focal point. SAIH’s partners in the program offer such higher education to youth from various indigenous groups in Bolivia.
The goal of the program: “Education for indigenous youth’s participation in Bolivia” is to enhance indigenous youth’s participation and their influencing powers in society. The different SAIH partners provide schooling in rights, leadership training and how to carry out work that influences political decisions. Through informal and non-formal educational activities, indigenous youth’s knowledge is strengthened, and they are provided with a space where they can actively participate as agents of change in their own lives and societies.
Here is a presentation of two of our partners:
FUNPROEIB Andes
FUNPROEIB Andes partnered with SAIH in 2008, and is an organization that works on strengthening the bilingual inter-cultural education (EIB) and indigenous people’s participation in the educational sector. To accomplish this, FUNPROEIB Andes is co-operating with the public university in Cochabamba and the educational council for indigenous people’s organizations (CEPO).
Inter-cultural bilingual education (Educacion Intercultural Bilingue), EIB, is an important educational-political fighting cause for the organizations of indigenous people in Bolivia. The country’s educational system is not properly adapted to indigenous people’s culture, identity and language. Teachers competence within EIB is lacking, and indigenous people is poorly represented in local and national educational politics. FUNPROEIB Andes’ two main focuses are thus increased participation of indigenous people in educational politics, as well as formal and informal education in EIB.
Starting in 2009, FUNPROEIB Andes has been running several educational projects for youth from different indigenous groups on a national level. This includes leadership training, teachers training and Post-Grad degrees. All of the studies are a co-operation between the public university in Cochabamba and organizations of indigenous people, with a strong focus on EIB. The students are chosen in collaboration with the organizations of indigenous people, and are trained in among other topics – the history of indigenous people, rights, and EIB as a working method. Running parallel to these educational offers, FUNPROEIB is running a research project on indigenous students at the university, which is to provide input to future policies on indigenous people and higher education.
Centro de Desarrollo Integral de la Mujer Aymara –Amuyt’a
CDIMA provides leadership training and schooling in rights for aymara women in rural areas and on the highland, or altiplano of Bolivia. In this manner, they strengthen the women’s participation in society and politics.
CDIMA is a women’s organization run by and for aymara women on the altiplano in Bolivia. Aymara women are often doubly discriminated, both as women and as indigenous people. Incomplete education, suppressive behavior and violence towards women in local communities, create great obstacles for women and make it especially hard for them to become involved with political decision-making.
Through their work, CDIMA highlights indigenous women’s rights and provide training for female indigenous leaders and agents of change. CDIMA strengthens women’s knowledge on political systems and processes, gender perspectives adapted to an Andean cultural context and history. How to influence politics and indigenous people’s and women’s rights are central in CDIMA’s work. CDIMA tries to work integrated with everyone in the local communities in order to also change men’s attitudes towards women, and it creates networks and strengthens existing women’s organizations. The organization is also co-operating with local authorities. To enhance women’s liberation, CDIMA assist the women with training in economical activities, production and sale of traditional manual arts and crafts, as well as fair trade. The incomes gathered from these activities are to contribute to the women’s independence, and thus create greater space for them to get involved politically.