Issue one - children and youth

Many of the organizations had programs and services that were offered for children and youth in the area. Many of these children had parents who were immigrants and the programs offered varied from basic academic classes to more social aspects like theater club. I'd like to divide the organizations that I visited and then write a little more on what programs they specifically offered for youth and children.

There was more information on this but blogger logged me out when I was saving it and deleted most of my work. :( I'll continue with this very soon this week and get this updated. Sometimes I just don't understand technology.

Voluntario Claver:
This NGO focused on the lives of immigrants in Sevilla of all ages. Programs for adults took place in a school called "Escuela Encultural" which offered courses in economics, language andd trips around Sevilla to become familiar with the city and the culture. For the children of immigrants, courses were offered from September through June in basic course like math, english and language. The classes met 3 times a week and students were also given the resource to find a job so they could work and go to school. This NGO pertained more to adults so the number of children and youth was around 40. The programs offered for children were also more limited because the main focus was adult immigrants. The building area accomated more adults as well because upon arriving it reminded me a lot of a nursing home, with old fashioned furniture and parlors. It didn't seem like it would be a fun place for kids to hang out. I think that this is what made the NGO unique though and it still had an impact on the lives of children. If parents were able to better themselves with an education and work then the had more resources and experience to better the lives of their children.

Draft for research paper:

When working with Sevilliano children and youth, this Non-Governmental Organization created different “tallers” or studios and workshops that children could be a part of. The “Taller de Teatro, Arte, y Juego” is a theater group for children ages 13-18 years who are interested in theater, arts, and games. The advertisement promotes a fun experience for teens who want to learn more about expressing themselves through acting and drama with others who enjoy doing the same things. Teens are in a great environment to grow out of any shyness and leave any embarrassment they feel about expressing themselves through drama behind. The class meets once a week on Fridays from 7-8:30 pm and promises laughter and a fun, new experience.

Another “taller” offered is the “Taller de Percusion,” a drum workshop that allows teens to express themselves through music and rhythm. The class offers the opportunity to learn how to play a drum called the “yembe” along with learning new things and having fun. The class also meets once a week on Fridays from 5:30-7 pm and is open to teens ages 13-18 years. According to the appealing advertisement, this is something not worth missing and a great opportunity to have fun and make new friends.

Voluntario Claver does a great job appealing to the youth through a creative, alluring flyer and persuasive dialogue. An authorization form is attached to make it easy for youth to fill out the form with their choice of activity and a place for their parents to sign. This includes a statement saying that the teen will be obedient and abide by all rules during the program and a separate section for the teen’s age, email, grade, address, etc.

Movimiento de Paz

Research Study

I've been back from Sevilla for awhile now but I miss it very much. Now that school has started it's time to get back into working on my research on international non-profits and use the materials and information I gathered in Spain. There are several ways that I could organize this paper and so much information that I want to be sure to include. As I begin gathering things together I have come up with a possible way to organize my research that I think would include all that I would like. I would like to write a short section on each organization that I visited, sort of like I did in each blog but with a little more specifics and examples from some of the materials that were provided to me by some of the organizations. After doing that I would like to go into specific categories that each organization addressed and how they went about addressing it. Some of the categories would be immigration, children and youth, adults and the elderly, as well as education. These catergories are not set and I may add or remove some as I write more about each organization and become more familiar with the programs they provided for the different age groups and issues. I do want to focus largely on the immigration section though because that area is a heavy issue in Spain that deserves much attention. I'll finish the Spain section on a recap of the way each organization was managed including details about the staff, location, offices, and programs. A big deal of my research is focus on the way these NGO's are managed and what I can learn from that and use if I were to create an international non-profit of my own someday.

After writing about the Spanish non-profits, their programs, and the issues that address I would like to write a little about my experience in Africa and working with a different type of international non-profits (Projects Abroad) that provided me with a different type of experience. I'll focus on the issues that they addressed and how they went about doing work in so many different part of the world. I'll also spend some time writing about the orphanage that I worked at and how it functioned daily. I'm not sure if I can classify the orphange as an NGO, but I'll look into that. As I'll do with Spain, I'll focus on how these organizations are managed and the resources they provide for those wanting to be a part of their cause.

After writing about my experiences, I'll compare and contrast the two and focus on some major points that were similar and that I could possibly use when creating an NGO in the future. If time permits, I would like to research on how immigration is dealt with by some NGO's here in Texas and write a little and how it differs or is similar to that of Spain.

So this is how my paper will be organized as of now. There probably will be some changes and adjustments but I'll be sure to make notes of those. I'll also be blogging about my progress every week, or at least I'll try my best to, so research doesn't fall behind and I have enough time to get everything I would like done.

Fundacion Gota de Leche

Gota de Leche is a non-governmental organization that originated back in the 19th century in France with the emphasis on creating an alternative way of providing milk and food to the children of women who could not breastfeed. Since then they organization has spread throughout Spain and has expanded its focus to five main lines of action all dealing with the improving the quality of life for children. Their focus includes work with the "Fourth world" including intervention programs with at risk children, cooperation for development for developing countries, awareness and advocacy for children, volunteer training, and consulting children to improve their quality of life. This information was taken from www.gotadeleche.org, the organization's main website that contains their past history and current focuses and programs. My interview with this organization was a little different than the rest of my interviews. The person who I had made an appointment to talk with was hard to get in contact with and when I finally did get a chance to sit down with her, she was too busy to talk with me and told me to just get all the information I needed off of the website. While waiting at the office though I did make some observations and get an idea of what the organization does. There was a small shop located at the entrance of the offices that sold all kinds of items for children, from books and toys to stuffed animals and clothing. All money from that shop went back to the organization and its programs. There was also a drop box for old used cell phones to be donated and given to those who could not afford them. It was my impression that this organization was trying to help in any way they could to provide a better life for those less fortunate, especially for children. The organization was also open to volunteers working their reception desk and at the store and offers a way for people and businesses to make annual donations or collaborations with programs.

Overall, the main focus of this organization is the betterment of less fortunate children by providing a voice and shedding light on issues that many might not be aware of, like the poverty of the "Fourth world." They do this with the help of others and through several different programs and campaigns.

Union Romani

Union Romani is a large NGO in Spain that has all kinds of programs in Spain and across Europe. I was able to speak to four different representatives about the different types of work they do for the organization, as well as recieve materials used in their programs along with their final notes with statistics and recaps of all they did in 2010. I really enjoyed meeting with them and learning about all they're doing. They focus on the "gitano" population or gypsies who have immigrated to Spain. They help immigrants of all ages and specialize on those who have been descrimiated against because they are immigrants. Anti-discrimination classes are help to inform the people of Sevilla, especially the youth, about how wrong it is to descriminate. I was able to learn about four different programs that the NGO offers, working with children, teens, and adults from all different countries over Europe.

CHARM stands for Civic Help for Anti-Racist Measures and is a program for youth groups that expresses several ways and ideas to help other youth learn about anti-racist measures. The project is taking place in 6 different countries and is part of an online campaign to spread the word about anti-discrimination among youth and youth groups across the world.

Red de Centros de Asistencia a Victimas de Discriminacion is a service that provides help to those who have been racially descrimiated against at work, through education, or living arrangement and provides them with the legal help they need to overcome the descrimation.

The rest of the programs focus more on the issue of immigration within the city. The majority of the immigrants are Romanos or Gitanos and the organization helps get them ID's to work, helps with the job search, and provides basic classes with information that can help get them started down the right path. There are also camps provided in the neighborhoods that these immigrants living in that usually have no running water and poor conditions. The camps provide children with basic classes along with medical assistance and activities like soccer to do during their free time.

The supplies given to me along with the past statistics and the information that I recieved from the interview will be very useful when writing more about NGO's in Spain, especially when talking about immigration.

Morocco!

This past weekend my school group ventured to Morocco. The journey was a life-changing experience and something I wish everyone had the opportunity to do. Some many aspects of the trip triggered a different emotion and I learned so much from the trip. The dynamic of the life, economy, and people is so different from that of Spain. The streets are so busy with people all the time selling things or rushing off somewhere and even though the neighborhoods are built similar to Sevilla, buildings close together with narrow streets, the two places could not be more different. The streets were not kept clean and there were signs of poverty everywhere. All sorts of weird smells came from the streets and vendors were way more direct and pushy than I was comfortable with. All of these things were part of the culture and I know they are considered normal there. I wanted to keep an open mind to the different aspects of the culture and make sure I did not come off as ignorant to the different things that other cultures, especially one like the Moroccan culture, had to offer. The experience made me realize even more how lucky I am to have all the opportunities that I do for a great life but also that there is almost another world out there living so differently than what I am used to.

We visited Chefchaouen, Tetuan, and Tangier. Chefchaouen was by far my favorite city with its pretty architecture and painted blue walls to keep the bugs away. The buildings were close together and streets narrow like Sevilla, most likely for shade and there were donkeys in the street used for transportation. Tetuan was busy and bustling with vendors and once we went inside the gates of the “old city” things became very different and it was as if we were in another world. We also viewed the market and the alcazar in the medina of the city and the old city within the walls was so different from modern life outside the walls. Tangier was fun and we got to see an old fashioned show with horses and men dressed in traditional Moroccan wear along with a belly dancer and a man who walked on glass.

Overall, the tip cannot be described in just a few words. It was such a cultural experience that made me realize so much and expand my outlook on the rest of the world. I appreciate the opportunity to be able to visit there and am thankful for all the opportunities I have here and at home.

Movimiento para la Paz, el Desarme, y la Libertad

MPDL is a very successful non-governmental organization in Spain that has won awards and recognition for its work internationally and locally. They concentrate on human rights, immigration, international development, education, and more. The have a special focus on immigration through work with the Centro de Acogida para Refugiados in which they put on after school programs for children who live in the center. They have a strong focus on academic and socio-cultural aspects which are found in all of their programs. I was able to talk to Rebecca, a director in the Seville office, who provided me with much information about the different programs that they offer. She divided the programs into four categories for me by people they target; "gitanos" or gypsies, immigrants including children of immigrants, local Sevillanos, and other international programs for various causes. The programs that target gypsies include offering all kinds of educational classes from elementary to college level for gypsies and their families from all over Europe. The have a special program for mothers that allows for the mothers to have a place to care for their babies and lessons on how to do things like breast feed and care for their babies properly. Employment is also important for gypsies who typically take to the streets for money and MPDL helps with the job search and preparing the gypsies for the workforce and a better life in general. Programs for immigrants include an after school program that I mentioned earlier at a residence that houses immigrants and their families. Other services provided for immigrants include providing attorneys for help with legal documents and other programs to help with employment forms and building skills and a resume to apply for jobs. Rebecca informed me that it is required for all children in Spain, no matter your nationality, to attend school and these programs help the children of immigrants get to the level they need to be at for their age in the Spanish school system. Many children know little Spanish and are not accustomed to the studies in Spain but are taught, for free, the classes they need to catch up. Classes run from September to June like a regular school term. MPDL also provides classes for local Sevillanos, mostly students, to become informed about the social issues that affect their community. One major program is a "theater for peace" that allows locals to act out the social problems that exist to make their community more aware of what is going on. Programs are also offered internationally to help with things like agriculture or the economy depending on the location, examples include setting up stores in Peru or working with cows and farmers in Nicaragua.

MPDL is one of the larger NGO's in Spain and I was able to get a list of businesses that help fund their work along with names of other NGO's that do similar work. Their website (mpdl.org) is also very detailed and will be of great help when writing my larger research paper.

So far things have been going really well and I've received a lot of helpful information. I have another meeting tomorrow and one more next week and will be sure to write about those also.

Voluntario Claver

This week I have started my visits with non-profit/non-governmental organizations in Spain. The purpose of my research is to obtain more information on the way these NGO's are managed in Spain, some of the programs they put on, and how they focus on immigration. The first organization I visited yesterday was Voluntario Claver. Located off one of the main streets in Sevilla, the office is secured very well behind a locked gate with a long walk way. The office was great, very spacious with several rooms used for the different programs that the organization sponsors. The organization focuses on bettering the lives of immigrants. It wasn't an original organization that I planned to use but was suggested by one of the directors at my study abroad program and it seemed to be a perfect fit. The main program the NGO offers is an "Escuela Encultural" which is a school for adult immigrants that offers courses like economics and language classes along with annual programs that offers tours of the city, information about the government, and cultural classes to become familiar with the Spanish culture. They do four of these different outside activities a year. They also offer courses for the children of immigrants which include math, english, and language courses. The classes run from Septmeber to June and students usually attend 3 times a week. The organization also helps with job placement so students can work and go to school. I beleive they help students find jobs within the school or at the local university but I need to double check this fact to make sure. Immigrants are usally from several countries including Paraguay, Columbia, Bolivia, Peru, and a few from Africa, but mostly from Bolivia and Ecuador. The demographics of the school usually run around 100 adults, with 30 young people, 15 women, and 10 children.

This is just a quick summary of some things I wrote down while talking to one of the directors at the organization. I was able to get a few pamphlets with more information on their programs and purpose and will be sure to expand and target a couple of those programs when writing my larger research paper. I was also able to get a lot of great information from the director's answers to my surveys as he took the time to type the answers and email them back to me with great answers to all of them. I will have plenty of material to use when writing more about this in the fall and I am so grateful that everyone so far has been so supportive of my research. It has been a challenge trying to listen very attentively while the NGO employees speak very quickly but a positive challenge that has helped me practice my spanish and ask even more questions. It is also a great feeling of accomplishment when I leave knowing even more about an organization that is making such a great difference in Spain and the way I can use my research in the future.

Hidden history

There is so much to this city that I am still learning about and experiencing. I never knew how much the city of Sevilla had to offer and all the history behind it. The new class that I am taking this session is called the Legacy of Al-Andalus and is all about the history and culture that are hidden yet so apparent in this wonderful city. There is such a large Roman influence in many of the buildings along with Muslim and even Visigoth. We get to explore all these cool buildings and structures during the second half of our class and I absolutely love it. Yesterday we toured the "Setas de la Encarnacion" which are located in Plaza de la Encarnacion towards the center of Sevilla and are a new addition which was started in 2005 and was just finished in March of this year. When first walking by this large wooden structure, the first thing that came to mind was "What is that and why is it in Sevilla?" A question that was common to many Sevillanos also. I quickly learned the controversy behind this structure. Sevilla is filled with old traditional buildings and its lack of modern structures is what makes it unique. It really is like something out of an old story book or off of a postcard. My senora said it perfectly when she remarked that the "Setas" are great but would look even better somewhere else, not Sevilla. I went into our tour with that mindset, thinking why would they spend so much money on this modern structure when it would look better somewhere else and so many Sevillanos do not like it. Little did I know what would be hidden underneath it. Apparently, Sevilla is built on top of many Roman ruins and every time construction is started on something new, something from the past is found and another piece of history is discovered. Underneath the "Setas" was a large display of Roman ruins, what almost seemed like a neighborhood of houses. What was left were the floor plans and beautiful mosaics that once made up extravagant Roman houses. There were even deep holes still dug from where a fish business had once stood and where they had kept the fish to be sold. We were touring what used to thousands of years ago, a bustling Roman city. The things we find in this town are just so unbelievable sometimes. After we toured the bottom and learned all about what used to be there we got to tour the very top of the "Setas." What an amazing view of Sevilla. We could see the Giralda at the cathedral and the many buildings and streets that held the tradition of this town. No skyscrapers, no pollution or gray clouds hovering over, just a beautiful view full of culture and history. I also learned that no building is allowed to be built taller than the Giralda at the cathedral, although the "Setas" came very close. Another indication of how important culture and religion are here. I love the traditional look of Sevilla and I am so glad I ended up studying here. My view on the "Setas" did change after our tour. If they had not built that structure they may not have found the beautiful things that lied underneath. As the world becomes more modern, this was a positive step to keep Sevilla in the loop with a new modern structure that still has so much history right underneath it. It is also a way to bring the people together because rallies and markets are held on the middle level of the structure. I feel like after a few more years the structure will grow on the people of Sevilla and be more welcomed. I am so thankful to have gotten to experience and see what I did while here though.

For the research part of my trip, I have already made appointments with 3 of the 4 non-profits I would like to visit and am in contact with the 4th to set a time to stop by their office. I am really excited to see the kind of work non-profits in Sevilla do and to maybe even volunteer if options are available. As immigration goes, I have noticed many men of African descent on the streets selling little things and trying to get people's attention as they walk by. My guess is that these men could be immigrants from African countries near by and this was the only work they could find. I am going to ask about this when I visit the non-profits and see if they have anything to say about it.

Time seems to be going by so fast here. I feel like I have already seen and experienced so much but yet there is still so much more to see. I am definitely going to make the most of these last couple weeks.

Culture shock!

During my time in Spain, I have had the opportunity to travel to several Spanish cities and this past weekend we went to Portugal. One thing that I have took great notice off is the differences between cultures. Culture has always been something of interest to me and I even tried to target my sociology classes around it. The smallest things can be huge differences in different countries and I would like to share a couple of things I've noticed here in Spain and in Portugal. One thing we were told at orientation for study abroad was to try to not look too American. All the women here mostly wear jeans or pants and some type of heels, usually wedges, all day everyday. It still blows my mind that they can be in wedges all day and wear pants in this 100 degree weather. The Spanish women are also totally over and done with the Spanish chicos. I witnessed a boy try his hardest to get a pretty girls attention yesterday and to no avail as she blatantly ignored him and went on with her day. It was probably because his way of getting her attention was opening his arms for a hug when she had no idea who he was but either way it made me laugh and proved that what I had heard about the young people dynamic here was right. That is also why Spanish men like American women, some of us don't know any better and fall for their flattery.

Another little things that I keep forgetting here are table manners. The Spanish like to have both hands on the table when eating and I am definitely not used to that. I was always told to keep elbows away from the table and only have the hand I'm eating with on the table. When setting the table, the silverware positions are also switched and they do not switch hands when cutting something on their plate. It took me at least three tries to set the table right but I finally got it today and I still switch hands when cutting things. They also think it is rude when you don't finish your meal or don't try everything that has been offered on the table, well at least the Senora I live with does. I have tried mostly everything she has made whether I like it or not but today I just could not eat the fried sardines and got that ugly look. The food here is delicious though and I am really enjoy the tapas from all the different little restaurants. My favorite is the pork with the whisky sauce and potatoes.

Portugal was beautiful. We spent the weekend in Lagos and explored the different beaches and the grotto and even got to swim in the middle of the ocean. It felt like a dream and everything was amazing... except for some of the locals. Rumor has it that the Portuguese are not too fond of Americans because we visit and think we are better than everyone and that our country is so much better. I, of course, do not think that but we did have an encounter with a few angry Portuguese who were not happy with us or our presence at a restaurant late at night. We got out of that sitation safely but it made me realize some of the sterotypes put on Americans when seen in other countries. We treat international visitors in the states well but America is a crazy country with all kinds of people and a busy booming economy that I could see where they might think that. I respect them and their country, I just wish they wouldn't assume that all Americans are like that. There were a few nice Portuguese though and we still enjoyed ourselves.

I think I am going to keep updating new cultural experiences as they happen. Some are really funny, others a little scary but it's all part of the experience. Overall, I am having a great time and learning so much.

history, culture, and religion

The past few days have been filled with learning about the history and culture of Sevilla and Spain with different visits to Cordoba, Granada, and the Corpus Christi celebration. I've noticed a trend with the different visits in that they almost always contain cathedrals and some kind of history including the Christian, Muslim, and Gothic influences, if not more. Cordoba was beautiful. The mezquite or "The Great Mosque of Cordoba" was incredible. The Roman columns at the entrance to the main part of the city were awesome too and just knowing that these great pieces of architecture had been built so long ago by the Romans was a crazy thought. The intricate detail in everything was jaw-dropping, from the gold coated tiles in the cathedrals to the details on the Roman statues. Everything was so unique and seemed like something I had seen in history books at school or in movies. Granada was a great experience also. We got to tour the Alhmabra and the Generalife. The Alhambra contains the tombs of the Queen Isabel and King Ferdinand who ruled Granada before it fell to the Christians in 1492. We even got to go underground and view the tombs through glass. Everything about the cathedral they were buried in to the actual tomb statues that signified their accomplishments and characterisitics were so beautiful and it actually felt a little creepy learning about all that had happened there and knowing they were buried there. Today is the Corpus Christi Celebration in Sevilla and we got to view the church procession at the large catherdral here in Sevilla. The whole town comes out to view it and there is a grand procession including an army band. The saint that holds what signifies Christ's body in this case, was taken out of the church and into the street for everyone to see.

It is amazing to see the huge impact that religion has on Spain and how it is a part of almost everything here in Sevilla. Living in the United States, we are not as surrounded by religion and it can become easy to forget, which is very unfortunate being that a lot of our history and culture were created with a strong influence from religion. Here in Sevilla there is a huge cathedral down the street from where I live! There is no way I am forgetting about the religion plays in a Spaniard's life.There are also several religious holidays and other constant reminders of the history of Sevilla and the importance of its culture and religion.

A Spain Adventure

I have been in Sevilla now for about a week and love everything about it. The city is beautiful, with amazing buildings and cathedrals, tasty food, and friendly people. I have settled into my home stay with a Senora named Consuelo who a little outspoken, very structured and has a knack for arguing as I learned most Spaniards do. It's unfortunate I don't know enough Spanish to hold a long fluent conversation with her but we do manage plus its great practice and we have talked about several important things affecting Spain right now. One really big thing is all the protests going on in Barcelona because of the budget. I'm not entirely sure of the details but want to look into that more because it seems really interesting and everyone seems to have an opinion on it. School has just started as well and is going great. My teacher is awesome and makes everything really fun and our first assignment is to interview Spanish locals and see how they feel about the bull fights. I just learned that they actually kill the bull during the fight and can now see why this would be a very controversial topic. I'm excited to see how these interviews go and to hear the different views. As for the research that I am going to be doing here, I have received the contact information for four different non-governmental organizations here in Sevilla and am creating an email template with all the information they may need to see if they would be willing to work with me. I want to get that out very soon and start conducting my research. Hopefully everything goes well and I can get everyone cooperation.

Cool places in Spain that we visited include Cordoba and the cathedral here in Sevilla. Both were beautiful and I am so lucky to get to experience all that I am and will on this trip. This weekend we are going to Granada and already started planning for a Lagos and Morocco trip!

I'm going to try to blog at least twice, maybe three times a week to make sure I document all that I can. Now it's time for a siesta!