donderdag 14 mei 2009

1 May Rally

Since I arrived here, it has been very clear that the NGO world in Cebu is very segregated. Already the first day it became clear that WRCV (NGO where Sanne and Katrijn are interns) and CPaG aren’t so fund of eachother…. After asking a bit… it all starts with the fact that WRCV is a “communist” NGO and CPaG is a “socialist” NGO. They are thus part of a different political group and they have different ideas on how NGO work should be done.

The animosity between the 2 groups again became very clear during the 1 May march. Sanne and Katrijn heard from WRCV that there would be a march and also I heard the same news from CPaG. A march against poverty, the continuing crisis, the corruption…
I thought this would be a big rally all over the city, uniting the different groups…but how naïve of me…



Both groups had a different meeting point and from there going to another place. This place was the same for both groups. So we (the interns) thought it would be interesting to go to this place (still naively thinking that they would move on together). Arriving the “socialists” were already present, giving speeches, waving flags,…A bit farther away we saw the “communists” arriving. They stopped some meters away. No joining, just standing there and waiting for the other group to leave so they could start their speeches at the same place. However the atmosphere was still quite peaceful...just here and there some strange looks at each other.



When the “socialists” (my colleagues) left, I joined them, going to another place. More speeches and flag waving…The usual!

After the rally I went back to the other girls and we went back home…as friends…not really being part of one group…but standing in between! :)
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2 opmerkingen:

  1. Snurwk14 mei 2009 om 05:49

    Op 1 mei zattek in nen jacuzzi hihi. 's avonds wel nog de dolfijntjes gehoord in 't begijnhof. Alleezie, goed jong! Bluvn skrivn!

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  2. grains of sand18 mei 2009 om 04:45

    hi marga, there is no animosity really... just differences of opinion as to what is revolution and reform. not being "fond" of each does not correctly capture the relationship. they work in a different sphere of development work, and we work in another sphere. there is no opportunity for us to work together.

    i think it is partly my fault that the so-called divide was not correctly explained to you. the divide is largely felt in the mass movement (i.e. labor, women, youth) than in the development movement. animosity is too strong a word. and the lines between ideologies are not expressed in the same way ideologies are expressed here (christian democrats, socialists, green, etc.)

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