Challenges, Rewards, and Experience
One of the most challenging parts of my research project was working with the different logistical norms in Ecuador. Communicating with the organizations proved to be very difficult. When I originally planned my research project, I found the contact information for these organizations, but when I arrived to Ecuador this information was either incorrect or outdated. When I did have the right contact information, it often took several phone calls and voicemails for me to reach a representative of the organization. In one case, I scheduled a meeting with an organization and when I called a few days later to confirm our meeting, the secretary had no idea about the meeting I scheduled and said I had not called …show more content…
The indigenous organizations opinion on the effect that the 2008 constitution seemed to converge. In one way or the other Ecurunari, Pachakutik, and CONAIE believed that the 2008 constitution did not have much social, political, or economic change for the indigenous population. One of the most vivid memories from my interviews was when the president of Ecurunari spoke to me about the 2008 constitution. Having been jailed four times for protesting against Rafael Correa, Ecuador’s current president, he claimed that after 2008 conditions became worse for the indigenous population, stating that after 2008, indigenous institutions were closed, indigenous leaders were persecuted, and intercultural bilingual education was eliminated. The changes in the 2008 constitution seemed to have only stayed on paper, according to the indigenous …show more content…
Ideas on how this change needs to happen differs as well. A representative from CONAIE stated that in order for change to happen, the current government must be changed by force or voluntarily. This opinion contrasts that from the Asociación Negros Esmeraldeños which believes that the current will help Afro-Ecuadorians move forward. While there is disagreement on this front, one future step that many organizations believe should be taken is the political inclusion of marginalized groups. All of the indigenous organizations and the Afro-Ecuadorian organization that I interviewed wanted some sort of governmental representation. As the 2017 governmental election approaches, these groups will be paying close attention. The future of their movements may depend heavily on the next presidency. With a culture of resistance, the indigenous groups are hopeful that a new presidential party will bring change, while the Afro-Ecuadorian group I interviewed hopes to continue working with the government. As the elections approach, it will be interesting to see how agendas unfold and what next steps these organizations will take. This project has given me a close-up view of race relations in Ecuador that I hope to continue to explore and learn
One of the most challenging parts of my research project was working with the different logistical norms in Ecuador. Communicating with the organizations proved to be very difficult. When I originally planned my research project, I found the contact information for these organizations, but when I arrived to Ecuador this information was either incorrect or outdated. When I did have the right contact information, it often took several phone calls and voicemails for me to reach a representative of the organization. In one case, I scheduled a meeting with an organization and when I called a few days later to confirm our meeting, the secretary had no idea about the meeting I scheduled and said I had not called …show more content…
The indigenous organizations opinion on the effect that the 2008 constitution seemed to converge. In one way or the other Ecurunari, Pachakutik, and CONAIE believed that the 2008 constitution did not have much social, political, or economic change for the indigenous population. One of the most vivid memories from my interviews was when the president of Ecurunari spoke to me about the 2008 constitution. Having been jailed four times for protesting against Rafael Correa, Ecuador’s current president, he claimed that after 2008 conditions became worse for the indigenous population, stating that after 2008, indigenous institutions were closed, indigenous leaders were persecuted, and intercultural bilingual education was eliminated. The changes in the 2008 constitution seemed to have only stayed on paper, according to the indigenous …show more content…
Ideas on how this change needs to happen differs as well. A representative from CONAIE stated that in order for change to happen, the current government must be changed by force or voluntarily. This opinion contrasts that from the Asociación Negros Esmeraldeños which believes that the current will help Afro-Ecuadorians move forward. While there is disagreement on this front, one future step that many organizations believe should be taken is the political inclusion of marginalized groups. All of the indigenous organizations and the Afro-Ecuadorian organization that I interviewed wanted some sort of governmental representation. As the 2017 governmental election approaches, these groups will be paying close attention. The future of their movements may depend heavily on the next presidency. With a culture of resistance, the indigenous groups are hopeful that a new presidential party will bring change, while the Afro-Ecuadorian group I interviewed hopes to continue working with the government. As the elections approach, it will be interesting to see how agendas unfold and what next steps these organizations will take. This project has given me a close-up view of race relations in Ecuador that I hope to continue to explore and learn