Volunteer Hunt
I’m looking for places to volunteer here in BA and there are groups of all shapes and sizes. After sending out emails to 5 or 6 different organizations, only one has responded. Today I went downtown to the big McDonald’s by the Obelisco to meet up with a couple of the girls from Vientos del Sur (Southern Winds). They were very amiable and had an idea of a possible volunteer position for me. While not as big as the U.S., there’s an influx of refugees coming from Africa. Many of them feel on the fringes of society as they only speak English or French and don’t have too many black compatriots in Argentina. At first it sounded like a good way to help, but the latter part of the conversation changed my mind.
It appears to be one of these feel-good organizations run by youngsters full of good intentions but void of common sense. One of their primary goals is to raise awareness about human rights. (Any time I hear the words “human rights” in this context, my ears perk up and the skepticism meter goes off the charts). They distribute materials, promote concerts, and organize events against violence, torture, etc. These are the type of people who have these events where much is said but absolutely nothing is accomplished. Rather than promoting tougher sentences for the monsters who pray on women (like those who hurt my teacher and are now walking the streets), they opt to have dialog with youngsters and tell them to just say no to violence. It’s the same song and verse: “If we just raise awareness…x will result.” They’ve also worked with Amnesty International to stop “torture” by shutting down Club Gitmo. I guess giving the captured terrorists prayer mats, a Koran, and feeding them like they’ve never eaten before just isn’t enough.
I think I’ll keep looking.
