In the coming weeks, a number of documentary screenings and open discussions will take place on our campus. These events have been organized by Juan Pablo Pacheco ’14 in a project he has titled “Social Justice, Decolonization and Activism: Latin America and the World.” Pacheco, who is from Colombia, picked films dealing with his home country, as well as other Latin American countries, in hopes of bringing some of the issues facing it a little closer to Connecticut College.
The first documentary, which will be screened on Sunday, Feb. 2, will be the 2012 film “We Women Warriors,” directed by Nicole Karson. The film centers on the experience of three women who incorporate non-violent resistance in order to defend their village against guerrilla fighters, paramilitary groups and armed forces that were causing strife during civil war in Columbia. A conversation with the director will be following the screening on Thursday of that week. The film brings light to the struggle of the Colombian communities that suffer by the hands of the militia violence that tears at the fabric of their society. It exposes how the non-violent actions may be taken as a form of resistance.
The next documentary being screened is a student film titled “Born to Be Sold,” created by Pacheco and Phebe Pierson ’12 on Tuesday, Feb. 18. According to Pacheco, the film “explores the student-led initiative to stop the purchase of Chiquita and Dole bananas at Connecticut College. The documentary examines the relation between a historical exploration of the injustices behind U.S. multinational companies in Latin America, and the story of a committed group of students who organized educational talks, performances, and SGA discussions around the topic.”
In bringing the film back to the experience of Conn student, Pacheco added that “it ties transnational struggles and injustices with the Conn community, turning the particular experience of the bananas into a pedagogical tool for activism and social justice.” Conversation will follow after the film.
The final screening is the documentary “9.70,” directed by Victoria Solano, on Tuesday, Feb. 25. Pacheco described the film: “In a very short amount of time, the Colombian government approved a series of laws and resolutions in order to sign a Free Trade Agreement with the United States as quickly as possible. One of the conditions set by the U.S. was to create legislation for the ‘privatization’ of seeds. The documentary examines the impact caused by these decisions, exemplifying them by using the case of ‘Campoalegre,’ a southern Colombian town where the resolution was set in motion. In 2011, the Agency responsible for monitoring agricultural activities in Colombia came to the town and seized 70 tons of rice, then returned with the police, and finally destroyed the seeds by burying them in a landfill for considering them illegal.”
The discussion that will follow the film will be examining the emergence of the “New Left” in Latin America that has resulted in the privatization of these seeds, and how these actions may be relatable to the neoliberal movement on a translational level. Karen Cardona’s ’15 father will also join the discussion.According to Pacheco, he “has an extensive experience with anti-multinational and anti-capitalist struggles in Colombia, based of his experience with Coca-Cola.” Students who are interested may participate in the discussion to critique or support the actions of the neo-colonialist agenda of the “New Left.” Pacheco commented that he was “especially excited” for this event and discussion, so make sure not to miss it.
Pacheco discussed his intention with the organization of these events, stating, “The following series of events will focus on the local and global struggles for social justice aimed at the reduction of social, political and economic inequalities, mainly based off Latin America. However, the events will draw on connections that expand on ideas both of intersectionality and transnationalism, and the ways in which local and global struggles can be thought of and further supported, in a critical yet engaged way.”
The events seek to inspire the student to question his/her position, especially in the United States. Traditional standards of activism and aid that exist in the neoliberal agenda have impact upon the perceived “Third World.” These documentaries seek to shake up your perspective.
Pacheco said that he sought an impact that would allow for a “decolonization of the mind.” He added that “Decolonization does not mean being Ghandi, but about a decolonization of the mind, from here to the Third World counties.” The purpose of the events is to allow one to question how to come out of the Western imperialist way of thinking and form a productive and philosophically sound activist agenda. •
