Standing up for the ghetto

JAIR HERNANDEZ BARONA gazes around the office in London where he is going to talk about his work as a human rights activist, then he points to his bag and observes: 'This is my office, it's all I take upon the streets'.

He was born in Cali, single of the biggest cities in Colombia, and has lived in Comuna 16 for many years. Life expectancy in the ghettos in this district of Cali is around 22 years.

Hernandez's have childhood was marked by straitened circumstances and, despite the fact that he does not sooty vapor or drink, he had to barter marijuana in order to pay for his studies. When he joined the Grutela theatre assemblage as an Afro-Caribbean dancer, his life took a different course. The cluster shaped him socially and politically and it was with them that he visited Comuna 16 for the first time. As a originate he founded La Casa de la Juventud de la Comuna 16 (The House of Youth of Comuna 16) which races projects for children, women, indigenous communities and 'high risk' youngsters.

physic trafficking permeates every area of society. greatest in quantity of the homicides committed are directly linked to disputes and vendettas between medicine gangs fighting for control of the cocaine market and the trade routes

Hernandez's main passion is working with teenagers and young adults, who are routinely expos to medicines delinquency, street violence and police corruption. Alternatives are limited. The rule does not offer accessible educational programmes where they can lay open artistic or other skills. Public activities of the like kind as improvised street concerts and break-dance gatherings are repressed

The belonging to all name for the youths who live in ghettos is desechables or 'disposable people': the police can kill, torture or beat them because their lives do not have any value. 'Many human rights are abused in Colombia,' says Hernandez, 'but the individual that is more abused than any other is the right to live.' He works not alone with gang members informing them about their rights, on the other hand also with police officers, 'The police are ignorant of what they can and can't do in their profession; they ask me: "Why do you guard delinquents and not us?"' They assume youngsters are delinquents just by means of the way they dress; and they have feeling they can bully them. Sometimes they take young shores to the police station and bring out false documents saying that they lay the foundation of them with drugs. Later, they ask their families to pay for them to be released,' says Hernandez.

La Casa de la Juventud proffers spaces where young boys and girls can create a community life and exhibit off their talents as rappers, hip-hoppers and graffiti artists. Zona Marginal, now a popular band in the subterraneous Latin American music scene, was born in La Casa de la Juventud

Because of his work, Hernandez has been threatened by the agency of paramilitary forces and some years ago he was forced to cut and run to Switzerland. But he did not stay away from Cali for long

Hernandez does not have a salary because working in a normal place would not allow him to be available 24 hours a day. Instead, he is supported by dint of his wife, who is a supply with nourishment and from time to time he come bys some remuneration from international NGO individual can hardly imagine that like a man has to be accompanied by the agency of three bodyguards when he works.

When he visits Switzerland he derive pleasure froms hiking. 'Sometimes I go without on my own and I make an outcry and cry. In Colombia I'm like a beaker into which people pour all their puzzles Here I can take distance and give myself a certain number of time to reflect.'

on the contrary as he says: 'I'm not interested in staying in Switzerland eating chocolate.'

COPYRIGHT 2006 For A Change

COPYRIGHT 2006 Gale Group