Woman of the Week #6 - Camila Vallejo

[{ Emilia }]

Camila Vallejo​

So... this is about Chile but it might well be about students protests, a fairer society and more democracy in the rest of the world! (If you're from the BOTW thread... there's pics further down! )

Chile is a relatively affluent country (some call it the Switzerland of South America) with a reasonably-sized middle-class which has sadly suffered a pretty grim political past. For a brief period in the early 1970s it looked as if the country would see some social reforms and a fairer society... then came the coup d'etat, Salvador Allende's death, 17 years of dictatorial rule by US-backed mass murderer Augusto Pinochet.

But I digress... Chile has seen some exciting times recently. It has seen 2 years of intense student protests.

What do these students want?
First and foremost an education reform that provides easier access to universities through more state funding for example. Right now the tuition fees exclude potential students from less affluent families. Access to higher education should not depend on the families' economic situation.

But that's not the end of it: They want a long-overdue general democratization of a society that hasn't known true democracy for a long period in the 20th century. Right now there are even laws forbidding student participation in university governance.

And you know what? One of the most influential people in the protest movement is a woman.

Guardian's Person of the Year 2011: Camila Vallejo

We never in our dreams imagined it would grow so big so fast. We had plans for protests and for mobilising students, but what happened last year was surprising even to us.

We've put hundreds of thousands of people in the streets for months. We're not just disputing the ideological nature of the education system. All the basic services are privatised here and priced to the market. The consequences of this are very violent.

The police tortured many students during the protests and continue to do so. It is systematic repression. The abuse of power is very common among the police and there is no regulation. It is a system of repression that has not disappeared in the post-Pinochet era.

There are attacks against all kinds of human rights – the right to gather, the right to protest, the right to organise. They don't let us walk freely in the streets, they have even attacked our offices, high schools, universities. We are young – we did not live through the dictatorship – but we're aware of what happened from our parents, from books. We thought that this repression had gone, but by questioning the political order, we discovered that they are willing to use these weapons again.

We still have the legacy of the military dictatorship. Chile has a very weak civil society in terms of social organisations and unions. Our social fabric is shredded. And there is a kind of individualism that we are seeking to overcome. This year the people woke up. Lost their fears. Questioned the model. There is enormous potential to mobilise. Maybe the student protests will not be the same as last year with a march every Thursday, but there is going to be a huge development.

Apparently the New York Times is impressed, too (even though the headline is a bit shallow): Camila Vallejo, the World’s Most Glamorous Revolutionary

The whole "glamourous"-theme was addressed in another Guardian article by the way:

"We are all in love with her," said the Bolivian vice-president, Álvaro García Linera.

At a recent gathering of Bolivian youth leaders he urged students to follow the example of the youth movements in the rest of South America. "You need to talk about what is happening in Argentina, Brazil or Chile, where there is a young and beautiful leader, who is leading the youth in a grand uprising," said García Linera.

Vallejo said on the subject of her looks: "You have to recognise that beauty can be a hook. It can be a compliment, they come to listen to me because of my appearance, but then I explain the ideas. A movement as historical as this cannot be summarised in such superficial terms.

"We do not want to improve the actual system; we want a profound change – to stop seeing education as a consumer good, to see education as a right where the state provides a guarantee.

"Why do we need education? To make profits? To make a business? Or to develop the country and have social integration and development? Those are the issues in dispute."

She also managed to be the cover story for Germany's best newspaper: Zeit.de: Klug, schön, eloquent: Eine Studentin führt die Proteste in Chile an

Aaaand... she wrote an article featured in Le Monde Diplomatique: Camila Vallejo: Quand le mythe néolibéral chilien vacille

Right, pictures!

​

Have you guys ever been a part of student protests? Ever occupied a uni building? Went on strike?

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

SHE IS GORGEOUS.

What if she weighed 200lbs, would she still be the cover story and feature article person?

 

[{ Emilia }]

SHE IS GORGEOUS.

What if she weighed 200lbs, would she still be the cover story and feature article person?

Who knows?

Would Obama be president if he weren't so handsome and dynamic?

It's a non-issue, really. It's not something she can do much about. It's not like she's wearing revealing clothes during protests. Like she says her looks can be helpful but then people listen to her ideas. And those are currently changing Chile.

That's good enough for me and certainly worthy of a nomination in this cute little thread.

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

Would Obama be president if he weren't so handsome and dynamic?

It worked for Bush who basically looked like a monkey.

I'm all for people using what they got to further their audience.

 

[Mary Ann]

What an inspiring young woman. What a shame the New York Times added the term "glamorous" to its headline.

I never had the opportunity to join in any protests when I was at uni, but I've been a member of Amnesty International for 24 years, and was actively involved in letter-writing for many of them. I'm a strong believer in being an active part of making the world a better place one action at a time.

 

[{ Emilia }]

What an inspiring young woman.

No doubt!

I never had the opportunity to join in any protests when I was at uni, but I've been a member of Amnesty International for 24 years, and was actively involved in letter-writing for many of them. I'm a strong believer in being an active part of making the world a better place one action at a time.

ai member here, too.

And back in Bologna I've had some fun with student protests by the way. Berlusconi's education budget cuts weren't very popular.

Pretty harmless obviously compared to the 1970s. This is a pic from Via Zamboni in the 1970s. That's the street most uni departments are located in:

Back on topic, though: I hope people don't mind me leaving the anglo-saxon comfort zone. The first 4 women of the week were anglo-saxon (well, assuming Alderaan is part of the anglo-saxon world) but this thread was always meant to be more international. Camila Vallejo was actually my original pick for the first week.

 

[KimMH]

very inspirational, thank you. it is always heartening to see people of conscience speaking their minds.

 

[RJDiogenes]

Down with the man! Power to the people! Thumbs up for Camila Vallejo.

'nuff said.

 

[YellowSubmarine]

What if she weighed 200lbs, would she still be the cover story and feature article person?

First you need to get the attention. Then you need to impress with the rest you've got.

Although I don't know what 200lbs is, but if it is over 150kg, that will also get enough attention I would imagine.

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

200lbs is 90kg. So I think you probably need to actually hit something more like 150kg in order for your extreme appearance to work in your favor.

 

[Thestral]

Excellent choice, though like others I don't know much about her beyond what you've shared and I can find on Wiki. It's great to read about her ideas and her mobilizing fellow students to work and speak up for human rights... for themselves and for their country.

I'm not sure how to answer the poll question. There were never any protests at my college (or reason to that I know of), but I'm not sure "I would've liked to" is entirely accurate because that would have meant something was wrong enough to need protesting. I did take part in an anti-war protest... gathering... thing... in DC one year with a prof and several fellow students though, that was interesting.

 

[Count Zero]

200lbs is 90kg. So I think you probably need to actually hit something more like 150kg in order for your extreme appearance to work in your favor.

I don't know. Fat politicians tend to have a tough time. The only examples that immediately come to mind are all men, though. They're mocked for their weight, not taken seriously or just fit the 'politicians enjoy their lives on the backs of the average person" narrative very well.

 

[iguana_tonante]

As I've said in the other thread, I was not really aware of the Chilean student movement. Now I've read a bit about it, and it was a fascinating story. I wish students' protests here were so organized and effective.

What do these students want?

First and foremost an education reform that provides easier access to universities through more state funding for example. Right now the tuition fees exclude potential students from less affluent families. Access to higher education should not depend on the families' economic situation.

Obviously, I couldn't agree more with this. As written in another part of the interview, I really despise the idea that education is a "consumer good".

Have you guys ever been a part of student protests? Ever occupied a uni building? Went on strike?

Yes. Yes. Yes.

Strikes were common when I was in high school, I'd day at least a couple of days every semester. Teachers were usually quite supportive.

We occupied our school for two weeks one time. Assemblies and debates during the day. Jam sessions during the nights. We took turns sleeping in the school. Polices and carabinieri came every night to check everything was under control: they were cautious, we were wary, everybody was a bit tense but everything went smoothly and both parts behaved very respectfully. It was quite informing as a young citizen. For my life, I can't remember what the fuss was about.

SHE IS GORGEOUS.

What if she weighed 200lbs, would she still be the cover story and feature article person?

Who knows?

Would Obama be president if he weren't so handsome and dynamic?

It's a non-issue, really. It's not something she can do much about. It's not like she's wearing revealing clothes during protests. Like she says her looks can be helpful but then people listen to her ideas.

I think this is the point. Good looks help you to get noticed: no doubt about it. They can also be an hindrance: it's easy to see how the people is quick to dismiss and attack her because 1) she's a woman; 2) she's young; 3) she's attractive.

And back in Bologna I've had some fun with student protests by the way. Berlusconi's education budget cuts weren't very popular.

Same here. I joined quite a few demonstrations against various "reforms" (actually, attempts to slash, de-fund, and privatize public education). I was never part of a formal party or student union, but I was quite active. In fact, we might have been in the same protest chanting non particularly edifying refrains about Silvio.

Pretty harmless obviously compared to the 1970s. This is a pic from Via Zamboni in the 1970s. That's the street most uni departments are located in:

Ugh. This picture is almost physically painful for me to look at. The entrance of the main building of my faculty, located on the upper floors of the Specola, is in the building on the right side of the picture, exactly where the armored car is. I stepped into it every day for two years, and a few times a week for another three. I still walk along this very street quite often. I consider it "home". So it resounds profoundly with me.

 

[JoeZhang]

I'm a management school graduate all the way through from degree to PhD and everything inbetween and we aren't generally know for being big activists - plus our National Union of Students is run by a certain type of people, generally grasping shithouses who want to feather their own nest and get a job with the labour party - so it was never an attractive organisation to get involved with.

 

[JoeZhang]

SHE IS GORGEOUS.

What if she weighed 200lbs, would she still be the cover story and feature article person?

Well let's say she is 5ft 8" - she be verging on obese so it's unlikely that she would be as high profile given the male gaze within the media.

 

[MANT!]

I did some protests in support of banning seal clubbing and whale harvesting back in 79-80...

but now I feel like the following..

[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZG-VB5xb6KM[/yt]


Good for her, a cause that is just..but watch and wait to see if she becomes jaded later..

 

[Count Zero]

Sure, she'll become jaded - if she hasn't already. Everybody eventually does, to a degree. It seems to be inevitable as you gain more life experience. However, it doesn't necessarily mean that everyone ends up giving up. And if no one ever did anything even if it might be politically naive, nothing would ever change.

I was once involved in university politics as a students' representative on my department's council and all in all, I found this to be an extremely frustrating and unsatisfying experience. As it turned out, universities over here basically are presidential dictatorships and even the department heads can't do much against the president's will. They were generally kind and cooperative but ultimately, we were just fig leaves. I also sat in many appointment commissions for new professors (we were part of the discussions and could ask the candidates questions but we didn't have a vote) where I usually also ended up as the de facto women's representative, being almost always the only woman in the room. That was an interesting and insighztful experience but I was glad to get rid of the office after two years (it was pretty hard to get anyone to do it, actually). However, I suppose that Camila Vallejo would be quite happy if she and the students' movement could achieve what I got - free university education (with an interest-free loan by the state of which I only have to pay back half to boot).

To answer the question in the OP, I've also taken part in student protests (various rallies) against cuts in education and student fees. I think we kinda lost. I hope the Chileans are more successful with their protests.

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

200lbs is 90kg. So I think you probably need to actually hit something more like 150kg in order for your extreme appearance to work in your favor.

I don't know. Fat politicians tend to have a tough time. The only examples that immediately come to mind are all men, though. They're mocked for their weight, not taken seriously or just fit the 'politicians enjoy their lives on the backs of the average person" narrative very well.

Also people think they are more likely to cark it from a heart attack mid office. You need to have a powerful Brando-esque presence to get away with fatness I think.

 

[gturner]

I think it will forever stain her degree, because obviously the degree will be awarded under protest!

She's also a communist, a member of the Central Committee of Communist Youth of Chile. Based on long experience with other communist movements, if she were take power one day, hundreds of thousands of Chileans would become refugees, tens of thousands would be jailed as political prisoners, and countless others would just disappear. Her regime would probably fund and re-arm existing leftist revolutionaries in Bolivia, along with Shining Path and Tupac Ameru in Peru, destabilizing the region and inevitably causing the US to support and fund counter-revolutionaries. Regional and civil war would grind on and on, killing tens of thousands of people.

But maybe I'm just pessimistic.

Perhaps she should try modeling instead.

 

[Misfit Toy]

Based on long experience with other communist movements, if she were take power one day, hundreds of thousands of Chileans would become refugees, tens of thousands would be jailed as political prisoners, and countless others would just disappear. Her regime would probably fund and re-arm existing leftist revolutionaries in Bolivia, along with Shining Path and Tupac Ameru in Peru, destabilizing the region and inevitably causing the US to support and fund counter-revolutionaries. Regional and civil war would grind on and on, killing tens of thousands of people.

But maybe I'm just pessimistic.

Perhaps she should try modeling instead.

Excuse me - based on whose long experience with other communist movements? Yours? "If", "probably"... sounds an awful lot like wish fulfillment on your part.

Perhaps you should try just looking pretty instead of predicting the future.