The Maras

The Maras have a history since the decade of 1980 in the streets of Los Angeles, United States, at that time began to arrive a great migratory flow from El Salvador, a country that was in a long and hard civil war. 

Among the explanations of the origin of the word it is said that it comes from the term "Marabunta", which corresponds to a plague of carnivorous ants that always walk together and eat everything in its path. Then, the word was adopted by the Central American youth to refer to friends, people, the band, the Mara. Some sources claim that the band bears the name of the Mara, a street in the city of San Salvador, but that street does not exist.

Mara Salvatrucha, MS-13 or "Ms" is a group of young gangsters and their members are distinguished by having many tattoos on their body, also uses their own sign language.

The maras are known to be very violent, their criminal activities include murder, extortion, drug and people trafficking, arms sales, territorial control and "protection" in the midst of an aesthetic of tattooed bodies.

It is difficult to calculate how many members the Mara has, in El Salvador it is believed that there are more than 60,000 "mameros", they are organized in "cells" of approximately 1000 people, always young people. There's a tough hierarchy of command within the maras.

Within the Mara the Chiefs exert their power over the rest of the members, especially from the implementation of a strict code of silence. I mean, "what goes on Inside the Mara, is in the Mara." In this sense, as all members of a Mara are involved in illicit acts of greater or lesser type, it is dangerous to think of breaking that rule, because in addition it would imply treason and the traitor would be punished with death.

There are rituals that the young recruited in the neighborhoods must meet to enter the Mara: if it is a man, it is submitted by several members of the Organization to a beating for 13 seconds. 

Also requires demonstrating skills and bravery, for which they are asked to kill someone, usually a policeman or a rival gangster. Women, for their part, have the option to choose to be raped by ten members of the group. They are the ones who suffer the most violence within the Mara.

Central American countries are full of violence of all kinds around them, and can be divided into direct and indirect violence, direct violence is the one that leaves in sight its results and can be measured from homicides, wounded and even displaced. Indirect violence, on the other hand, is much more difficult to differentiate and measure. It can be verbal or psychological and it is worth of coercion and intimidation as tools for its development (Galtung, 2004).

Women who are part of the Mara suffer both kinds of violence. While there are maras where they prohibit the entry of women, there are others where it is allowed for them to perform tasks such as: sexual partner, Group Cook, child breeder, Gang messengers, among others.

Some women in La Mara also have the violent work of extortion or kidnapping when they earn a place inside the cell. Yet women cannot make decisions, they are also considered the "weak sex"

In conclusion, the Maras are a problem beyond the criminal acts that they commit, because the discriminations of gender within the Mara are very strong. As social workers we must look at the social and structural situation of these organizations from a critical point of view, because there are many people who are part of the Maras by obligation, they cannot leave because "you live and die for the Mara".

That is why the countries that have them must have special social interventions to help those people who want to change their way of life but with the fear of dying in the attempt, also live discrimination because being part of a Mara marks their bodies with Tattoos that identify them. 

Currently exist social programs in these countries to help for example to erase tattoos of former members of the Mara to give them a better quality of life.  Then we must act as social workers.

Bibliographie 

Galtung, J. (2004). Violencia, guerra y su impacto. Sobre los efectos visibles e invisibles de la violencia. Polylong. Foro para filosofía intercultural (online).

Recuperado de: http://them.polylog.org/5/fgj-es.htm  

https://actualidad.rt.com/rtpedia/185360-pandillas-mara-salvatrucha-barrio-18

https://www.altairmagazine.com/voces/las-maras-no-eran-lo-que-son

https://www.infobae.com/america/america-latina/2018/02/08/como-se-formo-y-organizo-la-sanguinaria-mara-salvatrucha-la-brutal-pandilla-narco-salvadorena/

Sampó, Carolina. (2016). El rol de las mujeres en las maras: una aproximación a la violencia que sufren e infringen. Si Somos Americanos, 16(2), 127-142. https://dx.doi.org/10.4067/S0719-09482016000200005

Introduction The goal of this report is to describe and evaluate my six weeks’ experience at the Program to reforest open spaces to the community. Deliver life The Reforestation Program is an idea to planted native tree along to Chile, transformed the reforestation areas on open spaces so that the community and have the chance learn care of the Earth. The principal Idea is create a environmental conscience. Here work a big team multidisciplinary because we need know about agronomy for the reforestation, forest engineer, social worked because is necessary know the what type of area the community need. Everyone who wants to help is welcome My work experience During my six weeks with the Reforest Program I have different job. Know the families; On this job I was go to the house to nearby communities to the reforestation area, this in order to know the different needs to the families regard de recreation areas, new knowledge about native flora and fauna, also know the interesting about the nature contact how a therapy. Later I will give a diagnosis and crate areas to improve the quality of life to people and the Earth. This job realized 3 days a week, and we need comfortable clothing. Work the land; Here we need just use our hand, is the process to prepare the land, and start the reforestation. Is important that the tree be native tree, because on Chile exist many forests with trees as Eucalyptus and this tree consume 2o liters to water for day. The native tree on Chile is different depend the zone, north, center or south, the program idea is adapt the reforestation with the zone. This job is 5 days on a week, very potent and all professionals collaborate and also the community. On this job is necessary comfortable and fresh clothing. General comments The time at the Reforestation Program was incredible, I can learn very much and really I feel that I need more time in the program. Is 100% an advisable experience. I know different professional with different different form to seeing the world Conclusion I finish with motivation for comeback In other moment, and invite all the people to work with this program, this families and know about necessary’s to the Earth.

                                   Use of Facebook


1. How often do you use Facebook?
a) Always
b) Often
c) Some time
d) Never

2. How many friends do you have in this social networking?
a) 0 - 100 friends
b) 100 - 500 friends
c) 500 - 1500 friends
d) 1500 - 5000 friends

3. How many hours in the day do you spend in Facebook?
a) 15 minutes - 30 minutes
b) 30 minutes - 1 hour
c) 1 hour - 3 hours
d) 3 hours or more

4. Why do you create Facebook
a) Talk with your friends
b) Play games
c) Have a virtual store
d) Social pression

5. What do you change of Facebook?
a) More privacy
b) Best quality of pictures
c) Increase the number of friends
d) More restriction for have Facebook

6. Do you made purchases in the market of Facebook?
a) Yes, always
b) Yes, but i don't recommend 
c) No, because i don't know how
d) No, because i don't trust

7. What is your favorite reaction?
a) Funny
b) Sad
c) Love it
d) Surprised

Introduction 2

FREE ABORTION ON CHILE

Background:

Chile is a very conservative country and on this history never existed a free abortion and is criminalized for the Chilean justice and also to part to the society. On 2014 the ex-president Michelle Bachelet declare a new draft law to decriminalize the abortion on 3 causal, therapeutic abortion when the mother stay on risk, violation or invalidity fetus. This situation causes a problematic discussion respect the topic.  The draft law about abortion on 3 causal was very slow and was put on hold long time. Finally on 14 September to 2017 the law was approved, always with many critics and people adverse.

 Problem:

Despite that the law on 3 causal was approved exist in Chile very disinformation about the abortion and for this we have just 3 causal, this is a real problem to the Chilean society because exist an idea to the obliged maternity for all women and an bad idea that all women want be mothers, this is product to the patriarchal society on Chile. The women be penalized for decide about our body’s and for this the most big problem is that the women dying every day because realized an abortion without medical knowledge, often alone, with a pill to “misotrol” achived also illegal. This and more situation produce that many women dying because can’t have a baby or do not want be mothers. Exist many particular cases whereby is very necessary a free abortion, legal, informed. The abortion not is a religious theme, space that broadcast the majority bad critics, really is a medical theme, is public health.

Proposed Solution:

For think a real solution about the abortion, first is necessary have education about the topic on the society, on Chile some people think unwarily that a zygote is a real baby, not understand that this is just a cell, and people think that if abortion is legal all women want have an abortion, but all this is lack of knowledge. Is necessary have a country informed, out of religion opinion, informed to the science.

Introduction

VIOLENCE IN  PERSONAL RELATION SHIP ON CHILE 

Violence in personal relationship on Chile

Unfortunately the violence toward woman is naturalized on different societies, tribes or religions where it is practiced, for different reasons many women are forced to do and take a few decision, many times just for be women.

Currently we can see the submission that de women suffer on different areas of their lives, emphasizing occurs inside to personal relationship. In the Latin America context the violence toward woman is each year clearer covering social, politic, and economic or religion areas. For example countries such Colombia have studies for youngers (15 – 35 years), whereby youngers between  15 and 17 years the frequently to violence inside to relationship is a 73,2%

English Language Challenges

On this las post I would like to say that the inglish class has been excellent and really motivating, but thanks to the teaches, because every Friday she does the class with many energy and also I like learn a new lenguage that I will suit me all my life.

I loved making blogs ever Friday, because is the moment to practice write in inglih and know new words to extend my vocabulary and we can know varied things about the other companions.

Regard to my english, even I need improve many things, how extend my vocabulary, to improve my pronunciation, my draft and to improve something that always is difficult to me, the use of connectors, but to improve my problems with the english I need to practice, very much, to write more things in english, listen more conversations in english  or speak more in english with my friends. For me, the key of learns english is the practice.

Out of the english class I need use this language all the time, because on this globalized world the english has turned the principal language and I need to understand it to achive many things. Commonly I listen english when I watch series or movies on Netflix or in the cable TV, even I see with subtitles, but I try to understand the wors before Reading. Also I listen to music on english and I strain very much for dealing, but is difficult form my because it is very rapid.