The Narco News School of Authentic Journalism

[donsu]

Real democracy is coming soon to a country near you

http://www.onlinejournal.com/Commentary/082004Conroy/082004conroy.html


I recently traveled to the land where Che Guevara's ghost still breathes with the people. I was a guest of the Narco News School of Authentic Journalism, a gathering of more than 60 journalists from around the globe. The journalists—representing radio, film, Internet and print media—had come to the school in Bolivia in early August to explore strategies for advancing credible media coverage of the war on drugs and democracy movements in the Americas.

I came as a green gringo, who spoke only English, to this school where Spanish, Portuguese and my native tongue all were in play, constantly, with interpreters building the communication bridges for all present. The school was host to a slew of prominent Bolivians, including community activists, professors, political leaders, farmers, workers, writers and musicians.

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After some 10 days in Cochabamba, participating in the Narco News School of Authentic Journalism, I had finally started to get used to the thin mountain air in the Andes. More importantly, I had spent days breathing in another culture, one that is experiencing democracy in a more vital way than I have seen play out in the canned elections we experience in the United States.

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If we really believe in democracy, in a land where the power flows from the people, not the economic interests of a few, then we have to allow that process to work. Call it nationalization, call it socialism, call it a revolution, but don't call it an enemy of the people.

-snip-

With that control, countries like Bolivia and Venezuela and all the rising nations of the Americas can begin to provide for the common welfare, to rebuild their economies and begin the process of dismantling the internationally funded military machine that threatens the very essence of real democracy.

This is what I saw in Bolivia, in this nation in the mountains, in this place somewhere in America, in an ancient land whose people have the same dreams and hopes for their future as do any people in this world. All they want, I believe, is that Bolivia be allowed to be a Bolivia for all of its people.
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the portions snipped contain specifics


militaries don't belong on this world anymore. militaries cause degradation.