Abuse of Power Part II

Hello,

I came back to Geneva on Tuesday afternoon after almost a week in Panama and four days in Colombia. The workshop in Panama was good and I enjoyed getting to know more about Panama, its people, its culture and its history! I went to Colombia to visit my family. Unfortunately my sister was in the hospital and we spent all the time with her there. I guess my visit to Colombia had that purpose: to be there in that difficult moment. I will post about Panama and Colombia later.

This time I want to tell you about the story with Iberia, for those who have been asking what finally happened.

I decided to fly with Air France this time since I promised I would never fly with Iberia again (that company makes me sick and has no idea what socially responsible practices are). Iberia only sent a letter saying they were sorry for what happened to me last time I flew with them but they can't prove their staff accused me of trafficking drugs, since they don't interfer with the police at the airport. Well, that's wrong since the policeman told me just the opposite. You can read the whole story in my previous post about Iberia.

http://marialuciauribe.blogspot.com/2007/12/abuse-of-power.html

This time, I was at the airport checking in at the Air France counter and my sister was just outside waiting for me. Unfortunately, the woman from Iberia, Jessica Lopez, saw my sister there and approached her. The woman told her that none of our formal complaints affected her and that it was in vain. My sister, who sometimes can't control herself, pushed her and the woman got angry and called the police. I didn't see when this happened. When I left the counter, my sister told me and I only hoped there would not be any revenge against me, then I left for immigration.

When I was in the waiting room, my name was called out. I was taken outside the waiting room and told I had a legal problem and I couldn't board the plane. They took out my luggage from the plane and said I had to wait in another room. I asked for an explanation since I didn't understand what kind of legal problem I had. The person from Air France said that there was an order from the Police to not let me board and that I had to call my sister and ask her to come to the airport to settle the situation. I did but I told them I have nothing to do with my sister's attitude towards that woman and that I was not even present there. I told them they were violating my rights as passenger and they couldn't do anything to me since I didn't do anything.

I called my sister, she came to the airport. Nothing happened to her. The manager of the Iberia office at the airport complained but of course they couldn't do anything to her. Then I was told that the situation was solved and that I could board. When I was about to do it, a policeman came to take me to the X-ray room. Of course, Mrs. Lopez was not happy that my sister was not aprehended by the police, so she decided to make my trip unforgettable, again. The police said I had to go through the X-ray test. I told them I couldn't believe they were following the instructions of that woman and that their role is to protect and help people and not to blame them for something they didn't do. I told them what happened in November and that it was unethical to practice this test to me without any minimum suspicion but just because a woman from an airline, I was not even travelling with, called them to do it. They couldn't argue with me, they knew I was right so finally they told me to leave and that they wouldn't prepare any report to the police in Paris (which they normaly do and send to the next airport you arrive to, when you neglect doing the X-ray test).

I went back to the waiting room willing to board the plane, but of course, the story was not over. I was taken apart and the police had my luggage. They asked me to open it and they checked every single inch of it. They put everything on the floor and then disrespectfully asked me to quickly put it back. I didn't want to cry but I couldn't avoid it. I felt humiliated when putting the things back. I felt it was unjust what they were doing and ashamed of the police in Colombia. How on earth they can let themselves be involved in this woman's game?

The worst thing of all this situation is that my luggage didn't arrive and it has been already three days and there are no news about it. Since I was the last passenger to board the plane I think they didn't have time to load my suitcase in the plane. I keep my fingers crossed to get it soon.

Just let me share with you some mixed thoughts I have in my mind about all this situation:

1. I don't agree with my sister's behaviour. I don't think it helps to react violently even if the person deserves it. However, this doesn't justify what Mrs. Jessica Lopez from Iberia did to me.

2. I feel ashamed of people in my country, of corruption, of unethical practices, of violation of human rights of how one person can manipulate a situation and do whatever he/she pleases.

3. I can't understand why Iberia doesn't do anything about it. I don't understand why for Iberia their customers' complaints are not important and why they don't even reply to the formal allegations I have made. Check what other people think about Iberia: http://www.frommers.com/cgi-bin/WebX?13@@.eeaa61e

http://www.airlinequality.com/Forum/iberia-2.htm

http://www.reviewcentre.com/review180793.html

4. I feel sad that Iberia staff plays with the drug situation in my country to blame people, who claim their rights as passengers, of trafficking drugs, and that they use this motive to defame passengers.

5. I feel dissapointed that Iberia staff takes revenge on customers because they ask to be treated with respect and expect to be applied the same ticket policies in their travel.

6. My family has pressed charges against Mrs. Jessica Lopez and Iberia for slander and defamation in my name. I hope something will come out of this.

7. People have told me that it would had been better if I wouldn't have complained from the begining and that I shouldn't continue complaining about it now. Some people even told me that one can't complain to the police, airlines' staff or people who have power over us in certain situations because one always looses. I don't believe in this and I don't think people should refrain themselves of making their voices heard when their rights are violated. I believe one has the right to stand up when people try to abuse their power. No one should feel threatened for standing up for their rights.

8. I have been thinking what can be the best way to do something about it. I think the best way is through Media: the Internet, Newspapers and one to one. If you know a journalist in Colombia who would like to write about it, please let me know how to contact him/her. If you want to put a link in your blog about this situation, please do it. If you have ideas how I could spread what has happened to me, please write to me: marialucia.uribe@gmail.com

Peace,

Malu

Next Destination: Panama

Hello,

Just a short post to let you know that I will go to Panama in a few hours. I will be in a workshop to train people on how to use the Toolkit we are developing. After Panama, I will stop in Colombia for four days to visit my family. I will try to blog next week.


Big hugs,

Malu

Christmas and New Year's in Sweden!

Hello dear friends,

I am back in France after almost three weeks in Sweden. I rested a lot, enjoyed a lot with Paul and his family and renewed energies. As always, the tranquility and serenity of people in Sweden helps me to calm down and leave behind the stress of accumulated work.

I want to share with you some pictures of the trip to Sweden, that I am sure say more than 1000 words.

Paul's grandma, Svea. She became 94 on January 8th. Even though I can't communicate in Swedish with her, I enjoy her company, her smile and sweetness.

In Kristianstad, a nice city close to where Paul's family lives. This is me enjoying the loneliness of the streets of Kristianstad at night.

Wrapping presents for New Year's Eve

Paul and I at Paul's mother's place

Dining at Paul's mother's place

Sara and Carl. Paul's niece and nephew

This is me dancing with Paul's mother!

Christmas' Eve. Table nicely decorated by Paul's sister

Opening presents during Christmas' Eve

New Year's Eve. Serving Glögg, typical Swedish Christmas Drink

Paul's sister Maria and her husband Chris on New Year's Eve

We spent New Year's Eve at the house of Yvonne and Kalle, Maria's friends, In Sweden people usually have a special New Year's dinner and wait until midnight to have fireworks. Yvonne and Kalle have two dogs and two horses that are all beautiful.

Here is Paul with one of the horses.

Kalle and Yvonne

Erik, Elsa and Nicklas. Nicklas is Paul's cousin and Erik and Elsa are his children. They are adorable and I enjoyed a lot playing with them.

You can see more pictures at http://marialuciauribe.spaces.live.com/


Big hugs,
Malu

Two Colombian Hostages Freed by FARC

Hello,

I couldn't let this opportunity pass without posting the videos when two of the 774 hostages of the FARC were freed. What is happening today in Colombia is a historical moment. It can lead to a humanitarian exchange of 40 of the hostages for hundreds of rebels who are in prison and help alleviating the conflict in my country. What is happening today in Colombia can be the end of a history of kidnapping by the rebel groups and the beginning of peaceful negociations.

It is definitely good news. Can you imagine the happiness of these two women: Consuelo and Clara who were kidnapped 7 and 6 years ago, respectively? Can you imagine the happiness of their families? I have tears in my eyes as I am sure every Colombian has while looking at these images and listening to the news. Hope the other kidnapped people will have the opportunity to be free again soon.

Love,

Malu

Read the complete news at http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/americas/01/10/colombia.hostages/index.html

Or if you can read Spanish at http://www.eltiempo.com/politica/2008-01-11/ARTICULO-WEB-NOTA_INTERIOR-3916278.html

A Thousand Splendid Suns

Hello,

Yesterday I finished one of the best books I have read during the last years. A Thousand Splendid Suns tells the story of Mariam, an Afghan woman whose life is determined by her only sin: being born of an unmarried woman. Her life tragedy, the struggle for reclaiming her identity, her lack of determination, her limited possibilities and boundaries of her own culture made her story unbelievable but at the same time so real that it’s difficult to understand social reality and humanity.

About the book according to Amazon.com

"The story covers three decades of anti-Soviet jihad, civil war and Taliban tyranny through the lives of two women. Mariam is the scorned illegitimate daughter of a wealthy businessman, forced at age 15 into marrying the 40-year-old Rasheed, who grows increasingly brutal as she fails to produce a child.

Eighteen later, Rasheed takes another wife, 14-year-old Laila, a smart and spirited girl whose only other options, after her parents are killed by rocket fire, are prostitution or starvation. Against a backdrop of unending war, Mariam and Laila become allies in an asymmetrical battle with Rasheed, whose violent misogyny—"There was no cursing, no screaming, no pleading, no surprised yelps, only the systematic business of beating and being beaten"—is endorsed by custom and law.

Hosseini gives a forceful but nuanced portrait of a patriarchal despotism where women are agonizingly dependent on fathers, husbands and especially sons, the bearing of male children being their sole path to social status. His tale is a powerful, harrowing depiction of Afghanistan, but also a lyrical evocation of the lives and enduring hopes of its resilient characters."

What do I think?

It is an excellent book for those interested in learning more about Afghanistan, the Arab culture in Central Asia and the unrevealed ways of understanding Islam. It’s a book that will take you through history, human rights, religion, ethics, politics, structural and cultural violence and love.

I really recommend you this book. Hosseini’s style and way of unfolding events that run through the whole story consumes you. Each word, each page, each chapter makes you unaware of time and takes you to an unknown country, landscape, situation and lives that touches your senses and immerses you in a reality that goes beyond your empathetic capacity to understand others.

This saga is more than the history of Afghanistan; it shows through Mariam’s and Layla's life the life of thousands of women in countries where women’s rights are not respected and where culture undermines their dignity. This book depicts the need for democracy and beyond that, the need for structural systems that protect human rights; the need for cultural development that encompasses equality and justice and the need for counteracting hate and fostering education that promotes mutual respect. It also shows the need for fostering religious practices and teachings that forge compassionate attitudes and openness.

The tragic story of a country that has lived years of domination, ethnic conflicts, war and terrorism questions you about the terrible things humans are capable of doing and the irreparable damage humans cause to each other. It questions you about the struggle thousands of people experience in countries in war and the silence, muteness, deafness and apathy towards the reality of war, poverty and lack of mutual understanding.

I haven’t stopped thinking about the miserable life of some people around the world and I feel small and powerless to do something about. Perhaps creating awareness is a way to start.

Peace,

Malu