Current Magazine Universidad Nacional de Colombia Bogotรก, Colombia. 2015
5*
Current Magazine. 2015
Writer Rosa Cristina Martínez. Editing Rosa Cristina Martínez. Photographer Rosa Cristina Martínez. Art Direction Rosa Cristina Martínez.
Contact Rcmartinezv@unal.edu.co © 2015 Current Magazine All rights to Arts, Photos, Words, Designs and copyright are the property of the Artist. All work in this publication are accordingly cited. Bogotá, Colombia
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SALSA AS A MEDIUM FOR EXPRESSING FEELINGS Bogotá. Entertainment • Music • Feb 09, 2015 Rosa Cristina Martínez
Taken from: http://www.nosolocine.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/fania-all-stars.jpg
What we know nowadays as Salsa was surprisingly a medium for Afro Caribbean immigrants in the United States to express their feelings. At the end of 1960’s, a group of immigrant teenagers began to create a new rhythm that was influenced by the African traditions and sounds, and it is the mix of them. Also, in the lyrics of their songs they showed their difficult situation in New York. Lastly, it was the way that they used to show the good part of their situation. Salsa was born as a social reality.
Current Magazine. 2015
THE DREAM DRESS’ STORY Bogotá. Entertainment • Story • Feb 13, 2015 Rosa Cristina Martínez
I was looking for my dream dress for a wedding. Why? First, I received an invitation card from a friend. So, I began Then,
thinking I
about
called
my
the
clothing.
boyfriend
so
hopeless and he came to my apartment being
worried.
After
that,
we
ate
something. Next, we went to mall. When we were there we visited many shops looking for my dress. Finally, I found my dream dress, and we enjoyed a lot this party.
Designer: Laura Bargueño. Spain. 2012.
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A PARTICULAR FRIENDSHIP Bogotá. Entertainment • Story • Feb 23, 2015 Rosa Cristina Martínez
I and my best friend Alejandra have personalities similarities
so
different,
that
can
make
but
we
have
possible
our
sisterhood. Our friendship is based on loving the way that each one is. Alejandra likes and enjoys watching funny videos and images with funny messages, I do too; in a few words, we are funny.
I am so self- confident and she
is as well. Like Alejandra is collaborator in many ways, I am too.
We both love what we
do and learn new things. We know what we want in our lives. However, we have some differences in our personalities. Alejandra is friendlier and enjoys
meeting
introvert.
She
new
people,
thinks
we
while have
to
I
am love
everybody with their faults, but I disagree. Sometimes,
I
wear
conservative
clothes,
whereas she prefers more eccentric clothes. She is more absent-minded, and I am more well-balanced. Finally, I am a bitter, and she is not. In conclusion, each one is the complement o f t h e o t h e r . Sisterhood secret.
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That i s o u r
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Bogotá. Society • University • Feb 27, 2015 Rosa Cristina Martínez
Universidad Nacional de Colombia Carrera 30 with street 45 Posgrados de Ciencias Humanas Building Bogota, Colombia. 2015 Ciudad Universitaria Tv. 38a N° 40- 04 Uriel Gutierrez Building of. 557 Bogota, Colombia. Dear, Consejo Superior Universitario We
the
students
of
4th
semester
of
Foreign
Languages
(English) have noticed a lack of stable teachers and resources that our department has. Some examples of that is the calling off some subjects, which unintentionally delays the progress and
development
on
the
students‘curriculum.
Therefore,
it
causes a waste of time and resources for us. Looking
forward
for
a
solution,
would
you
mind
to
investigate the entire infrastructure of our faculty and the uses to manage the resources of it? We think the previous are the source of all the implications and issues that the faculty has. We want the best for our faculty, this is the time to act and we will appreciate your collaboration. Respectfully, Thomas Baquero and Rosa Cristina Martínez.
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Bogotá. Society • University • Feb 27, 2015 Answer by Consejo Superior Universitario Clerks
Ciudad Universitaria Tv. 38a N° 40- 04 Uriel Gutierrez Building of. 557 Bogota, Colombia. Universidad Nacional de Colombia Carrera 30 - Calle 45 Posgrados de Ciencias Humanas Building March 2nd. 2015 - Bogota, Colombia.
We are really aware about the situation that Ciencias Humanas faculty is passing through; we have many possibilities to make some fixes in this faculty, and one of them is to increase the total budget destined to the faculty for the next semester. We are on the search to know what happened in the last three years with the budget given to the faculty, and if this faculty has to be intervened for Consejo Superior we will not hesitate taking that alternative. We appreciate your concern about the current situation at the faculty, and we assure to you that our main goal is to solve all the problems that the University has now. Respectfully Sebastian Moreno Hector Giovanny Uribe Consejo Superior Universitario Clerks
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EUTHANASIA IN COLOMBIA Bogotá. Opinion • Euthanasia • Mar 25, 2015 Rosa Cristina Martínez
The Colombian Constitution of 1991 considers humans with full moral ethics, with certain rights as equality, liberty and others rights, and presents the idea that human beings should be as free as possible as well. But, when the Colombian law
executes
the
constitution
is
breaking
these
rights.
Currently, euthanasia is not allowed by law to be practiced on people.
My opinion on euthanasia is it should be allowed in a
free society where an individual should be able to choose their time of death. However, in Colombia it is difficult to apply the euthanasia; due to this pluralistic state (based on respect for human dignity) sees life as a material object. In a country where the free development of the personality is a fundamental right, people are in the capacity of deciding what they consider bad or good.
Therefore, we can reach the
conclusion that life is a right and not a duty; then, people can decide to live or end their life. Colombia is a unitary republic, and for that reason, life is considered as a sacred right;
therefore,
the
state
is
obligated
to
protect
it.
However, it does not mean the state is on the obligation of
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acting in a paternalistic way, imposing concepts about what their judgment is considered morally good. Moreover, in a free society, a person should be able to choose the time of their death if they are terminally ill. This is where euthanasia would be able to step in and with the request from the patient or their legal representative put a stop to their pain and suffering. I think, by allowing people to choose how and when of their death, we are guaranteeing they will live, what remaining life, free from the pain of anxiety. Nevertheless,
the
Roman
Catholic
Church
regards
that
euthanasia is morally wrong. It has always taught the absolute and unchanging value of the commandment "You shall not kill". Their arguments are usually based on the beliefs that life is given by God, and that human beings are made in God's image. Some churches also emphasize the importance of not interfering with the natural process of death. Therefore, human beings do not have the authority to take the life of any innocent person, even if that person wants to die; “True compassion leads to sharing another's pain; it does not kill the person whose suffering we cannot bear.� (Pope John Paul II, 1995). To conclude, in my opinion, the law is violating the right the autonomy,
although
they
are
designed
to
protect
and preserve
life. According to The House of Lords, (1994) the euthanasia is a willful intervention undertaken with the express intention of ending a life so as to relieve intractable suffering. Even though, the Catholic Church thinks euthanasia as a “crime against life", they do not think about people who prefer a better way to die instead of living without dignity; and in a country where people
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die against their wish, there should be a place for who wants to die in a dignified way.
REFERENCES: Colombia.
(1997).
Constitución
Política.
[Colombian
Political Constitution]. Bogotá. Legis House of Lords. (1994). Report of the Select Committee on Medical Ethics. Session 1993-94, Paper 21-I. HMSO. London Pope John Paul II. (1995) Evangelium Vitae. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/christianity/chris tia nethics/euthanasia_1.shtml
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NEW URBANISM Bogotá. Opinion • Urbanism • Apr 06, 2015 Rosa Cristina Martínez
New urbanism is an idea that propose to solve the problems of urban sprawl. The Principles of this idea are related to environmental protections, health troubles and improve social lives. This is the new way to live this century. First, urban sprawl is a situation in which large stores, groups of houses, etc., are built in an area around a city that formerly had few people living in it. The spreading of urban developments (as houses and shopping centers) on undeveloped land near a city. Although, urban sprawl increase the economy of a city, this movement has problems for people. Further, some of the main
problems
of
urban
sprawl
are
health
troubles,
environmental contamination and insecurity. The environmental issues is that rapid development can negatively affect wildlife by
tearing
down,
clearing,
or
building
over
its
habitat,
potentially threatening survival. Moreover, the health Issues increase when people use their vehicles, even to go to a very short distance, people are going to be more overweight and are also going to have to deal with ailments such as high blood pressure and other diseases that come about with obesity. Negative impact on social lives, when people move further out. They don’t have neighbors that live as close, which means that they won’t really stay as social as they should. This is not always the case, but it is something that should be taken note of.
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New urbanism lays out to improve all of these problems. For
example
the
new
urbanism
of
Disney
has
envisioned
communities that facilitate social and civic interaction by means of art festival or walking by the downtown and meet their neighbors. The buildings minimize environmental impact by using energy-efficient cooling and electric system with insulated glass, and etcetera. To conclude, the best and correct way to live in this century is a space with higher quality of life; better places to live, work, & play; less traffic congestion; healthier lifestyle with more walking, and less stress, more freedom and independence to children, elderly. And new urbanism offers us all of these benefits.
Current Magazine. 2015
GROW UP WHIT SIBLINGS OR WITHOUT THEM Bogotá. Opinion • Grow up • Apr 13, 2015 Rosa Cristina Martínez
I agree that it is better to grow up with siblings that without them, because it makes people more sociable, second it makes people best parents when they will have their children, finally it makes smarter the older siblings. First of all, grow up with siblings makes people more sociable because one way or another, our siblings bring many things in our lives, despite the differences that are often generated. I mean, when one have siblings know that everything you do affects someone. While, I suggest, who grows up alone thinks that everything is just for them, growing up with an exclusive self-interest in mind. Secondly, it makes people best parents when they will have their children. It is due to people develop a paternalist sense and always they are protecting their siblings, it does not matter if they are the older or the babies. I said it because when I was kid my parents were working all the time, for that reason we were in charge of my older brother. He was the one who made the food, who dressed us up with our uniforms, and who left us at the school. Nowadays, he has a five-years-old girl he continue doing for her all the things that he did for us before.
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Thirdly, according to a research made by Bernard Devlin, psychiatrist from the Medicine College of Pittsburgh University, the older siblings are more intelligent than the little ones. It is because, they try to know everything about everything for helping the little ones. Also, in many families they have to do tutors younger, so this function or task would improve their IQ. For conclusion, I guess it is better to grow up with siblings because it has many benefits, such as social abilities, it prepares you
for being good parents, and it
roses the IQ of the older sibling.
I think, these things are
necessary for defending themselves in this globalizing world.
Current Magazine. 2015
PARTICIPATION IN CULTURAL ACTIVITIES, BY AGE. Bogotá. Opinion • Cultural activities • May 29, 2015 Rosa Cristina Martínez
The
table
shows
details
of
participation
in
different
cultural activities, according to the age of the participants, in the past year. First,
any
artistic
performance
like
dancing,
singing,
playing musical instruments and acting, had 22% of participation over a year. It was the highest level of participation. Likewise, the
lowest
level
of
participation
(6%)
was
computer
based
activities. Second, the group of older people (45 and 74 years old) undertook any activity related to cards (22 per cent), while those aged 16 to 24 participated in performances (35 per cent). The differences between age groups were that young people prefer visual arts and writing activities than the older ones, with a higher participation rates. It is clear from the evidence that age plays a significant role in the popularity of the cultural activities listed.
Current Magazine. 2015
ALTERNATIVE FORMS OF TRANSPORT Bogotá. Opinion • Transportation • June 05, 2015 Rosa Cristina Martínez The first car appeared on British roads in 1888. By the year 2000 there may be as many as 29 million vehicles on British roads. Alternative
forms
of
transport
should
be
encouraged
and
international laws introduced to control car ownership and use. We cannot deny the extent of pollution caused by cars, due to it is more convenient and economical to have their own car than to use public transport for many people. This is one of the reasons, if not the most important, why the number of cars on the roads increasing day by day. I agree with international laws to control
car
ownership
and
encouraged
alternative
forms
of
transport. Automotive Industry is one of the most important generators in the economy of a country. However, this situation would not arise if governments establish laws for car ownership and its usages.
For
example,
in
some
countries
there
are
laws
that
restrict the number of cars per household and have hours to drive according to the license plate. Also, public transport can be another alternative to reduce this problem. The massive use of private vehicles collapses cities and makes them dirtier and noisier. That is why public transport is the ideal alternative to improve urban mobility and largely avoid withholdings and jams. Unfortunately, today only make use of the bus who have no alternative. This is where the governments should encourage citizens to make less use of cars using measures and laws.
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For summing, governments should put on pants the situation of
pollution
in
cities,
and
citizens
start
thinking
what
environment they want for their children and grandchildren. One way to begin this change is creating laws for car ownership and use of public transportation.
Current Magazine. 2015
EFFECTS OF THE WAR OVER COLOMBIAN PEOPLE Bogotá. Opinion • War • Victims • June 05, 2015 Rosa Cristina Martínez Inequality is the factor which most affects societies, whether
economic,
political,
cultural
and/or
socially.
In
Colombia, inequality has triggered a bilateral war between civil society and the Colombian government. The government could not fulfill the needs of the people, due to their incompetence, and they have only focused on common interests, mainly; leaving aside the issue of armed conflict of over 60 years. Also, over the years, Colombia has gotten a pretty bad reputation for itself. The country is infamous for its association with cocaine and illegal drug trafficking, and so on. My goal in this paper is to show some negative effects of this war over Colombian people, because people are suffering the consequences. We know that Colombia is more than marijuana and coffee, and we are in the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and everything is possible; but, the only thing that they cannot halt is this war that has just had misfortune over innocent people. The first effect of this war is a drastic reduction in agricultural production. Because of, guerrilla forces continually bombarded the oil pipelines and the infrastructure for electric energy transmission. The cost of these repairs and energy affected the basic products of the family basket. The main impact is related to the rising price of the basic necessities. Many farm products are imported for higher prices and the government established “the family basket", which consists only of basic indispensable products in order to control the price of those products. As a result, there arose a new social class, the absolute poor which could not get “the family basket".
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Although, the current president is doing his best to eradicate this war from Colombia and the government has spent a lot of money in this process, which has led to inflation. In brief, all of these circumstances have contributed to the rising price of vital goods. On the other hand, this war has not only affected the economic. The worst effect is the violation of the International Human Rights. Those insurrectionist groups commit violations as “murder of and/or attacks on persons protected by international humanitarian
law;
forced
disappearances;
sexual
violence;
hostage-taking; forced recruitment; physical and/or psychological abuse;
and
forced
displacement.”
(ICRC,
2010).
Also,
the
indiscriminate use of explosives, and recruitment of peasant children.
In addition, according to an article published by the
BBC News the last year, “An estimated 220,000 people have been killed in Colombia's 50-year-long armed conflict”. Despite, the more two years of peace talks between the government and the FARC guerrillas,
the
conflict
continues
to
produce
victims,
and
Colombians are losing hope that they will soon come to an agreement that will improve, tremendously, the situation of Human Rights in the country. The last effect is, also the result of the previous one, the moral impact of conflict on victims. Victims are the ones who have most obviously suffered. While the category ‘victim’ is a morally contested and politically controversial; the pain of the empty chair at the dinner table, the constraints on the wheelchair, or the anguish of every anniversary should not be forgotten or dishonored in the rush for the government to embrace the future.
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Moreover, the Asamblea Permanente de la Sociedad Civil por La Paz1 (2011) presented some of these moral impacts, the worst, is “Acostumbrarse a la violencia: son tantos y tan continuos los hechos de violencia que terminamos por verlos como parte de una
cotidianidad
invariable
en
la
que
nos
desenvolvemos,
incluso, con cierta naturalidad y desparpajo. En situaciones extremas esta habitualidad se puede llegar a convertir en cinismo, que justifica la inacción y la apatía frente a la violencia."2 (APSCP, 53).
In summary, although Colombia is a country bathed by two oceans, it is bathed by the blood of countless battles too; ruled by the hands of the guerrillas, who claim to be the god of peace, but only promotes war social. The standards of living among Colombian people, the cost of basic goods, and the business community have been enormously affected by the persistent war fueled by the narco-guerrilla and paramilitary groups. Also, this nonsense war has had different types of victims. It is time for as Colombians choose between war and endless war.
1
Permanent Assembly of Civil Society for Peace
2
"Accustomed to violence: are so many and continuous the violence facts that
we end up seeing the violence as part of an unchanging daily in which we live, even, with certain naturalness and ease. In extreme situations this habitual environment, it can become cynicism, justifying the inaction and apathy towards violence."
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References Asamblea Permanente de la Sociedad Civil por la Paz. (2011). Costos y efectos de la guerra en Colombia. Bogotรก. (Permanent Assembly of Civil Society for Peace. (2011). Costs and Effects of the War in Colombia. Bogotรก) Retrieved from http://alfresco.uclouvain.be/alfresco/d/d/workspace/SpacesStore/ c54acc30-cada-4290-ae1f252f9910983d/Costos%20y%20efectos%20de%20la%20guerra%20en%20Colo mbia-%20Velandia%202011.pdf Colombia's Farc admits conflict 'impact' on civilians. (30 October 2014). BBC News. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-29841981 International Committee of the Red Cross. (2010). what is the impact of the Colombian armed conflict on population?
the
Retrieved from
https://www.icrc.org/eng/resources/documents/report/colombiareport-intro-220410.htm
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