¿Arrepentimiento? ¿Justificación? ¿Voces perdidas? : Luces y sombras de los testimonios de los perpetradores en la Sudáfrica post-apartheid

La experiencia de la transición política sudafricana del régimen del apartheid a una democracia multipartidaria en los primeros años de la década de 1990 ha sido vista como un modelo exitoso de transición pacífica, en especial por su abordaje de las graves violaciones a los Derechos Humanos en el pasado reciente. La Comisión de Verdad y Reconciliación que se creó con ese fin y funcionó entre 1996 y 2001 fue la institución central en este proceso. En este trabajo pretendemos discutir en profundidad algunas soluciones milagrosas sobre la transición sudafricana a partir del análisis del discurso de los perpetradores. En primer término, explicaremos los alcances del término perpetrador en el contexto sudafricano. Después trabajaremos sobre los espacios públicos y privados en los cuales estas voces se empezaron a expresar y posteriormente veremos qué tipo de declaración realizaron éstos sobre el pasado que protagonizaron. Consideramos que el desarrollo de estos ejes darán una mirada más compleja, relativizando algunos discursos que subrayan el éxito de la experiencia, sobre todo aquellos recreados en el ámbito de la justicia transicional.L'experiència de la transició política sud-africana del règim de l'apartheid a una democràcia multipartidaria en els primers anys de la dècada de 1990 ha estat presentada com un model reeixit de transició pacífica, especialment pel seu abordatge de les greus violacions als Drets Humans en el passat recent. La Comissió de Veritat i Reconciliació que es va crear amb aquesta finalitat i va funcionar entre 1996 i 2001 va ser la institució central en aquest procés. En aquest treball pretenem discutir en profunditat algunes solucions miraculoses sobre la transició sud-africana a partir de l'anàlisi del discurs dels perpetradors. En primer terme, explicarem l'abast del terme perpetrador en el context sud-africà. Després treballarem sobre els espais públics i privats on aquestes veus es van començar a expressar i posteriorment veurem quin tipus de declaració van realitzar sobre el passat que van protagonitzar. Considerem que el desenvolupament d'aquests eixos donarà una mirada més complexa, tot relativitzant alguns discursos que subratllen l'èxit de l'experiència, sobretot aquells recreats en l'àmbit de la justícia transicional.The experience of South Africa's political transition from apartheid to multi-party democracy in the early years of the 1990s regime has been seen as a successful model of peaceful transition; especially relevant was its approach to the serious violations of human rights in the recent past. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission that was created for this purpose and worked between 1996 and 2001 was the central institution in this process. In this paper, we discuss in depth some miraculous solutions to South Africa's transition from the discourse analysis of some of the perpetrators. The scope of the perpetrator term in the South African context is explained, followed by a review of public and private spaces in which these voices began to express to finally see what kind of statement they made over the past staged. We believe that the development of these research lines will convey a better idea of that actual situation, reviving some speeches that highlight the success of the experience, especially those recreated in the field of transitional justice

Every step of the way. The journey to freedom in South Africa (Michael Morris)

Cape Town: HSRC Press 344 pp ISBN 0 7969 2061 3Tydskrif vir Letterkunde • 43(1) • 2006: 207-20

Independencias africanas: proyectos nacionalistas y materializaciones en los casos de Ghana y Mozambique

Uno de los principales procesos históricos de la segunda mitad del siglo XX fue la creación de estados independientes en África, tras un periodo de ocupación colonial europea iniciado con el congreso de Berlín de 1885. En un periodo breve de tiempo se desenvolvió la transferencia del control legal e institucional sobre los territorios por parte de los poderes coloniales a unos noveles estados-nación, que serían a partir de entonces dirigidos por la población local. En este trabajo nos proponemos escoger dos casos de independencias particulares, para analizar tanto los proyectos nacionalistas desarrollados en ellas, como la materialización (o no). Con este objetivo, tomaremos el caso de Ghana (una ex colonia británica) y de Mozambique (portuguesa). Los casos fueron elegidos porque las diversas experiencias de independencia, que van de guerras de liberación a acuerdos pacíficos, nos permitirán evaluar límites y alcances de la materialización de los proyectos nacionalistas en África.   

Review: "Every step of the way. The journey to freedom in South Africa" By Michael Morris (2004)

Cape Town: HSRC Press 344 pp ISBN 0 7969 2061 3Tydskrif vir Letterkunde • 43(1) • 2006: 207-20

Liquid Gold: Breast Milk Banking in the United States

Over the course of the 20th Century, breast milk banks have facilitated the exchange of breast milk from mothers with an excess supply to infants in need. But while early banks used a seller model, purchasing milk as a commodity from lower class women, today banks use a donor model, relying on middle class women who give their milk away as a gift. This dissertation explores why the commodified model of breast milk banking first arose, and why banked breast milk was giftified (but still commodified) by the end of the century. I use content analysis of institutional records from three banks operating in three different eras, and interviews with current milk bank managers, donors, and parents of recipients to address these questions. My analysis indicates that in each era a confluence of factors, in particular women's employment, conceptions of motherhood, medical practices and beliefs, and technologies shapes the exchange of banked breast milk. In the early 20th century new technologies made the physical disembodiment of breast milk possible, while mothering practices and medical authorities' preferences promoted breast milk's symbolic disembodiment, promoting the milk's commodification, while limited employment opportunities created a pool of willing sellers. During the 1960s new mothering practices and related changes in physicians' preferences sacralized the milk, making its sale by mothers culturally inappropriate. Today, high levels of maternal employment and portable, efficient breast pumps create an excess supply of milk that mothers are loath to dispose of due to its sacralized status, sustaining the donor model. But banks still sell the milk as a commodity, albeit a non-profit one, to parents who use the milk both as food and as a form of good parenting in a bottle. Breast milk banking therefore involves both gift and commodity exchange. And as interviews with donors and parents of recipients demonstrate, many middle class donors want to be paid, while middle class parents who purchase the milk reject the idea of donor compensation, pointing to breast milk's ambiguous status even among those intimately involved in its exchange, and the role of social class in mediating actors' perceptions and experiences

Liquid Gold: Breast Milk Banking in the United States

Over the course of the 20th Century, breast milk banks have facilitated the exchange of breast milk from mothers with an excess supply to infants in need. But while early banks used a seller model, purchasing milk as a commodity from lower class women, today banks use a donor model, relying on middle class women who give their milk away as a gift. This dissertation explores why the commodified model of breast milk banking first arose, and why banked breast milk was giftified (but still commodified) by the end of the century. I use content analysis of institutional records from three banks operating in three different eras, and interviews with current milk bank managers, donors, and parents of recipients to address these questions. My analysis indicates that in each era a confluence of factors, in particular women's employment, conceptions of motherhood, medical practices and beliefs, and technologies shapes the exchange of banked breast milk. In the early 20th century new technologies made the physical disembodiment of breast milk possible, while mothering practices and medical authorities' preferences promoted breast milk's symbolic disembodiment, promoting the milk's commodification, while limited employment opportunities created a pool of willing sellers. During the 1960s new mothering practices and related changes in physicians' preferences sacralized the milk, making its sale by mothers culturally inappropriate. Today, high levels of maternal employment and portable, efficient breast pumps create an excess supply of milk that mothers are loath to dispose of due to its sacralized status, sustaining the donor model. But banks still sell the milk as a commodity, albeit a non-profit one, to parents who use the milk both as food and as a form of good parenting in a bottle. Breast milk banking therefore involves both gift and commodity exchange. And as interviews with donors and parents of recipients demonstrate, many middle class donors want to be paid, while middle class parents who purchase the milk reject the idea of donor compensation, pointing to breast milk's ambiguous status even among those intimately involved in its exchange, and the role of social class in mediating actors' perceptions and experiences