Tisch Global Jumbos

by María Martinez Meza

On June 23, 2024, I found myself driving through the streets of Luanda, travelling from Luanda International Airport to the apartment I would call home for the next month. Just a few months earlier, I would have been in disbelief if told that I would be interning for the UFOLO Centre for Good Governance. Unsurprisingly, the experience proved to be life-changing. 

The UFOLO Centre for Good Governance is a NGO that aims for the betterment of Angolan society through inclusion, democracy, and responsible governance. Their projects focus on mobility struggles related to education, human rights training within prisons, and active condemnation of corruption.  

Living in Angola while I worked with UFOLO allowed me to immerse myself in the culture and work from a more informed and involved standpoint. In my daily life in Angola, I witnessed drastic wealth disparities caused by corruption, inadequate educational infrastructure, and, above all, the inextinguishable spirit and love for their country among Angolan people. In the UFOLO office, I put my experiences and observations to practice and engaged in conversations about the role of corruption in the state of Angolan society; the impact of the country’s long drawn violent war on the country’s economy; the indispensable role that art plays in the country’s fight for human rights. Participating in this process under the guidance of people who have dedicated their life to Angola, and who are fearless in the face of government backlash, made the experience even more transformative. 

Although my focus was on Angola, this experience also gave me a more nuanced understanding of the struggles faced by the African continent and the Global South as a whole. I compared my experience in Angola with my previous experiences in Tanzania, identifying similarities and differences between their current struggles and examining them in their respective historical contexts. Furthermore, observing the parallels between Angolan struggles and the challenges I grew up facing in El Salvador  deepened my understanding of colonialism, imperialism, and the fight towards self determination. 

A vital part of my experience as an Oslo Scholar was attending the Oslo Freedom Forum. There, I was surrounded by individuals who have devoted themselves to the fight for human rights and democracy, which made me eager to follow in their footsteps. This gave me the push I needed to become more determined in my own fight to denounce the worsening situation in my home country. Not only did the Oslo Freedom Forum introduce me to admirable people, but it also humanised them by allowing me to exist in the same space as they did. Additionally, I connected with a group of passionate and determined peers my age. Suffice it to say, my experience this summer has filled me with a new, brighter, and more irrepressible spark. 

by Imanol Varela

Attending the Oslo Freedom Forum was a transformative experience, deepening my understanding of human rights and democracy. Among the many inspiring sessions, one led by Leopoldo Lopez, the Venezuelan democratic activist, stood out. His discussion focused on the strategies necessary to build and unite global grassroots movements, a topic that resonated deeply with me.

Leopoldo Lopez, a prominent figure in the fight for democracy in Venezuela, shared invaluable insights on mobilizing and sustaining grassroots efforts. He emphasized the importance of storytelling, highlighting how personal narratives can galvanize communities and foster a sense of shared purpose. Lopez argued that grassroots movements thrive when they are rooted in the lived experiences of individuals, making the struggle for democracy relatable and urgent.

A key takeaway from his session was the significance of global solidarity. Lopez underscored the need for activists worldwide to support each other, sharing resources, strategies, and moral support. He called for the creation of international networks that can amplify local efforts and apply pressure on authoritarian regimes from multiple fronts.Lopez also stressed the role of digital platforms in modern activism. He pointed out that social media and other digital tools are crucial for organizing, disseminating information, and connecting with a global audience. However, he cautioned about the importance of digital security to protect activists from surveillance and repression.
Reflecting on Lopez’s discussion, I felt inspired by the power of collective action and the potential of united grassroots movements to effect change. His insights reinforced my commitment to advocating for democracy and human rights, and I left the forum with renewed hope and determination to contribute to this vital cause.

by Ariadna Condezo Trinidad

I arrived in Oslo a day before the conference started. The Oslo Freedom Forum (OFF) is an international human rights conference that brings together human rights activists, journalists, world leaders, and other important stakeholders. I attended the forum with other Tufts undergraduates. During the three days of the conference, I got the opportunity to hear the stories and testimonies of prominent activists who are fighting against authoritarian regimes in their home countries. As an Oslo Scholar, I was grateful to be able to hear inspirational stories that reaffirm my commitment in working with human rights in the future and I was also motivated by hearing stories from Latin American activists —I was born and raised in Peru— since I want to focus my career in Latin American affairs.

One of the first surprises I got from the OFF was hearing Marina Corina Machado, leader of the opposition in Venezuela. She stated that more than 80% of the population in Venezuela want change. “This has turned much more than an electoral struggle, this has turned into an ethical, an existential, and even a spiritual fight for dignity, for freedom, and for having our children come back home.” Her words deeply impacted me. The fight for democracy in Venezuela is something I grew up watching in the news. It is something that I witnessed as thousands of people emigrated from Venezuela to Peru. It is something that I heard from my neighbors in Peru. During the last months, I have seen in the news that Venezuelans have hope for change and they are counting on Marina Corina to lead the country out of the hands of the authoritarian regime of Nicolas Maduro. The opposition has been able to mobilize the whole country and restore hope for a free Venezuela. As the electoral votes are being counted, it has been emotional to watch the country to not give up despite the government attempts to prevent a fair election such as changing people’s voting locations, closing the land border with Colombia, or canceling flights of former leaders of multiple Latin American countries who would act as observers during the election process.

The other story was from Carlos Chamorro, a Nicaraguan journalist in exile. Carlos Chamorro has faced harassment during years due to his work in his newspaper Confidencial, which exposes the dictatorship’s abuses. He was eventually forced into exile for his safety. He began the story by giving background information on the Nicaragua dictatorship led by Daniel Ortega. He talked about the 2018 protests were the dictatorship responded with a bloody massacre that took the lives of 350 people. He mentioned how in 2021, Ortega put in prison the seven aspiring political candidates of the opposition in order to eliminate competition. So far during the dictatorship 317 people have been declared stateless, including 222 former political prisoners, political and civil leaders, human rights activisits, students, more than 15 journalists, and more. Chamorro was declared stateless by the dictatorship in 2023. Chamorro’s story is inspirational because he still fights for a Nicaragua that will be a republic again, he continues to perform his journalism in order to maintained the world informed of the human rights abuses happening in Nicaragua and the struggles of the people who live under the dictatorship.