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Oxfam International Youth Partnerships
Voice NewsletterMarch 2009ABOUTOxfam's International Youth Partnerships (OIYP) Voice is the newsletterof OIYP Action Partners worldwide.Also published athttp://www.oiyp.oxfam.org Email us at:iypvoice@oxfam.org.au Una versión espanol de este boletin estará disponible dentro de diezdias. Si les gustaria recibir una copia, por favor envien un correo alredactor jefe aiypvoice@oxfam.org.au 
CONTENTS
FocusLetter from the Editor I. Action Partner News Laura Hopps, NorthAmerica/Nicaragua; Husna Hussein, Sri Lanka; Rebecca LilySolomon, Vanuatu and Djamila Ousmane Tinaou, Niger II. Story of the Month Advocacy Up Close byShubhi Dwivedi, India.III March Feature About Human Rights,their defenders and our partner Gustavo Ulcué By Alejandra GaviriaReyes, Colombia/Argentina and Daniel Zapico, SpainIV. Resources Information aboutresources to help with your Action Partner work V. Endnote An inspiring thought toclose with this month 
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FOCUS Welcome to the March issue of OIYP Voice Newsletter. Some of our 2007 Action Partners have been exploring Human Rightsand Advocacy over the past few months in an online forum. This isone of the ways that OIYP Action Partners get together in a sharedspace and talk about things that matter to them. It is where theyshare about their work, their lives and their opinions about the HumanRights systems. They are able to do this not just when meeting face toface, but are able to provide support to each other through the onlineforum and various online social network sites. In some ways they areeven more effective than face to face work, as it allows people to bepresent in multiple spaces as they support each other and undertakenew learning. While it may seem just to be words appearing on acomputer screen, transmitted through phone lines and satellites thesewords bring new ways to see the world, and hope to many. We wanted to bring a few of these words to you – as they areinspiring, interesting and encouraging. The feature article this monthinvites us to ask ourselves about the power of words and theimplications in many parts of the world of sharing these words – theauthors ask ‘Why have they tried to assassinate a human rightssupporter who only uses words?’ In our story of the month, Shubhifrom India talks about how she uses media and social networks withinIndia as advocacy tools to bring an end to domestic violence in hercommunity. She brings with her story the hopeful words that changecan happen; bringing freedom from violence.Voice is the newsletter of OIYP Action Partners everywhere – it is yourforum where you can share your stories, challenges you face in yourwork, ask for help or even share some resources - you can even helpedit an edition of Voice with Oxfam Staff. If you would like tocontribute to Voice Newsletter - Please send your story to Mary atmaryj@oxfam.org.auor emailiypvoice@oxfam.org.auI. ACTION PARTNER NEWS
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Read about the work of Action Partners around the world.Sharing stories of work on the ground. Want to share your story? Emailit to Mary atmaryj@oxfam.org.auoriypvoice@oxfam.org.au. Laura Hopps, 2007 Action Partner, United States/NicaraguaMy name is Laura Hopps, and I'm from the U.S. but I've been living forthe past year and a half in Managua, Nicaragua starting a volunteerprogram called Friends of Batahola Volunteers at the Centro CulturalBatahola Norte. The Cultural Centre focuses on empowerment of women and youth, helping people access education and skills to builda dignified life. We have 25 courses like cooking, sewing, naturalmedicine, micro-business start-up and administration, basicaccounting, typing, computer science, handicrafts, and others. Thegoal of the volunteer program is to promote cross-cultural cooperationand learning. Volunteers have the opportunity to learn from thecommunity and collaborate in grassroots change, and also to educatepeople in the U.S. about the reality of Nicaragua, a country that wasdevastated in the 80s by U.S. military intervention. The Cultural Centre is an exciting place to work. It has a dynamic artsprogram with music lessons in things like guitar, piano, base, trumpet,marimba, flute. We have a choir and an orchestra as well, and classesin painting and drawing, dance (latin dance as well as folklore), andtheatre. There's a library that serves over 1,000 kids each week whocome to study, for tutoring, and other activities. There's also ascholarship program for 135 youth in the community to study inprimary and secondary school, and university.In addition to an English class for adults, I'm working on a program inViolence Prevention and Promoting the Right to Live Without Violence,where we will train the Center's staff to be aware of the situation of violence (especially intrafamily violence, which is the most commonhere) and ways to listen to survivors and give them options aboutwhere to go for help. I also am working in the formation of a youthgroup called Movimento Nuevo Amanecer, and we have meetingsevery other week to focus on educating ourselves on issues in thecommunity and to have fun activities like have a dance or yoga class.One thing we're doing now is collecting school supplies for a ruralschool in the mountains, where we'll visit during the vacation in Aprilto have an interchange with other young people.Before I was in Nicaragua I was studying literature (with a focus oncreative writing), and international studies) at university in the US. I
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