Richard,
Vlad and I have been talking about an issue that has arisen with regards
to one of your talks in Buenos Aires.
You may have noticed that one of your talks is scheduled at the Universidad de las Madres de Plaza de Mayo. You probably have heard about the Madres, they are a group of mothers of the infamous
"desaparecidos" of our last military dictatorship. As such, they have gained international recognition for their courage in peacefully confronting the dictatorship. In Argentina, however, the group is very
controversial. The issue of the "desaparecidos" is a very painful one for our society, and it stirs very powerful emotions. As a forum, it leans heavily to the traditional "left", and it is often mistrusted by
people from outside that particular political niche, while it is adored by those inside.
Speaking at the Universidad de las Madres can (an probably will) be taken by some people as a political statement in itself. As a matter of
fact, this is already happening: we all know that the free software movement has wide support from all across the political spectrum, and some people in the community are already voicing disagreement with the choice of location, given that other, more "politically ecumenic"
places, such as universities, would be available. I, for one, agree with them in that, given alternatives, the Madres would not be my first choice for hosting your talk, just in order to avoid the controversy and
to broaden the spectrum of your potential audience.
In any case, as a local and a friend, I feel that it is my duty to you to try to raise your awareness about the context of your talk. This way, at least you won't be caught off-guard by questions from journalists or
from the audience, and you may have a better feel for how the audience will listen to your talk.
Fede
Esto me parece una opinión que podría ser malintencionada o no y que no debiera tener mayor trascendencia pero que plantea cosas que no debieran influir en que se de la charla o no. Opino que si Richard suspendió la charla por esta razón estaría muy equivocado debiera hacerse responsable por ello. Él es una persona temperamental y veces grosera pero siempre que se excede busca pedir disculpas. Se que esto no es lo mejor pero todos tenemos nuestros errores y nadie debe lanzar la primera piedra. -- Diego Saravia [email protected] NO FUNCIONA->[email protected]