How massive terrorism really is?

We were all shocked by the news of the bomb put on the Escuela Militar subway station. The TV transmission lasted all day from 2 pm until past midnight in some channel. But have you ever wondered why terrorist crimes are so much relevant for governments around the world?

We’ve all seeing the reactions around the world. The united states react to the 9-11 terrorist attack declaring a war to Irak that lasted from 2003 to 2011 and been resumed not long ago with the return from us military forces to Irak in the summer of the present year 2014, also lead them to a 9 years long chase of Osama Bin Laden. In London and other places that have suffered from terrorist attack the reactions has been closure to stations or building due to anonym calls or strange package left there. The truth is that in our country are that there was more cases of robbery in 2013 per 100.000 habitants by day that there has being cases of bombs in subway stations ever.

The real impact and importance of Terrorist crimes are their consequences.  Terrorism is defined as acts that are intended to cause terror and is this what worries more the authorities of a country. The terror and a population living in fright may cause an decrease on people thrust in government and the society they are in. This will have even greater consequences in the country economy, usually fright and insecurity causes the people to save their money with them and not in banks which is one of the main causes on a crises.

In the other hand studies says that terrorism doesn’t always create trauma in people. In fact, a sample taken in Jerusalem from 2000 to 2004, shows that you can make two groups of people, one who suffer from post-traumatic stress and one who just go on with their lives. It seems that the ones who turn to be more terrorized are those which are further to the assault.

Taking all these fact in sight. Is it correct to take all these actions like taking all the dumpsters from the subway? Should Chilean authorities focus in fight the terrorism in our country? And finally, is terrorism a real problem in Chile?

Connecting the world through language

By group 5

International relations are connecting our world in many different ways, and by doing this its most reliable ally are languages, especially with the use of translation and interpretation.  Can you imagine how it would be not being able to understand what other people say like in ancient Babylon? The world would be separated without being able to communicate with each other and the relations between countries would be very poor. Fortunately today that is no longer the reality, since the world has come to a stage in which many people can learn and understand languages that are not their own. Even though, there are still many others that aren’t able to comprehend other languages apart from their mother tongue, whether because they don’t consider it important or because they are too busy to take the time to learn them. Here is where translation and interpretation come to the rescue, creating the links to make this world a more communicated and united one. 

Communication is essential to keep international security, as it enables the nations to establish cooperation and aids relationships in times of disaster and necessity.  As well as playing a conciliator role between unfriendly nations, as it makes it possible to set up a dialog for international understanding, especially in times of political conflicts. In this way, the translator and interpreter’s work is fundamental to create connections between languages and cultures. They make it possible to establish an intercultural network among the countries of the world, and also a strategic advantage in times of war, as it was during the First and Second World War, in which it was indispensable to intercept communications of the enemy forces. So what could be better than an interpreter ready to translate the secret messages of the enemies? For this reason, during the Second World War, The United States and Australia created an intelligence agency, called Allied Translator and Interpreter Section (ATIS), which was in charge of intercepting the communication of Japan in the Pacific War, which, as you know, was crucial for development and the end of World War. Back then the translator and interpreter played an important role, because if they had never been there, the destiny of the War would have been uncertain.

The importance of languages as connectors of the world also is present in the disaster situations as an earthquake, in which news of catastrophe spread throughout the world and the nations immediately send foodstuffs, money, water, humanitarian aid, etc. Who knows what would happen in a situation like this without international assistance? Maybe it would be another disaster...

Another important aspect of international relations is the way in which cultural components of different countries are shared among them, therefore creating a world with a more clear idea of the way other people live, as well as their beliefs, morals, etc.

All you need to do is to look around you and you’ll find a great amount of elements that have arrived there thanks to international relations. It’s not only about products or goods; it also has to do with traits, costumes and even with literary influence. All these things were unknown for many people a long time ago, but now those components are established in our society, and it’s truly interesting to observe how this connection between different cultures is also shaping them in return.

Many years ago people used to reject everything that was different, but now most of us embrace the influence that other cultures have had on our own. Some people even feel deep curiosity and try to find out more about other cultures. That is another point in which translation has an important role, given that it helps introduce these cultural elements by making them available in another language, this way people can understand more about them, without going all the way to learn the language.

There have been opportunities in which authorities from certain countries visit other nations as a way to keep a good relationship with them, and also as a way of sharing their own culture. In this type of visits the role of interpreters is of course a very important one. An example of this is the recent visit of the prime minister and the first lady of Japan in Chile. The first lady visited the University of Santiago as part of her schedule, and in this visit the communication between her and the authorities of the university was through the use of an interpreter provided for each language, Japanese and Spanish. Though the students present in this visit could speak and understand Japanese, the rest of the people attending couldn’t do so. Nevertheless, they were able to comprehend what was being said thanks to the interpreters. Thanks to this visit the first lady was able to know how the students of Japanese were dealing with their studies of the language, and expressed her amazement by the fact that people from a country so different and distant showed so much interest in the Japanese language and culture. By this simple example we can see how international relations can help us not only trade products or those kinds of things, but also share our culture and expand our view of the world by getting in contact with cultures that are different from our own. The latter is particularly important for those who practice translation and interpretation, since the study of other languages is not only related to the languages themselves but also to all the cultural aspects as well as the history of the countries in which said languages are spoken.

Now talking about Chile's economy we are to allude to Michael Cronin, who in his inspiring book "Translation and Globalization" states: “The translation creates connections between a language and a culture and establishing the conditions for an open exchange of goods, technologies and ideas... and translators are important because they connect more people and places in an intercultural network.” If we take Cronin ideas, we can say without a doubt that translation is the pillar of international relations, for example: Economy.

Economy and trade, are fundamental for countries, Chile is not the exception. Chile's economy is the sixth biggest economy in Latin America; the largest Chilean exports are China with 23.9%, USA with 12.2%, Japan with 10.6% and Brazil with 5.5%.

Japan has been important to Chile, is its second biggest associate in trade in goods. That means a larger amount of dollars for Chilean economy, and Japan is not the only country for Chilean trades... If we look our economy we can see it revolves around aboard, a good example is how the national economy fell after the failure to sell saltpeter. Foreign economy is a cage in which Chile cannot get out, so it is already part of everyday life.

Now imagine for a moment that Chile was not able to do international trades because we do not know the culture and the languages of the people in the other countries... What would happen? There would be chaos and total isolation.

So, recapitulating, for that reason international relations are so important to us, and is not just Chile, it is for every country of the world that relations are the support of its economy. That is why translation is essential, without translators nobody would understand the language, nobody would make trades and the transference between cultures would not be possible. The translator is a bridge between two different cultures, nations, religions, and a lot of things that involve another country’s style of life. So, to summarize this, we can say: "The translator becomes an expert in intercultural communication in an internationalized world".

As we can see from all the ideas stated above, the role of languages and those ones who use it to improve the communication between the countries around the world is a very important one. Without translator and interpreters the connection between nations would be much more difficult, so by using language we can help to make the bonds in our world stronger.

What do you think about the role of translators and interpreters in international relations? Do you think that language is important for this relations? We will be waiting for your opinions!

Communication from the silence

by Group 6

Most of the time when we refer to the language, we consider the verbal form we use whenever we want to communicate with others, but rarely we think about how language develops in those born with disabilities and therefore, who didn't acquire the same way of expressing that the common people. One of the most interesting disabilities from a linguistic point of view is deafness, since deaf people must use non-verbal language for communicating, called sign language.

For children born with this disability, learning styles vary if parents are also deaf or not. The way they can communicate is a purely gestural and then over the years, they can learn sign language as such. It’s also important to note that sign language varies from country to another, because each country has different rules of grammar.

For speaking about learning and language development of deaf children and sign language, we must ask what is meant by language. Language can be defined as the set of means that enable people to express their thoughts, feelings, experiences, among others, and it's considered as a set of communication systems consisting of different forms, such as drawings, gestures, sounds, cultural processes, etc. It’s considered as a social institution, since it can only exist in a community, as an instrument of human communication.

Another specification to do, although it may seem obvious, is that deaf and deaf-mute is not the same. Often people confuse these terms and they talk about hearing impaired people as deaf-mute, though deaf people can verbally communicate, but used to do it only on certain occasions. Instead, being deaf-mute implies a double disability, that is to say, they are people who haven't developed or have lost hearing and vocal ability at the same time. Even deaf people are able to use spoken language; both use sign language to communicate. We want to note we only use the term deaf-mute to differentiate both disabilities. However, currently this term is considered derogatory and outdated, such as deaf-and-dumb, so the preferred term today is simply deaf.

As we said, it's commonly thought that language refers only to verbal expression, but we can't ignore the non-verbal language that it's used by those who are born with hearing difficulty, so it's no less important to our society.

Language acquisition is a phenomenon that seems natural and almost automatic. For this reason the terms language development and language acquisition are commonly used interchangeably to refer to hearing children. However, in the case of deaf children, it is not possible. Language development refers to the use of a pattern in a natural way or more or less automatic. Language acquisition in contrast, requires an effort since the child acts as a learner and the adult as a teacher, who will teach the sign language corresponding to their place of residence. Thus, the concept language acquisition is more appropriate to describe the process of language acquisition in deaf children.  

During their first years of life, deaf children develop the gestural language spontaneously, according to some investigations. Children with hearing impairments assimilate this way of communication at the same age in which listeners children begin to speak. This explains why the gestural language develops in similar stages of oral language.  

Baby making the gesture for “more” and “eat”

There are also important differences between deaf children who were born from deaf parents, against those who were born from hearing parents. First, we must consider that children with deaf parents acquire sign language with the same speed hearing children learn spoken language. For those children, communication between them is much more fluid and feasible from the beginning, because they share the same situation and parents have the advantage of teaching from their own point of view, which facilitates the work. Regarding academic performance, it has been shown that children with deaf parents outperform those who were born from hearing parents. This may be because they learn and understand the language fully and achieve from an early age the development of this, thanks to the education of parents and the natural contact with this language.

As mentioned above, the difference in language between parents and children creates more difficulties in the communication which makes children's learning slower and more complex. We must also consider that over 90% of deaf children are born to hearing parents. Anyway, despite the complications that could result in its development, it is entirely feasible that the child can communicate and develop their language.

It’s based in signs made with the hands, facial expressions, and other body movements. This sign system is not universal, but as with oral language, each community, country or region has its own sign language.

Like any system of language, the sign language has gone through processes of linguistic change which has led to its evolution and perfection in different communities. This means that there are over 50 sign languages, completely different between them, regulated by the "International Sign Language (ISL)”. This language is not a direct transcription of spoken language, because it has its own grammar, syntax and lexical structure, and is not necessarily similar with the spoken language of the geographical area in which it is. For example, the American Sign Language (ASL), which is used by the deaf community in the United States, is not similar to the spoken English or British Sign Language (BSL). Only some sign languages ​​are recognized as languages, as in Latin American countries such as Ecuador and Uruguay. Unfortunately Chilean sign language is not recognized because it is considered minority.

Chilean manual alphabet

For babies or toddlers deaf, gestural language is essential to achieve communication, because the hands, body and facial expression are the tools that children use to express their needs, experiences and emotions. According to studies, children who are born deaf can learn gestural language as quickly as a hearing children learn to speak. Children, who have parents with this type of disability, acquire sign language faster, because they are constantly using it. For children with hearing parents it’s a more difficult and slow process, but is not impossible. With the support of the environment and the efforts of parents and families, backed by a professional in the area, they can develop the communication between them fully, obtaining satisfactory results.

We should not consider deaf people least equipped to deal with the society in which we live, because they need grow up, develop independently and learn how to live in a community in which people mainly communicate verbally.

Now, we know deeply what sign language is, the mainstay for people with deafness. This kind of language is a complex system, with its own grammar, syntax and vocabulary and it can be completely autonomous from the geographical language. Moreover, contrary to we might be believed, sign language is not universal and depends on the geographic area in which the individual live. Did you know this?

Today, due to technological advances, the deaf babies' parents have many options to help his children, such as special headphones for deaf and hard of hearing people. Here we leave this really cute video from a deaf baby who hears his mom for the first time. Enjoy it!

Let's compare ourselves to see what we want to become

by Group 7

Every person lives in a certain environment and they are used to it. But it’s easy to forget that there are other kinds of realities, especially when we talk about countries. Governments are responsible for the well-being of its citizens, and most of its influence can be seen on various aspects of life of the population. Among it neighbors, Chile is seen as an advanced country in various senses, but what do we aspire to become? We’re going to compare Chile with an advanced European nation, Norway.

The governmental politics of Norway have led the country to a state of well-being for its inhabitants, which are satisfied and even happy with their quality of life, according to studies made by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). These results are very different to the ones shown in Chile, where the dissatisfaction towards the political class is very high.

But, what is not working? Why Chile, despite being privileged with natural resources, political and social stability hasn't achieved the formula for success which countries like Norway have?

First, we’re going to talk about the basis in the development of a society, the education. In Norway, the government has been responsible of the education, which is free from nursery to university, in contrast to Chile, where attending college means a great investment for the family. Another thing that makes a big difference is that the children are not evaluated through marks, but by comments until they are 13 years old, a process that facilitates the personal strengthening and the self-criticism.

Another point to keep in mind is what follows when a person finishes the professional training and enters the employment market. If we speak about numbers, Norway has one of the highest employment rates in Europe. Over 76% of people between 15 and 64 years-old in Norway have a paid job. They work 1.420 hours a year, less than the OECD average of 1.765 hours and obviously much less than the 2.000 hours a year that Chilean people are used to work. 

Finally, shouldn't we talk about that topic that makes us distressed lately? The public transportation system in Norway, unlike Chile, is financed and audited by the state, not by private companies. The country has a public transportation network that shows a high efficiency rate. The system includes the profitable National Railways, which is complemented with buses and cycling trails to promote the use of bikes as means of transport. The train system is so efficient that in case of delay the state refunds the service by offering the user a taxi. These little differences are the first ones to raise up when you compare countries and their way of dealing with problems. Even though they are simple, they allow us to realize some of the crucial differences that there are between both nations.

Chile has a long way to go; in our country, injustice and inequality are still evident, and they cause various problems and dissatisfaction on the people. With this comparison, we want to show that it’s viable to have an efficient government, and that using the resources in the right areas would actually help the system to work correctly, and in the end, its citizens would be benefited. Unlike what our government tells us, we have to believe in that better models exist out there.

Come see the wonders of the beautiful Rivers Region!

Chile, the long and narrow country located in the extreme southwest of South America, is among the majestic Andes Mountain and the Pacific Ocean. Approximately 4300 km in length and 177 km wide in average make this country contain the most beautiful and varied landscapes, with a variety of flora, fauna and climate, that goes from arid desert to deep woods and glaciers.

Millions of tourists visit Chile to enjoy the beauty of its territories, fascinating culture, exquisite gastronomy and attractive tourist activities offered by the country. From Europe, Asia, North America and South America; even Chilean tourists became enchanted by the natural charms of their own country. One of the most visited regions is the XIV Región de los Ríos, its name given for the abundant and acclaimed rivers in the region.

Its native forests, lakes, national parks and abundant nature in general are one of the icons that make this area one of the most visited by tourists. One of the most fascinating places and frequented by tourists is Valdivia, the capital of the this region, is characterized as a university city, full of life and cultural activity, crossed by the Calle Calle River and very rich in natural resources such as the Valdivian Forest.

Huilo Huilo fall - XIV Región de los Ríos 

Copihues, Valdivian Forest - XIV Región de los Ríos 

Los Ríos is the last region maintaining the same topography as the preceding ones: Andes Mountain, middle depression, Coast Mountain and littoral; then it is followed by irregular and insular areas.

The chain of mountains of Los Andes tend to decrease in height from north to south, and the higher summits in this region coincide with Moncho and Puyehue volcanoes (2422 and 2240 AMSL).

The middle depression’s valleys are interrupted by the range derived from Villarrica Volcano, which is denominated Mahuidanche, Mapudungun for “people who live in the mountains” and after Valdivia River is called Pelada range, and only reaches 600 AMSL. The fertile valleys are favorable for cattle industry and agriculture, and the several water courses that characterize the region provide not only irrigation but also hydroelectric potential and navigability, due to the low gradient of the rivers and the lakes influence on the flow. The main rivers in this region are Valdivia, Bueno, San Pedro, Pahue, Calle Calle and Cumleufú; and the most prominent lakes are Calafquén, Panguipulli, Riñihue, Ranco, Maihue and Puyehue, most of them are part of the famous group of lakes called Siete Lagos, or Seven Lakes in English.

Villarica Volcano - XIV Región de los Ríos

 Calle Calle River, Valdivia - XIV Región de los Ríos

Since this area has such a natural beauty, it is a very interesting place to visit. There are different kinds of tourism in the diverse places of the region. It is possible to spend the night in beaches, lakes, or mountains. In terms of comfort, you can choose to camp, rent a little shack or to stay in expensive hotels.

Valdivia, the capital city of this region, is a great place to visit. It is a small city built in the place where three rivers, Calle Calle, Valdivia and Cau Cau meet. During its construction, it was inhabited by many Germans, which left a still present heritage. This city is a cultural center, influenced by the presence of the Austral University. There are many activities during the year, such as the Beer fest, the Valdivian Night, and a film festival. You can also enjoy tours on the river where you can see all the important places of the city and its surroundings. If you get hungry, you can visit the Kuntsmann beer factory, where they serve big German-style meals.

About half an hour from Valdivia, to the coast, there is the little town of Niebla. This town is placed right at the Calle Calle estuary, the place where the river meets the sea. Besides the long, beautiful beaches on this place, the principal attraction is the fort. This is a remain of the colonization period, when the Spanish needed to avoid the attack from the seaward of other European countries like England or The Netherlands, which wanted to take Valdivia, so they built a strong fort system, formed by this and two others forts placed in the islands of Corral and Mancera, in front of Niebla.

If you want to enjoy more natural surroundings, there’s Siete Lagos. This is a beautiful area full of rivers, lakes, and native woods, where you can enjoy contact with nature, going on trekking or doing canopy. If you prefer water activities, there are different options including rafting, and tours on kayak or boats. At the moment of relaxing, there are the hot springs. Many different kinds of hot springs exist along the region. One of the most beautiful are the Termas Geométricas, close to a small town called Coñaripe, and placed in the middle of a ravine, built in wood and stones around plants and a little stream, it is the perfect place to spend a calm day. 

Hotel Magic Mountain in the Huilo Huilo fall - XIV Región de los Ríos 

 

Hotel Baobab in the Huilo Huilo fall - XIV Región de los Ríos

Fort of Mancera Island, Valdivia - XIV Región de los Ríos

Termas Geométricas - XIV Región de los Ríos 

By Dayna Albiña

Carolina Foz

Antonia Soto

Group 2   

The Two Faces Of Law

The Two Faces Of Law

by Group 4

   We often watch on TV a variety of programs resembling criminal cases and their legal implications, such as Dick Wolf’s popular Law and Order. But while watching it, some people can’t help thinking about how do they make an interesting show over only courtroom cases. Perhaps, if we, chileans would try to do something similar, it would turn out boring. This may be due to the fact that countries that were former British colonies or protectorates, including the United States, have a different legal system called Common Law, and it is completely different from those countries that were former French, Dutch, German, Spanish or Portuguese colonies or protectorates, including Chile, which have a legal system known as Civil Law.

You may wonder, what are the differences between these two systems?  

The main difference is that  in the Civil Law System is generally a written constitution based on specific codes, and in the Common Law System, there is not always a written constitution or codified laws. This makes the first one more prescriptive than the second one, in other words, everything is written, basic rights and duties, all you can and cannot do. On the other hand, Common Law has basically everything  permitted if it is not expressly prohibited by law, this is what gives people, among other things, extensive freedom of contract, individuals and corporations have the freedom to form contracts with hardly any government restrictions, just few provisions are implied into the contract by law.

It’s also important to take into consideration the role played by the people within the system.  In a Civil Law system, the judge’s role is to establish the facts of the case and make use of the existing laws to solve the case. By contrast, Common Law is based on precedent, the similar cases are essential for this system, the precedents are saved and also historically documented in collections of case law. This variation is what changes the judge’s role, it gives judges a more active role in the cases. Also most common law states involve a jury trial, a legal proceeding in which civil people also take part on serious criminal cases, discussing and judging people for their actions.

The judge determines the sentence based on what the jury decides, that’s why this system may turn the case into a more subjective procedure than most of Civil Law System trials which have no jury, and the lawyers have nobody to impress but the Judge with facts. However, the jury trial gives civilians the chance to participate and take an active role in society, helping to decide what would be the fairest decision in each case.

Therefore, both systems not only are totally different but also have good and bad characteristics. One could look more democratic, more subjective or more fair.

Nonetheless, it is not impossible to combine both of them;  taking the good things from each one to improve it and creating a new one, maybe more fair and complete law system.

Actually, there are few countries, which have pluralistic systems, in other words they have civil and common law aspects, such as Philippines, Swaziland and Thailand.

What do you think about it? Do you prefer your country to have the Common Law System or the Civil Law System? or do you think that some pluralistic system is better? Leave your answers and opinions about these interesting law systems.