Have Social Movements Been Successful in Achieving Their Objective in Latin America - Case Study Example

Have social movements been successful in achieving their objective in Latin America? Consider particular examples in your answer. Introduction Socialmovements are very relevant in Latin America as the ultimate precursors of its social transformation. Many people of varying groups in this place have various social claims making them interveners in the process of social transformation. In a highly capitalist world, ordinary people usually are subject to unfortunate level of exploitations for the benefit of only powerful few. This is the reason why for many decades, there were surging high number of these groups that tried to voice out their personal claims in the hope that they can be heard and substantial answers to their From both its past and at present, the social revolts in Latin America are very rich as substantial social issues continue to rise year after year. The good thing about these social revolts is their capacity to bring forward advantages on the part of various social movements which continue to evolve, making them more sophisticated and expert on achieving their objectives. In this paper, the proponent tries to explore significant proofs which substantially points out social movements in Latin America to have been successful in achieving their objectives. The case of Rural Landless Workers Movement The Rural Landless Workers Movement (MST) is a case of how a social movement has been successful in Latin America based on the achievement of its objectives. There are specifically two important points MST has substantially done in order to fulfill its objectives. The first point is its ability to maintain strong level of leadership towards its members. It has become a highly structured group knowing that it involves thousands of members. In groups like this, a modern approach in leadership is necessary in order to unite the team with only one vision and goal. Furthermore, MST learned enough the power of taking advantage on achieving allies. As a result, MST was able to combine forces with other social movements in Brazil. The very presence of these various social movements in Brazil alone is a substantial proof that people have seen them as potential tools in achieving objectives through a specific social transformation. All of these proved that social movements in Brazil can be the best and powerful way on how the masses of people substantially can achieve their personal claims in a society where everyone seems to have varying social, political, and economic needs. The (MST) in Brazil, having more than 300,000 members and consisting of 350,000 peasant families, is a highly organised social movement in Latin America with allies in other social movements such as urban Homeless Movement, the Catholic Pastoral Rural (Rural Pastoral Agency), sectors of the trade union movement (CUT), the left-wing of the Workers Party (PT) and academic faculty and students (Petras, 2009). This social movement is capable of organising effective tactics in allocating land for their thousands of landless rural workers and their families on the lands of giant latifundistas, plus being able to succeed in placing their agrarian reform on the national agenda, and elected “Lula” Da Silva of the Workers Party in the 2002 presidential elections (Petras, 2009). MST is a picture of a highly sophisticated social movement having been able to penetrate the core foundation of social transformation. Its ability to create a better foundation for its entire movement is a specific proof that it has substantially created a remarkable way on how to obtain its specific objectives. Its ability to organise a large social group of 300,000 members and 350,000 peasant families was enough to create a strong allies with other social movements. What is depicted in this issue is the thought that in Brazil alone, social movements have become so widely considered and even have created a powerful force to influence the ongoing social transformation. This is the very reason why MST for instance was substantially able to penetrate and influence the national agenda with their main objectives. It substantially was able to fuel their power to dominate in the area where they believe their objectives should be fulfilled. Their ability to take the fallow lands of giant latifundistas was a result of its strategic move to find for allies and impeccably strong leadership to hold substantial number of members. MST on the process ensures that its vision is widely imparted from one member to another as a way to maintain a strong unifying force which is tantamount to its success in fulfilling its objectives. The case of National Confederation of Indian and Nationalities in Ecuador It is without question that Ecuador in the 20th century was another object of neo-liberalism in Latin America. However, substantial forces tried to combat these neo-liberal acts leading to the formation of the National Confederation of Indian and Nationalities in Ecuador (CONAIE). In 1997, CONAIE overthrown a neo-liberal President Abadala Bucaram and this was followed by another neo-liberal President in 2000, Jamil Muhuad both due to massive fraud which substantially caused Ecuador’s economic crisis of the 1990s (Petras, 2009). In the succeeding years, like MST, CONAIE was able to form a political arm through its electoral party ‘Pachacuti’. However, the alliance of Pachacuti with Lucio Gutierrez in 2002 was a bad move for CONAIE especially when Gutierrez allied with US State Department and big agro-business firms which later promoted neo-liberalism and eventually led to the resignation of most CONAIE officers (Petras, 2009). However, this very act brought forward internal divisions in the country, which at some point allowed the communities to take their stand. Although it ended not as sound as what MST has been achieving from the past and at present, CONAIE is again another remarkable proof that social movements in Latin America have become successful in achieving their objectives especially when it was able to overthrow two neo-liberal Presidents in 1997 and 2000 respectively. Furthermore, its destruction in 2003 was not actually a defeat considering the people in Ecuador where widely oriented about the underlying ideas on economic and political ideas underlying neo-liberalism. Neo-liberalism in Latin America was a controversial issue of the past considering that various social struggles are associated with it (Buono and Lara, 2007; Leitner et al., 2007). It has become the major theme of this issue that the rich has become richer and poor, poorer. Although there can be more substantial issues to contest this idea on the side of the neo-liberal advocates, the continuing social movements associated with this act seems to be in great detail a remarkable proof to emphasise that it would not promote pure economic or political advantage to all. As a result, due to continuing struggles and forces such as those conducted by CONAIE in Ecuador, neo-liberalism has been placed to an end most particularly in Latin America in general (Taylor, 1999; Grugel and Riggirozzi, 2009). People in Latin America in general substantially got the idea how to live and move beyond the neoliberal model (Burdick et al., 2009). This is another proof that social movements like that of CONAIE in Ecuador were effective enough to convey social transformation within the society. Although the kind of social movement that occurred in Ecuador in line with neo-liberalism was a way to trigger social awareness, its bottom line was still to promote social transformation at a certain level. This social transformation that was evident on how the masses reacted to the bottom line of neo-liberalism and as being sparked by the social movements of social groups such as CONAIE showed the basic implications of social movements on the social revolution particularly on the economic and political aspects in Latin America. Gender rights In the past, society dictated that man should be a supreme being who has to be on top of his female counterpart. In line with this, men were given substantial privileges in the society that women were not allowed to experience. Men were expected to be masculine enough and should dominate in the decision making process. Men were expected to be the head in the group and women were not essentially given with the authority to lead in the group and even to experience various privileges. In Latin America, in the past prior to the 20th century, there was a pervasive inequality in the sexes especially when it comes to legal status, access to education, and political and economic power (Miller, 1991). Women were most likely to be affected by significant discrimination in the society in favor mostly of men when it comes to various privileges especially in terms of political and economic power. Women as a result were not equal to men and it was strongly reinforced by existing national laws. As a result, women were on the go to search for social justice. In Latin America, it was the educated middle-sector women who were the first ones to initiate women’s rights. They all knew their existing social, economic and legal status by then which paved the way for institutionalizing forums with other professionals to share their experiences (Miller, 1991). This resulted to the establishment of militant groups of women in which the mere intention is to seek for social justice. In 1870 for instance, the La Siemprevivia was formed by Rita Cetina Gutierrez, a Mexican Poet and educator whose main intention was to overcome women’s unequal status in the society and educate women and mothers in hygiene, nutrition and child care (Miller, 1991). The goal of this social movement was to show to the society how valuable was the women’s role to be played. The movement was essential evidence depicting the goal of Latin American women to be heard as equal of men. Gutierrez’s goal was not different from other social movements that try to emphasise women power and seek social justice. It was just among the most common and important objective written in the history depicting how women fought for their rights to be heard completely equal to their male counterparts. This movement was proven effective especially when the national women’s movements were coordinated with international women’s organisations (Walsh, 2008). In this regard, the state was found to most likely create a positive response in reconstructing and transforming their current practices especially in the case in Latin America (Walsh, 2008). This is also a significant proof that women’s right movement for seeking social justice in Latin America especially if it seeks to find an ally in the international setting is proven effective at some certain point. This movement once has been successfully coordinated with the international organisations that are advocating the social right of women was found to put on pressure on the state to essentially implement what is necessary based on the prevailing international standard. As a result, this remarkably could be another proof that social movements like the prevailing women’s right movement in Latin America have been successful in achieving their objectives. Their success has become tantamount to their prevailing strategic moves just prior to fulfilling their ultimate objectives. On the other hand, as stated earlier, men were expected to stand on their ground with ultimately high level of masculine behavior as dictated by the society from the past. This is the reason why people who were categorised as part of the third gender group (homosexuals) are not able to achieve the privileges given to men. In Latin America for instance, just like with women in the past and at present, the homosexual community is also in search for social justice. What they substantially did in order to meet this objective is create a highly organised group. Argentina is highly recognised country for highly organised and recognised community for gays. This evidently suggests that existing social movements like this is largely present in a high level of circumstance. As a result, the community for homosexuals has been widely recognised and even supported by the masses in great and significant detail. This substantially points out the fact that social movements of homosexuals have become successful at some point prior to the achievement of their ultimate goal for social justice. In fact, their very act was not completely considered taboo, but the society was ultimately influenced by the thought that these groups exist and should be treated with appropriate social justice. Conclusion In this paper, the proponent critically explores some significant issues that could explain in great detail that social movements in Latin America have been successful in their objectives and the very proof lies on the existing social transformation within the state. This specifically points out the fact that social movements are proven effective in the social transformation of the Latin American countries. In some special cases, these social movements were found to specifically improve the prevailing social, economic and political ideas of the society. As a result, this substantially brings forward various advantages and benefits to people who are continuously on the go to push forward their specific social movements. At some certain level, social movements in Latin America was found as specific ways or strategies to create a better society with essentially improved system for social, economic, political and even spiritual considerations. There are many advocates of specific social movements and their ultimate goal is to seek for social justice, which based on the stated examples above is substantially addressed due to specific strategic moves leading to effective social transformation. Latin America is proven a perfect place for social transformation as this state is rich in social movements both from the past and its prevailing economic, social and political condition. This implies that when there are social movements, a state should expect social transformation in one way or another or at some certain level. This substantially proves that in one way or another or at some certain level, social movements in Latin America have been successful in achieving their objectives. References Buono, R. A. D., and Lara, J. B. (2007) Imperialism, neoliberalism and social struggles in Latin America. Danvers, MA: BRILL. Burdick, J., Oxhorn, P. and Roberts, K. M. (2009) Beyond neoliberalism in Latin America?: societies and politics at the crossroads. Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan. Grugel, J., and Riggirozzi, P. (2009) Governance after neoliberalism in Latin America. Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan. Leitner, H., Peck, J., and Sheppard, E. S. (2007) Contesting neoliberalism: urban frontiers. New York, NY: Gilford Press. Miller, F. (1991) Latin American women and the search for social justice. Hanover, NH: UPNE. Petras, J. (2009) Latin America: Social Movements in Times of Economic Crises. [online]. Available from: http://upsidedownworld.org/main/international-archives-60/2071-latin-america-social-movements-in-times-of-economic-crises- [Accessed 31st December 2011]. Taylor, L. (1999) After neoliberalism: what next for Latin America? Michigan: University of Michigan Press. Walsh, S. D. (2008) Engendering Social Justice: Strengthening State Responses to Violence Against Women in Central America. Studies in Social Justice, 2 (1), 48-66. Read More