The national day in Chile. The independence that wasn´t.

The September 18, is celebrated in Chile the national day. Traditional party that expect to celebrate the begin of independence of own country. In these days, generally one week, the people do traditional plays like: raise kites and run tied with a partner. Also the people eat barbecue, “empanadas” and drink a lot of “terremotos”, earthquake , a kind of wine with  ice cream pineapple.

The people have holydays and a lot of them travel to the beach or countryside. Are very good and funny days to visit Chile.

But all these activities have somethings estranges for me.

The September 18 of 1810 (day that commemorated this dates), the creoles signed a document to take the politics power of Chile,  first government meeting,  but no for the begin of the independence, if not to keep this place at the Spanish kingdom,   because the King Fernando VII had been captured for Napoleon. The real independence of Chile only was signed the February 12 of 1818.

In the other hand, in these days, the most important events are the "Te Deum" Ecumenical and military parade. In the first, the most important persons go to the catholic ceremony, and the second, the September 19, day of Army glories, where the army of Chile shows his power, soldiers and arms.  Is this way, than Chile renews its commitment Catholic Church and his army, traditional pillar of the past.

The “nation” as concept, probably in Chile like any place in the world,   is used like a reason for the exploitation, in latinoamerica yet more. The “nation” hides the enormous diversity of languages, cultures and traditions. The nation in America is the mirror of the nation in Europe little say about us.

For me the September 18 is a celebration for stay with my family, for think about own roots, and the lot of blood spill to impose a nation,  that until today yet isn´t independent.

Hans Rosling. The monster of statistical data

Like all good sociologist, for me the information is essential for my work and for think about the reality.

In this sense, sometime we forget the shape as this information talk with we, and the importance that we show an idea.

Is for this that in this post I leave a Hans Rosling´s conference TED 2007. Hans Rosling  is a  professor of global health at Sweden's Karolinska Institute, his current work focuses on dispelling common myths about the so-called developing world.

The impressive of his presentation is like he uses the statistical data for show his thesis about the so-called countries developing world.

His presentation is very very dynamic and funny, with dynamic graphics in four dimensions that show the movement of different countries in different continent, making analysis in all time, while he tells a history that have all sense. I enjoy much his presentations.

This way Rosling installs three important points: The first is the need to design of publics politics specific and particular for each countries, given that the enormous differences in a same region. In this same sense, pose that the is need specific information inside each countries, because the difference in the same region also occurs inside the countries.

On the other hand, emphasize the relevant of making data bases free to analyses, with the grow of internet world, is necessary to unite all efforts, to have information free and integrate data in a global scale.

For the end, Hans Rosling and his team, have generated a software that integrate the statistical data with graphic design that permit “see analysis instantly”, it is a shape of democratize the knowledge.

I hope that you enjoy with his ideas and his shape of show it.