In July 2015, a group of University of Washington students heard Olinda Silvano speak about her trek from the jungle to the city, the continued struggle of urban life, her desires for her children’s and her community’s future, and her current work as a textile artist and beadworker. Olinda is a community organizer for the indigenous Shipibo population living in the Cantagallo neighborhood of Lima, Peru. After decades of conflict during the Shining Path’s insurgency and a steady decrease in living conditions due to the pollution from oil companies in the Amazon, the Shipibo community migrated to Lima in the late 1990s in search of better job opportunities and education. Unfortunately, the Peruvian government did not follow through on its initial promise of land and housing to the migrants and the group was forced to relocate to the Cantagallo neighborhood, which already housed many internal refugee groups from across the country. Amidst struggling economic and living conditions, many Shipibos have turned to the production of traditional artwork to make ends meet. The colorful beadwork, vibrant textiles, and memorable designs are signatures of the Shipibo nation, and Olinda Silvano continues to promote their artwork as a way to achieve the goals they initially sought after when she left the Amazon.
Alison Forsyth is a 2016 JSIS graduate with a focus on International Human Rights: Law, State and Society. She works both as a researcher on human trafficking with the UW Women’s Center and a documentary filmmaker in Bellingham, WA. In her spare time, she competes as a boxer with the UW Boxing Team, listens to ‘90s R&B, and fantasizes about future travel plans. Alison participated in the CHID 2015 Summer Study Abroad Program in Lima, Peru.
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