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Swallows: forced migration

Each year, between 8,000 and 12,000 migrant workers, known as the swallows arrive in northern Patagonia for the fruit harvest.
are seasonal workers who move seasonally in the country for agricultural activities in general.
Despite the myths and prejudices that circulate socially endorsing the idea that "come to take the job to the local workforce," this is a historical process that occurs from the very formation of the Upper Valley, as a result of seasonality of work and workers needed to perform these activities in the region. Even contrary to what is said, the workers porcetanje from Chile is negligible.
An investigation by the Social Studies Agricultural Group (GESA) National University of Comahue (UNCo) revealed that the swallows do not care workers settle in the area and that if they work in their places of origin, remain there.
The GESA is coordinated by Dr. Monica Bendini, an expert in rural, agricultural and agribusiness, and an interdisciplinary team of sociologists, geographers, social workers, historians, agronomists and economists.
researchers talked with teachers and Norma Steimbreger Radonich Martha, who explains in detail how the activity of swallows in the area del Alto Valle de Río Negro y Neuquén.

¿Cuál es el recorrido de estos trabajadores y qué desplazamiento realizan?
Hemos detectado que realizan una especie de circuito y luego regresan a sus lugares de origen. Por ejemplo, en el caso de los trabajadores que provienen del noroeste de Tucumán, entre mayo y octubre realizan la zafra azucarera y la cosecha del limón, y de diciembre a febrero complementan con la cosecha frutícola en el Alto Valle. Se desplazan directamente desde las áreas de origen hacia las áreas de destino y luego de un promedio de tres meses, regresan a sus áreas de pertenencia social. En el caso de los tucumanos, incluso sufren el clima frío además del desarraigo, family and friends.

What does migration for workers and employers?
migrants do not migrate because they want to. Up the temporary movement as part of their survival strategy, because in their home areas also work temporarily and the rest of the year have to find other income. Then look for places where they also offer the possibility of temporary work.
There is even a business strategy to attract these workers because labor here is not enough. Employers offer differential pay to the swallows and the reality is that the harvest does not rise if workers are not coming.

How many migrant workers there are and what percentage of attachment?
is impossible to count the number of swallows that arrive in the area, but the figure would be around between 8 000 and 12 000 migrants per year.
In general, plants that do not want to stay and live in the area and even if they work in their places of origin does not migrate. They do this by a need to work and, in some cases also by the payment of family allowances and education benefits who do not receive in their homes. But almost no wage gap exists with regard to their places of origin.

What is the origin of these workers swallows?
Since the problem between Argentina and Chile in the Beagle Channel, in 1978, virtually no workers in Chile come to the region and begin to strengthen the flow of workers from northern Spain.
These workers started coming in the '60s, but came to the area of \u200b\u200bVilla Regina. When cutting the supply of labor from Chile, employers are going north of the country, mainly Tucumán, and strengthen this flow was mildly started.

live under what conditions these workers during their stay in the area?
Historically, the conditions are very poor because there is a marked invisibility of these workers, which means they are subjected to these precarious situations.
Although it is noteworthy that there is a marked difference between the provinces of Neuquen and Black River to the concern of every government to control those conditions of habitability. Black River Province is conducting regular inspections, looking to improve housing conditions and reduce work in the black.
It has been established through various testimonies and field, which in some cases, migrant workers are housed in makeshift housing adapted to containers.

The union that gathers, Argentina Union of Rural Workers and Stevedores (UATRE) estimates that 20% of workers are paid in black. In other cases, half the wages paid white and half black. There are also forms of payment called "non-wage" which consist of payment tickets.
In many cases, companies put their bins limits to limit their salaries.
Within the division of labor in agriculture, the harvest workers is found in more precarious conditions. However, increasingly they are required better preparation and training for the job, which does not translate into increased wages.


Contact GESA FADECS
Buenos Aires 1400
(8300) Neuquén City
Tel: 0299-4490300 Int 272
Director: Dr. Monica Bendini
gera@uncoma.edu.ar

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The inevitable melting of glaciers

The glaciers of Patagonia are now in permanent decline. In the next 20 to 30 years, Mountain glaciers of Patagonia, as well as those of Circus disappear. The ice sheets are reduced to minimum, and the ice shelves collapsed in Patagonia.
These are some of the possible consequences of climate change as a conference given by the doctor of geology, Jorge Rabassa, a researcher at the Southern Center for Scientific Research of CONICET and a former Rector of the Universidad Nacional del Comahue.
The meeting was held in the context of "Conference on Global Warming" organized by the Department of Geography and the Center for Canadian Studies National University of Comahue. Argentine investigators attended class, recognized worldwide. At the beginning of his presentation Rabassa made an important clarification of misconceptions that make us look bad face the so-called "greenhouse effect." "It responsible for ensuring that our planet has a temperature higher than the applicable in relation to the distance from the sun is, is what makes possible our existence on this planet, "says the researcher.
Directed by Dr. Andrew Coronato, the Geology Laboratory Ushuaia mapping and systematic observations made along the Patagonian Andes. Rabasa explains that "we are working on glaciers to know what is happening to them in Patagonia, Tierra del Fuego and the Antarctic Peninsula in the context of this global climate change."
Glaciers are bodies of ice and permanent snow are highly sensitive to climate change. Dr. Rabasa explains the changes that occurred in the last 25 years in the ice fronts of the Antarctic Peninsula specifically in Paradise Bay. "As an area of \u200b\u200bheavy precipitation the effect of climate change is obliterated by the rush nieval having this region. In some cases we can see that the ice surface is exposed, means that all the snow the previous winter has been eliminated by merger. In some areas the impact is so great that appear rocky areas that had never been discovered and what remains are the remnants of the ancient icy bodies that are in direct path of disappearance. "
The occurrence of these rock surfaces from the melting of ice has major beneficiaries as well as serious consequences. "Among the beneficiaries are such as penguins and all the birds that need land to nest. This increased mainland dispobinilidad mean a strong tendency to excessive growth of the population of penguins. And if it grows to fill all the available areas would compete for space with other species of Antarctic seabirds, or pinipeos by cetaceans and marine resources. "
The collapse of ice shelves is another problem that manifested itself in recent years. Rabassa explained that in the Weddell Sea, located on the east coast of the Antarctic Peninsula, "the ice shelf appeared in 2003 crossed by many freshwater lakes across its surface. Shortly after the fence collapsed and lost an equivalent amount of ice in the province of Tucumán. The ice coming off of the barrier becomes large icebergs that drift along the Weddell Sea. "
"The important thing, Rabassa says, is that the barrier acts as a brake on the movement of glaciers in the mountainous region. To stop existing, have begun to move in very fast movements before taking the ice was in the upper parts of watersheds, the sea level. " As a result, "the expansion of the ice will cause problems in navigating the seas of the south and that will create other problems in economic matters."
But Rabassa explained that not only small glaciers are melting. Upsala Glacier, the largest in South America and the largest in Argentina, is also undergoing a gradual decline. Lost 8 miles from his face only in the last 25 years. "Events that can read in the geological literature, are happening in this", says the researcher.
Martial Glacier, Ushuaia, is in French train disappearance. Antarctic Institute researchers predicted that the glacier will disappear altogether in the next 25 years. "This is not only a loss to our natural tourism assets but is also the body of ice that provides drinking water to 90% of the population of the city of Ushuaia. Future

boiled
The outlook for the next 25 years is dark and discouraging. Rabassa is your conference discussed a number of findings of observational work carried out since the Southern Center for Scientific Research of CONICET.
The first is that the elevation of the permanent snow line has risen in the past 20 years, over 200 meters in Patagonia and more than 100 meters on the Antarctic Peninsula. Moreover, mountain glaciers such as Circus, inexorably melt in the next 20 to 30 years in Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego. Patagonian inland ice will be reduced to a minimum, the ice shelves in Antarctica collapsed and melting glaciers contribute to rising global sea level.

Kates Platground 2009

hydatidosis: a latent disease

The hydatidosis d osis remains a problem current transmission in the Province of Neuquén, and that 13% of cases relate to children.
more than 30 years ago, the state created a program Neuquén control of hydatid disease was an example in Latin America. But in recent times, ceased to be an active policy.
However, data from a study by the School of Medicine, National University of Comahue reveal that hydatid disease is still endemic in Neuquén and still is a serious risk to the health of the population .
talked with Dr. Nora Pierángelli, member of the team of School Medicine is developing a research project on "biological and epidemiological aspects of hydatidosis in Neuquén.
The first results of field work reflect a status table with data that could help strengthen the controls throughout the province.

What is echinococcosis?
hydatid disease is a zoonosis (a disease transmitted from animals to man ) caused by a parasite called Echinococcus granulosu and transmitted by dogs.


H ow or is it spread?
is a chain from dog to sheep, goats, cattle, sheep, cattle dog, and thence to man. On the one hand, the dog is infected through ingestion of raw viscera of cattle, which contain hydatid cysts.
These parasites not only involve the dog, but need another animal to stay, these are usually sheep, goats, cattle, horses and sometimes pigs.
On the other hand, the parasite that causes human disease is transmitted through the eggs that are in the dog feces. That contaminates the pastures, vegetables, water, etc. what animals and then humans eat. In particular, women and children are most affected because they are near the garden and house are the places where the dog.
Another feature of the eggs of Echinococcus is the resistance they have in the Patagonian climate. May live for a year due to low temperatures, especially under the snow and grass.

why most cases occur in rural areas?
is because it is a zoonosis involving livestock and is a deeply rooted in the field to provide raw viscera of animals.
Most cases detected in the Province of Neuquén are in small rural towns, where it is difficult to access personal health or the parasite are not distributed continuously. We talked about the areas and Zapala, Alumine, Loncopué and Chos Malal.

The cycle of the goat and the dog: a peculiarity in the province
In Neuquén Province there is a special feature: the breeding of goats is 5 or 6 times higher than that of sheep. However, prevention techniques applied hydatidosis in Neuquén have to do with the cycle of the sheep and it is unclear what happens to the goat.
Therefore, the objective of the research raised by the teachers of the School of Medicine UNCo is to analyze the cycle that meets the goat and dog.
There are different strains of Echinococcus granulosus, which are variants of this parasite. These are peculiarities of growth, physiological and different times of development according to the host. And what is proven, is that all these strains are not sensitive to the same parasite.
Therefore, the research they are doing would help to pinpoint the most favorable period for the task of de-worming of animals. It is an epidemiological and immunological study, which also is helping to diagnose disease and determine their physiology.

Can reduce infection rates in the province?
This project began conducting an epidemiological study with a statistical program, analyzing data from a period of 10 years. 1007 cases were analyzed throughout the province. From which was carried out a study on the location of the cysts and the age of the patients.
The overall infection rate in the Province is 14 cases per 100 000 during the period 2004 / 2005. There are even areas of up to 70 per 100 000 and places like Aucapán 700 per 100 thousand inhabitants, a very high proportion.
control program, which depends on the provincial health authorities should analyze the data and take action. Should be sought to improve focus of hydatidosis diagnosis in control programs.

What are the most important contributions of this research to help lower the rate of transmission of hydatid disease?
One of the central issues in research is helping determine how exactly the transmission of this disease in the province of Neuquén, as a zoonosis control is essential to know the players involved in the transmission. We know that is not equal transmission through sheep, cows, goats or camels.
Another contribution of research to help improve the diagnosis in the control program. Today
hydatid disease remains a Neuquén transmission problem, and that 13% of them were children.

Contact:
Universidad Nacional del Comahue.
School of Medicine. Irigoyen
2000. See thrushes. Cipolletti, Black River.
External Director: Prof. Dr. John A. Farjat Basualdo (UNLP).
Co-Director: Prof. Bioq. Ms. Nora B. Pierangeli (UNCo).
norapier@yahoo.com.ar
Tel: 0299 \u200b\u200b- 477 0505