Who Reads Us?

Each day, on average, somewhere between two to three thousand people visit The Democracy Center Web site. Most of those people come to read this "Blog from Bolivia" -- from foriegn journalists to the moms and dads of Peace Corps volunteers serving here. Many others surf around to download free advocacy materials, read the history of the Cochabamba water revolt, and a surprising number still look at our articles from years back. We also publish a monthly electronic newsletter that goes to 3,500 readers worldwide and is usually passed on to many, many others.

So who is it that is reading The Democracy Center’s writings? I make a habit of sending out short notes to new people who request our newsletter, asking them where they are from and how they heard about us. Here’s a selection of some of our recent responses – a glimpse of the other people who find our pages worth reading.

Jim

I am from Ft. St. John British Columbia in Canada. I was lucky to spend last summer several weeks in Bolivia with” Development and Peace”. We support our partners from the “Escuela del Pueblo Primero de Mayo”.

I was born in Cochabamba Bolivia and raised in Cincinnati and now live in St. Louis.

I'm from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. I'd heard of Cochabamba through ZNet and I'm a budding activist in general.

I am based in Mumbai and associated with Focus on the Global South and also signed on to your International Citizens Petition to the World Bank.

I live in Twickenham - close to London and have been reading your Blog for a year or so. I feel I know you quite well. I had a couple of holidays backpacking round Bolivia have just developed a love of the country and find your Blog so helpful in understanding what is going on at this very interesting time.

I used to work for an indigenous peoples' rights organisation in the UK called the Forest Peoples Programme and I heard of the Democracy Centre while working there because we tried to keep abreast of the Bolivian riots back in 2004.

Hello from Western Australia. I think that I heard your interview with Philip Adams on Radio National which is the jewel in the crown of our national broadcaster. I was fascinated to know more about Evo Morales. I was relating some of this information to my students at work. I am an Education Officer at the maximum security prison here in Perth and most of my students are indigenous.

I am from India, currently working in the UK.

I'm from London, UK. Paul Mason, the BBC journalist who recently returned from Bolivia, also recommended your organisation to me.

I am a “totoreno”, via Oruro, who’s been in the States since 1966. I’m a banker in Philadelphia, PA and I live in Staten Island, NY. Keep up the good work.

I am Norwegian, live in Oslo, the capital of Norway. During 2002-2003 I lived for 6 months in Cochabamba, Bolivia to do fieldwork for my studies in social anthropology at the University of Oslo. My time in Bolivia left a deep impression, and I try to keep myself updated on what is going on in this country that became so dear to me.

I'm from Peterborough, Ontario, Canada, (near Toronto), employed as a Housing Social Worker in low income housing, very involved with my church and social justice issues, and it was a friend who forwarded one of your newsletters to me and I was very interested in the work your organization does.

I followed the link to your blog from the BBC News website. I am a graduate student in International Affairs, focusing on Latin America, and your work looks interesting.

I'm in Rochester, NY, (EEUU) where I work as a study abroad adviser at the University of Rochester. I served as a Peace Corps volunteer in southern Potosi (near Tupiza) from 1994-96.

A friend and I are trying to put together a documentary about indigenous filmmakers in Bolivia. The Democracy Center seems like a really wonderful organization, and I've been reading the blog pretty regularly for the past six months.

I'm a born Cochabambino who lives and works in Cochabamba. I found your site/blog when I was browsing to find news and info on LAB, where I work.

My father was born in Copacabana and I visited once. Great country, kind people. I was born in the USA and live in Los Angeles.

I’m a Bolivian American living here in the rotten apple otherwise known as New York City.