TIEMPO LIBRE - URUGUAY - RECOMENDED

Resiste lo tradicional

Aún en tiempos de los videogames o señales infantiles las 24 horas por televisión, hay espacio para la escondida o la tapadita. Algunas actividades resurgen por modas y otras solo luchan contra el olvido.

No es erróneo decir que la payana está en peligro de extinción. Los baleros hoy alimentan más la nostalgia adulta que el ocio infantil. Pero las figuritas, y con ellas la tapadita, viven y colean. Nadie se anima aún a firmar el certificado de defunción de las bolitas. El salto a la cuerda, la mancha, el elástico, las rondas y la escondida todavía gozan de buena salud.
En épocas de TV por cable, PC y Play Station, los juegos tradicionales no dan la batalla por perdida. Algunos están ayudados por una perennidad a prueba de balas. Otros dependerán del capricho de las modas (cíclicas ya sea en la ropa, la música y el juego), una ola nostalgiosa o la ayuda de algún personaje televisivo. Están los que se aggiornan y los que luchan una batalla desigual contra la desmemoria.
"Tanto los juegos tradicionales como los modernos responden a necesidades humanas; la esencia sigue siendo la misma, sea con un trompo o una Play", señala Luis Machado, coordinador de la Tecnicatura en Educación para la Recreación y Tiempo Libre de la Universidad Católica (Ucudal). Pero el presente no ayuda a los primeros. "En los recreos se han ido perdiendo los juegos de espacio: antes se podía correr más; ahora las escuelas los han ido `disciplinando`. Entonces, en algunos lugares aparecen por rachas las figuritas, saltar a la cuerda, el elástico... a veces he visto la bolita, pero de un modo distinto". Según este experto, el viejo "chante", que requería una técnica especial con el índice y el pulgar, se sustituyó por algo similar al "arrime". Más de un niño de 40 años o más se horrorizaría ante tal herejía.
Docentes como Carolina Chevalier, directora de Educación Inicial del Instituto Yavne, o Héctor Crosignani, coordinador de Tiempo Libre del Colegio Zorrilla, dicen que es común que estas y otras instituciones incluyan juguetes tradicionales como alternativas lúdicas para los recreos. "Es un hecho que se vive como una moda, con inicio y final en el tiempo", dice Chevalier, que destaca el ejemplo de la rayuela, muchas veces impulsada por las maestras. Crosignani relata iniciativas exitosas en su caso (saltar a la cuerda o damas), fracasadas (balero, bolitas, aro de hula-hula) y otras aún vigentes en el patio (figuritas, escondidas y mancha). También señala un inconveniente de estos tiempos: "A veces tratamos de impulsar el juego del elástico, sobre todo para las niñas. El problema es: ¿quién enseña?. Porque a veces ni siquiera las maestras recuerdan cómo se jugaba".
Los juegos tradicionales "son parte de una historia, una memoria colectiva y una cultura que une, da raíces e inmenso placer", expresa Chevalier. Machado prefiere apuntar al beneficio físico y psíquico: "Todos ellos trabajan todas las habilidades motrices que hacen falta. Jugar a la bolita, en cuclillas, mueve la musculatura coxofemoral; con las cometas, se afecta el tren superior. Luego está lo intelectual, las estrategias para resolver situaciones. Los juegos son puro aprendizaje, ahí vale equivocarse". El desarrollo de la creatividad, el respeto total a las reglas (o aprender a consensuar para cambiarlas), la imaginación y la socialización son destacadas de manera unánime.
Hay quienes aseguran que todo es cuestión de adaptarse. En Meñique Animaciones, empresa dedicada a la animación de eventos infantiles y de adultos, la clave pasa por hallar variantes. "Nosotros organizamos una escondida, por ejemplo, y le buscamos la vuelta: la `sardina enlatada`, donde es uno solo el que se esconde y el resto tiene que descubrirlo. O usamos trompos y baleros en actividades pensadas para adultos, simulando una kermés y, aunque sea por un rato, los chicos siempre se terminan colgando", señala Marcelo Cidelapaz, uno de sus responsables. Para él no cabe una mirada excesivamente nostálgica, ni mucho menos apocalíptica: "La mancha y la escondida jamás van a perder vigencia, ¿sabés por qué? Porque son juegos muy divertidos".

LA PC NO ES EL ÚNICO RIVAL

La computadora, la Play Station o similares no son las únicas amenazas que tiene el juego tradicional, apunta Laura Camacho, directora de Inicial y Primaria del Elbio Fernández. Las pocas horas libres que hoy tienen los niños, la interrupción del juego constante a cargo de los adultos, la disminución del intercambio intergeneracional debido a las familias cada vez menos numerosas y la desaparición de espacios "garantes del juego" como plazas, son algunos de los argumentos que ella enumera.
"El juego en el barrio permitía cierto grado de complicidad que no se daba en otros espacios. Los niños que salían a jugar en la vereda desarrollaban su autonomía y aprendían a resolver sus conflictos, propios de la vida social, sin la intermediación del adulto", señala.
Carolina Chevalier, directora de Inicial del Instituto Yavne, afirma que cuando el niño tiene los espacios -como la escuela- o hay un adulto motivador -como un maestro-, ellos mismos "disfrutan mucho (de los juegos tradicionales) y hasta los proponen de forma autónoma durante un tiempo".

ENTRE ALDEAS Y MEMORIAS

"El juego permite que una persona esté más completa, incursionando en áreas de expresividad, yendo a otro universo, expresándose, guiándose por un impulso lúdico. En definitiva, eso te hace más pleno". Quien habla es la socióloga y educadora Roxana Fernández, vinculada a la ONG El Abrojo, y coautora junto con el periodista Matías Castro de Cazacurioso (Estuario, 2010), libro donde se compilan 117 juegos tradicionales en Uruguay. En él están incluidos los recuerdos de miles de infancias, bajo nombres como Antón Pirulero, dominó, manchado, rin raje, distintos tipos de rondas y los zancos. Según dijo, la idea era "pintar la aldea" a través de los juegos, de la misma forma que lo hizo el artista flamenco Pieter Brueghel con su cuadro Juegos de niños (1560).
A pesar de este interés, Fernández no es una "cruzada" contra lo moderno. "Habrá discusiones, pero yo creo que los videojuegos también tocan lo lúdico, te transportan a un nuevo lugar. Y sobre los juegos tradicionales... está bueno mantener y recuperar la memoria, pero eso no tiene que ser una limitante. Los juegos son algo vivo, se pueden resignificar".

Trompo. La destreza de reinar en la troya

Cada tanto gozan de un momentáneo revival. Federico Beledo, fundador de la juguetería artesanal Madera y Negro, cuenta que han sido algo así como el buque insignia de su emprendimiento desde sus inicios en 2002. "Vendo 3.000 o 4.000 al año", dice. Muy esporádicamente aparecen en algún patio de escuela, dicen educadores.

Balero. El desafío de embocar como nadie

Título y protagonista de uno de los poemas infantiles más hermosos de Fernán Silva Valdés, todos los pedagogos consultados afirman que hace años que dejaron de verse en los recreos. Beledo, sin embargo, asegura que hoy es el artefacto que más vende por año. Los compradores suelen ser adultos atacados por una súbita nostalgia.

Yo Yo. El hechizo del disco que sube y baja

El responsable de Madera y Negro ejemplifica bien con este caso a qué suelen deberse los booms por estos juguetes: "El otro año, (Marcelo) Tinelli jugaba con un Yo Yo en su programa y disparó las ventas". La influencia de la televisión, por un programa muy visto o una serie de dibujos animados, repercute de forma directa.

INTERNATIONAL - EUROPE

"So Europe enters the heart of youth"

In a text published in the supplement "Europa" of the "world" published May 30 (dated May 31), the writer Camille de Toledo argues that lacks an imaginaryEurope. We have launched a call for evidence on Lemonde.fr young Europeans, students or assets, so they detail which, according to them, could restore to a continent that appears often as too distant and technocratic. Here is a selection of their writings:

Young people outraged Spaniards celebrate the first anniversary of their movement, on 12 may, on the square of Puerta del Sol, in Madrid. | REUTERS/PAUL HANNA

ENHANCEMENT of human

• Europe should be our renaissance Garden", by Vincent Tourret, 18 years, Terminal, Grenoble

I hope do not you disappoint, because I write here with my weaknesses, my pulse, my dreams, my joys, all making my youth. I do not have the talent of some, or the inventiveness of others, but your call me stimulated, awakened a torpor, of this "sadness" of the contemporary world and this ideal, so promising yet! : Europe. Today, indeed, it is his side rational and cold prevailed. It is true, but through the workings of the market, compelling needs and complex economy. A whole of rules sacrosanct, unassailable and austere that ultimately stifle us. I understand, I have learned in my classes, I have sometimes enjoyed the amazing combination but... they do give rise in me no emotion and not desires. I see, in his place, that a world narrow, which excludes all the wealth of our societys: its diversity. Europe does more advance because it forgets its Foundation: the will of peoples disputes to develop a common heritage, and not a simple anonymous company! Europe between us, respecting, protecting the cultures that make up. It should not we standardize the principle constitute a homogeneous entity! It must be a meeting for all cultures, and it must create, invent a new, open and tolerant world! Europe must protect ourselves from the fear of the other, to be the garden of our renaissance. Europe, therefore, must be our common culture .

• "Rebuild Europe in the belief the peoples", by Jean-Henri, 30 years, lawyer, Paris

More than an imaginary Europe, it seems to me that is missing an imaginary world and the man. Europe is an example of this failure more than an exception. Under cover-secularism as absolute, capitalism as dogma and a uniform purpose, is in forgot to set and the starting point and purpose. The starting point is - and should remain - the man and his immediate environment, step of soulless and without desire or feeling conglomerates or want to Live together. But the desire for consistency prevents us consider individual and prevents us from to claim us a membership. The aim should be that transcending, if man is the starting point, it cannot be the purpose without what is happen to create an ersatz of society, a non-profit and recreation association. I am not sure that the proliferation of technical standards, the liberalisation of any sector of economic life, the erasure of nation States, the negation of identities and men, contempt of the votes of the people... We offer a path, a path, a desire, a purpose. Destroy Europe which is more that of a few elites and rebuild Europe believing peoples, believing in the nations, believing the story, hoping in the future. Let us remember our national imaginary, like them, share them. Forget Europe which destroyed, forget Europe which régimente, forget Europe that asphyxia, forget Europe who died.

• "Build a social Europe", by Dawn Bush, 21, student

Student at Sciences Po Lille, I studied since October in Italy through the Erasmus programme. At Lille, I followed the specialty "European Affairs"; because I didn't understand about the functioning of the EU. Today, it is more clear, but because I spent a year to study it! Finding: the EU is a very beautiful object, however, complex and still far from these citizens, who, France toItaly, know all the difficulties which tend to away from the European project, considered to be incompetent or irresponsible. So, how "energizing a continent that of to divide ?" In responding to the threats of the future of the Europeans. From Madrid to Athens, Rome and Paris, are Europeans not worried for their future life decency? Build a social Europe, i.e. which sets common guarantees income minimum (Italy itself has no guaranteed inter-professional salary), volume of work, retirement age, decision-making support disease. Also, a Europe where, from one country to the other, students have the same conditions of access to qualifications and training; by equal tuition fees (or the less proportional to the cost of local life), equivalent student housing opportunities. And, dare we throw the stone in the pond: why step imagine a European student allowance? We do not fear tounify our systems, this is what we expect.


CULTURE MUNICIPALITY

• "It should be a European democracy", by l. Seli, high school student

Camille de Toledo spoke of a Europe of culture, of a Europe in the translation. I believe in this European culture open to the world and which is defended by no political and no voice just defend in the media. People need to accept in a common culture to be together. But to recognize in the Europe of the twenty-first^e century, should be a genuine European policy, a European democracy. So that everyone can be feel belong to a common entity, it is necessary that the Europeans can recognise themselves in their politicians European and, by electing. Europe exists, a European culture exists: I feel almost at home in Heraklion, Rome or Berlin. but some are unaware of this common culture. The barrier of the language that refers to Mr. of Toledo is surmountable by better learning of English. So that everyone can recognise themselves in Europe, should be given to all means of travel at least once in his life. I am confident that many concrete measures could give all the feeling of being European. Despite the crisis, despite the differences, I do not think that it is too late; and I believe, that one day, we are all Europeans.

• "Have in common a neutral language", by Cyril Liance, 24 years, Brussels

I would like a more democratic Europe with the existence of transnational lists in the next elections of the European Parliament, to stop to nationalize every time this issue and finally talking about in these elections to a fate common to all Europeans. I would like to a Europe of citizenship with more mobility and Exchange. More coordination and information relating to the employment and training throughout the Union. Put more forward the new possibility of citizen initiative which will allow groups of representative individuals to submit new laws. I would like to a Europe where it is is all; to do this, it is important tohave in common to me a neutral language which would be the second language of all Europeans without calling in question the linguistic diversity of the continent. Esperanto is a particularly simple language and easy, it could easily be the cement of our common citizenship. Finally, I want a Europe of social, ecological and fiscal convergence.

• "Create a European television", by Etienne Demur, 26 years

For me, what is lacking in Europe is paradoxically the proximity. I think that it may have to do without a reconciliation, understanding. The best vector of sharing for me are the television media. With the importance of television in this modern world, follow the same stories, Watch the same programs is also lived as a shared experience and to share with other viewers. If it is possible to make a Franco-German channel, I think that it is quite possible to expand the concept. The art is to do step make off-putting television, but a well targeted TV, especially on the younger generations. One can quite think of programs combining nationalities, games, films in version local or original, the information European, music by styleprograms, country... I am sure that there are many similarities between the youth of the 30 countries.

• "For Europe enters the heart of youth", by Romain Galati, 25 years, Valence (26), chargé de mission European Affairs

For youth, Europe seems to be a given. We grew up without knowing borders, we are accustomed to the single currency, we have friends in school exchanges or internships abroad, Europe etc. However, it is difficult to passionate about youth with Europe. Engaged in the European associations, I am confronted every day with these problems. For me, there are several reasons: first of all, the media bear a heavy responsibility on the image of Europe, which means to speak only when serious crises and in political or economic terms. Then, the political world has a responsibility; by making Europe a scapegoat, citizens are beginning to believe. Finally, Europe also bears responsibility in its difficulty to communicate and to beorganize . for many, Europe remains too complex administrative giant. But Europe is not only politics or the economy. Europe is also culture, citizens Exchange, mobility, languages. Programmes such as Erasmus are a huge success and are very popular with young people. Being able to move from one country to another without borders is also very appreciated. And it is precisely these aspects that should be strengthened so that Europe enters the heart of young people.


EUROPEAN CITIZENSHIP

• "Institutions we do love Europe", by Cyril Vion

Who of us responds: "I am European"? Not me anyway, even if I love it a cosmopolitan world. I have a ski resort where it is easier to order a beer in English and French, I work in a city where every street corner is a different language. This mixture is an incredibly rich. However, I will dream that I caught the English out of France; I regularly hear in my village of campaign that the Golden are the work of the French... And Yes, the Europe it is if each of his own. I think that it goes through learning the language of the host country and of a broader us. learn at school to discover our neighbours, revisiting the European history, speak other languages! It is institutions we do love Europe and we learn to become a European citizen. The armed forces do more for nothing, create an armEA European! It mutualisera and will reduce unnecessary costs and when poor soldiers fall, it soudera the great Federation. Finally, that the television we love Europe This large depraving of the mass media is undoubtedly the first culprit in the rise of nationalism and of communitarianism.

• "Implementation of a joint civil service", by Rudolph de Bollivier, 35, Saint-Denis of the meeting

A solution I would propose : the establishment of an "Exchange" between all European countries through the youth and seniors. Let me explain: in order to bring together the people, the establishment of a civil service common to all European countries from one to two years (in place of military service) for all the young people coming out of the "General" school cycle regardless of their origins, their skin colors, religions, sexes... With obligation to blend the origins by promo,get missions in all European countries. These young people work on reconstruction missions, reorganisation, supervised by our seniors upstream. Examples: mission of renovation of a neighbourhood in Eastern Europe; Mission agricultural redevelopment in Spain, administrative work or awareness in Greece... Objectives: 1 / acquire a better knowledge of the European countries. 2 / Discover the different European cultures. 3 / Closer to European youth will be the power of tomorrow. 4 / Closer to the people by supervised and organized exchanges. 5 / Educate people by the actions of these promos on the "major projects" European (construction, dangerous building, pollution )...).


INNOVATION

• "Find a pioneer character", by Jean-François Vivicorsi, 26 years, Paris, unemployed

Many Europeans and myself were relatively disappointed the lack of concrete initiatives taken by Europe on its international since its inception. Restore energy, it is first find common objectives which present, Act, identity in Europe. At the diplomatic and military levels, European reflection cell too often had the air of a US branch. At the level of education, the search for competitiveness by Europe led to the "skills" at the expense of the culture. Overlook the Western culture night the Union, because it is cement heritage and peaceful, while ignorance favours the bellicose round. At the economic level, Europe gives the image of a young clumsy Bachelor trying to recite his lessons well in order tohave good grades in international juries. Why step find character pioneer in ecology for example, investing in the research, give the example in the necessary future transformations of the world, reviving the Kyoto agreement with concrete solutions for thefuture ? Only culture and innovation can unite past and future in a truly common European construction.