BLOG 2 - Elise

1.http://www.prensalibre.com/noticias/comunitario/Jovenes-empleo-seguridad-derechos-humanos_0_363563746.html
2. http://www.prensalibre.com/noticias/justicia/Grupos-estudiantes-romper-circulo-violencia_0_363563658.html

En Guatemala, se llevó a cabo en la ciudad de Guatemala la Conferencia Internacional “Juventud y Seguridad, por una vida integral en Centroamérica,” donde jóvenes de países diferentes discutieron los problemas qua existen para ellos. llegaron a la conclusión de que el desempleo, la violencia, la inseguridad y sus derechos vulnerados son los factores que afectan su desarrollo. A mí, es interesante que hay una Conferencia que incluye los jóvenes en parte de desarrollo, y que organizaciones quieren oír los consejos de jóvenes. Pienso que mucha de la población en Guatemala sea jóvenes, y entonces es una idea importante a incluye ellos.

Encontré un otro articule que trata del papel de jóvenes en desarrollo, se llama “Grupos piden a estudiantes romper círculo de violencia.” El artículo dice “Diversas organizaciones civiles, juveniles, empresariales, públicas y diplomáticos visitaron la Universidad Mariano Gálvez (UMG) para promover la campaña “Rompe el ciclo de la violencia, deja marca”. The campaign’s slogan is “Enseña amor, no violencia,” and aims to encourage youth to stop viewing violence within familial relations as normal. Psychologists talked about how no one does anything to stop mistreatment and violence because they are seen as normal and accepted, it seems no one wants to raise a fuss about it. The campaign is supported by UNICEF, the Catholic church, and various embassies. The ambassador from England said her support is strategical, because violence in Guatemala effects English tourists, and that a reduction in violence would benefit not just individuals but the whole economy of Guatemala.

I liked these articles because they told about initiatives that were not just structural, top down developmental reforms, but initiatives that are trying to make individuals accountable for their actions and the well being of the country. It’s also important that they focus on youth, because a new generation has real potential to bring about positive change, and as the campaign hopes, “break the cycle” of violence and underdevelopment.

Blog 2 - Alicia Grant

Fiambre: un platillo del que habló Martí
http://www.elperiodico.com.gt/es/201010231/pais/180809/
Tradiciones y leyendas en Día de Todos los Santos
http://www.prensalibre.com/noticias/Tradiciones-leyendas-Dia-Santos_0_168584392.html

I found this article on El Periodico. It describes a traditional Guatemalan dish that is eaten on November 1st and 2nd for the Day of the Dead and the All Saints Day. (Too bad we won't get to try it!) The dish is called Fiambre, and it is a salad, served cold, and can contain over 50 ingredients. Recipes vary from family to family, but it usually contains cold cuts, various types of meat and fish, vegetables, pickled vegetables, cheeses, and olives. Fiambre was created in Antigua and has since spread to other towns throughout the country.

Otro artículo que encontré en la Prensa Libre dice que este año, menos guatemaltecos lo degustarán, debido al alto costo de sus ingredientes. Dice que los precios de embutidos y hortalizas se han duplicado con relación al año pasado.

El dia de los muertos es un dia para celebrar, recordar y preparar los alimentos especiales para honrar los muertos. La costumbre de la población católica es congregarse en los cementerios y degustar mucho. Las familias traen ofrendas para los muertos.

I think that the idea of celebrating the dead is great. I like the idea of celebrating one's life as opposed to mourning their death. If anyone is interested in learning more about the Day of the Dead, there is an event tomorrow night (Monday November 1st) at 7pm in Mack 261 (in the office wing). There will be a presentation by a Mexican international intern about the Day of the Dead.

Blog 2. sean brown

http://www.prensalibre.com/noticias/comunitario/Campesinos-bloquean-carreteras-cumplimiento-peticiones_0_359964211.html
Sean. Brown. Blog 2

Campesinos bloquean varias carreteras y exigen cumplimiento de peticiones
El artículo que elegí es de la Prensalibre, y estaba sobre bloqueos recientes en Guatemala por la comunidad campesina. Las principales áreas afectadas por estos bloqueos de carreteras son varias carreteras en Salcajá, Quetzaltenango, Cobán, Alta Verapaz, Huehuetenango, Petén e Izabal. La población protesta es en su mayoría campesinos, muchos de los que son indígenas. Tienen cuatro principales demandas del gobierno: la Ley de Desarrollo Rural Integral, la nacionalización del Servicio de Energía Eléctrica, la mejora de la agricultura, y la adopción del pacto El Pacto . La nacionalización del servicio eléctrico está siendo exigida para las subvenciones se pueden hacer a los agricultores rurales, así como la reforma agraria. Ley de Desarrollo Rural Integral, es un presupuesto para la política de desarrollo rural y dos-cien millones para la recuperación de la agricultura en las comunidades afectadas por desastres. Mejora de la Agricultura es obvio, y por lo que El Pacto fical, no puedo encontrar ninguna referencia concreta a lo que implica, pero tengo la impresión general que se centra en los sistemas fiscales, la distribución, y la reducción de la pobreza

I first chose this article because it reminded me of all the discussions we had in class about how the lack of government revenues from taxes does not allow for much help to the poor in Guatemala. I found this to almost be an answer to our discussion on what to do in order to help or address poverty, in this case specifically rural and indigenous poverty. The way I see it is the rural population has taken matters into their own hands and is now forcing the government to help. This reminded me of when we spoke about how politicians in Guatemala are often conflicted with helping the rural, more so the indigenous, due to the political repercussions of it. I guess protest is always a good way to get noticed. As far as the areas of the roads being blocked, on a map of Guatemala, they tend to either circle Guatemala City or are spread out around the country. I don’t know how big a deal these road blocks are, however it does seem to be causing quite a fuss in other articles I read. Also the fact that these protests are spread all around the country shows that this is not a regional problem, but more say a class or ethnicity problem

I get the idea that the demand for nationalizing the electricity/energy industry in Guatemala is an attempt by the rural population at equally distributing both the costs and benefits of this industry, which they are arguing are far from equal at this time.

I have a feeling that these road blocks were not a surprise to anyone in Guatemala, since on October 12 – around 15000 (mainly indigenous) marched through the capital of Guatemala to protest against the exploitation of natural resources(including mining and oil extraction )and lack of support for agriculture. Many of the articles pertaining to the protests refer to the recent extreme rainfalls (Jackie did a blog on this) of which have caused so much destruction to the landscape, for causing rural unrest, due to the destruction of livelihoods, ex : farms. This is where the call for agricultural improvement and the Rural development Act come into play, since both are being demanded in order to help with the recent damage, as well as help the rural population gain food security.

Again I could not find much on what the article meant by the fiscal pact other than reference to taxes and government spending [duh.] but what I found interesting was that it seems to me that it’s a good idea to slip it into the protest demands. Why not bring up any problem they have with the government while they have their attention, as well as the public. However the article did mention how a lot of things related to these demands were promised in the past election campaign and have yet to be realised.

Overall I am still a little confused as to how significant these road blocks/ protests are. They seem to be addressing the majority of key issue which affect the rural poor, so to me it seems as if this is a big deal. However, I did not see any article about this on the home pages of either el prensalibre or el periodico, so maybe that is a hint that it is not being taken seriously.

Blog 2- Halloween

Dado que todo en lo que puedo pensar ahora mismo es la comida ... comida yum ... decidí buscar "comida" en un par de sitios web de noticias de Guatemala. El rango de resultados que he encontrado es, de verdad increíble. ¿Cómo podemos vivir en un mundo tan complejo ... o complejo, por lo menos a mi lógica. Permítanme explicar. Los resultados en las noticias sobre "comida" de un solo país incluyen una serie de titulos como "¿Hambre? Pero si heno Comida en la casa "(El Periódico), " Arte vs Comida "(El Periódico), " Bon Gourmet Chef Comida Lista Para Llevar "(El Periódico), " Evo Morales Almuerzo Con Minero Que sobrevivio en Chile "(La Prensa Libre), con artículos sobre la utilidad del dinero por la ayuda internacional y si en realidad ayuda a las personas que tienen hambre en Guatemala o no ...hasta " de Halloween, Culto Stanico"(La Prensa Libre). Es apropiado creo, que ahorita es de Halloween y supongo que todos estamos esperandolo para ... adorar a Satanás??!**

I should have guessed that some of the more serious religious folk in Guatemala could take this stance when it came to Halloween, but it still surprises me. According to the author, it is essential that we (the reader) do not fall into the trap of Halloween and participate in satanic worship because “son abominaciones bíblicas que acarrean maldición a gente, naciones y negocios”.

However, aside form all the scare mongering about Halloween, the author eludes to some serious points for discussion. These are issues that, in the past when immersed in Latin American culture, I have really struggled with – the relationship between (not Satan) rates of violent crime (and poverty) and the widespread faith in Catholicism. Maybe it is “la voluntad de Satanás” like the author says, but if not, it strikes me as a very bizarre contradiction, especially as the author also states, “mucho screen que [esa’ violencia y muerte sucede porque es la voluntad de Dios”. I mean I realize that crime, poverty, etc. are complex issues and a discussion of religion alone may not be. Is not sufficient to explain why they are such endemic issues. But where does religion stand on this? Beyond the ‘Satan worshipping Halloween revelers’, does (the Catholic) religion promote an apathetic ‘it is the will of God’ view of crime, or does it provide an outlet for compassion and active caring for fellow human beings or WHAT?

Interestingly, the only mention of food (what I was originally set to write about) in this article is this: “La fiesta, disfraces de brujas, demonios, animales y duendes, el ayote o calabaza como sonriente calavera con su candelita adentro, niños tocando las puertas pidiendo dulcitos y dinero”.

http://www.prensalibre.com/opinion/Halloween-culto-satanico_0_358764208.html

**Since all I can think about right now is food…YUM FOOD…I decided to search “comida” on a couple of the Guatemalan news websites. The range of results that I found was, honestly mind-boggling. How can we live in such a complex world…or complex at least to my logic. Let me explain. New results about “comida” from just one country include a range of headlines such as “¿Hambre? Pero si hay comida en la casa” (El Periodico), to “Arte vs Comida” (El Periodico), TO “Bon Chef Comida Gourmet Lista Para Llevar” (El Periodico), to “Evo Morales Almuerzo con Minero que Sobrevivio en Chile” (La Prensa Libre), to articles about the usefulness of international aid money in actually helping the many hungry people in Guatemala to …”Halloween, Culto Stanico” (La Prensa Libre). It is fitting I think since Halloween is just around the corner and I assume we are all looking forward to…worshipping Satan??!

as i search for a blog topic...

whoa "tree spinach"!

Dos razones para comer chaya

En la comparación de las hortalizas nativas con las introducidas, la chaya se gana el primer lugar y la lechuga, el último. La chaya, un arbusto pariente del chichicaste, es una hoja con excepcional contenido de proteína (casi el doble que el bledo, la leche de vaca y la soya), vitamina C, calcio, fibra, carbohidratos, hierro y fósforo. Pero en Guatemala se le subutiliza y principalmente se emplea para levantar cercos y alimentar cerdos. Dos estudiantes de la Universidad Rafael Landívar desarrollaron investigaciones para introducir la chaya en la dieta del guatemalteco...

http://www.elperiodico.com.gt/es/20091011/domingo/119183/

Chaya, also known as Tree Spinach, often confused with Chenopodium giganteum is a large, fast growing leafyperennial shrub, native to the Yucatán Peninsula of Mexico. The binomen is Cnidoscolus aconitifolius: The genusname coming from the Greek knido meaning nettle, and scolus, meaning thorn,^[3] and the specific name means that it has leaves (folius) like Aconitum.^[4] It has succulent stems which exude a milky sap when cut. It can grow to be 6 meters tall, but is usually pruned to about 2m for easier leaf harvest. It is a popular leafy vegetable inMexican and Central American cuisines, similar to spinach. The leaves must be cooked and eaten, however, as the raw leaves are toxic.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chaya_(plant)

Blog2 - Jackie Belding

Cuando una persona baila se siente muy, muy, muy bien

Prensa Libre – el 23 de octubre 2010

http://www.prensalibre.com/vida/familia/persona-baila-despues-siente-bien_0_253174887.html

Encontré este artículo en la Prensa Libre sobre el baile y la salud. El artículo describe como bailar es buena por el cuerpo y la salud porque libera endorfinas (las hormonas de placer), y el cuerpo se oxigena mejor. Eso resulta en personas más felices, relajadas y llenos de energía. El artículo también dice que el baile estimula la creatividad y eleva la autoestima.

Estoy de acuerdo con todo que sugiere el artículo y pienso que el baile es muy bueno por la salud y también es muy divertido. Elise y yo hemos hablado de cómo queríamos aprender los bailes de Latinoamérica, y quizá tomar clases de salsa en Antigua. El articulo incluye información sobre clases de salsa o baile y pienso que seria debemos investigarlo cuando estamos en Guatemala.

“Los interesados en recibir clases de salsa o baile latino pueden comunicarse al 54512652. Si desean aprender a bailar salsa, hip hop o danza del vientre pueden llamar a los teléfonos: 23681777 y 51818839.”

The most popular dance styles in Guatemala are the traditional Mayan dance and Salsa. The national instrument in Guatemala is the marimba, and the folk dance is based on the sounds from that instrument. The Mayan folk dance is a relatively uncomplicated partner dance. Originally the man would dance with his hands behind his back and the woman would hold her skirt. A version of the dance has been adapted so that the couple stands facing each other dancing hand in hand, but using the same foot movements. The Mayan folk dance and marimba music are important parts of Guatemalan culture.

Salsa is incredibly popular in Guatemala, especially in Antigua. There are many dance schools dedicated solely to Salsa dancing, and classes are offered at most fitness centers. It is also the most popular style of dance in terms of Guatemala’s nightlife. It is danced by all age groups and is an important part of Guatemalan culture. Most language schools in Antigua offer ‘Language and Dance’ and teach salsa as well as the Spanish language.

I think it would be incredibly cool if we all learned to salsa dance in Antigua. Not only would we be immersing ourselves into Latin-American culture, but we also won’t look like fools if we go dancing at a night club :)

BLOG2 Nico Couto

La guitarra en el cielo de Santana

From el periódico, http://www.elperiodico.com.gt/es/20101020/cultura/179879/

This article discusses Carlos Santana’s new album, called Guitar Heaven in English, which has been put together using old songs by artists such as Jimmy Page, Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix and Jeff Beck. He believes that it takes courage to play such classics again now, but since he grew up in their time and has songs of his own featured by many of the bands mentioned, it seems that he is a fitting person to do so. The tracks themselves also feature many younger and popular artists of today, many of which I grew up listening to such as Linkin Park, Papa Roach, and even NAS. The album, furthermore, is already circulating in Guatemala.

Aunque Santana nació en Mexico, me parece interesante que un renacimiento de canciones de Gran Bretaña y los Estados Unidos tiene una audiencia tan grande en un país como Guetamala. Aun más interesante es que muchos de los artistas con los que trabaja Santana cantan en ingles, y ni ninguno de ellos es de América Latina. Santana se ha pasado a una nueva cultura, diferente de la cultura de su origen. Él está trabajando con gente de esta nueva cultura y reproduciendo canciones de ella mientras que mantiene la influencia para traerla de regreso a su audencia de América Latina.

Now perhaps the popularity of artists such as Jimi Hendrix extended beyond theses borders on their own, but I think that Santana has probably made an important addition by taking on this project himself. I have also looked at many of his original, somewhat more dated songs and he seems to have guests artists appear on many of these too, including the above artists of whose music he is reproducing now. In terms of his Spanish songs he features many artists as well, including the band Mána, which I have become very familiar with over the last few months as I have attempted to immerse myself in Spanish music.

The album also comes with a DVD covering the making the disk, how they chose the music as well as some interviews of his guest artists. This seems to add even more to the importance of this creation to many of today’s top artists. However, I have searched for newspaper articles on this topic in English and have not had any luck. It would seem that the Latin American media finds such a release more exciting than the media of their Northern neighbours.

Nonetheless, I have read some reviews of the album and there seem to be mixed feelings about its actual uniqueness and success. Only the guest artists perform the vocals while Santana adds to the tracks with his guitar. The songs are all in English as well, so I wonder how many people will realistically listen to this album in Guatemala, and how the success rate may have been affected if Santana were not a Mexican born artist with previous hits in Spanish.

On a final note, it strikes me that when we are in Guatemala we will surely be immersed in their music scene, and so perhaps we should begin to think about expanding our knowledge in that area. There are sure to be many renowned as well as younger popular artists, and knowledge of music would not only benefit our Spanish but our understanding of things in context as well (similar to the way Professor Henighan deemed it essential to understand Latin American literature). Below are a few starting suggestions.

Ricardo Arjona – seems to be the best known Guatemalan musician
Vicente Fernández – Classic and well known everywhere
Mána and Juanes – Both great rock artists I recommend, more modern

ONU aboga por un pacto fiscal y social en Guatemala

I decided to write about this article because I think it ties in nicely with what we have been discussing in class for the last few weeks. At "la Conferencia Internacional de Cooperantes para la Reconstrucción de Guatemala", it was declared that Guatemala desperately needs to generate fiscal resources in order to begin reconstruction. Although this statement seems pretty obvious, the interesting part about the article was that it commented on the very low tax revenue that the government has at its disposal. It went on saying that there needs to be a "fiscal and social agreement" between Guatemalans, their government and their private sector, on top of the foreign aid that they will be receiving, in order to overcome this precarious situation. However, I find this to be a rather empty statement. What does a fiscal and social agreement mean? How do they go about enacting one? They don't really go into more detail about what this entails. By the attitudes of those who commented on the article, it seems that this conference really didn't get to the bottom of the problem. The comments suggest that people still have very little confidence in their government and don't think either tax revenue or foreign aid will be properly and transparently managed and distributed.

I found a relatively more in depth article about the conference, "El mundo ofrece apoyo pero pide compromiso con su desarollo", which mentions the inequality in Guatemala and the need for fiscal reform. Since my Spanish is lacking, I"m not quite sure if I understand the article fully ( I welcome your help!). However, from what I do understand, they are saying that foreign aid to Guatemala comes with the stipulation that Guatemala needs to be undertaking major development projects itself. All in all, I think this article calls for positive change. However, my take on the article, especially after reading the comments, is that this is a lot of talk, but no action.

Lastly, I just wanted to mention that in both these articles, climate change and its consequences are discussed. I am not sure if this was already mentioned in class, but Guatemala is said to be in the top ten most vulnerable countries to climate change. In these articles, they estimate how much damages from natural disasters are going to cost them in near future. It is evident that this issue is on Guatemalan minds, especially after the extreme weather of this summer.

Do you think countries like Guatemala are going to lead the way in sustainability since they are more directly feeling the consequences of climate change?

“Mujeres promueven obras y desarrollo” por Oswaldo Cardona

This article was published in La Prensa Libre on October 8^th, 2010 and discusses a new partnership between the women of Nueva Santa Rosa. Their hope is that this partnership will protect the agricultural industry as well as to develop the tourism industry of the area. The organization is requesting the support and assistance of the government in realizing new infrastructure initiatives.

This region boasts some of the best agricultural production in the country. The area produces considerable amounts of coffee, bananas, papayas, corn and beans. The community feels that packaging and/or processing facilities would be incredibly beneficial to the area. The article closes by encouraging the importance of economic self-sufficiency among women as a means of contributing financially to their households.

This article touches on a couple of interesting points. First and foremost is the fact that this group is relying heavily on the integral role that women have to play in the development of their communities. Time and time again women are disregarded by development projects and initiatives. While I am not certain of how labour is divided in Guatemala along gender lines, it is worth noting that these women are taking a very active role in the agriculture industry, an industry that is dominated in most parts of the world by men.

Another point worth looking at is the motivation of the community for developing their tourism industry. The article makes it seem that the motivation for developing their agriculture industry is to ultimately expand into the tourism industry. While tourism is certainly a source of income for any area, it tends to be a rather exploitative and lucrative industry.

Finally, the women of this community are calling for government support in developing their agriculture industry. As we've discussed time and time again in class, the Guatemalan government has trouble finding the money to fund such projects because of the inefficiency of their taxation system.

Hopefully this leaves us with a few things to think about over the long weekend.

Programa de reciclaje compite a nivel mundial - Jill Guerra

I found this article in La Prensa Libre and it's about a recycling program in Guatemala that has been named as one of twelve finalists in an International Competition. World Challenge 2010, organized by BBC World News, is a competition that looks for projects or small businesses from around that world that show great social entrepreneurship and innovation at the grassroots level. These projects need to be socially and environmentally aware, focusing on addressing the devastating cycle of poverty around the world.

The project in Guatemala is focused on building schools in impoverished communities with the innovative use of recycled products such as plastic bottles and tires in the construction. It was started in 2002 by a Peace Corps volunteer named Mateo Paneitz who was inspired to make a change after seeing garbage being dumped into local rivers. He worked with a local organization in Comalapa, Guatemala to start the initiative but has since founded the not-for-profit organization Long Way Home. The organizations first project, Tecnico Mayan Vocational School in Comalapa, began in 2007. The school combines recycled materials and environmentally sensitive designs to create a building that will facilitate educational development while promoting job opportunities in the marginalized community.

The article just touched the surface of Long Way Homes project. In looking further into the organization's initiative, it's inspiring to see such an effective form of development. I feel like it tackles all of the important forms of development: social, environmental, educational and economic. Since the school has been built, more projects keep coming; a playground, basketball court, botanical garden, community kitchen, house, reforestation and water distribution. I think it's amazing that this organization has not been restricted to one type of project, but rather changes based on the needs of the community. With a hard focus on grassroots development, Long Way Home has been able to successfully meet these needs because they live with the community as it grows and develops. These initiatives are important to end the cycles of poverty, but keeping them at a local level allows the projects to be context specific which I believe is much more effective than policies that govern vast areas and diverse groups of people.

From what I've seen, there haven't been any noticeable downsides to this project. The access to capital could be an issue when starting up, but in this situation they have been able to keep costs low, attract many volunteers and get funding from donors.

So, what do you think? Is this effective? Can it be sustained long-term? Can it work other places?

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Nicholas Murphy Blog Post- Drug Cartels

Nicholas Murphy Blog Post
The article I chose to review is from La Prensa Libre and is called “Ministro dice que se disena estrategia contra el narcotrafico.” The author, Carlos Arazola, outlines how the Guatemalan government will next week be drawing up the constitution of a new body that will tackle drug trafficking in Guatemala. This initiative is to be undertaken with the aid of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency, which will provide financial support for the institution and training for its members. The new agency will have powers across all levels of government and will be involved with (and have investigative powers over) the ministries of commerce, property, justice, and defense. This should allow for comprehensive multi-front battle against drug trafficking. Government minister Carlos Menocal hopes this new effort will be a leap forward in Guatemala’s fight against drugs, which has so far been largely one-sided.
According to la Prensa Libre, there are 7 major drug trafficking organizations in Guatemala, all extensions of Colombian and Mexican cartels. The largest of these, las Zetas, holds much of the country under its control, with many officials and law enforcement officers under its sway. One of the problems is that the salaries offered to these individuals pales in comparison to the hefty bribes on offer from the gangs, and of course the threat of violence if co-operation is not forthcoming is another incentive to let the cartels have free-reign. Without a serious effort to combat the scourge Guatemala could end up like Mexico, where wars between rival cartels have produced casualties on a large scale.
Before discussing the prospects for this new organization, I’ll quickly note that Guatemala/U.S. co-operation is nothing new. Michael Massin, in his The New Enemy in Guatemala speaks of a long-term coalition between the two nations that dates back to the 1940s. After the Guatemalan civil war had abated in intensity in the late eighties, the U.S. focused its attention on Guatemalan poppy growers, who at the time made the country the 4th or 5th largest producer of this base ingredient for heroin in the world. It has always been in the interest of the U.S. to fight latin-american drug trafficking; even today more than 4 tonnes of cocaine is shipped through Guatemala every month, much of which makes its way to the Texas.
Reading over some of the comments made by (I can only assume) Guatemalan readers, it seems public optimism for the new agency is seriously lacking. Confidence in the integrity of the individuals that comprise current institutions is nil, consequently the perceived prospects for this one are very low. All the same, I think there is no choice but to try something. And the kind of sweeping powers proposed by the government does indicate to me that this is a new kind of agency. It remains to be seen whether corruption will weaken the institution, but I think that the supervision of the U.S. – which has a real, pressing interest in fighting drug cartels – will offer strong encouragement to keep it ‘clean’. And if the U.S. pumps enough money into the country maybe the power of the cartels will diminish. For the moment all we can do is hope. Guatemala simply cannot afford the kind of havoc being wrought in Mexico by drug wars; its stage of development is too fragile, growth too unsure. So the institution has a big job ahead of it, maybe it will surprise Guatemalan citizens with its efficiency.

"Guatemaltecos de todo el país pueblan universidades taiwanesas" --> Hurania (Judy) Melgar

This article discusses the recent influx of Guatemalan students into Taiwan's universities to study the language, law, business, and masters and doctorial programs throughout a variety of cities and areas in Taiwan. Within the last six years the numbers have grown immensely due to the increase in bursaries and scholarships available for students in Guatemala from Taiwanese universities to attend Taiwanese universities. In this year alone there are currently 130 Guatemalan students studying in Taiwan. One of the most interesting things about this program is that students from all over Guatemala are going to Taiwan, not only the most elite students. There are students from Chimaltenango, Petén, Cobán, and some students are of indigenous decent. Many of the students when they first arrive find the culture, food, and language very different and difficult. Soon they realize the similarities between the two countries, such as the importance of family and friends. Many of the students studying there are very interested in learning the language and culture because they believe that in order to expand the Guatemalan market to Asia they must be able to conduct business together. Recently the Guatemalan government signed a free trade agreement with Taiwan, and in order for this to function there must be fluidity in business. Interestingly it is not only Guatemalan’s with a desire to study in Taiwan; Taiwanese students are also coming into Guatemala in large numbers to study.


            I found it very interesting that students from all levels of society are able to attend schools in Taiwan. From what I know about international students, most of the students that come from Latin American countries come from upper class families due to the high cost of studying abroad. With the introduction of bursaries from Taiwan for Guatemalan students it has allowed for what I feel is equal opportunity and a something that I have never heard of being done before. It mentioned in the article that Taiwanese universities consider giving out bursaries as an investment into their own economy. Considering Guatemala and Taiwan just signed a free trade agreement, it makes sense that they are investing in students that will be able to facilitate and promote further trade and opportunity. Furthermore in class we discussed the constant influence of Japan in Guatemala, and this phenomenon seems to be spreading across Asia.
            Although I believe that Taiwan giving out bursaries is a resourceful idea, I am also quite hesitant to believe that there isn’t an ulterior motive. As well I wonder how the bursary system works, what sorts of forms are necessary for students to fill out. Perhaps these forms do not allow for equal opportunity. What if the student filling it out didn’t have much of a chance for proper education would they be allowed to attend university in Guatemala? Are there certain high schools that are recognized by Taiwan and some that are not?
            I read another article about Taiwanese-Guatemalan relations from 2007 and it seems that the two countries have had a close relationship for a long time now. Taiwan was then discussing an investment through their only publicly traded oil refinery and possibly a “dry canal” to connect the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. (Source: http://www.areirealtors.com/index.php?option=com_news&type=N&lang=en&Itemid=16&view=item&id=78)

 Article link: http://www.prensalibre.com/noticias/Guatemaltecos-pais-pueblan-universidades-taiwanesas_0_345565596.html

Encuentran en Guatemala una tumba de un rey maya muy bien conservada

Encuentran en Guatemala una tumba de un rey maya muy bien conservada – de elPeriódico.com, el 16 de julio del 2010

http://www.elperiodico.com/es/noticias/internacional/20100716/encuentran-guatemala-una-tumba-rey-maya-muy-bien-conservada/390251.shtml

Since I’m going to be doing my presentation on the Maya civilization, and because one of our classmates brought this up to me before, when I found this article I thought it was pretty interesting and decided to do my blog on it even though it's from a bit further back in the year.

The article entitled “Encuentran en Guatemala una tumba de un rey maya muy bien conservada” from elPeriódico discusses the finding of a Mayan king’s grave this past May that was very well conserved. In it were sculptures out of wood and coloured earthenware, ceramics and textiles, and children’s bones. The grave was found under the pyramid “El Diablo” in the city of El Zotz (the old Maya capital; fun fact: means 'bat' [murciélogo] in some Mayan dialects), in the forest region of Petén and near Tikal. Researchers date this grave as being constructed somewhere in between 300 and 600 A.D.

The excavation work was headed by Stephen Houston of Brown University in the U.S. The discovery of this grave has given a little more insight into the burial practices and rituals of the Mayan civilization. It was already known that during funerals for Mayan kings adolescents were often sacrificed, but in this grave, archaeologists discovered bones of young children. The person buried at this site was also dressed in traditional outfits worn by dancers. Archaeologists also found it surprising that this person was buried with such riches and commercial articles.

I simply thought the article was interesting, but decided maybe we could get the ball rolling on discussion by looking at some of the following:

• I’m curious to know what the presence of children’s bones actually means. I feel like we may be jumping to conclusions in assuming that young children were sacrificed as part of this funeral’s proceedings…what if it were just a child of the king who passed away young?
• And if I’m wrong with that line of thought (i.e. it has been “proven” [somehow] that rituals in fact took place), does anyone know anything about the significance of making sacrifices, especially sacrifices of children? Whether it is in the Mayan culture or other cultures…just out of curiosity. Who is considered important enough that sacrifices should be made for them?
• Do you think that the digging around done by archaeologists to find out more about Mayan civilization (and other classic civilizations) is justified? Sure, it gives us more information on the people who used to populate the earth, but, according to the article, many archaeological sites in the forest regions of the Petén, including El Zotz, are now exposed to “saqueadores, cazadores furtivos y taladores ilegales, además de narcotraficantes que llevan cocaína hacia Estados Unidos” [looters, poachers and illegal lumberjacks, as well as drug traffickers that carry cocaine to the United States]. What benefits are locals reaping from us nosing around…and are the benefits worth the costs?

These are just questions that rolled around in my head…we’ll see what comes out of it when we all discuss in class!

Infected are more than 80 years old - Emelina Ramos

I chose to do my article on an article called "infectados tendran mas de 80 anos" or "infected are more than 80 years old." This article is focused on the inhumane study that was conducted from 1946-1948 in Guatemala by the United States government. During this study 1,610 people (who were a mixture of military prisoners, men in jail and mental ward patients) were infected with syphilis unknowingly. This was done by bringing in prostitutes (something that was not illegal in Guatemala at the time) into these institutions in order to have sex with these men. The men were not informed that the prostitutes were all infected with syphilis. The research was carried out by a man named John Cutler of the United States health care sector and was funded by the United States government. The study was done in order to test an anti-biotic that could potentially rid an individual of syphilis. The article itself is focused on the need to find the people who may still be alive in Guatemala today after a public apology was issued by the United States government. The government of Guatemala is worried that they will not be able to find the documents that held the identity of those inflicted with syphilis however it is presumed that analysts in the Association of Infectious Diseases and the College of Medicine and Infectious Diseases should come together to help find these documents. The party that was elected at the time claimed that they had been deceived into allowing this experiment to take place and investigations are now taking place to make sure this is true. Many believe that once found the families of these individuals should be recompensated by the Government of Guatemala and the United States for having violating their rights.
When one first reads this article it is hard to believe as it sounds too much like a conspiracy theory. It is interesting to note that government would choose to use some of the most marginalized individuals in Guatemalan society. It is also interesting that they would rather infect over a thousand individuals instead of doing studies on individuals already infected with the STI. What is most is interesting that a similar experiment was conducted in the 1930's where 400 syphilis infected black men were purposefully left untreated in order to study the course of the disease. Similarly these men were some of the most marginalized men in United States society (being poor, uneducated and black in the 1930's) who thought they were getting free medical care and were told that if they allowed their bodies to be autopsied after they died they would be able to receive free meals during the course of this study.
This article made me question the ethics of studies that are being conducted in developed countries. The majority of studies being conducted today are not known to the everyday individual so it is difficult for one to object to a study that may be morally wrong. An example of this is the various studies being conducted on genetically modified foods which is a very controversial topic in our present world today. It also makes me wonder how many studies involve the use of marginalized people. In the case of the Guatemalan syphilis study it can be questioned if the United States government opted for using Guatemalans because it was an impoverished country with a poor infrastrature. Hopefully our developed countries have learned from these studies which have clearly been morally wrong and have begun to adopt moral studies however further research will need to be conduct in order to see if this is true.

Article printed on Sunday, October 3, 2010 in. Posted by Katrin Sawatzky.

 La sexualidad de los indígenas

Summary:

     Entitled La sexualidad de los indígenas, this article found in El Periodico began with a quote: “sólo hacen eso los mañosos” [roughly translated, “Only the Mafia do that”], referring to “that” as any sexual position other than where the man is above the woman. The article continues by describing the relation of power that manifests in the bedrooms of the Mayan people – who initiates sex, and how they might initiate it.

     Until the mid 20^th century, little to no research was done to explore sexuality in Guatemala. However, when this research began to be conducted, recorded and analyzed, the emphasis was placed on health and education, and was mostly funded by health agencies. This changed in 1990, when the first focus groups and recorded in-depth interviews were conducted by three researchers; Jane Bertrand, Francisca Puac and Victoria Ward. These young women had a keen interest in studying sexuality in Latin America and were the first to orchestrate research on the sexuality of the natives in Guatemala. They published a report on this entitled “The Mayan Sexual Behaviour” which noted that any talk of sex and sexuality in Mayan communities was taboo, given their conservative and traditionalist beliefs, and most individuals only learned about sex on their wedding night.

   Since then, other researchers have come to Guatemala to study the intimate lives of the Mayan people, including Spanish anthropologist Manuela Camus and Chirix Emma Garcia. Both are now well recognized in academic circles as individuals who study indigenous  sexuality. Garcia writes his reasoning for this particular area of research by stating that, “[He] is happy to come to light a taboo subject, which is another way to deal with dominance, fear and the sacredness of the bodies and the racialization of sexuality”.

Some of the points developed in his studio include:

-Menstruation (where few mothers explain to their daughters the process before it arrives)

-Virginity (it is valued as much as marriage – individuals married at approximately 20 years of age)

-Courtship (where touching is frowned upon before marriage and masturbation or ‘kaqchikeles’ is considered a sin)

-Appropriate/Prohibited places (ie: the bedroom at night is and accepted place for intimacy, whereas a cornfield is prohibited)

-Power (the man says when and how, and the woman accepts)

     This article was of great interest for me, particularly because of the power dynamics within Mayan households that it emphasized. Much research has been conducted in the western world with regards to sexuality, but a part of me questions the idea that more needs to be developed and researched among indigenous populations in Latin America to “bring to light knowledge and practices ignored or censored”. I question the means in which this research may be conducted – only because prior research seems to have a very western orientation. Although these findings unveil many aspects of sexuality among indigenous Mayan communities in Guatemala, I wonder if any indigenous knowledge about sexuality still exists and, if so, how it can be returned back to the community. The Mayan views on sexuality thus far discussed are very conservative. I wonder if it was through colonization of Guatemala that sexuality was taken away as a means to take away power. Any thoughts?

Hasta luego,

Katrin