Opening Minds Through 'Opening Doors' | Arkansas Newswire | University of Arkansas

Opening Minds Through 'Opening Doors' | Arkansas Newswire | University of Arkansas

Hip-hop de los indigenas

This one's for you Mrs. Finzer

http://in-dios.blogspot.com/2007/07/aymara-rap-indigenous-hip-hop-music.html

banana farms

While working on my final paper, I came across this article. It begins with Gabriel Garcia Marquez's take on the "banana company" in his book One Hundred Years of Solitude. Then it talks about the real UFC and how it "shaped the world." I found it interesting.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/02/books/review/Kurtz-Phelan-t.html

Guatemalan American Wins the Pulitzer Prize, 2011

Ruben Vives, a Guatemalan man from Los Angeles, participated in a story that exposed corruption in California. It's in El Latino this week. What's interesting is that they refer to his journalistic work as "testimonio" and compare it to the testimony of Guatemalan immigrants in the U.S.

Also here but doesn't cite him:
http://www.pulitzer.org/citation/2011-Public-Service

info sobre salvador.

hagan clic

encontre este sitio que nos da informacion sobre salvador.
me gusto. :)

Gioconda Gelli

hagan clic

Gabriel Garcia Marquez- Los Salvadorenos

http://frijolitossalvadorenos.blogspot.com/2010/07/los-salvadorenos-gabriel-garcia-marquez.html

Interesante

Anillo de la prostitución:

http://feeds.bignewsnetwork.com/?rid=45157093&cat=1e6da80e3bfca450

La moda panameña

http://www.latinol.com/spotfashion/v5-articulo.asp?id=9255

interesting article about pesticides and banana farming

Here is a very interesting article on banana farming and the pesticides used. It also discusses the effect on the farmers and the plant.

http://jrscience.wcp.muohio.edu/fieldcourses07/PapersCostaRicaArticles/BananaPlantationEmployees.html

Heads up, those of us going to Ecuador.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/04/29/tungurahua-ecuador-volcano-eruption-2011_n_855702.html

Envision Music Festival in Dominical, Costa Rica

Here is a video of the Envision Music Festival that occurred March 3-6 2011 in Dominical, Costa Rica

Enjoy!

Información sobre la ciudad de León en Nicaragua.

Aquí es el sitio Web  sobre la ciudad de León en Nicaragua que incluye volcanes, los museos, u otras importantes culturas de la ciudad.

http://vianica.com/visit/leon

El Museo de Ruben Dario

Aquí es un video sobre el museo de Rubén Darío en la ciudad de León en Nicaragua.

Impunity and Loyalty

I had to miss class Wednesday for being sick, you guys were talking about Impunity. Can anyone sort of summarize the lesson?

Diane Rehm had a talk about Loyalty on the radio today with author Eric Felten. What an important quality it is but how easily abused. Although groups function much better with loyalty, the more loyal you are to a person, group, community, or institution, the more willing you will be to overlook abuse and crime. It seems appropriate to the discussion of impunity.

http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2011-04-28/eric-felten-loyalty-vexing-virtue

In the interview, they talk about Calvin Gibbs, the staff sergeant who was charged last year of murder of Afghan civilians. Supposedly he did this for fun and even got his unit to participate, but no one ever ratted him out, they were so loyal to him.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/05/world/asia/05gibbs.html

Theatre as HIV Prevention Tool in Native Communities

http://ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=55375

La Malinche

Hate her or love her? I love her history!
http://www.utexas.edu/utpress/books/cypmal.html
This book could be a good read...
-Amanda

Cochineal and red dye

http://www.cochinealdye.com/html/cochineal-history.html
This used to be used for the red book marks in Bibles. Its use has declined but its story is interesting!!

-Amanda

Water shortages/sanitation.

http://www.gwp.org/

http://www.alternet.org/water/84145/

http://www.worldwatercouncil.org/fileadmin/wwc/News/WWC_News/water_problems_22.03.04.pdf

Interesting facts and opinions. The Americas may not be Africa, but we have problems as well.

Greywater.

http://www.greywater.com/

http://www.greywater-systems.com/

http://greywateraction.org/greywater-recycling

People in poor countries already do things like this. We are already shipping in water from Canada in the drier states. I wonder if there is some sort of government rebate for a system like this. If not, there should be.

Short Videos about Sustainable Living

http://faircompanies.com/

http://faircompanies.com/tags/

http://www.youtube.com/user/kirstendirksen

Hundreds of cool videos about sustainable living styles. Take a look there’s all kinds of different things. Y hay muchos articulos escritos en espanol!

Con "turistas ocultos" se constará trato a visitantes durante Semana Santa

http://www.hondudiario.com/content/con-turistas-ocultos-se-constará-trato-visitantes-durante-semana-santa

El Ejército de Honduras para apoyar la lucha contra las drogas

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110410/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/lt_drug_war_honduras_3

video about women in guatemala

http://video.search.yahoo.com/search/video;_ylt=A0oG7kdrPalNY3QAVYlXNyoA?ei=UTF-8&p=indigenous%20women&fr2=tab-web&fr=mcafee

this video depicts daily activities shared by women in guatemala

Abortion Rights in Latin America

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/06/opinion/06fri3.html
I think this article ties well with the "rights to life" article previously posted. It expresses the terms and disagreements on the topic of abortion in Latin America. This article gives reason for the such high instance of maternal mortality. Abortion in most Latin American countries is illegal and the mother is condemned for doing so if she survives the usually 'non-professional' procedure. there are no extenuating circumstances in which a mother is granted the opportunity to abort, even if it means their death.

Rights of Indigenous Women in Latin America

http://www.unfpa.org/rights/indigenous.htm
This is a great article informing us of the progress to teach language and literacy to them and to help women in Latin America manage their health and family planning.

http://www.culturalsurvival.org/publications/cultural-survival-quarterly/bolivia/south-american-cocaine-production
Here's an article that helped familiarize myself with the history of the coca leaf in latin america.

Of all of the drugs available to people today cocaine is available in numerous forms. But the coca leaf is one steeped in historical and nutritional significance. The coca leaf contains many nutrients as well as alkaloids including cocaine. For centuries, people living in countries with the coca plant have been chewing on the leaves believing that it gave them strength and energy. They also used the coca leaf, mixed with saliva, as an anesthetic.

However in more recent decades the historic use for these leaves has changed from its original use into it being used as the main ingredient in cocaine. Cocaine producing farms mostly involve one person or one family being in charge, and getting rich, while poor families are the work force for the head and get very little money for a multi-billion dollar business that can often cost them their lives.

While the coca leaf itself doesn’t severely harm the body, if it does at all, taking the coca leaf and making it into the white powdery substance that we know as cocaine introduces the naturally green leaf to multiple chemicals that you would normally put a poison label on and lock away in a cabinet away from your children.

In the production of cocaine ammonia, acetone, and gasoline are just three substances that are added to render the powder. These are added to the coca leaves at various times and need to be mixed in. Since the ‘Head’ of the drug farm does not want to shell out the money for the proper protection a cocaine worker needs often there is very little to no protection used.

Often only the only tools that are available to the workers are tools that they must have, so when it comes to mixing different chemicals in with a batch of coca leaves, the workers must use what they have, which is often either their bare hands or their bare feet. With little to no protection available the chemical often seep into their bodies through the skin, often they go insane due to the chemicals. Also the chemical eat away at their skin.

Let’s face it if most people knew this there probably wouldn’t be a lot of people currently addicted to cocaine and its forms. I know I would never willingly drink gasoline or ammonia, and the only acetone I regularly use, that I know of, is the slight amount that is in my nail polish remover why would I want to ingest something that has a warning label of poison for a little bit of ‘fun’?

http://takeaction.amnestyusa.org/site/c.goJTI0OvElH/b.2258003/k.3538/Take_Action_to_Save_Womens_Lives_in_Guatemala.htm
this article caught my attention with regards to human....woman rights. It states that there has been no arrests in 95% of murders of women in Guatemala, 70% of the cases have not even been investigated. It has the highest murder rate in Latin America and suggests that these measures against women are taken to ensure they keep their place (subordinate to men).
the statistics shocked me and the fact that most cases involve young women and sexual abuse is even worse. Something needs to be done to ensure justice for the victims and their families. The first step I would suggest is actual "investigation". If the consequences were stated and enforced then maybe the frequency and rate of murders in Guatemala would start to drop.

Saving the Maya Forest

http://wwweco.cellsignal.com/10/maya.html

this article reiterates the subject of Elmer's previous post on "saving the cradle of Mayan civilization". The Maya forest is the second largest in the world. It stretches from southern Mexico to the Yucatan Peninsula through much of Guatemala and Belize. The article stresses the importance of Mayan cultural beliefs and how it is slowly disappearing with the constant deforestation due to forest fires, agriculture, cattle ranching, and illegal logging. For the Mayans, the scarlet macaw was deemed representatives of the divine and one of the most important animals along with howler monkey, jaguar, tapir, ocelot, and giant anteater. These precious animals are becoming few and far between due to encroaching development. The Wildlife Conservation Society as well as other institutions are gathering information to aide with wildlife preservation and to limit extinction.
I think this an important step in preserving Latin American, Mayan heritage as well as its wildlife and nature in the Maya forest.

Health Insurance and the Clinic

http://www.hola-arkansas.com/news/573/0/0/8th-annual-hola-arkansas-health-safety-fair-to-offer-free

Posted by Amanda on March 22

The Health and Safety Fair being offered on April 30 (two weeks from now) is taking place at College Station Clinic, located at 4206 Frazier Pike, College Station, AR (east of Little Rock, close to the airport).

Jefferson Comprehensive Care Systems, Inc., parent of College Station Medical Clinic, is an indispensable provider of medical care in central Arkansas for low-income and working class residents. Unlike many other options existing, it is both reasonable in price and accessible, two factors I want to explain that are especially important nowadays when so many people lack health insurance.

There are many free clinics in Little Rock, but they are not accessible. To attend, you must often qualify for it by having been homeless within the last six months. If you do qualify, or if homelessness is not a requirement, the free clinics are still so much in demand that there may be a month-long wait. This is no good when you are severely ill and require the strength of prescription medication as soon as possible. Jefferson Comprehensive Care accepts walk-ins, which enables people to get medicine on the same day, possibly preventing them from having to either miss work or go to work sick, thereby losing more money and being less able to purchase medical care.

Little Rock also has a lot of walk-in clinics, but they are very expensive (but better than going to the Emergency Room!) If you do not have insurance, you will pay out-of-pocket for the full cost of being seen, which can add up very quickly, even into the hundreds of dollars. Jefferson, on the other hand, uses a sliding-pay scale that keeps costs affordable. They do not have as many resources at hand as would another clinic, but they will have the majority of what is required for the typical visit. To make this possible they do receive federal funding, and I don't know how the new budget will affect them.

http://www.hhs.gov/recovery/programs/hrsa/arkansas.html

The health and safety fair will provide minority families with a day of entirely free medical care, at the same time as providing the education which is meant to reduce the need for medical care and funding in the future. One of the reasons that minority groups are often more susceptible to illness than the general population is that they lack regular medical check-ups and prevention. This is exactly the type of clinic that would be putting on a fair in benefit of people with low-income, and I hope it does well!

(Their website is currently under construction)

Helping or Hurting

http://goodintents.org/staffing-or-employment/voluntourism-what-could-go-wrong

Posted by Dr. Finzer on April 5

This is an important piece for any college student thinking about volunteering abroad to read. A lot of well-intentioned people are getting taken in by voluntourism companies that are just trying to make a buck. These companies don’t actually care about the end results, and the volunteer ends up hurting, rather than helping.

http://www.handsupholidays.com/tours/mayans-mountains

Ultimately, it comes down to whether or not the program has a long-term commitment to the region. Short-term engagements tend to be misguided; long-term commitments tend to see flaws and fix them.

Remember the Heifer representative? He said that they do not take Americans/volunteers abroad unless they have extremely specific and expert skills (and in this case they are probably paid). They tend to employ skilled local professionals to lead the project, and then train the beneficiaries to lead themselves. The benefit is much more lasting this way.

On the other hand, having a lot of young people with the desire to make some type of difference is a beautiful thing, and I wish the author had acknowledged that. A lot of the simple things we can do are absolutely beneficial, and even naïve, short-term projects can be a great experience for both the giver and the recipient, with the right leader.

Habitat for Humanity is one of those groups where unskilled volunteers can make a lot of difference, and the more people involved, the better. They plan the house; you swing the hammer. As long as there is a team of construction professionals overseeing the work, a simple house can be built well in this manner. Habitat for Humanity actually does take young, unskilled volunteers abroad to do this:

http://www.habitat.org/gv/default.aspx

http://www.habitat.org/ivp/

It's Time to Rethink the Banana

http://www.grist.org/article/food-2011-01-13-banana-crisis-and-gmos

Posted by Dr. Finzer on January 22

We all know the horrible conditions experienced by workers under the United Fruit Company, but did you know that its younger cousins are not doing things much differently today? I didn’t. Dole, Chiquita, and Del Monte were three out of the top five global companies that most violated union rights in 2010. 43 unionists against Chiquita and 51 unionists against Dole have been killed in the last decade, and both companies were accused of paying paramilitary groups--designated terrorist organizations--to carry out the killings. A lawsuit filed against Dole in 2009 for this crime was simply dismissed.

http://colombiareports.com/colombia-news/news/11906-dole-lawsuit-dismissed-paramilitaries.html

Some people support the idea of genetically modifying the Cavendish banana to carry it through its current blight. Personally, I used to think that genetic modification of crops was a great idea in theory. The risks are limited if it's done correctly. But what the article points out is that what going ahead with GMOs truly means is supporting some atrocious global companies, not to mention sustaining the concepts of big agribusiness, monoculture farming, and long-distance delivery of product. We need to stop believing the hype and start supporting small farmers, growing our own gardens, and hoarding all the different strains of crops that we can. Maybe we should boycott non-fair-trade and non-organic bananas, or not eat them at all. Supposedly, you can buy fair-trade bananas here in Arkansas at Sam’s Club:

http://www.prweb.com/releases/Sams-Club-Fair-Trade/Certified-Bananas/prweb3001914.htm

To end on a better note....this is a famous song written in 1923 that is thought to be inspired by a banana blight of the time. You might recognize it from the movie Sabrina. People sang this in Britain in WWII when they boycotted bananas!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yes!_We_Have_No_Bananas

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BjkB5h_2so

Estilo Hip Hop

Sobre Estilo hip hop: http://www.estilohiphop.net/ El "trailer": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bNM76ktJD90

Religion for the Poor and Indigenous

http://guatemaleando.blogspot.com/2011/01/sincretismo-religioso-los-maya.html

posted by Cody Ryan on March 4

This blog post relates how the writer observed Christmas Eve at the church of a small village in Guatemala. There were no pews. There was no priest or leader of any kind. On this day, they all gather there to socialize, letting their children run amok and even drinking beer inside the church. Despite appearances, they don’t lack reverence, and pray spontaneously throughout the day. At night, they light incense to the saints and put on a procession for the Virgin Mary, all without guidance by some more educated clergy member. According to the blogger, there are undeniable moments of spirituality.

It reminds me of a short story by Leo Tolstoy: Three Hermits. A great bishop goes to see three ignorant hermits who are said to be saints, because they are so happy. He is appalled by their failure to adhere to the correct rituals. As he is leaving, he sees them walking on water and repents. The lesson is that sometimes those living the most modest lives are the closest to God, and we don’t need an intermediary or a great education to know Him (Luther!)

http://www.online-literature.com/tolstoy/2896/

I don’t necessarily see any Mayan influence in their worship practices. I think it's possible they just couldn't afford to pay a priest or buy any pews, and they may not have had another good space for everyone in the village to gather . But the situation definitely resembles religious syncretism. There is a large adobe church I've seen at an Acoma pueblo in New Mexico, the San Esteban Rey mission, with a dirt floor, no pews, and paintings of growing corn--something central to Acoma life--covering the walls. The people worshipped through a Christian structure, but let their own ideology transform the content. It was a really hopeful moment to see how their cultural ways had not been extinguished by white intrusion, but had gone underground and survived.

http://museum.acomaskycity.org/exhibits/view/3