Guatemala 2009

Four weeks ago, a group of Miami students left Oxford for Guatemala. Three weeks ago, that same group of students returned, but something was different. Each of us learned a great deal about ourselves and about the world, and were changed by the things we saw, people we talked to, and places to which we traveled. I can say that for myself, and probably a significant portion of this group of people I have had the great pleasure of getting to know, that March 7-15, 2009 was one very life-changing week.

On February 12, our Guatemalan Delegation had the pleasure of a visit by Susan Paulson, of the Latin American Studies program at Miami University. She spoke with us about women's issues in Latin America which, as she saw it, stemmed from three broader areas: colonialism, economy, and issues of violence. The colonial impact on Latin America, seen in everything from architecture to clothing, formed Latin American into a male-dominated society, where the sexuality of women was highly conserved and guarded.