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.

Next week, we hope that some of what we have learned will rub off on the Miami community, as we begin Globalization Gone Wild 2009. My own topic, presented on Wednesday night as part of "The Culture of Mines and Machetes: Dying for Gold" is health. This encompasses the health issues brought about by the GoldCorp mine's contamination of water and air, and also the current state of the healthcare system in Guatemala (governmental provisions, what is actually in place, US involvement, etc.).

I look forward to hearing from everyone during Globalization Gone Wild next week!