...And the adventures continue here in Bolivia! Today we completed our tour of the UAC, the local university here outside of Coroico. Yesterday we explored the the upper campus of the UAC, where we listened to the presentation of the thesis students studying there. Today, we explored the lower campus, which consists of additional classrooms, dorms, and nursing and veterinarian departments, which the upper campus does not have. We met one of the nuns who helps run the school, and it turns out that she is originally from Boston (so she´s a ¨gringa¨ like us). She has been teaching in Bolivia for nine years, so it was really interesting to speak with her and hear about her experience here. We also met one of the administration directors of the UAC, Hugh. He is also an American who established himself permanently in Bolivia after having volunteered here in his youth.
We then got the opportunity to learn from two veterinarian students studying at the lower UAC campus. They gave us presentations on their thesis projects, both of which revolved around livestock (pigs in particular.) One student was studying a specific bacteria which can be fed to pigs as a substitute to expensive antibiotics. The bacteria is cheap and has similar effects of antibiotics, such as keeping the pigs safe from illness and helping them to gain weight. The second student was studying how soy-based feed dictates the weight of pigs. We explored the pig pens on the campus as well, and I marveled about how different CU and the UAC are. It was inspiring to learn what the local students are researching... all of them have very unique, innovative projects, and most of their research will directly benefit their own community in the end. One thing that I am still intrigued by is the UAC´s extensive student-run garden. Both campuses have large vegetable and fruit gardens which each student is required to contribute to: 4 hours a week! The fruit and vegetables are then sold into a cooperative, as well as used in the meals that are served on campus...what a great idea, and how connected with the Earth the students must be...
After being served a traditional ¨sopa,¨ (soup) lunch, we were led on a two hour hike up a small mountain bordering the UAC. We were guided in our hike by two other UAC students, both of whom are majoring in eco-tourism. They told us about their desires to start their own tourism companies in Bolivia, and about their passion for nature and the outdoors. They also go to practice their English skills with us!
We ended the day by getting hand-made ice cream at the ¨Villa Bonita,¨ a restaurant and hotel run by a Swiss man and his wife here in Coroico. He makes the best ice cream in town, and his restaurant is nestled within a shady garden. It is a beautiful full-moon here, so as for me, I am going to end the night by writing in my journal outside on the balcony, under the beautiful moonlight.
Although our days left here are dwindeling down, I feel rich with all of the knowledge and beauty I´ve taken in over the past couple of weeks. It has been a whirl-wind, with each day bringing new lessons, new people, and new views. I look forward to spending my last days in Coroico in the warm company of my classmates and of the local people. Speaking for everyone here, we will arrive back in the States different people from when we left.
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
UAC Day 1 and Catharsis
Modern technology owes ecology an apology. That's what started off our, as always, eventful day here in Coroico, a short but sweet morning message from Danielle. Completely on target with the outlook on world affairs we've gathered over the last few months, and relevant from both the perspective of an American and a Bolivian. This last week, we've been exposed to so much that has to do with the environment and humanity's welfare, from coffee to coca to development to Aymara worldviews, and the general consensus is, yes, we have done, we have seen, we have felt that the environment is going through changes.
Sabina further developed this message with her turn at the breakfast discussion. As the rest of us stirred the dregs of our oatmeal and felt our eyes twitching from too much coffee and not enough sleep (okay, maybe that was just me), she read a passage from her journal, speaking of differing perspectives in the global dialogue about climate change and conservation. It's such a luxury that we have to be able to sit and talk and discuss all of these great ideas, but what about those people who are living the problems? Who would love to have a bathroom in their house but are tired of all of the broken promises and empty dreams provided by those claiming to come save them? How can someone simply trying to survive from day to day worry about generations in the future when his children are hungry right now, when he doesn't know what the weeks ahead will bring, starvation or subsistence? It's a heavy lot to think about, especially first thing in the morning, but even though we were sitting there going over these ideas in our heads without a whole lot of capacity to do anything about them right away, it was refreshing to realize that problems might more handily be tackled by groups of people combining their different perspectives and disciplines and working together, rather than working for or imposing on others. The public sphere, a place where dialogue and eventually democracy in action is spurred, a place like cafes and plazas and breakfast tables. That concept, at least, was inspiring.
On to the field trip of the day. Hasta dia, we were chauffered by the amable Don Julio and his van up to the local Unidad Academica Campesina, or UAC of Carmenpampa, to talk with thesis students and learn about their projects, eat lunch from the campus' food kiosks with them, and later get a tour of the campus from Sonia, one of our local coordinators who went to school there. First, we split into 3 groups to meet with the 3 thesis students, though each group only met with two of the students. The first was Angela, a student of agronomy that recently graduated and defended her thesis, que estaba muy interesante. She wanted to see if physially grafting two breeds of hibiscus flowers together and growing them over a period of months would produce a hybrid that was both beautiful and resistant to infections from plagues. Her research proved yes, and now she is hoping to start her own nursery to grow and sell these flowers as decorations from homes. The next student that my group talked to was Pablo Gustavo Mamani Ticona, a student on the education track who did his thesis on the exploration and rejuvenation of the traditional ethics and values of Aymara culture. It was also pretty impressive, as he lived in the rural Aymara village of Ilobaya for 5 months, gathering the histories of several people who lived there. True ethnography! Pablo hopes to travel and give this presentation in schools all over the country to educate people about the value of Aymara culture. And the last student, Herman, was also an agronomy student researching fertilizers for the vanilla plant, in hopes of developing the cultivation of vanilla in Bolivia. We ate lunch with these three students in the kiosks where much of the campus buys their food, talking to them a little bit and enjoying fried bananas, chicken, rice, and pineapple juice.
That afternoon, we learned about the history of the university and got a perspective on developments in education over the last few years in Bolivia from the director of Carmenpampa, Mr. Andres Parto. This was pretty fascinating, another lens on the history of Bolivia that we hadn't looked through yet. The education system here, with the reforms passed by the Morales administration, is trying to emphasize community values of socializing and production, along with themes of decolonialization and inter- and intra-culturalism. Señor Parto shared with us some of his critiques of this system, but spoke of the progressiveness of formacion, a concept that is difficult to directly translate into English but means basically "formation" of one's being: where and how were you raised, taught, and trained, and what type of education will most benefit these values?
Afterwards, Sonia gave us a tour of the upper campus, showing us the 2,000-book library, the cooperativa where a lot of the students eat, several dorms and offices, and the gardens. We learned also that she has won the school's annual poetry contest five times! It was so fascinating to walk around and observe and talk to people whilst thinking of the University we call home in Colorado...so different but still a place where young people go to develop their curiosities, interests, and passions. We're all students, and though we might have vastly different backgrounds, social contexts, and aspirations, we're growing up together in this crazy world.
We returned to Coroico for the evening, going various ways for dinner and meeting back up for a class debriefing later in the evening. We've had a lot of heavy topics and overwhelming information to take in the last few days, and this turned out to be an emotional meeting for all of us as we realized just how close we've become as a group. Everyone fits in their own unique way, everyone has something special to contribute, and it's been a beautiful, organic process to live and learn here together. This evening was one of catharsis, of self-reflection, and of completely opening ourselves up to free amongst each other. We might not be able to solve all the problems in the world, but we can certainly each do our own little bit, seize the opportunity to be soldier for peace in the right time and the right place. Everyone has their mission in this world, and this Global Seminar has so far been the most incredible learning experience for each of us to further develop and get a handle on our own missions. Tears, songs, bichos, and amigos, we are here, we are present, and we are thankful. Peace.
Sabina further developed this message with her turn at the breakfast discussion. As the rest of us stirred the dregs of our oatmeal and felt our eyes twitching from too much coffee and not enough sleep (okay, maybe that was just me), she read a passage from her journal, speaking of differing perspectives in the global dialogue about climate change and conservation. It's such a luxury that we have to be able to sit and talk and discuss all of these great ideas, but what about those people who are living the problems? Who would love to have a bathroom in their house but are tired of all of the broken promises and empty dreams provided by those claiming to come save them? How can someone simply trying to survive from day to day worry about generations in the future when his children are hungry right now, when he doesn't know what the weeks ahead will bring, starvation or subsistence? It's a heavy lot to think about, especially first thing in the morning, but even though we were sitting there going over these ideas in our heads without a whole lot of capacity to do anything about them right away, it was refreshing to realize that problems might more handily be tackled by groups of people combining their different perspectives and disciplines and working together, rather than working for or imposing on others. The public sphere, a place where dialogue and eventually democracy in action is spurred, a place like cafes and plazas and breakfast tables. That concept, at least, was inspiring.
On to the field trip of the day. Hasta dia, we were chauffered by the amable Don Julio and his van up to the local Unidad Academica Campesina, or UAC of Carmenpampa, to talk with thesis students and learn about their projects, eat lunch from the campus' food kiosks with them, and later get a tour of the campus from Sonia, one of our local coordinators who went to school there. First, we split into 3 groups to meet with the 3 thesis students, though each group only met with two of the students. The first was Angela, a student of agronomy that recently graduated and defended her thesis, que estaba muy interesante. She wanted to see if physially grafting two breeds of hibiscus flowers together and growing them over a period of months would produce a hybrid that was both beautiful and resistant to infections from plagues. Her research proved yes, and now she is hoping to start her own nursery to grow and sell these flowers as decorations from homes. The next student that my group talked to was Pablo Gustavo Mamani Ticona, a student on the education track who did his thesis on the exploration and rejuvenation of the traditional ethics and values of Aymara culture. It was also pretty impressive, as he lived in the rural Aymara village of Ilobaya for 5 months, gathering the histories of several people who lived there. True ethnography! Pablo hopes to travel and give this presentation in schools all over the country to educate people about the value of Aymara culture. And the last student, Herman, was also an agronomy student researching fertilizers for the vanilla plant, in hopes of developing the cultivation of vanilla in Bolivia. We ate lunch with these three students in the kiosks where much of the campus buys their food, talking to them a little bit and enjoying fried bananas, chicken, rice, and pineapple juice.
That afternoon, we learned about the history of the university and got a perspective on developments in education over the last few years in Bolivia from the director of Carmenpampa, Mr. Andres Parto. This was pretty fascinating, another lens on the history of Bolivia that we hadn't looked through yet. The education system here, with the reforms passed by the Morales administration, is trying to emphasize community values of socializing and production, along with themes of decolonialization and inter- and intra-culturalism. Señor Parto shared with us some of his critiques of this system, but spoke of the progressiveness of formacion, a concept that is difficult to directly translate into English but means basically "formation" of one's being: where and how were you raised, taught, and trained, and what type of education will most benefit these values?
Afterwards, Sonia gave us a tour of the upper campus, showing us the 2,000-book library, the cooperativa where a lot of the students eat, several dorms and offices, and the gardens. We learned also that she has won the school's annual poetry contest five times! It was so fascinating to walk around and observe and talk to people whilst thinking of the University we call home in Colorado...so different but still a place where young people go to develop their curiosities, interests, and passions. We're all students, and though we might have vastly different backgrounds, social contexts, and aspirations, we're growing up together in this crazy world.
We returned to Coroico for the evening, going various ways for dinner and meeting back up for a class debriefing later in the evening. We've had a lot of heavy topics and overwhelming information to take in the last few days, and this turned out to be an emotional meeting for all of us as we realized just how close we've become as a group. Everyone fits in their own unique way, everyone has something special to contribute, and it's been a beautiful, organic process to live and learn here together. This evening was one of catharsis, of self-reflection, and of completely opening ourselves up to free amongst each other. We might not be able to solve all the problems in the world, but we can certainly each do our own little bit, seize the opportunity to be soldier for peace in the right time and the right place. Everyone has their mission in this world, and this Global Seminar has so far been the most incredible learning experience for each of us to further develop and get a handle on our own missions. Tears, songs, bichos, and amigos, we are here, we are present, and we are thankful. Peace.
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