Here's my final presentation for CES 301:
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Monday, April 19, 2010
Change in Guatemala
The nation of Guatemala has undergone drastic change since the times of its civil war. Democracy has a tighter grip on government and the violence has decreased dramatically. But we still see a number of issues withing the third-world country that need to change. The income distribution is unbalanced, the infrastructure in rural Guatemala is poor, and the racial segregation is quite apparent.
The aboriginal Mayan population primarily lives in poverty, while the Ladinos live comfortably above the poverty line on average. To think that the Mayans are professionally and intellectually inferior is ignorant. These are a historically traditional people that have not had access to modern resources that we have. As a culture, they have fallen behind the times that we live in. It does not mean that they do not have the capacity to become integrated into modern society, but more so that something needs to change. The aboriginal population of Guatemala needs to be given the opportunities, such as training and education, so that they may earn a better living like their Ladino counterparts.
When talking about the infrastructure of rural Guatemala, we deal with dirt roads and poor transportation. While urban areas will always receive more attention and funding, the abysmal infrastructure in rural Guatemala has racial implications. Outside of the highly populated areas is predominantly where the aboriginal Guatemalans reside. Their location in the country is largely based off their financial situation, but it is no reason for the infrastructure being the way that it is. The Mayan population typically has insufficient electricity, water, and transportation which means they cannot do the same things that the majority in Guatemala can. They cannot live in the comforts of a modern infrastructure and instead having to do many things that we take for granted, by hand.
Tying in the two previous topics is the racial segregation in Guatemala, which is the underlying reason for their disparities. Obviously there is a divide between the two populations, one which has put the Mayans into a inferior position. They are essentially treated as second-class citizens who do not need the same treatment because they are not of Spanish decent. As the two populations have a permanent existence in Guatemala, its seems necessary for them to live together and not segregated.
In the U.S. we have seen the effects racism in our history and even recent instances such as hurricane Katrina. However we have not experienced a first hand account of distinctly superior citizen in comparison to an inferior one. While it is difficult to change peoples' ideals, perceptions, and beliefs, people can bring awareness to unequal racial circumstances in hopes to slowly bring change for the better.
Click HERE to open the feedback tool.
The aboriginal Mayan population primarily lives in poverty, while the Ladinos live comfortably above the poverty line on average. To think that the Mayans are professionally and intellectually inferior is ignorant. These are a historically traditional people that have not had access to modern resources that we have. As a culture, they have fallen behind the times that we live in. It does not mean that they do not have the capacity to become integrated into modern society, but more so that something needs to change. The aboriginal population of Guatemala needs to be given the opportunities, such as training and education, so that they may earn a better living like their Ladino counterparts.
When talking about the infrastructure of rural Guatemala, we deal with dirt roads and poor transportation. While urban areas will always receive more attention and funding, the abysmal infrastructure in rural Guatemala has racial implications. Outside of the highly populated areas is predominantly where the aboriginal Guatemalans reside. Their location in the country is largely based off their financial situation, but it is no reason for the infrastructure being the way that it is. The Mayan population typically has insufficient electricity, water, and transportation which means they cannot do the same things that the majority in Guatemala can. They cannot live in the comforts of a modern infrastructure and instead having to do many things that we take for granted, by hand.
Tying in the two previous topics is the racial segregation in Guatemala, which is the underlying reason for their disparities. Obviously there is a divide between the two populations, one which has put the Mayans into a inferior position. They are essentially treated as second-class citizens who do not need the same treatment because they are not of Spanish decent. As the two populations have a permanent existence in Guatemala, its seems necessary for them to live together and not segregated.
In the U.S. we have seen the effects racism in our history and even recent instances such as hurricane Katrina. However we have not experienced a first hand account of distinctly superior citizen in comparison to an inferior one. While it is difficult to change peoples' ideals, perceptions, and beliefs, people can bring awareness to unequal racial circumstances in hopes to slowly bring change for the better.
Click HERE to open the feedback tool.
Friday, April 9, 2010
Resource Guide: Guatemala's Civil War
Here is a list of web resources that I found to be most relevant to my blog on Guatemala and its civil war.
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/war/guatemala.htm
1. A thorough overview of the events that led up to and turned into the civil war in Guatemala. The page comes from globalsecurity.org, which is a site that emphasizes issues and events of national and international security.
http://www.onwar.com/aced/chrono/c1900s/yr60/fguatemala1961.htm
2. A brief synopsis of the civil war, giving the reader the basic details of the war. It comes from onwar.com and I felt that the site's focus on armed conflict made it a good choice.
http://latin-american-war-revolution.suite101.com/article.cfm/history_of_the_guatemalan_war
3. A summary of the significant moments of the civil war. I felt this was a solid resource because of the site revolved around Latin American history and wars.
http://www.squidoo.com/guatwar
4. An excellent site that has a number of articles on different events in the war. It includes relevant photos and video footage.
http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1129.html
5.A country specific description from the U.S. Department of State. Lists citizenship details, criminal law, health information, etc. I find it to be a good resource to understand Guatemala's conditions and demographics.
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/gt.html
6. The CIA's World Factbook site on Guatemala. I find it quite useful because it gives details of the nation's economy, government, military, and transnational issues.
http://www.holbrooktravel.com/pages/naturetours/country_info/guatemala.aspx
7.Travel site that focuses on travel in Central America. I liked this resource because it gives the reader a look into Guatemala from a traveler's perspective. Specifically it discusses various cultural details of Guatemalans.
http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/economies/Americas/Guatemala-POLITICS-GOVERNMENT-AND-TAXATION.html
8. The Encyclopedia of Nations web site features information on Guatemala's government, politics, and taxation. I believed this was a good reference because it helps to explain Guatemala's financial situation through its political decisions.
http://www.everyculture.com/Ge-It/Guatemala.html
9. A web site centered around global culture. I liked this site as a reference because it focuses on Guatemalan identity and and ethnic relations within the country.
http://gomexico.about.com/od/historyculture/p/maya.htm
10. A Mayan cultural website that summarizes Mayan history as well as Aborigine Guatemalans today. I choose this source because it gave a good summary of the Mayan culture of Guatemala.
http://lanic.utexas.edu/project/etext/llilas/portal/portal089/guatemala.pdf
11. A web article focusing on the Ladino side of the conflict in Guatemala. I liked it because it gives the reader the majority perspective and another viewpoint on the conflict in Guatemala.
http://www.un.int/guatemala/english/english.html
12. United Nations website involving Guatemala's affiliation. I felt this was a superior resource because it discusses the nation's involvement in the United Nations and its peace effort.
http://www.vanderbilt.edu/AnS/Anthro/fischer/globalistbroccoli.htmlhttp://www.un.org/depts/dpa/french/prev_dip/americas_europe/guatemala/reports/informe_indigena.pdf
13. An online report from the United Nations on the discrimination of the indigenous people of Guatemala. I choose this resource because it presents detailed accounts of discrimination as seen by U.N. investigators.
http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/Americas/Guatemala-ECONOMY.html
14. Article from the Encylopedia of Nations of Guatemala's economy. I liked this reference because it explains the connection between the history of the civil war in relation to the countries current and former economic status.
http://www.vanderbilt.edu/AnS/Anthro/fischer/globalistbroccoli.html
15. Article on the global market's effect on Mayan farmers from the Vanderbilt college of Anthropology. I picked this source because it shows the indigenous minority in a global context and how they relate to the rest of the world.
I hope these multiple resources give you a good start on where to find information on the core issues in Guatemalan and the aftermath of it's civil war. While we can do massive amounts of research, we can't truly feel the pain of strict discrimination and a country that has had a government in chaos for over a thirty year period.
Click HERE to open the feedback tool.
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/war/guatemala.htm
1. A thorough overview of the events that led up to and turned into the civil war in Guatemala. The page comes from globalsecurity.org, which is a site that emphasizes issues and events of national and international security.
http://www.onwar.com/aced/chrono/c1900s/yr60/fguatemala1961.htm
2. A brief synopsis of the civil war, giving the reader the basic details of the war. It comes from onwar.com and I felt that the site's focus on armed conflict made it a good choice.
http://latin-american-war-revolution.suite101.com/article.cfm/history_of_the_guatemalan_war
3. A summary of the significant moments of the civil war. I felt this was a solid resource because of the site revolved around Latin American history and wars.
http://www.squidoo.com/guatwar
4. An excellent site that has a number of articles on different events in the war. It includes relevant photos and video footage.
http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1129.html
5.A country specific description from the U.S. Department of State. Lists citizenship details, criminal law, health information, etc. I find it to be a good resource to understand Guatemala's conditions and demographics.
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/gt.html
6. The CIA's World Factbook site on Guatemala. I find it quite useful because it gives details of the nation's economy, government, military, and transnational issues.
http://www.holbrooktravel.com/pages/naturetours/country_info/guatemala.aspx
7.Travel site that focuses on travel in Central America. I liked this resource because it gives the reader a look into Guatemala from a traveler's perspective. Specifically it discusses various cultural details of Guatemalans.
http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/economies/Americas/Guatemala-POLITICS-GOVERNMENT-AND-TAXATION.html
8. The Encyclopedia of Nations web site features information on Guatemala's government, politics, and taxation. I believed this was a good reference because it helps to explain Guatemala's financial situation through its political decisions.
http://www.everyculture.com/Ge-It/Guatemala.html
9. A web site centered around global culture. I liked this site as a reference because it focuses on Guatemalan identity and and ethnic relations within the country.
http://gomexico.about.com/od/historyculture/p/maya.htm
10. A Mayan cultural website that summarizes Mayan history as well as Aborigine Guatemalans today. I choose this source because it gave a good summary of the Mayan culture of Guatemala.
http://lanic.utexas.edu/project/etext/llilas/portal/portal089/guatemala.pdf
11. A web article focusing on the Ladino side of the conflict in Guatemala. I liked it because it gives the reader the majority perspective and another viewpoint on the conflict in Guatemala.
http://www.un.int/guatemala/english/english.html
12. United Nations website involving Guatemala's affiliation. I felt this was a superior resource because it discusses the nation's involvement in the United Nations and its peace effort.
http://www.vanderbilt.edu/AnS/Anthro/fischer/globalistbroccoli.htmlhttp://www.un.org/depts/dpa/french/prev_dip/americas_europe/guatemala/reports/informe_indigena.pdf
13. An online report from the United Nations on the discrimination of the indigenous people of Guatemala. I choose this resource because it presents detailed accounts of discrimination as seen by U.N. investigators.
http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/Americas/Guatemala-ECONOMY.html
14. Article from the Encylopedia of Nations of Guatemala's economy. I liked this reference because it explains the connection between the history of the civil war in relation to the countries current and former economic status.
http://www.vanderbilt.edu/AnS/Anthro/fischer/globalistbroccoli.html
15. Article on the global market's effect on Mayan farmers from the Vanderbilt college of Anthropology. I picked this source because it shows the indigenous minority in a global context and how they relate to the rest of the world.
I hope these multiple resources give you a good start on where to find information on the core issues in Guatemalan and the aftermath of it's civil war. While we can do massive amounts of research, we can't truly feel the pain of strict discrimination and a country that has had a government in chaos for over a thirty year period.
Click HERE to open the feedback tool.
Friday, April 2, 2010
The Aborigine and Ladino conflict
When we think of a Latin American nation such as Guatemala, we rarely think of the indigenous people before the settlement of the Spanish conquistadors. Recently I read an article in BBC News that highlighted the discrimination of the indigenous Mayan aborigines by the Ladinos of European descent. Here's the link:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4810566.stm
I previously knew that there was a cultural divide between the aboriginal Mayans and Ladinos. However, I did not know that there was serious racial discrimination. The United Nations development program has put pressure on the country to overcome "historically racist attitudes." The discrimination can be seen in that 50% of the population is Mayan, in which nearly all live in poverty. In fact the Ladino population makes more than twice that of the Mayans.
The discrimination can also be witnessed at the governmental level. The report from the United Nations mentioned the poor transportation infrastructure to parts of the country mostly populated by the indigenous Mayans. Also, five Guatemalan politicians were found guilty of racial discrimination against indigenous activist, Rigoberta Menchu.
It is unfortunate to see such blatant discrimination in a country. But for many second and third world countries, there is harsh racism between the majority and minority. It takes time, patience, and tolerance for people to advance their views of racial equality. While there may not be an overnight change in Guatemala, organizations like the U.N. are pushing humanitarian efforts to make life better for minorities in countries across the world.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4810566.stm
I previously knew that there was a cultural divide between the aboriginal Mayans and Ladinos. However, I did not know that there was serious racial discrimination. The United Nations development program has put pressure on the country to overcome "historically racist attitudes." The discrimination can be seen in that 50% of the population is Mayan, in which nearly all live in poverty. In fact the Ladino population makes more than twice that of the Mayans.
The discrimination can also be witnessed at the governmental level. The report from the United Nations mentioned the poor transportation infrastructure to parts of the country mostly populated by the indigenous Mayans. Also, five Guatemalan politicians were found guilty of racial discrimination against indigenous activist, Rigoberta Menchu.
It is unfortunate to see such blatant discrimination in a country. But for many second and third world countries, there is harsh racism between the majority and minority. It takes time, patience, and tolerance for people to advance their views of racial equality. While there may not be an overnight change in Guatemala, organizations like the U.N. are pushing humanitarian efforts to make life better for minorities in countries across the world.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Faces of Conflict
For the image post, I decide to look up images of people during the civil war in Guatemala in an attempt to show the different sides to the conflict. The emotions range from anger, fear, sadness, and hate. I think theses images show the distress of Guatemalan civilians in a time when the government (military) had complete control. People did not have the means to have themselves or their opinions represented. It is hard to imagine living a country where you are not free to voice your political opinions. Unfortunately, that is how it was during Guatemala's civil war.
While I have not been directed affected by the conflict in Guatemala, my father has. He was born there in 1960 and endured the civil war with his family throughout his life time. He didn't discuss the civil war much in detail because it was difficult to relive some of those moments. Seeing this, I hope to understand and promote awareness for historical events like this so that we may all learn from history. We may not think terrible social and political injustices typically occur because we lived in the United states. However there are many people in the world suffering injustices at the hands of those in power or the majority.
Click HERE to open the feedback tool.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Civil War in Guatemala: Topic History
In my first entry, I provided a brief overview of my topic with some history. In this post, I will go further in detail to explain the chain of events that led up to and occurred during Guatemala's civil war.
In 1944, Guatemala was under the dictatorship of General Jorge Ubico. His regime was overthrown by a group known as the "October Revolutionaries". This led to the election of Juan Jose Arevalo in 1945, who remained president until 1951. The efforts of social reform by Arevalo were continued by Colonel Jacob Arbenz. Arbenz allowed the communist Guatemalan Labor Party to obtain legal status in 1952. The communists came to power part way through his term. There were several of those in the private sector and the military that viewed Arbenz's party as a menace. This escalated to the point that the army refused to fight for Arbenz's government when Guatemalan was attacked by military forces from Honduras in 1954. These forces were led by Colonel Castillo Armas, who took control of the government.
In 1958, General Ydigoras Fuentes took control following the murder of Castillo Armas. However his rule was considered tyrannical and a group of junior military officers revolted against Fuentes in 1960. They failed to overthrow the government and went into hiding. This group of junior officers because the core of the forces that rebelled against the government for the 36 years that followed.
From these events, s number of left-wing guerrilla groups formed. They sought to sabotage and destabilize the government economically and politically. In 1982, they came together for form the Guatemalan National Revolutionary Unity. Simultaneously, right-wing group, composed of self-appointed vigilantes, tortured and kill those who were suspected of left-wing activity.
The same year, a conflict over the next president arose. The current president, General Romeo Garcia, hand picked Angel Guevara to be his successor. However members of the military were not pleased and staged a coup to prevent Guevara from taking power. A Protestant pastor, Rios Montt, was brought in to negotiate the departure of former political cabinet and assume the role of president. Montt was hated by the guerrilla forces because they were a prime target of his to eliminate throughout his campaign. When Montt suspended political parties and removed electoral law, he became the self-proclaimed "President of the Republic."
Guerrilla forces denounced Montt as their president and worked to remove him from office. Montt battled the guerrilla opposition by conscripting Guatemalan civilians into local defense patrols, which was criticized by many because of the increased militarization of the country. In 1983, Montt was desposed by his Minister of Defense who succeeded him. General Humberto Victores felt that religious fanatics were abusing their power and corrupting the goverment.
Starting in 1984, Humberto Victores was able to return Guatemala back to a democracy. The nation slowly worked towards diminishing the mass violence that had ravaged the country. But this these years ,up until 1994, were still filled with violence and controversy due to an economic downfall in Guatemala.
Several years of conflict were resolved with the signing of the 1996 Peace Accords. It secured the immediate demobilization of guerrilla forces and a reduction in the Guatemalan military forces. They also removed a majority of foreign investment in hopes to make the country more financially independent. However the income distribution remains quite unequal with a majority of the population below the poverty line.
Reference:
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/war/guatemala.htm
In 1944, Guatemala was under the dictatorship of General Jorge Ubico. His regime was overthrown by a group known as the "October Revolutionaries". This led to the election of Juan Jose Arevalo in 1945, who remained president until 1951. The efforts of social reform by Arevalo were continued by Colonel Jacob Arbenz. Arbenz allowed the communist Guatemalan Labor Party to obtain legal status in 1952. The communists came to power part way through his term. There were several of those in the private sector and the military that viewed Arbenz's party as a menace. This escalated to the point that the army refused to fight for Arbenz's government when Guatemalan was attacked by military forces from Honduras in 1954. These forces were led by Colonel Castillo Armas, who took control of the government.
In 1958, General Ydigoras Fuentes took control following the murder of Castillo Armas. However his rule was considered tyrannical and a group of junior military officers revolted against Fuentes in 1960. They failed to overthrow the government and went into hiding. This group of junior officers because the core of the forces that rebelled against the government for the 36 years that followed.
From these events, s number of left-wing guerrilla groups formed. They sought to sabotage and destabilize the government economically and politically. In 1982, they came together for form the Guatemalan National Revolutionary Unity. Simultaneously, right-wing group, composed of self-appointed vigilantes, tortured and kill those who were suspected of left-wing activity.
The same year, a conflict over the next president arose. The current president, General Romeo Garcia, hand picked Angel Guevara to be his successor. However members of the military were not pleased and staged a coup to prevent Guevara from taking power. A Protestant pastor, Rios Montt, was brought in to negotiate the departure of former political cabinet and assume the role of president. Montt was hated by the guerrilla forces because they were a prime target of his to eliminate throughout his campaign. When Montt suspended political parties and removed electoral law, he became the self-proclaimed "President of the Republic."
Guerrilla forces denounced Montt as their president and worked to remove him from office. Montt battled the guerrilla opposition by conscripting Guatemalan civilians into local defense patrols, which was criticized by many because of the increased militarization of the country. In 1983, Montt was desposed by his Minister of Defense who succeeded him. General Humberto Victores felt that religious fanatics were abusing their power and corrupting the goverment.
Starting in 1984, Humberto Victores was able to return Guatemala back to a democracy. The nation slowly worked towards diminishing the mass violence that had ravaged the country. But this these years ,up until 1994, were still filled with violence and controversy due to an economic downfall in Guatemala.
Several years of conflict were resolved with the signing of the 1996 Peace Accords. It secured the immediate demobilization of guerrilla forces and a reduction in the Guatemalan military forces. They also removed a majority of foreign investment in hopes to make the country more financially independent. However the income distribution remains quite unequal with a majority of the population below the poverty line.
Reference:
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/war/guatemala.htm
Monday, February 15, 2010
Topic Overview: The Civil War in Guatemala
I have chosen to write about the conflict in the Central American nation of Guatemala. From 1960 to 1996 the country was in the middle of a civil war that devastated the nation and its people. The battle between the government military and the guerrillas stemmed from political differences and several changes of power in the government ensued. This resulted in a number of casualties over the 36 year span and it wasn't until the mid 90's that formal peace talks began. Even though all the rebel guerrilla forces have been demobilized via the 1996 Peace Accord Implementation, the affects of the civil war are still visible.
Here's a link that overviews the war and its background:
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/war/guatemala.htm
This topic connects to the theme of this class because it deals with the significance of inequality within a world that becomes more and more globalized. Within this topic, is is apparent that globalization has an effect on Guatemala on a political standpoint, which fuels the conflict. Also in analyzing and researching this topic, it will allow me to critically reflect my social perspective of the events in Guatemala.
Personally, I want to get a better understanding of political and social conflict in a changing world that comes closer together with globalization. I believe that looking at the events in Guatemala's civil war, I can see how contrasting global ideals affect small portions of the world such as Guatemala. Lastly, I wast to study this topic to be more adept in social matters involving race and ethnicity.
Here's a link that overviews the war and its background:
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/war/guatemala.htm
This topic connects to the theme of this class because it deals with the significance of inequality within a world that becomes more and more globalized. Within this topic, is is apparent that globalization has an effect on Guatemala on a political standpoint, which fuels the conflict. Also in analyzing and researching this topic, it will allow me to critically reflect my social perspective of the events in Guatemala.
Personally, I want to get a better understanding of political and social conflict in a changing world that comes closer together with globalization. I believe that looking at the events in Guatemala's civil war, I can see how contrasting global ideals affect small portions of the world such as Guatemala. Lastly, I wast to study this topic to be more adept in social matters involving race and ethnicity.
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