On Saturday, Ariana and I taught a class on Latin America and democracy in conjunction with AMIGOS, a nonprofit organization. The students are preparing to go to Honduras, Mexico, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, Panama, and Paraguay this summer to carry out service projects with AMIGOS.
These juniors and seniors were impressively knowledgeable about the issues and very keen to get into debate mode, which we encouraged. Does democracy help to combat poverty in Latin America? Will Fernando Lugo, the newly elected Paraguayan president--who has ended the reign of the Colorado party--bring positive change to the life of an average citizen? From a Cuban perspective, should Raul Castro continue reforms such as easing the restrictions on consumer goods? These were just a few of the issues raised during an hour and a half of lively discussion.
After class, a handful of students came to us with further questions about the field of international relations. They seemed very excited about everything we had discussed and dedicated to studying and working on international issues. Not having had the opportunity to volunteer abroad myself since 2004, it was very inspiring to see these enthusiastic, thoughtful young people headed out to the field for a life-enriching experience. Here come the next generation of YPFPs!
No comments:
Post a Comment