For Immediate Release

February 4, 2007

Education for Social Change in a Mayan Community of Guatemala

Presentation led by Olimpia Boido
Thursday February 15, 2007 from 7:00pm to 8:30pm
at the University of Calgary in Education Block Room 156

From 1961 to 1996, a civil war ravaged Guatemala. The indigenous Mayan population, which conforms a majority in this Central American country, was immensely affected by the armed conflict, where more than 600 Mayan communities were massacred.

In 1997, Jesus Tecu, a massacre survivor, founded the New Hope Foundation. The purpose of the Foundation is to provide high school education opportunities to the local indigenous Maya population, in a country where attending high school is a rare possibility. The school serves students whose families were affected by the genocide of the 1980’s, and focuses on strengthening the local culture and local leadership through education.

In this context, Olimpia will be sharing some of her experiences from working at the New Hope Foundation. Initially, she will provide a brief background of the events that led to its creation. She will focus on the current work that the Foundation is doing with limited resources to further the education of local Maya youth working with popular education methods grounded on the local culture. Lastly, Olimpia will discuss various ways in which the New Hope Foundation has been working together with Canadian organizations and individuals to develop its work through links of solidarity.

About Olimpia Boido

After receiving her MA focusing on intercultural education from OISE/University of Toronto, Olimpia Boido accepted a position to work in curriculum development at the New Hope Foundation from 2004 to 2005. In 2006, Ms Boido returned to Guatemala to be a human rights accompanier and continues to be in close touch with the Foundation

Please click here to download the presentation.