While many students flock to sunny Florida for spring break, 14 Miami University students will travel to politically torn Guatemala to gain a better understanding of the country's human rights issues.
The trip is coordinated by Global Exchange, an international organization that educates students on the sustainability of other countries, according to the trip's brochure.
Guatemala, a country bordered by Mexico and Honduras, had the longest civil war in Latin American history spanning from 1960 to 1996. The Guatemalan military battled for total control of the country while several guerrilla factions tried to oust the military power, sophomore Meghan Beddow said.
Beddow said the U.N. Council for Truth called the Guatemalan government the worst abuser of human rights in the hemisphere. According to Beddow, by the end of the war in 1996, over 200,000 Guatemalans had been killed - 83 percent of them were indigenous Mayans.
In 1985, Guatemala had a run-off democratic election, but it took another 11 years of warfare for the Democratic Party to gain control of the country. Beddow said the need in Guatemala is obvious.
"In most parts of Guatemala, the racial and economic divisions associated with these problems and the country's violent history is still very much evident," Beddow said. "In some parts of Guatemala you can still see pieces of despair and economic division."
While in Guatemala, Beddow said the goal of the 14 Miami students is to become educated about the economic differences between classes and social unrest, political situations and both environmental and economic sustainability.
Beddow said many of the students have traveled or studied abroad before, but this is the first social activism trip in another country for most of the group.
During the week in Guatemala, Beddow said the students will meet with several human rights groups traveling from Guatemala City to Antigua to learn about the new social movements coming out of the country, all while bonding with the poorest people in countryside and villages.
"Knowledge is key," Beddow said. "The 14 of us can do little to help the people of Guatemala in one week, but by educating students about the social and political unrest, when they graduate and become active leaders in society and become the leaders of the country in whatever occupation, they will have a better understanding of the injustices in Guatemala and will make decisions to improve the situation."
The students plan to host several educational lectures to pass on their spring break experiences in Guatemala, complete with the tongue-in-cheek title "Globalization Gone Wild," Beddow said.
The cost for each student is approximately $1,200, $720 of which goes to airplane fare. To raise money, the students are holding fundraisers around Oxford, including a bartending gig at Kona Bistro where the students will keep the tips earned and a portion of drinks served.
Kona manager Josh Seidel said he thinks the trip is for a good cause.
"I think it's great for college students taking their vacation time to help others become politically aware of social injustice," Seidel said. "It's something to be commended for."
Senior Jessie Brown, a head coordinator for the trip, said traveling to places in need is the best form of education.
"These trips greatly change students' perspectives of injustice," Brown said. "A book can only tell you so much about a country; you have to go there and live it and experience it."
The group will also host a fundraising opportunity at 8 p.m. March 4 at Stadium Bar & Grille featuring live music. The cover charge for admission will go towards the cost of the trip.
