trippin' around bolivia

Call me biased, but Bolivia is one amazing country! Its diverse ecosystems, rich history, beautiful landscapes, distinct cultures, and friendly people (to name just a few) make way for fascinating travels and memorable experiences.

The magnificent Yungas--pictures really don't do them justice.

Yes, it's true, Bolivia is generally touted as a country for thrill seekers. A recent NY Times article, in fact, wrote that Bolivia is a great travel destination for "the young and daring who are willing to exchange safety, comfort and convenience for thrills on the cheap." But frankly, I think the press (and those of us who live here) often exaggerate Bolivia's dangerousness for dramatic appeal. Seriously, who doesn't like bragging rights!?

A half hour outside of La Paz, alpacas roam the barren foreground and snow covers the distant mountains.

In truth, there are many very safe and comfortable ways to experience the magic and wonder of Bolivia...without having to add the word "extreme" to your vocabulary (just ask my mother!!). This week, for example, I'm traveling with a relatively "high maintenance" gringo pal to Bolivia's world-famous Madidi National Park. Wanting a bonafide adventure without having to compromise safety or comfort, I've found a way for the both of us to satisfy all of our trip-to-the-rain forest expectations.

All to say that it's definitely possible to visit Bolivia without eyebrows raising or hearts pulsing. This April, for example, Carmen Pampa Fund and Augsburg College's Center for Global Education are sponsoring an all-inclusive, educational trip to my Bolivian backyard.

The trip, Working for the Common Good: Education and Development in Bolivia, will explore the indigenous Aymaran's concept of ayni--the mutual responsibility and sharing and protecting of resources on behalf of the common good. Of course, it will consider this concept and how, specifically, it relates to the mission and vision of the UAC-CP. It will be a way for the less-adventuresome to experience Bolivia outside the realm of peligro. People interested in learning more about this travel opportunity can contact me or Carmen Pampa Fund.

As with travel to anywhere, I have reminded my amigo del norte that despite our comfortably scheduled itinerary, he should definitely leave room in his suitcase for patience and a good sense of humor. Because, in the end, it wouldn't be a trip to the Bolivia I know and love without at least one flat tire!

aprendizaje es metanoía

There were a lot of uneasy looking faces walking around the upper campus yesterday. They were the faces of the nearly 200 young people who registered for the College's entrance exam. The test determines the incoming class roster for the first semester of 2009.*

En pocas palabras, I love this time of year at the UAC!  It's the time when I am most aware of the transformation that happens in our students' lives during their years of study in Carmen Pampa.  It's the time when I'm able to compare our new arrivals to their older, more self-confident counterparts and realize that I truly am a witness to the power of the College's motto:  aprendizaje es metanoía.

A close up of a mural on campus that has the words "aprendizaje es metanoía" on the pages of a book with a green, mountainous backdrop.

Aprendizaje es metanoía.  Those are the words painted on the side of the Pre-University residence hall facing the Campus Leahy courtyard.  The motto is a message and a reminder to students that learning is change. But more than a change, really, it's a fundamental--some may dare translate it as a spiritual--transformation. 

Every year, young men and women gather up their courage and arrive in Carmen Pampa with a heart full of hope and, as UAC-CP director Fr. Freddy said: "a curiosity...to discover the alternative opportunities that the College provides."  From near and far, they come to the UAC-CP. Most, especially those who come from small, remote communities, are very shy and timid. And without fail, I spend at least the first three months asking new students to speak more clearly, to look at me when they talk...if they talk to me at all. 

Sorted and ready for review, piles of exams sat in the main office yesterday afternoon.

But something happens mid-way through their first year: posture improves, eyes make contact, homesickness dissipates, personalities shine, and leaders begin to emerge.  And by the time they graduate, by the time they stand before a panel of professors and defend their thesis in front of a group of family, friends, and classmates, our students, the same ones who once cast their eyes to the ground, are proud, confident, well-spoken adults.

Truthfully, it's one of the primary reasons I attend thesis defenses--to be reminded that despite all the hardships, disappointments, and seemingly impossible challenges that are faced every day at a College dedicated to serving the poor, I am here to somehow be a part of the extraordinary change-the metanoía-that happens at the UAC-CP.

Not to be misunderstood, not all of our students undergo a profound transformation.  But it happens enough and quite significantly, I think.  That is why I am here.

It is also why, yesterday, I couldn't help but consciously look around at a classroom full of nervous test takers and consider how much their young lives will change in the coming years. And on behalf of all their worries and insecurities, I felt for them a grand sense of confidence that, like the UAC-CP pioneers who came before them, they too will have the opportunity to learn, to grow, to change...to experience metanoía.

*See comment section.

"mi querida universidad"

Last month I sent out a mass e-mail to UAC-CP graduates asking them to respond to a few basic questions like: Where are you currently living? What do you do for work? Have you continued studying? How do you believe you are realizing the mission of the UAC-CP in both your professional and personal life?

I purposely left the final question of my on-line inquisition open-ended by asking them to share anything that they hadn't already addressed in their previous answers. And, as I had hoped, the vague questioning led to some beautifully written comments.

A couple days ago I received the following message from UAC-CP Veterinary graduate Miguel Angel Quisbert that I thought was worth sharing:

"The truth is, I consider myself a very fortunate person and give thanks to God for having been able to study at the UAC-CP.

I also give thanks to Sr. Damon Nolan who instilled me with great values. During my life at the College I experienced both very sad and extremely happy times and Sr. Damon was always at my side to give me the support that I very much needed in those moments. I believe that without her support, I would not be who I am today.

I know that behind Sr. Damon existed many people who supported her dream to build the College. I believe that without their support, nothing would've been possible. Because of them, I was able to study at the UAC-CP with the help of a scholarship. For that reason, I also give thanks to the Carmen Pampa Fund and other institutions and people who have supported me and the UAC-CP.

I give many thanks to all the people who made and continue to make the UAC-CP a reality."

Today, Miguel wrote, he is working as a consultant and advisor in the elaboration of plans with Nueva Economía--work that has brought him back to the College where he has given presentations and workshops about how to create business plans for current students, faculty, and staff. Miguel also teaches a course at Loyola University in La Paz and works with Dr. Roger Carvajal Saravia, the ex-vice minister of science and technology, on a project to develop protocol for bio-experimental medicine.