Lima, Peru
The Maria Elena Moyano Seminar is a collaborative effort between Illinois State University, Universidad del Pacífico (UP), and CEAPAZ — Center for Peace Studies and Action (Centro de Estudios y Acción para la Paz) and is conducted in Lima, Peru. The Seminar is in memory of and in tribute to Moyano who was murdered by the Shining Path on February 15, 1992.
Program Overview
The seminar introduces students to the political, economic, and social areas of modern Peru and provides them with a chance to experience the culture and to see what has been accomplished in the field of human rights, especially in the wake of the losses suffered as a result of the Shining Path and the regime of Alberto Fujimori during the late 1980s and throughout the 1990s.
The Seminar features lectures, discussions, workshops, and actual participation in ongoing human rights projects in order to give the students first hand experience. The group has worked with many leaders in the fields of human rights, social justice, poverty, violence, and youth programs.
Students discuss and debate current issues and policies focusing on a variety of relevant topics in classes that run Monday through Thursday. Field trips are scheduled to introduce the students to local governments, historic, and cultural sites to help the students gain a greater understanding of the unique history of Peru's development and subsequent affect on modern Peruvian society.
Goals of the Program
The goals of this program are to:
- Understand Peru's historical, economic, and social background
- Gain theoretical and practical knowledge of human rights organizations and human rights violations in Peru
- Participate directly in human rights programs
- Experience life in Peru, in order to understand the culture within which the defense for human rights takes place
- Contribute to the defense and protection of human rights in Peru
- Develop a lasting friendship with the land of Peru and its people
The program includes a series of lectures and participation in human rights projects. The classes will be taught in English by professors of the Universidad del Pacífico, Centro de Estudios y Acción para la Paz (CEAPAZ), and Dr. Carlos Parodi, the ISU Faculty Director of this program.
Requirements
- Prerequisites include a 2.5 cumulative GPA. Recommended course: Peru in Comparative Perspective (POL 340)
- Academic credit received is 2-6 hours of Independent Study in Political Science
- Contact Carlos Parodi, professor in Politics and Government by phone at (309) 438-5467, email at cparodi@ilstu.edu, or you can also contact International Studies and Programs, Fell Hall, (309) 438-5276.
For more information, visit the Universida Del Pacifico Web site.
Machu Picu, Peru
Student Testimonial
"In addition to classroom experience we were encouraged to get out into the community to see firsthand what life in Peru is like. But above all we got to meet the people of Peru who were warm, inviting, and have a lot to teach us." – Rachel Vincent, Peru, 2006