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Fall
2000 Las Noticias
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LAS NOTICIAS ESTUDIANTILES
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Las Noticias
Estudiantiles
EDITOR
Sue Taylor
CO-EDITORS
Nancy Gonzalez
Cymene Howe
Martin Huenneke
Dana Logan
SOLAS OFFICERS
President: Jeannie Ellis
Vice President: James Grubel
Secretary: Roberta Rice
Treasurer: Nancy Gonzalez
Community Outreach Coordinator: Marty Huenneke
Latin American and Iberian Institute
Director: Gil Merkx
Deputy Director: Theo Crevenna
Las Noticias Estudiantiles is published quarterly by SOLAS and the Latin
American and Iberian Institute at the University of New Mexico, Albuquerque
Opinions expressed within are those of the individual contributors and do not necessarily
represent that of the staff, SOLAS or the LAII.
SOLAS
THE STUDENT ORGANIZATION
FOR LATIN AMERICAN STUDIES
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Every academic year is new and different. New
students and new faculty are getting to know returning students and faculty. The
events that mark the new academic year and make it different from the past are
beginning. The larger world continues to change as well. This is a
presidential election year for the United States. The President of Peru has just
announced his pending resignation. Ecuador has finished its conversion to the
dollar. Mexico is soon to inaugurate the first president elected from the opposition
since the Revolution of 1910. A sense of the new and the possible is soon to be
echoed in the first crispness of the approaching autumn.
Here at the Latin America and Iberian Institute (LAII) there is even more activity than
elsewhere on the University of New Mexico campus. We welcome a substantial new
cohort of outstanding graduate students from around the nation and from other
countries. They joined our other graduate students returning from field trips to
Latin America, internships in Washington, or summer jobs. It is a time to make new
friends, salute old friends, and take up the intellectual challenges of courses in Latin
American studies.
The Latin Americanist faculty are also returning from field work abroad, summers of
research and writing, or vacations, refreshed and ready to rise to the challenge of
teaching. They are as excited by the new academic year and the resumption of
interaction as the students, though less likely to show it. Good students and good
faculty make an intellectually exciting environment. We are fortunate to have both.
This is an innovative period for the Latin American and Iberian Institute. This
November the LAI will sponsor a major conference on "The European Union and the
Americas: Trade, Politics, and Culture." This conference is part of our
ongoing joint research program with the Universidad Torcuato Di Tella (Buenos Aires) on
the effects of NAFTA and MERCOSUR. We are continuing a series of projects with the
Organization of American States, of which UNM is a collaborating institution. This
is the second academic year that the Iberian component of our mission is in effect.
We have signed a number of exchange agreements with Spanish universities and expect more
visitors from Spain. Among these will be the heir to the Spanish crown, the Principe
de Asturias. Your student organization, SOLAS, already has a great lineup of
speakers for its events. We hope that these and other LAII projects and activities
will help make your program of study at UNM every bit as rewarding as you would wish it to
be. All the faculty and staff at the LAII wish you a millennium welcome to UNM and
the LAII!
Gilbert W. Merkx
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A new school year means another busy year
for SOLAS. We started off the semester with an organizational meeting in which we
discussed future projects for SOLAS, elected officers and committee members, and just got
to know each other. I was happy to see so many new faces, and I hope to see all of
you at upcoming events. I'm proud to announce our new SOLAS officers: James Grubel
as Vice President, Nancy Gonzalez as Treasurer, and Roberta Rice as Secretary.
Congratulations, and thanks for your help!
As always, SOLAS is continuing its Brown Bag Lecture Series, in which we host speakers
from the UNM community and beyond to discuss relevant topics in Latin America and
Spain. They are held from 12 - 1 p.m. on Fridays at the LAII, although at times we
have to change the schedule to accommodate visiting scholars. So far we have had a
professor of economics from Argentina, a professor of political science from Venezuela, a
UNM Ph.D. Anthropology student, and a UNM Master's student in Community and Regional
Planning. In addition, the LAII hosted a Quechua scholar and weaver from Peru, Nilda
Callañaupa, whose intricate weavings can be seen on display at the Maxwell Museum on
campus. Please look out for future Brown Bag announcements, and if you have any
ideas for speakers, let me know!
SOLAS began its Fall Movies Series with La Ley de Heródes, a recent Mexican film
that
(Continued on
page 3)
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LAS NOTICIAS ESTUDIANTILES
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Meet Bill Stanley
New LAS Director
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Bill Stanley joined LAII in August as
director of the Latin American Studies program. This is his second time in
this position: he served previously in 1994. He is an associate professor of
political science who has taught at UNM since 1990. He teaches courses on law
and justice in Latin America, Central American politics, Inter-American relations and
quantitative research methods. Dr. Stanley did his graduate work at MIT, concentrating in
international relations and political development, research methods, and defense
planning. His interest in Central America, especially El Salvador, developed while
he was in Boston, where thousands of Salvadoran refugees arrived in the early 1980s.
His academic research has focused on political violence, conflict resolution,
civil-military relations, and the politics of justice sector reform, all with an emphasis
on Central America.
In addition to publishing academic writings, Professor Stanley tries to do research that
is policy relevant. Past projects include reports for the Washing Office in Latin
American on such topics as police reform. He also served as a consultant for the UN
Truth Commission in El Salvador. He is currently working on his second book,
which will compare The Salvadoran and Guatemalan peace processes.
As LAS director, one of Dr. Stanley's first priorities is to convince students to
get more frequent and consistent advisement. He would much rather review students'
programs early than devise creative solutions to problems later - but this will depend on
students seeking the advisement they need (hint, hint). He is a true believer in
interdisciplinary programs, but says they are often more complicated for students to
navigate. He hopes to see the program grow over the next few years, increase funding
for students, and expand the number of international students enrolled in the
program. He is working on some new initiatives for the program such as a dual
degree program with the School of Education and new areas of concentration.
On a personal note, Dr. Stanley is married to Judy Bieber, UNM history professor.
They have one daughter, Ruth, who is two years old. When he can find free time, he
likes outdoor activities such as hiking, cross-country skiing and telemarking. He is
also an avid cyclist. He admitted to growing up in Texas, a fact he would prefer to keep
secret!
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Hello fellow students, new and returning!
I am pleased to have the opportunity to be the editor of Las Noticias Estudiantiles for the coming
year. Not only am I new to Las Noticias, I am new to UNM and to New
Mexico. But I have an enthusiastic and capable staff of co-editors and I'm excited
about what the coming year will bring.
Las Noticias is a resource for SOLAS students. It will include what SOLAS is
planning, what is happening on campus and LAII as well as articles by students. Las
Noticias gives students an opportunity to share their work with other students - either
completed or work in progress. In this edition we have submissions from Mary
Belman about her experiences serving as an observer during the elections in Chiapas and
Kent Swanson about his work on the Rio Laja watershed.
Also included in this issue is a list of the new students and award winners. Please
introduce yourself to the new students
(Continued on
page 8)
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LAS NOTICIAS ESTUDIANTILES
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RMCLAS 2nd Call for Papers
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We are issuing a call and are seeking
papers and panel proposals to be presented during the XXXXV meeting of the ROCKY MOUNTAIN
COUNCIL FOR LATIN AMERICAN STUDIES.
This annual meeting of RMCLAS will be held at the CITY CENTER HOLIDAY INN in beautiful
Tucson, Arizona, near the University of Arizona campus, March 1-4, 2001.
Send to: Paper and panel
proposals should be submitted to RMCLAS President William Beezley at the Department of
History, 215 Social Sciences Building, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721-0027.
The fax number at the Department of History is 520/621-2422. Bill Beezley's direct line at
the University of Arizona is 520/621-7107.
Deadline: Because we
anticipate a large attendance, early submission of proposals plus a brief abstract is
encouraged. As in all previous RMCLAS meetings the participation and presentation of
papers by graduate students is strongly encouraged. Our tentative deadline for proposal
submissions is December 1, 2000.
Location: Our meeting
hotel will be the recently renovated CITY CENTER HOLIDAY INN, one of Tucson's finest
hotels located near the University of Arizona. We have been able to negotiate a room rate
of $99 per night single or double occupancy. We anticipate filling the entire hotel and
urge you to make early reservations. Please telephone either 1/800/465-4529 (the Holiday
Inn central reservation number) or the City Center Holiday Inn at 520/624-8711. Please
mention that your reservation is for the RMCLAS annual meeting.
RMCLAS Membership: A
small reminder: all participants in the 2001 RMCLAS meeting must pay their membership dues
for the year 2001 before papers or panels can be accepted. A membership dues notice is
attached for your use. Life memberships are available, please call the Center for Latin
American Studies at 505/646-2842. The membership rates remain $25 US for faculty and, $15
US for students. Dues should be sent to RMCLAS Secretary-Treasurer Ray Sadler, Box 3LAS,
RMCLAS Secretariat/Center for Latin American Studies/New Mexico State University, Las
Cruces, NM 88003. For questions about dues please call Ray Sadler at the NMSU Department
of History, 505/646-4601.
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Call for Papers for the 21st Annual
Conference of ILASSA to be held February 23-24, 2001 at the University of Texas, Austin.
The Student Conference on Latin America, organized by the Institute of Latin American
Studies Student Association (ILASSA) at the University of Texas, is an interdisciplinary
forum for students involved in Latin American research topics. The conference
provides students an opportunity to present research activities, develop presentational
skills, exchange ideas and information, and meet other scholars working on Latin America.
ILASSA invites students to submit for acceptance a single-page abstract of a paper
focusing on any topic in Latin American Studies. The final deadline for receipt of
abstracts is October 16, 2000. Final notices will be emailed by November 17, 2000 to
accept or decline student's submissions for the conference. Students invited to
participate will have until January 12, 2001, to submit final papers. During the
conference, each student will have approximately 20 minutes to present his or her work in
a panel arranged around a common theme.
For additional information you may contact the 2001 conference coordinators, Andrew
Holubeck and Rob Leitner at ilassa@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu.
The full announcement of the call for papers has been posted at the LAII.
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LAS NOTICIAS ESTUDIANTILES
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Conference on Regional Integration Among
the European Union and the Americas
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This Fall, UNM will be hosting a
conference on regional integration among the European Union and the Americas, entitled
"The European Union and the Americas: Trade, Politics and Culture", to be held
November 9-11, 2000.
The conference will consist of three plenary sessions over two days, and brings together
distinguished Latin Americanists from Latin America, North America, and Europe. Students
are encouraged to attend this conference, but we ask that all attendees pre-register with
the LAII. SOLAS members will receive registration forms and schedules in the mail, all
other students wishing to attend may pick up a registration packet at the LAII. There is
also a program information and a registration form posted on the LAII website, at
www.unm.edu/~laiinfo. There are no conference fees for UNM students, faculty and staff
-conference attendance is free- but there are fees for the luncheons and dinners, and the
excursion to Santa Fe on Saturday, that are scheduled as part of the conference.
CONFERENCE SCHEDULE:
First Plenary Session: Overview of Trade Issues
Ortega Hall Reading Room, UNM, Thursday November 9, 7:30 pm
Moderator: Christine Sauer, Professor of Economics, University of New Mexico
Andrew Crawley, Acting Director, Institute of European-Latin American
Relations, Madrid (EU)
Pablo Sanguinetti, Professor of Economics, Universidad Torcuato di Tella,
Buenos Aires
(LA)
Jeffrey Schott, Senior Fellow, Institute for International Economics, Washington (US)
Second Plenary Session: Overview of Politics
Ortega Hall Reading Room, UNM, Friday November 10, 9:00 am
Moderator: Karen Remmer, Professor of Political Science, University of New Mexico
José Manuel Salazar Xirinachs,
Director, OAS trade unit, "Politics of Trade Integration in
Latin
America"
Alberta Sbragia, Director of Center for European Studies, University of Pittsburgh,
"Domestic
Politics and Trade Policies in Europe"
Frederick Mayer, Professor of Political Science, Duke University,
"Domestic
Politics and Trade Policies in North America" --to be confirmed
Peter Moser, Austrian Ambassador to the US, "Politics of the European Union and
Implications
of Trade Relations with the Americas"
THIRD PLENARY SESSION: OVERVIEW OF
CULTURAL
ISSUES
Ortega Hall Reading Room, UNM, Friday, November 10, 1:30 pm
Moderator: Carlos Ulibarrí, Visiting Professor of Business, University of New Mexico
Hernán Galperín, Professor of Communications, University of Southern California,
"Cultural Property
Issues"
Richard Brecht, Director, National Foreign Language Center, "Language Issues
and
Integration"
Dieter Patt, Governor of Kreis Neuss, "Cultural Identity in the European Union, NAFTA
and MERCOSUR"
This conference is sponsored by the Latin American and Iberian Institute, on
conjunction with the Atlantic Bridge on the Camino Real, the College of Arts and Sciences,
The Division of Continuing Education, and the German Program of the Department of Foreign
Literatures and Languages. More information can be obtained through the website, or by
calling the LAII at 277-2961.
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Students Speak: "What I did
last summer"
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Thanks to an LAII FRG grant, this summer I
got to go to Mexico City for a few weeks to start my field research on informal economies.
I basically spent entire days running the streets of downtown, interviewing street vendors
in all the worst neighborhoods. I even got thrown out of one street market, but not before
I picked up all sorts of pirate Hello Kitty merchandise. My research assistant
Gabriel was especially helpful in introducing me to the anarchist reggae underground, and
I spent a few Saturdays in the punk rock swap meet El Chopo, helping new friends sell
counterfeit CD's. A final tour brought me to Ciudad Nezahualcoyotl for a basic
lesson in Mexican graffitti. All in all, I had an interesting trip and was able to
get plenty of surveys to complete my research tasks too.
Kim Nolan
I worked as a legal intern for the Immigrant Assistance Program in Alamosa, Colorado
assisting the Mexican and Guatemalan community with their immigration legal issues and
conducting outreach.
Melissa Ewer
My summer was not too exciting. I spent most of the summer working and preparing to
move to New Mexico. In August my dog, two cats and I, with the help of a friend,
drove 1,400 miles in two days from Indiana to Albuquerque.
Sue Taylor
This past summer I volunteered with a Honduran development agency called Proyecto Aldea
Global Project Global Village). It is a relatively small NGO that focuses on a
wide range of rural and urban development projects. I worked in a slum of Tegucigalpa in
which PAG is helping to develop micro-business in order to make the residents more
self-sufficient. Specifically, I worked with a group of women to expand their hand-made
greeting cards program. It was immensely rewarding to work with people so kind and
generous, and (I know this sounds very corny) I really felt like I was making a
difference.
Jeannie Elis
Last summer I was in La Habana, Cuba for
seven weeks working on my dissertation. It was truly a fascinating time to be in Cuba!
While in La Habana I attended two of the mass marches in support of Elian Gonzalez being
returned to Cuba. I was also there the night
(Continued on
page 5)
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