Women and Development: a community based learning project in Chiapas, Mexico
This Capstone provides an opportunity to learn about Chiapas Mexico and immerse yourself in the indigenous Mayan culture. The course includes a 2 week educational experience in the city of San Cristobal de las Casas.
In San Cristobal and surrounding areas you will visit weaving cooperatives, microfinance projects, natural medicine cooperative, women’s health clinics, marginalized communities and experience different approaches to community development with the focus on women as the critical player.
Some evenings will be spent learning about social, political, economic and cultural issues in Southern Mexico.
This Capstone is open to PSU juniors and seniors in all majors. Spanish language skills are highly recommended. There will be a service project as part of the experience.
Please contact Pat Rumer, rumer@pdx.edu, for more information.
Project
Chiapas Mexico Women DVD
The students will produce a DVD/video that illustrates the various economic development strategies women in Chiapas, Mexico are using to make progress in achieving MDG 3. This DVD will be used by Mercy Corps, the community partner in its Education/Action Center in Portland to educate its constituency about women and development. Mercy Corps will open an interactive action center at its new headquarters in Portland, Oregon in the fall of 2009. They have a companion web site: www.actioncenter.org which is operational now. Julie Mancini, the Education/Action Center director will define the focus of the DVD. She will work with the Capstone class to develop content areas and suggest questions to guide the onsite interviews in Mexico and assist with the final production of the DVD. If requested, the Capstone class will also make a final presentation to their community partner.
