Changing the Nature of Education in the Valleys of Bolivia

Abstract

In the fall of 2014 I spent three months studying multiculturalism, globalization, and social change with the School for International Training (SIT) in various regions of Bolivia. During my studies, I had the incredible opportunity and privilege to learn from scholars and professionals in various fields about Bolivia’s history, the impact of colonialism, indigenous movements, and current political and social issues. I met with individuals and groups representing diverse positions on the political spectrum including policy makers in the presidential office, representatives of the World Bank, and petroleum companies with an agenda of economic development and specific, economy-oriented ideas of progress. I also talked with individuals in grassroots organizations and social and environmental activists, who have radical ideas to shift away from the dominant paradigm of global exploitation and neoliberalism to approaches that are more just to humans and the Earth, and more sustainable for all life. In these diverse encounters, I sensed a common and powerful desire for people to better their country and their communities. Although the call for social and political change was present among each of these groups, I observed that their words and actions were rooted in very different ideals of development and well-being. As my study abroad program focused on these themes, one question continued to arise in conversations: How do people in Bolivia think about and Melina Latona practice vivir bien? That is, what does it mean “to live well,” what does it look like, and how is it promoted?