A Special Encounter with Nobel Laureate Rigoberta Menchú Tum: A Bilingual Broadcast

https://is1-ssl.mzstatic.com/image/thumb/Podcasts125/v4/5b/67/2f/5b672f8f-23a3-10f9-9488-2fcc5f760a43/mza_11701378816843301135.jpg/600x600bb.jpg

Atenea Americana - by Stanford Hispanic Broadcasting

Stanford Hispanic Broadcasting - Isabel Jubes

15 episodes

1 week ago

Atenea in Spanish means “The House of Culture.” It is a name inspired by the goddess of war and culture “Athens” (in Spanish Atenea). In many Hispanic countries, there is a space called “Atenea” or “Ateneo.” This place is usually a hub for culture or cultural centers, where people meet to enjoy, get informed, and discuss matters of culture. This show represents that, as the aim is to join people through culture. Americana has many meanings in this context. One of them is the whole "American Continent" as this refers to it people in and out of Latin America, with different ethnicities and races but a similar thread in culture.

All content for Atenea Americana - by Stanford Hispanic Broadcasting is the property of Stanford Hispanic Broadcasting - Isabel Jubes and is served directly from their servers with no modification, redirects, or rehosting. The podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Podjoint in any way.

A Special Encounter with Nobel Laureate Rigoberta Menchú Tum: A Bilingual Broadcast

Atenea Americana - by Stanford Hispanic Broadcasting

54 minutes 38 seconds

1 year ago

A Special Encounter with Nobel Laureate Rigoberta Menchú Tum: A Bilingual Broadcast

A few months ago, I had the immense honor of meeting and interviewing Rigoberta Menchú Tum, the Nobel Peace Prize laureate and K’iche’ Mayan activist, during an event hosted by Cultura y Arte Nativa de las Américas (CANA) in San Francisco. This encounter was originally aired live on my radio show, bringing her words and wisdom to the airwaves. Now, I’m excited to share the podcast version of this experience, in both Spanish and English, thanks to a live translation.

It was a bilingual event, and now with the podcast here it is, another layer of accessibility for those who might have missed the live radio broadcast.

Rigoberta Menchú Tum’s life story is one of profound resilience and unwavering dedication to social justice. Born in 1959 in the Guatemalan highlands, Rigoberta’s advocacy work was shaped by her personal experiences during the Guatemalan Civil War, which resulted in the genocide of nearly 150,000 Mayans. Tragically, her family was among the victims, with her brother, mother, and father being tortured and murdered by government forces. she later transformed her pain into action, becoming an international advocate for Indigenous rights, human rights, and peace.

Her commitment to these causes earned her the Nobel Peace Prize in 1992, and since then, Menchú Tum has continued her tireless work through the Rigoberta Menchú Tum Foundation. Her focus on human rights, education, food security, and environmental justice has touched countless lives, particularly those in marginalized communities. As she explained that day, humility and kindness have been guiding forces throughout her journey, reminding us of the importance of these values in activism.

The event where I met Rigoberta Menchú Tum was hosted by CANA, an organization rooted in San Francisco’s Mission District. CANA is perhaps best known for producing the annual Carnaval San Francisco, a celebration of Latin American and Caribbean cultures. Their mission goes beyond festivals, though—they aim to educate the Bay Area about the rich cultures and Indigenous healing practices from the Americas. CANA’s latest project, Somos Esenciales, has received multi-million-dollar funding from the National Institutes of Health to focus on community revitalization and health through the arts and entrepreneurship.

Menchú Tum was the grand marshal for the Carnaval San Francisco, and during her appearance at the Indigenous People’s Cultural Arts and Healing Center in the Mission District, she spoke of her deep connection to the city and its Indigenous community. She reflected on her early mentors in San Francisco, who helped guide her activism, and how much she had learned from Native American leaders from tribes like the Navajo, Hopi, and Dakota. “My main teachers were from here, from San Francisco. These were brothers and sisters that were my guides,” she said, emphasizing the shared struggles of Indigenous peoples to protect their lands and defend Mother Earth.

The reception that followed her participation in Carnaval drew over 300 attendees to the Healing Center, where Menchú Tum shared more about her connection to the Bay Area. Her message of resilience, hope, and collective action resonated deeply with the audience, especially when she spoke of the importance of humility and kindness in the fight for justice. Her ability to speak from both personal and collective experience has made her a global symbol for human rights and Indigenous rights.

What makes this episode even more special is its connection to another podcast I posted about the Carnaval itself, which aired just a day before the inauguration of the CANA Healing Cent...