CLAS Weekly Update

Center for Latin American Studies

Upcoming Events

 

 

 

Symposium

 

“Feminism and the Ruses of Coloniality”, featuring Natalie Cisneros (Assistant Professor of Philosophy, Allegheny College), and Julieta Paredes (Mujeres Creando Comunidad, Bolivia)

This symposium has been designed as a three-part collaborative event. First, Dr. Natalie Cisneros will present a portion of her current book project, The illegal Alien: A Genealogical and Intersectional Approach and, in turn, Julieta Paredes will deliver a talk-performance on indigeneity and feminism. Dr. Cisneros’ presentation will bring discussions of feminism and coloniality to bear on the state of the field of contemporary feminist and decolonial theory. As a philosophical and artistic engagement, Feminism and the Ruses of Coloniality focuses on contemporary philosophies and performances of the colonial difference. While these terms have been in circulation since at least the early 1990s, each term has been derived from within different if not divergent traditions in the Americas, North and South. The dialogue between theorists of feminism and theorists of the colonial difference has only recently begun to take place across North and South, with a number of scholars who are looking to push the limits of geopolitical divisions of knowledge.

Dates: Friday, March 1, 2013

Time: 1:30 – 5:30 pm

Location: 602 Cathedral of Learning, Humanities Center, University of Pittsburgh

For information: email arg93@pitt.edu or lavst12@pitt.edu

Sponsored by the Center for Latin American Studies, Department of Hispanic Languages and Literatures, Humanities Center, Program in Cultural Studies, and Department of Theatre Arts.

 

*************************************************************

Lectures

 

“Practices and Processes of Formative Period (1500 BC-AD 300) Agricultural Change on the Taraco Peninsula, Bolivia,” by Maria Bruno (Assistant Professor of Archaeology and Anthropology, Dickinson College)

In the Lake Titicaca Basin of the Andes, narratives of agricultural change have focused exclusively on a single innovation, raised-fields. In this presentation, Dr. Bruno will discuss a wider range of agricultural practices that contribute to agricultural change worldwide, and consider what role they might have played in the development of agricultural production on the Taraco Peninsula, Bolivia during the Formative period (1500 B.C. – AD 500). She examines past agricultural practices through analysis of archaeological plant remains and other related archaeological datasets. This study reveals continuities and changes in agricultural practice that intersected with processes of change in Formative period demography, settlement, public architecture and ritual, and foodways. This new narrative of agricultural change provides a broader context in which to understand the rise and significance of raised-field agriculture in the lake basin.

Date: Friday March 1, 2013

Time: 3:30 pm

Location: 3300 Wesley W. Posvar Hall, Department of Anthropology Lounge

For more information: contact lyl4@pitt.edu

 

“The Americas Upside Down: Is the U.S. Still the ‘Civic Culture’ Role Model? Evidence from the Americasbarometer 2012,” by Mitchell Seligson (Centennial Professor of Political Science, Professor of Sociology, and Director of the Latin American Public Opinion Project, Vanderbilt University)

The Latin American Public Opinion Project (LAPOP) conducts the AmericasBarometer surveys that currently cover 26 countries in the Americas. LAPOP has conducted over 500 surveys of public opinion, mainly focused on democracy, in many countries in Latin America, but has also included projects in Africa and the Balkans.

Professor Seligson is also a former Director (1986-1993) of the Center for Latin American Studies, University of Pittsburgh.

Date: Monday, March 4, 2013

Time: Noon (lunch will be provided)

Location: 4130 Wesley W. Posvar Hall

For more information: contact Luz Amanda Hank at lavst12@pitt.edu or 412-648-7394

Sponsored by the Center for Latin American Studies, University of Pittsburgh.

 

*************************************************************

Amigos del Cine Latinoamericano

Spring 2013 Film Series

 

Film: “Las Malas Intenciones/The Bad Intentions” (Perú, 2011, directed by Rosario García Montero)

A brilliant coming-of-age story that is funny, subtle, and touching. Growing up in a bourgeois house in Lima, 8 year old Cayetana spends a lot of time with herself. She is perhaps the most morose little girl seen on screen idolizing Peruvian independence heroes. Lurking in the background of the story are the attacks of the communist Shining Path guerrillas. The film could very well work as an allegory for feelings of ambivalence towards an uncertain future, but there is still much to enjoy. PG – Parental Guidance

Spanish with English subtitles

Date: Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Time: 6:30 p.m.

Location: Frick Fine Arts Auditorium, University of Pittsburgh

Free and open to the public

Sponsored by the Center for Latin American Studies, the Latin American Collection at the Hillman Library, and the Global Studies Center. For more information contact Mildred López mfl12@pitt.edu or visit http://amigosdelcinelatinoamericano.blogspot.com

 

*************************************************************

Call for Papers

 

“XIII Simposio Interamericano de Investigación Etnográfica de la Educación/ 13th Inter-American Symposium on Ethnography and Education

The website for the Inter-American Symposium on Ethnography and Education XIII / XIII Simposio Interamericano de Investicación Etnografía de la Educación is now open and accepting proposals at http://conferences.gseis.ucla.edu/simposio. The Simposio takes place September 18-20, 2013, at UCLA in Los Angeles. Proposal deadline is March 15, 2013.

This is a rare opportunity for you and your students to engage with leading anthropologists of education from Mexico, Argentina, Brazil and other Latin American countries in an intimate multi-lingual setting. The conference is for all ethnographic research addressing the broad theme, “Majorities, minorities and migrations in comparative perspective,” and is by no means limited to those who work in Latin America or with Latino/a populations.

Sessions will be multilingual and multinational. You may propose a full session, a partial session, or a single paper. Contact the organizers now at xiiisimposiointeramericano@yahoo.com to discuss possibilities.

 

ÍCONOS - Revista de Ciencias Sociales (FLACSO)

Tema: “En busca del Sumak Kawsay”

Coordinación: Víctor Bretón, Fernando García y David Cortez

Entrega de artículos hasta: Miércoles, 1 de mayo de 2013

Publicación: enero 2014 (Íconos es una publicación cuatrimestral de FLACSO-Ecuador)

Envío de artículos a: revistaiconos@flacso.edu.ec

Muchos intelectuales críticos del mundo quedaron fascinados ante la puerta que se abría con el reconocimiento en las constituciones de Ecuador (2008) y Bolivia (2009) del Buen Vivir (Sumak Kawsay en quichua y Suma Qamaña en aymara), una forma alternativa de entender el desarrollo (o una “alternativa al desarrollo”, a decir de numerosos analistas) presuntamente anclada en los saberes “ancestrales” y las cosmovisiones indígenas. El Buen Vivir apareció así como guía programática contrapuesta al insostenible, depredador y etnocida American way of life.

Desde otras posturas también críticas, sin embargo, el Sumak Kawsay plantea algunos problemas: ¿Será una “tradición” inventada y emanada de un particular rechazo a los principios y prácticas de la euromodernidad hegemónica? Pregunta pertinente, pues su respuesta comporta consecuencias epistemológicas y políticas remarcables: ¿Por qué algunos antropólogos, por ejemplo, subrayan que más de cincuenta años de tradición etnográfica en el área andina no hayan dado cuenta de la existencia de tal noción entre las comunidades indígeno-campesinas?; ¿Es imaginable la pervivencia en el tiempo de unas ontologías genuinamente andino-amazónicas en contextos de fuerte hibridación cultural fruto precisamente de la subordinación y racialización secular de esos colectivos subalternos? ¿Estaremos asistiendo a una (re)esencialización de unas “culturas ancestrales” supuestamente incontaminadas como si estuvieran conservadas entre naftalinas? Si es una tradición de nuevo cuño, ¿se tratará de un proceso de ventriloquia política en virtud del cual algunos hablan en nombre de otros?

De todos modos, aun siendo una tradición inventada, el Sumak kawsay encarnaba un gran potencial transformador, pues quería presentarse como alternativa a los modelos imperantes. El otro problema, y no menor, viene de la contradicción a que la real politik somete a tales declaraciones programáticas; del peso que la reconfiguración neo-nacional-desarrollista otorga a las vías de imaginar una alternativa al desarrollo. Todo ello puede, en suma, convertir al Sumak kawsay en otra imagen esencializada frente a la que contemplar la sombra alargada de un desarrollo convencional revestido de alternatividad donde sus supuestos portadores no son más que figurantes o, en el mejor de los casos, clientes de un sistema redistributivo-clientelar a gran escala. En esta línea argumental, en este dossier se hace un llamado a la presentación de trabajos que aporten elementos de reflexión desde la etnografía, la etnohistoria y la historia del pensamiento sobre los fundamentos reales o imaginados en los que se ha cimentado el Sumak Kawsay, o sobre las etnicidades realmente existentes que su formulación implícitamente opaca.

Los artículos deberán ajustarse a la Política Editorial y a las Normas de Publicación (disponibles en www.revistaiconos.ec). Para la selección de artículos se utiliza un sistema de evaluación por lectores pares (peer review). Idiomas: se receptarán propuestas en español, inglés o portugués.

Antes de esa fecha, se pueden contactar con la revista para aclarar dudas y perfilar propuestas.

 

*************************************************************

NOTICE

The following list of events is provided as a service to the community by the

Center for Latin American Studies (CLAS), University of Pittsburgh.

CLAS neither recommends nor endorses these events and activities.

Please address questions or comments about the events to the

contact provided and not to the Center.

 

*************************************************************

School of the Americas Watch Event

Two School Of the Americas Watch (SOA Watch) national organizers will be coming to Pitt to talk about the historical and ongoing battle between the SOA/WHINSEC and their own grassroots movement. They will also field questions and discuss how community members can participate in their efforts.

SOA has been training Latin American military personnel since 1946. This institution, founded with the purpose of asserting democracy over communism in its neighboring countries, is used as a policy tool by the United States government to maintain a vice like influence on politically unstable and underdeveloped Latin American countries. Many SOA graduates have returned to their home countries to commit violent coups, extrajudicial killings, and torture, all in violation of international human rights standards; at least 8 graduates went on to become infamous Latin American dictators.

Open to the general public

Date: Saturday, February 23, 2013

Time: 3:00 – 4:30 pm

Location: 239 Cathedral of Learning, University of Pittsburgh

For more information: email juasenjo@pitt.edu

 

*************************************************************

Circulo Juvenil de Cultura – Taller de Primavera 2013

El taller “Nuestra comida” está dirigido a niños y niñas hispanohablantes de 6 a 12 años de edad. En este taller vamos a conocer, preparar, compartir y disfrutar de diferentes comidas del mundo hispano. También inventaremos algunas recetas originales a partir de ingredientes del mundo hispano/latino y crearemos un recetario comunitario con nuestras experiencias culinarias y algunas recetas de nuestras familias y culturas. Todo en español.

          Hay un pequeño número de becas totales y parciales disponibles para familias que lo necesiten, así como descuentos para hermanos.

Fechas: todos los domingos desde febrero 24 a mayo 5, 2013 (10 sesiones)

Horas: 2:00 a 4:00 pm

Lugar: Hispanic Studies Outreach Program, Modern Languages Department – Baker Hall 160, Carnegie Mellon University, 5000 Forbes Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15213

Para mayor información: acerca del taller, costo e inscripción llame a cualquiera de los siguientes teléfonos 412-268-5149; 412-268-8052; ó 412-268-1895; escríbanos a circulojuvenil@gmail.com, o visite http://circulocmu.blogspot.com/

 

*************************************************************

Spanish at the Main Carnegie Library (Oakland)

 

Let's Learn Spanish! : Spanish language fun for the whole family

Children and their adults - Learn to speak Spanish through stories, songs and rhymes. New vocabulary will be introduced every week.

Date: Every Thursday (February 21 & 28, 2013)

Time: 6:30 – 7:15 pm

Location: Children’s Carnegie Library, 4400 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15213 (Oakland)

For more information: call 412-622-3122 or email children@carnegielibrary.org

Registration is required for this event. You can register by calling 412-622-3122 or by filling in the online form found on each event date (http://www.carnegielibrary.org/events/details.cfm?event_id=80851)

 

Cuentos y Canciones at the Carnegie Library

Stories, songs and rhymes in Spanish for native speakers and beginners alike on the fourth Saturday of the month. Fun for the whole family. Para toda la familia. Bienvenidos!

Date: Saturday, February 23, 2013

Time: 10:30 – 11:15 am

Location: Children’s Carnegie Library, 4400 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15213 (Oakland)

For more information: call 412-622-3122 or email children@carnegielibrary.org

Registration is required for this event. You can register by calling 412-622-3122 or by filling in the online form found http://www.carnegielibrary.org/events/details.cfm?event_id=807578

 

*************************************************************

Fundraiser

 

¡salsita!

Date: March 9, 2013

Time: 7:00pm - 11:30pm

Location: Pittsburgh Opera, 2425 Liberty Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15222

La Escuelita Arcoiris' annual fundraiser returns for another night of tapas, a silent auction, Latin bailes, and much more! Pittsburgh's hottest party happens once a year at Salsita

Enjoy handcrafted Latin American tapas, authentic tropical drinks, and cast your vote for Pittsburgh's best salsa chef. Dance the night away and pick up a few dancing tips from Salsa Pittsburgh.

VIP begins at 7 pm; with an array of tantalizing 'botanas' handcrafted 'bebidas' by experienced bartenders just waiting to serve you make this $75 ticket price a bargain. In addition to Latin sounds, compliments of Pittsburgh's own Jeff Shirey, you'll also receive a complimentary Salsa dance class from Salsa Pittsburgh. If amazing shopping gets you 'caliente', then you'll have plenty of time to peruse the hundreds of items donated by local and national merchants.

Those planning to join us later in the evening for the 'General Party' (8:30 - 11:30 pm @ $35) won't miss all the fun. The 'Sombrero Loco' Photo Booth, the super 'Mercado' Silent Auction and the savory snacks from Latin America continue well into the evening. Afro-Caribe sounds will be provided by Machete Kisumontao for all levels of foot stepping. And if you leave your dancing shoes at home you can still get a taste of salsa at our 'Homemade' Salsa Contest, complete with the 'Golden Molcajete' Award.

$10 of every $35 General Admission ticket is a tax-deductible donation for which no goods or services are received.

$30 of every $75 VIP ticket purchased is a tax deductible donation for which no goods or services are received.

All additional donation amounts beyond ticket purchases are 100% tax-deductible.

All proceeds benefit Spanish-language programs and cultural initiatives at La Escuelita.

Tickets are available now at http://www.showclix.com/event/salsita2013