“It all depends on our conscience.”
– Rigoberta Menchú Tum

Even though only about half the audience understood the Spanish she was speaking, everyone heard the message Nobel Peace Prize winner Rigoberta Menchú Tum brought: It’s time to reinvent hope.

At a lecture on Friday, Oct. 14, in the Union Ballroom, Tum stressed the importance of not covering up our consciences and revealed our mission, “to reinvent hope.”

Tum is a human rights activist from Guatemala who has led a powerful and controversial life. She was born in 1959 and did family farm work with her peasant Indian family until she experienced tragedy after tragedy.

She took these tragedies in stride and became an activist starting with Committee of the Peasant Union. She has struggled against oppression and fights for the rights of indigenous people.

After being introduced, Tum said, “Thank you very much,” then spoke in Spanish for the rest of the lecture.

Tum spoke universally about how people can make a difference.

“There is too huge of a gap between poverty and wealth,” she said. Tum spoke about her religion and spirituality as she embraced her Mayan heritage. The loss of balance on this planet is something that troubled her.

The “evils” of the world got her caught up and very emotional at times.

She had to wipe her tears away when speaking of the tragedies of the past and present in Guatemala. She spoke seriously about the genocide that occurred there in the 1980s leaving 200,000 dead and many more tortured, raped, homeless, orphaned or illegally imprisoned.

Now, Guatemalans are coming together in a new time of tragedy, as torrential rains and flooding connected to Hurricane Stan have caused devastating mudslides throughout the country.

Tum was in Guatemala on Oct. 6 with Guatemalan President Oscar Berger. The effects of Hurricane Stan left an uncountable number of people affected by the disaster.

It was hard for her to leave the people there, but traveling and speaking is her way of getting “reenergized,” she said.

Tum spoke of more evils, including diseases and war. She said people have to start caring. Tum explained how we invented a war and are happy about our wars. “Everyday we hear that we are heroes for making this war,” she said.

Tum said that people decide for themselves about the issues that affect their lives.

“It all depends on our conscience,” she said.

Tum’s message resonated with Kelsey Sherydan and Jenna Hunter, two students from Beloit College who attended the lecture.

“I think her influence is so important to indigenous people everywhere. All the young people connected with her when she explained how the U.S. should be run with a humanitarian eye,” Sherydan said.

“I think the number of youth here with such a large attendance of UW students is a really good sign,” Hunter said. “Tum’s message of lending a helping hand is important to college students.”

> Comments