The Story of Rigoberty Menchu in the Context of Nonviolence in Guatemala

Abstract

Wangari Maathai, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate (2004) from Kenya and her environmental engagemenst reflect the premise of this study of Rigoberta Menchú, an Indian woman from Guatemala and the 1992 Nobel Peace Prize Winner for Human Rights, who is primarily known for her testimonial novel I Rigoberta Menchú. This testimony, an oral account of “her people” dictated to a transcriber, brought Menchú equal fame and controversy (Sklodowska, 1993; Arias, 1996; Rus, 1999; Beverley, 2000). To understand Menchu’s importance as a pivotal figure in the area of global nonviolence I explore the notion of an icon and nonviolence.

Presenters

Anna Hamling
Professor, Culture and Media Studies, UNB, Canada

Details

Presentation Type

Paper Presentation in a Themed Session

Theme

Civic, Political, and Community Studies

KEYWORDS

Environment, Nonvioence, Rigoberta Menchu