Human Rights, Memory and Democracy
Michael Lazzara
Spanish and Portuguese
I have been a professor in the Department of Spanish and Portuguese at UCD since 2004 and regularly teach courses on contemporary Latin American literature, culture and film. I am also one of the founding faculty of the Human Rights Studies program and teach regularly in the Human Rights minor. Summer Abroad has offered me the opportunity to make the world my classroom, and the experience has been unforgettable. I love sharing with my students the knowledge and contacts I have gained over 30 years of traveling to Chile for study and research. I am amazed each year at the depth of reflection and commitment that the program inspires among students. I am also moved by the deep friendships that my UC Davis students form with their Chilean classmates; the opportunity to learn from and with Chilean peers is one of the program’s richest aspects! Students who have participated in the Chile program have gone on to study and work in law, public policy, journalism, education, human rights, and other fields that directly relate to the course I teach. It is always special when students tell me that their career choice was in some way impacted by what they learned in Chile. It is just amazing to see how Summer Abroad, in ways small or large, changes lives! Nothing is as invigorating as learning "hands on," in context. Life is simply richer when one learns to see from other points of view.
A Message to Students and Parents
I am excited that you have expressed interest in spending this summer in Santiago, Chile and that some have already begun the application process. I have planned an unforgettable experience for you—a first-hand experiential seminar (in English) that will introduce you to the last 75 years of Chile’s history, politics, and culture. The course is perfect for students interested in human rights, politics, international relations, Latin American history, the Cold War and its aftermath, cultural studies, and the lasting individual and societal effects of authoritarianism and dictatorships. You will study at the most prestigious university in South America, Pontifica Universidad Católica de Chile (or UC Chile), and will spend three intense weeks dialoging with Chilean peers who will your classmates. Your classmates will come from many disciplinary backgrounds and life experiences, which will enrich your learning.
Over three decades of traveling to Chile, I have forged many relationships in Chile with prominent artists, academics, politicians, and activists who have been the protagonists of their country’s recent history. These colleagues will be your teachers and will help me introduce you to the complexities of the country’s past, present, and future. In total, I have lived in Chile for over three years of my life, and I can honestly say that it is one of the most beautiful and historically fascinating places in South America! Towering mountains, immense glaciers, active volcanoes, miles of picturesque coastlines, fabulous skiing, hiking galore, bustling modern cities and friendly people: Chile has it all! I can’t wait to share with you all I have learned in my years of research and travel.
Our course will be based in Santiago, Chile’s capital and home to a third of the country’s population. In Santiago, you will stay in a boutique hotel in a very safe residential and commercial neighborhood (Lastarria) that’s very close to the university. “Casa Central,” the historic, main campus of UC Chile is only a five-minute walk. All the conveniences of home will be easily within reach (cyber-cafes, laundry services, ATMs, abundant shopping etc.), while at the same time you will be just steps away from Santiago’s modern subway system that can take you quickly and efficiently to anywhere you want to go in the city. We will take excursions as a class to fun and interesting places like the cities of Valparaíso and Viña del Mar (on the Pacific coast), vineyards, the homes of Nobel Prize winning poet Pablo Neruda, artisan villages, museums, and important historical sites related to Chile’s periods of revolution, dictatorship and democratic transition.
The great thing about this class will be its experiential quality. Instead of just reading about Chile’s recent history, you will live it and hear about it from the people who have made it!
If I can answer any questions, please don’t hesitate to send me an email.
This is going to be a great trip and an unforgettable academic and life experience!