Schedule of Events

The use of the coca leaf has created a great controversy in many countries in South America for many years. This paper will summarize some of the studies of the origins and the symbolic importance of the coca leaf in the indigenes tradition. The advantages and disadvantages the coca leaf brings to the countries, culture, traditions, economy, laws and the acceptance of it will also be discussed. Actions put in place by the president and government to abolish the famous leaf. The coca leaf will continue being one of the most debated and symbolic topics to discuss for many years to come.  

This presentation is the result of a research that explores the arrival and development of various Christian and non-Christian religions and beliefs in the history of Latin America. The research project examines the societal strength of various beliefs and customs, from well-known religions, such as the dominance of Roman Catholicism, to common prominent practices, such as Judaism and Mormonism, to the indigenous creeds, all the way to other worldly religions that left an impact on the area, such as Allan Kardec's notion of Spiritism. It also links religions based on the specific regions where they strived according to the number of devotees for each tradition and makes connections between eras of discovery, conquests, and establishment within the territories in Latin America and the various religious practices.

This presentation focuses on the participation and role of women in the Cristero Rebellion, an event that took place in some states of Mexico between1926-1929.  The Cristero rebellion involved an intense conflict between the Catholic Church and the revolutionary government of that time. The Catholic Church and its followers rose up against the government, and many women participated in different roles, but the participation of women in some of the most important historical reports is not taken into account.  Interestingly, the participation of women in the Cristero rebellion is taken for granted and their struggle is omitted from the written history of Mexico.  It is important to voice the women’s role in this event because, when reviewing the accounts of these historical episodes, men are praised for their participation in the battles while almost no one speaks of what women did.

 Latin America has a very diverse population with a long history of cultures and races that have affected the religious demographic. Although Christianity, mostly in the form of Catholicism, has always been the most important religion practiced in all the Latin American countries, some Latin American countries have a large number of individuals who practice African religions.  This research investigates the different African religions in Latin America with a focus on Brazil, Cuba, Dominican Republic, and Haiti and focuses on the most popular African religions in each country.  The presentation will include what the different practices have in common with each other, and also their differences, in each of the countries studied.

The industrialization of Latin America has evolved dramatically in the last twenty-five years.  Specifically, in Central America, the maquiladora or factory industry has become part of the general economic outlook; changing the socio-cultural, environmental, and labor market dynamics. This study explores the positive and negative relationship of the factory industry in Central American countries. The focus is specifically on the analysis and synthesis of the impact that the maquiladoras have produced; detailing the demographic and typology of the companies, employees, and products that are imported in the international market.  Beyond the financial scope of the manufacturing countries in Latin America, it is important to study how this type of enterprise has changed in the past decade. In terms of geo-location, the appeal of manufacturing goods in Central American maquiladoras will also be investigated. 

This presentation is based on the research of different plans to increase literacy rates in Latin American countries.  Since illiteracy fuels issues of poverty and slow economic growth in these areas, the presentation will aim to synthesize how an increase in education will parallel an increase in literacy amongst the younger generations in Latin America. Literacy encompasses the abilities to read and to write, which ultimately helps add to the development in an active citizenship in a given country or community.  The research reveals how literacy helps to make each of the countries studied reach more social and stable advantages. The presentation will further emphasize the relationship between having some form of education with poverty levels in certain countries, along with the fleeting effects of short-term goals regarding eliminating illiteracy.