The blossoms are starting to bud; spring is on the horizon. Uruguayan president José Mujica has entered his 6th month, and legislators are wrangling over the five-year budget. This is strike season. ¡Paro! There are occasional strikes here anyway, mostly of the transit kind, and mostly in response[...]
Archive for the ‘News’ Category
One Day on Earth: What Story Will You Tell?
One Day on Earth is asking you, me, and the rest of the world to film something you're inspired by on that day, with the hope of creating a time capsule that documents our collective struggles and triumphs. You don't have to be a seasoned filmmaker to participate—cell phones and digital cameras wo[...]
Gay Marriage in Latin America: Is Argentina Ahead of the Curve?
Just last week, two men got married in Buenos Aires, Argentina after 34 years together as partners. The coolest part about this? The official crossed out “man and woman” on the license and instead wrote “contracting parties.” They were able to get married because Argentina just recently pass[...]
Nicaragua to Alaska: An Unlikely Duo
I joined the ranks of La Vida because I am an idealist. I believe that, in one way or another, it is our duty to give back what we can. I believe in the right to energy, clean drinking water and education. I believe that idealists who volunteer can make a direct impact and pay [...][...]
iGoooooool!
I open this week’s post with a public service announcement: the Copa Mundial starts this Friday. Perhaps a fairly obvious announcement, for those of us already living in Latin America; but if you, dear reader, are logging in from the USA or perhaps Mars, let this serve as notice to please view[...]
Mother Nature Expresses Herself in Guatemala
There was something uncomfortably casual about the way the tube television rattled atop the stand in Antigua, Guatemala on that afternoon. Tremors are not unheard of in the town, which is surrounded by volcanoes in every direction. The Chapines smirked as this gringo let out universally recognized E[...]
Ending on a Down Note
What a lousy piece of news to receive at the beginning of my last week. The Costa Rican Institute of Tourism opted not to renew its contract to place a CREST teacher in Puerto Jimenez for the next term. I know these things happen. The tourist season was slow this year, with the recession. I’m [...]
Are you an Idealist in Latin America? Write for our blog!
This post was originally published on the Idealist.org homepage blog. Every year more and more people are traveling to Latin America to live, work, travel, and learn. And while these adventure seekers continue to check out the vast cultural, social, and environmental riches of the region—from the[...]
World Urban Forum: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Between March 22 and 26, the city of Rio de Janeiro will host the 5th edition of the World Urban Forum (WUF), sponsored by the United Nations agency for human settlements, UN-Habitat. It is the first time this event will be held in Latin America. A record number of people from over 170 countries hav[...]
