Coffee Hour: Behind the Scenes of Lake Titicaca: The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly of Living Tourism - 4/17
Saturday, April 17 10:00am-11:45am At the Resource Center of the Americas
Presented in English
Description: Each year more than 45,000 tourists visit the Department of Puno, nestled in the southeastern corner of Peru. The region is famous for being home to the highest navigable lake in the world, Lake Titicaca,located at 13,000 ft. above sea level. Each month, hundreds of visitor travel into the lake to learn the ways of life of the rural, peasant Aymara and Quechua island inhabitants. The boatloads of visitors often do not realize the consequences of their presence on these communities. In 2007, Fulbright scholar Laura Kurland conducted an independent study to understand the positive and negative impacts living tourism has on community cohesion and development in the rural island communities of Lake Titicaca. The presentation provides insight from her research as well as a dialogue space to consider the traveler’s role in alternative tourism opportunities. As the Regional Coordinator for Latin America at Minneapolis’ Global Citizens Network, Laura shares opportunities GCN provides for responsible short-term volunteer tourism.
Speaker:Laura Kurland. Global Citizens Network-Regional Coordinator for Latin America. She comes to GCN excited to support the organizations mission, continue to learn more about indigenous cultures and participate in international community service. In 2006 Laura traveled to Peru with the Fulbright Student Program to study the impact of political decentralization policies on marginalized rural indigenous communities in the southern department Puno. She researched the miscommunication and conflicting perceptions between the government and local indigenous (Aymara-speaking) community members. She focused on the areas of health, education, and development needs in communities of extreme poverty living over 14,000 above sea level. After completing her M.A. degree in International Peace and Conflict Resolution from American University in Washington, D.C., Laura returned to Peru for another 15 months. She worked on a project with rural farmers to promote organic Quinoa production and access to the local restaurant market. She also volunteered with a local tour agency to develop a youth literacy volunteer curriculum on the island communities of Lake Titicaca. Later, she spent time in Lima, expanding her knowledge of travel resources and non-profit organizations in other regions of Peru and nearby countries as the assistant manager of South American Explorers Clubhouse.
Contact Information:
Laura Kurland, Regional Coordinator for Latin America
Global Citizens Network, 11000 W 78th St. Suite #303
Minneapolis, MN 55344, laura@globalcitizens.org, 952-746-2274
