Student Reflections: Erik López Díaz
The following is a Q&A with Erik López Díaz, who participated in the course ‘Global Risks: Biodiversity, Security and Governance in Latin America’ at Stanford’s Center for Latin American Studies during the summer of 2017. His comments have been translated from Spanish.
My name is Erik Lopez Diaz, I have lived in the city of Guadalajara, Jalisco, for six years. At this moment, I am studying at the University of Guadalajara for a Bachelors in International Relations. However, I come from a small community called hukupaá, north of the state of Jalisco. I am wixarika, by inheritance and decision as I am very proud to belong to such a great culture for which we are known worldwide. I decided to migrate to the big city to have more opportunities for growth, professional and personal, always bearing in mind my commitment to the community that saw me grow, and which has its hopes of development in young people who live the same situation as me.
How/why did you became involved in the Global Risk course?
Currently, I serve in an office of the University of Guadalajara: UACI — Unidad de Apoyo para Comunidades Indígenas (Support Unit for Indigenous Communities), which offers different supports for our best performance in the city as students representing different cultures. It was there that, through an email addressed to me, I was notified of the course by the administrative staff of that unit. Once I had read the announcement, I decided to quickly apply for the scholarship offered by the United States Embassy in Mexico to participate in the course, passing through rigorous filters for which I attribute the credit, to finally be selected finalist and live this great experience.
What was your final presentation about?
It is a public policy initiative to legalize the production of poppy in Mexico. Specifically, we have focused on studying the case of the state of Guerrero, where 60% of the republic’s total production is focused. Another reason why we chose this issue was the particularity of the organized crime that this region is exposed to, as the territory is disputed by different groups that fight the monopoly of the production and consequently the migration, the obligated production of narcotic drugs by laborers, the decrease in the presence of different institutions of the state such as IMSS [the Mexican Institute for Social Security] and SEP [the Mexican Secretariat of Education], among others, and the insecurity and integrity of the habitants. The objective of this policy is to have the state demand this product for implementing it in medicinal uses, such as opioids and morphine, which our public health institutions lack. Although we are aware that our initiative would not change all of Mexico, it would reduce by a significant percentage the market of this drug that brings so much violence with it.
What were some of your favorite parts of this experience?
First, definitely getting to meet such illustrious personalities who already have a fair trajectory in the subjects that are of my personal and local interest. Second, being able to share interests, knowledge and this unforgettable experience with students and graduates of different cultures, ethnicities, economic status, and political inclinations that have made this course more interactive. Lastly, honestly, was being able to leave your country and find a world very different in all the areas that we are accustomed to in our communities; this is more personal, but it is very nice to be a part of this program — thank you.
How has this course deepened your understanding of these issues?
The reality is that I already had knowledge of certain issues, but I had never understood them in such a manner that made me analyze personal and local problems as this course has. Everything has been so enriching that I have been awakened the need to collaborate in this center of studies for my own professional development, thereby supporting the ease with which to better understand the subject matter of many of my colleagues present here.
How has this experience impacted you personally, or academically?
The impact that this course is having is so great that, as my stay in this university progresses, I am invited to more activities in Mexico, in my university, in my municipality, and in my school. All this together makes it difficult to calculate the ultimate impact it would have, as I am just setting foot there. However, I am certain that this experience will open many doors for me to develop personally and professionally here in the USA, as in Mexico.
Anything else you’d like to add?
In two years, I envision myself as a student in the Public Policy Master’s program at Stanford University, collaborating in research with Beatriz Magaloni.
Next: Maximiliano Hernández Cabrera →
The ‘Global Risks’ course is a joint effort between Stanford’s Center for Latin American Studies, Mexico’s Autonomous Institute of Technology (ITAM), Mexico’s National Association of Universities and Higher Education Institutions (ANUIES), and the U.S. Embassy to Mexico.
