This Summer Prof. Eduardo Viana da Silva led 17 marvelous students down to Brazil, for a study abroad program that focused on the intersections of art, activism, and the environment in the Pantanal, the tropical wetlands of South America. The program took place in Seattle for two and a half weeks, and then everyone headed down to the state of Mato Grosso do Sul in Brazil for the final two weeks. Professor Viana da Silva was accompanied by our terrific grad student, Cecilia (Ceci) Beltrán Rodríguez, as his TA.
The program was a tremendous success, as we see from this student comment:
"When presenting at the Human Rights Council about the suppression of Afro identity in Latinidad, the message was clear: to never be ashamed of where we come from, to advocate for freedom of expression, and to remember those who are silenced. Learning about the suppression of Indigenous voices within such a vast community was eye-opening, especially as they reminded us not to forget about them and to continue fighting for their rights." —Tiara Aguilar, undergraduate student.