Popol Vuh, Mayan Prophecies and 2012 -- Nobel Laureate Rigoberta Menchú Tum Visits Denver to Speak Ancient Wisdom
“What I treasure most in life is being able to dream,” says Guatemalan Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, Rigoberta Menchú Tum. Holding dreams is an important part of life, but dreaming for Rigoberta took on mammoth proportions in 1979 when years of civil war and state violence against the indigenous Maya took the lives of her brother, her father, her mother, nephew and nieces. Extreme poverty took the lives of two of her young brothers many years earlier.
In 1979, as conflict inched closer to Rigoberta’s village, her family organized to protect the Mayan families living in her village, but the destruction for her family was devastating.
From 1954 to 1982 Guatemala suffered under the military rule of one military dictator after another. Roaming armies burned down entire Mayan villages, killing the inhabitants of over 450 Indian villages. During this time over one million refugees fled the country.
“During my most difficult moments and complex situations I have been able to dream of a more beautiful future,” Menchú Tum says with conviction. Rigoberta was able to escape genocide, with the help of a Catholic nun and priest who assisted her to reach safety in Mexico.
Since then, Menchú Tum’s journey has been haunted by a lifelong quest for peace for humanity and advocacy for the Maya with empowerment for all global indigenous people.
Raised in the Quiche branch of the Mayan culture, Rigoberta was one of only a few women to receive a Nobel Prize in 1992. She is also the first indigenous Indian to receive the Peace Prize award from the Nobel Prize Committee in Oslo.
On Wednesday, November 18, 2009, Rigoberta Menchú Tum will be in Denver, Colorado for an all-day event that includes a VIP Reception, luncheon awards ceremony, and film screening of the revolutionary 1984 Sundance Film Festival winner, When the Mountains Tremble, hosted by the PEACEJAM Foundation. As part of the 2009 Inaugural Global Call to Action Hero awards luncheon, Rigoberta will share her insights on the Quiche Maya prophecies for 2012.
Rigoberta will be present to narrate the film screening at the Denver Newspaper Agency, Colfax & Broadway, 7-9pm. The Awards Luncheon will also feature the 2009 Global Call to Action winners of the exemplary youth-led service project as part of PeaceJam’s "One Billion Acts of Peace" campaign.
The Quiche Maya classic named, “The Popol Vuh – Book of Council,” has been cited as the ancient text that kicked off the new-age “countdown” to 2012. Menchú Tum's own heritage claims connection to the ancient text.
During the PEACEJAM all-day event at Denver's Center for Performing Arts (Seawell Grand Ballroom), Menchú Tum will share her ideas on the true meaning of 2012; on humanity’s direction and earth’s evolution as she separates the Quiche Maya truth that is quite different from the “media spin” for the new disaster flick 2012. Rigoberta will share what she has learned and knows of the secret Mayan way and the Mayan prediction for our precarious blue planet earth.
The PEACEJAM Foundation was founded by rights activists Dawn Engle and husband Ivan Suvanjieff on the heels of a violent upsurge in (1994) gang violence in Denver, Colorado.
At the time when street violence was killing youth at ever increasing numbers, Ivan was living in a rough section of Denver. Just outside his window, across the street, Ivan often saw boys who were long-time members of his neighborhood carrying guns. He watched them coming and going as he finally approached them one day.
“Why the guns?” asked Ivan as he approached the boys. “Because we need protection for our business and we need to protect our turf,” they answered. “To have a business you have to be pretty smart,” responded Ivan quickly.
Ivan then asked what might have been interpreted as a simple question. “If you’re so smart, who’s the president of the United States?” he asked the boys. They answered that they “didn’t know and didn’t care.”
Then Ivan asked the boys a few more questions. “Who is Nelson Mandela? Who is Desmond Tutu?” Surprisingly, they answered the last questions correctly with great detail and fervor. They not only knew about Mandela and Tutu, they knew the politics of South African apartheid in every detail.
A big light bulb went off over Ivan’s head then as he thought, “Wow! If these young ‘gang-bangers’ are inspired by people like Archbishop Desmond Tutu and other Nobel Peace Laureates who walk the talk, living lives of integrity and using a path of non-violence, maybe they can be role models... Maybe we can get the Nobel Laureates to work with these kids, to get these guys ‘in the hood’ to channel their energy into something positive instead of something negative.”
An idea was born and a window of opportunity had opened. Could Ivan and Dawn possibly make contact with the Nobel Laureates? Dawn had made contact with the office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama much earlier than this, before H.H. had been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, as she was one of the founders for the International Campaign for Tibet.
Knowing this, Ivan pressed Dawn to, “Call the Dalai Lama! Call the Dalai Lama! Call the Dalai Lama!”
“The Dalai Lama doesn’t just talk on the telephone,” said the down-to-earth practical Dawn. But dreams won out. Soon, Ivan and Dawn were on their way on a flight to Dharamsala, India to speak to H.H. in person.
As they met with the Dalai Lama, His Holiness was optimistic about their idea but suggested that they worked with more than just his office. They would need to contact other Laureates to gather momentum for a worldwide consortium of youth that would dedicate themselves toward a global movement of engagement and change.
One by one Dawn and Ivan called the Nobel Laureates to see if they wanted to be part of a new idea.
“We sat in an artist’s loft, with no electricity and one by one we ‘cold-called’ the Nobel Laureates. Honest and truly we called Desmond Tutu. ‘Hi you don’t know me but…’ That’s how it happened,” outlined Dawn.
Formed to help youth become “part of the solution instead of part of the problem,” PEACEJAM provided a bridge linking the great energy of youth to the desperate needs of the world to become better place.
“It’s been a success ever since it got started. We had eight Nobel Laureates who said yes right away even before we had funding,” added Dawn. “Since we’ve launched the program in 1996, we’ve had over six hundred thousand young people who have participated. We’ve also had over a million Global Calls to Action to date.”
A Day with Nobel Peace Prize Winner Rigoberta Menchú Tum will be open to youth and humans of all ages this Wednesday, November 18, at the Denver Center for Performing Arts (Seawell Grand Ballroom).
If you ever had doubts about our future or the future of our youth you’ve got a big surprise coming. For a detailed schedule and more information about this event, and the sharing of Rigoberta Menchú Tum’s wisdom on 2012, go to PEACEJAM.
Follow Lys Anzia on Twitter: www.twitter.com/womenadvocates
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If I ever get into a position of authority, I'm going to name something after Rigoberta Menchu.
Ys,
Thank you for this inspiring story. I am familiar with PEACEJAM and was lucky enough to be a part of their staging of Dalai Lama's visit to Denver. This is a great organization that deserves everyone's support.
I have been enjoying your columns and hope to see more of them. They contribute toward making the Post a valuable service.
Guatemala still has not recovered from the civil war. I visited there a few years ago and there was still an air of desperation and a sense that "life is cheap." US meddling in that region has caused a great deal of suffering.
This is inspiring. Problem is: too many of us don't know the history of Central America. We don't understand the problems or how they impact us. Hopefully this day long event will help. Good article.
Lys, thanks so much for this post! It is encouraging to see this focus on peace and social change in your writing. I am a huge fan of PeaceJam. Looking forward to seeing more of your work here.
Thanks so much for this story. I had no idea that Rigorberta Menchu Tem was going to be in Denver!
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Rigoberta Menchu Tum is truly amazing. PEACEJAM had a chance to bring her to Denver on Wednesday so she can spend the day and make personal contact with everyone who's coming. I'm excited to see her too!
really wonderful story! I can't wait to see Rigoberta on Wednesday!
I remember reading An Indian Woman in Guatemala when it first came out. It was such a heartbreaking yet hopeful book. I followed the author's life throughout the years and was both astonished and joyous that she'd won the Nobel Peace Prize. This is a remarkable woman and an inspirational life. She's a true hero. It's wonderful that PEACEJAM is bringing her to Denver. Thank you, Lyz for spreading the news about her visit.
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