The Office of Spiritual Formation hosted several Multicultural Scholars at a book signing with the 1992 Nobel Peace Prize winner December 20, 2013, at Fresno Arte Americas. Menchú Tum came to Fresno as keynote speaker for the 20th anniversary celebration of Centro Binacional Para el Desarrollo Indigena Oaxaqueño (the Binational Center for the Development of Oxacan Indigenous Communities, or CBDIO).
Menchú Tum received the Nobel for her work on social justice and ethno-cultural reconciliation. The youngest winner of the peace prize, she is a Guatemalan indigenous k'iche' woman who has dedicated her life to the plight of that nation's indigenous peoples during and after the Guatemalan Civil War, and to promoting indigenous rights in the country.
"It is an amazing honor to meet Nobel Peace Prize Winner Rigoberta Menchú Tum," said Dina Gonzalez-Piña, assistant dean of multicultural ministries in the OSF. "She is committed to the work of justice and peace for indigenous communities and women's rights."
"I have been to Guatemala with FPU study abroad but I never thought I would have the opportunity to meet her," said student Cinthia Gordillo.
CBDIO serves the indigenous migrant communities from the state of Oaxaca, Mexico, that reside in California (centrobinacional.org/en). Arte Americas is the Central Valley's largest non-profit Latino cultural center, featuring visual and literary arts, dance and concerts (arteamericas.org).
Photo: Back row—Students Elsa Asrat (left), Cinthia Gordillo (center), Carmen Alvarez (right) and Cindy Mendez, OSF director of college hour and chapel programs (between Gordillo and Alvarez). Front row—Gonzalez-Piña (left) and Menchú Tum (center).