Students with Guest Lecturer Dr. Jaime Vintimilla and CEMPROC-Ecuador
director Dr. Diana Palacios
CEMPROC is dedicated to educating and raising awareness among college students with respect
to peace, conflict, social justice, leadership, and the like. By designing customized programs
that meet the needs of specific college groups, we are able to offer high-quality, hands-on
educational opportunities that supplement the academic experience in students' own universities.
We offer a practical, hands-on Environmental Conflict study trip in which students visit Ecuador
for 1-3 weeks, hearing from scholars, government policymakers, and practioners in environmental
conflict resolution, especially
in the context of Ecuadorian rainforest and petroleum disputes. More importantly, students will
visit the lush cloud forest and the frigid paramo, or high grassland, investigating for
themselves and conversing with the local community in the actual sites of environmental conflicts.
These may include the site of an oil spill in a key lake that provides drinking water or the incursion of petroleum
companies onto traditional indigenous territories and natural resources, among others.
"I never realized before how much environmental exploitation goes on, and how this affects
conservation--my eyes have been opened. This trip has changed my life! Now I want to go back to
the United States and raise awareness about what is happening."
"This trip has been fantastic. CEMPROC is a great organization!"
