Transportation

   During the discussion we had about Mountains Beyond Mountains, we discussed the different obstacles that keep some students from being able to volunteer their time to various causes. Among them was the issue of transportation, a big problem for those of us (and that's pretty much most freshmen) who don't have a car here. Sure there's the Big Blue Bus, but sometimes the places we want to volunteer the most at aren't on the bus stop route or would take forever to get there. So what do we do?

   One of the RAs mentioned that there are some clubs on campus who do volunteer work and provide transportation for the students, such as Bruin Initiative, which rents a car on Mondays to drive volunteers to an after school program to tutor kids. Other clubs also provide transportation to various areas to volunteer, and in some cases (as in Bruin Initiative), it's free of charge to the members.

   One idea that we discussed at the meeting, however, was that if UCLA really wants to make a difference in the community and give back, they should use the grant money and other donations to rent a few buses every other weekend for different volunteering opportunities. A bunch of places around Los Angeles would probably love the idea of students coming down to help them clean up or fix their area, especially in a time where the economy means tighter budgets for schools and organizations. UCLA could compile a list of places that need volunteers and post it online--any student who wants to help out could sign up and take the bus down that weekend to volunteer their time. One of the Global Ambassadors, Kynna Wright, mentioned that places such as hospitals often need volunteers at certain off hours, such as later in the afternoon on weekends, which is great for a lot of students since there aren't conflicts with class schedules on Saturdays or Sundays.

   Plenty of students want to help out, and if UCLA can just provide them with the tools to get there, we can really make a difference in the community.

  

Critical Discussion Questions

Want to keep the discussion going? Here are critical discussion questions and suggested campus activities that relate to Mountains Beyond Mountains. Post your responses here!

1. In 1804, Haiti became the first black republic in the world. Once regarded as the “Jewel of the Caribbean,” it is now the poorest and most densely populated country in the Western Hemisphere. What political and economic factors led to Haiti’s decline? http://www.travelinghaiti.com/index.asp

2. The first page of the first chapter contains violent images of Haitian life. How does this representation change over the course of the book?

3. In Chapter 4, Paul Farmer tells the author that he will be Kidder’s “Virgil” while in Haiti (p. 33) . [He is referring to Virgil’s role as a guide in the underworld in Dante’s epic poem The Inferno]. Is this an apt comparison? In what ways is Haiti an “underground”?

4. Read the Partners In Health vision statement. http://www.pih.org/who/vision.html

How does it compare to the mission of an HMO (e.g., Kaiser Permanente, Blue Cross/Blue Shield)?

5. A Haitian resident declares that Paul Farmer’s gift is healing (p. 27). What is your gift? Have you ever used that gift to assist others?

6. The folk healing practices of poor or non-Western peoples are often denigrated as superstition or sorcery (e.g., vodun, curanderismo). In what ways do these cultural practices address the absence of widespread health care in various communities? Have you, your family or anyone in your community engaged in folk healing practices?

7. One of Farmer’s aphorisms is “The physicians of the world are the natural attorneys of the poor, and the social problems should be solved by them” (p. 61). What do you think he means by this? Do you agree or disagree?

8. Kidder writes that “every war produced a public health disaster” (p. 119). Research a recent war or military invention, such as Iraq or Afghanistan, and investigate the public health outcomes.

9. Do some background reading on the current healthcare debate within the United States. How does “cost-effectiveness” come into play? What do you think Farmer’s position is? What is your position and why?

10. At various times, Farmer takes on the role of an ethnographer, public health advocate and physician. What is your understanding of anthropology, public health and medicine? What are their similarities? What are the key differences?

12. In Chapter 21, Farmer and Kidder have a tense discussion about how Cuba will be represented in the book. What were your impressions of Cuba prior to reading this book?

13. Paul Farmer declares that Americans are “lazy democrats” (p. 229). Do you agree with his sentiment?

Mountains Beyond Mountains

Read Tracy Kidder's book Mountains Beyond Mountains this Summer and then use this blog to leave comments, thoughts, and responses throughout the year!