Communities # 98 Table of Contents Directors Amaru Villanueva Rance, Ivan Rodriguez Petkovic, Rodrigo Barrenechea, Sharoll Fernandez, Caroline Risacher Partners # Communities Jack Kinsella, Xenia Elsaesser 98 Editorial Team Caroline Risacher, Matthew Grace, Juan Victor Fajardo BX docunit Sergio Suárez, Changtse Quintanilla, Raquel Jiménez, Paul Etienne Printing and Advertising Manager Ivan Rodriguez Petkovic Commercial Manager Rodrigo Barrenechea Coordinator Wilmer Machaca Social Coordinator Renata Lazcano Head of Production Adriana L. Murillo Argandoña Head of Design Luis Aranda Photography Instructor Michael Dunn Caceres Journalists Joshua Neaman, Lola Newell, Rhiannon Matthias, The Chevening Adriana L. Murillo A., Amelia Swaby Our Cover Programme in Jaime Cuellar Imaña TRANSIT Marketing Bolivia Rodrigo Barrenechea CLASHES Advertise With Us 07 23 [email protected] Address Calle Prolongación Armaza, # 2957, Sopocachi, La Paz Phone 78862061- 76561628 - 70672031 Contact [email protected] LA CASA DE LES Veganism in La Paz NINGUNES Thanks to: Jeff Glekin, United Kingdom’s 10 23 ambassador to Bolivia La Paz – Bolivia September 2019 Forging a New TAKING TO THE 16Home 26POLE IN LA PAZ /Bolivianexpress @Bolivianexpress @Bolivianexpress A BRIEF LOS HISTORY 19LUSTRABOTAS 30IN SINGANI www.boliviaunlimited.org 4 Communities 5 Editorial he UK government’s Chevening international #98: awards programme aims to develop global leaders. The Chevening The scholarship is fully funded, covering flights, Communities accommodation and course fees, allowing recipients to live in the United Kingdom for a year while pursuing By: Caroline Risacher Programme in Ta master’s degree at a prestigious university. The BX team talked with the United Kingdom’s ambassador to Bolivia, Jeff Glekin, and also reached out to past and current Cheveners to talk about he Amazon fires destroyed on the notebooks of children who can their experiences and expectations. over 4.2 million acres (1.7 reproduce choreographies and sing Bolivia million hectares) of Bolivian along to Korean pop songs. This may be The UK’s flagship scholarship According to Glekin, ‘The goal of the scholarship is to identify rainforest since 15 August. a symptom of Bolivia suffering from the for future leaders and nurture future leaders, to help strengthen the relationship This number doesn’t take same disenchantment with authority TEXT: BX TEAM / PHOTOS: Sergio suárez between the UK and Bolivia and to create a network of scholars Tinto account the fires in Brazil and figures as the rest of the world, but it both in Bolivia and around the world who can support one another Paraguay and what is still burning mostly means that Bolivia is very much in their goals.’ today. Man-made catastrophes such a part of the global community. as these make us reflect on ourselves, The programme started in Bolivia in 1998 and has benefited 148 on our individual lifestyle choices Veganism is another trend that has scholars so far. It is open to any citizen of an eligible country, and on how we stand as a species. reached Bolivia. Perhaps veganism is who must commit to returning to their country of citizenship But ultimately, it makes us react as a more than a simple fad, as it operates for a minimum of two years after the award has ended, thus whole, as a community; it reminds us as a secular religion by promoting contributing to that country’s future growth and development. that we are all connected and that this a way of life and philosophy. The For Glekin, leadership comes in all shapes and forms and can be connection can be felt from across popularity of plant-based food found anywhere in Bolivia. The administrators of the Chevening continents. in La Paz is not just a phase; the programme are not looking for people with any specific movement – and similar conscious- backgrounds; instead, they look for people who have shown real This issue focuses on communities, food initiatives – was able to establish leadership potential, encouraging applicants from as diverse groups of people bound by common itself because of how well it fits in with backgrounds as possible. attitudes, interests, and goals: family, the local understanding of the world. neighbours, friends, members of We may be witnessing a new type This year the UK Embassy is launching a mentoring programme a political party, vegans and more. of syncretism taking place in which to assist applicants to the Chevening programme. ‘Those who are Our community helps us survive the local and the global intertwine to most successful are people who can articulate most clearly what and gives us a sense of belonging create something new. they want to achieve for themselves and for their country, and and identity, but the nation-state is those are the people who can make an impact on the long term,’ in decline, religions are losing their If Bolivia is part of a global community, Glekin said. appeal and, filling that void, new global family remains the chore of the Bolivian communities have arisen: digital identity. The family unit is what defines worlds, chosen ideologies, foreign and forges us. But it doesn’t have to be cultures. the only community we belong to. Now one’s community is not just immediate To illustrate this, in the most remote family and neighbours; our community corners of the Bolivian countryside one is where we want it to be with the can find images of Korean pop stars people we choose to be around. Several Spanish and Aymara words are marked in N.B. bold throughout this issue. Their meanings can be found in our glossary. 6 Communities 7 ‘I’m really excited to have won the scholarship because I’m the first person in a creative field that received the scholarship in Bolivia…. I found one master’s programme that was ideal for me because I’m starting to reshape the way the fashion industry is working in Bolivia, and the master’s aims directly at that. I think this is going to help me grow in my area of expertise,’ Rodriguez said. She also had some advice for Vania Rodriguez Saavedra applicants: ‘For the creative people Paola Andrea Escobari Vargas Karina Breyzka Guzmán Miranda 28 who want to apply, consider that they 31 35 Fashion Designer have to be leaders in their industry. Electronic Engineer Commercial Engineer MSc Applied Psychology in Fashion They also need to prove how their MSc Radio Frequency and Microwave MSc International Public Policy University of the Arts London particular expertise can help the Engineering Queen Mary University of London London development of the nation; it actually University of Surrey London 2019–20 has to help the economy in some way.’ Guildford 2017–18 2016–17 ‘In the last few years, India’s growth in ‘I learned quite a lot from theatre the aerospace sector has been massive, plays,’ Guzmán said. ‘They give you a ‘I would really like to bring back financial and when I was interviewed for the taste of culture on a deeper level. In technology [to Bolivia],’ Rioja said. ‘And Chevening I said that here in Bolivia we general I really liked London because I think it will be a great experience with have the same opportunities as India people help each other, you see many a lot of competition. Because it is the because we have the human resources examples of kindness from random people who surround you that make to make it,’ Escobari said. ‘The only people. The experience also expanded you, so I think that if you compete with thing that we need to do is to train completely how I understand things people performing at a higher level you people outside [of Bolivia] to become and my priorities as well because will also be able to perform that way.’ professionals so they can come back sometimes we take for granted some to the country to do it.’ amazing things that we enjoy at home.’ ‘Your own definition of success is going to help you a lot if you are applying to Guzmán had some advice for people the scholarship or to any job,’ he added. interested in the programme: ‘Don’t be ‘I follow [revered US NCAA basketball afraid to apply, you have to be stubborn coach] John Wooden’s success and persistent, and don’t let it go, definition that goes like this: “Success just hold on tight until you finish the is peace of mind, which is a direct process and do the best you can. Be result of self-satisfaction in knowing Jose Manuel Rioja Ortega concise on what you want to do. It took you did your best to become the best 30 me almost a whole year to prepare my you are capable of becoming.” That’s Industrial Engineer application, not because it is difficult what success is for me, and this is how MSc Investment, Banking & Finance but because of the bureaucracy University of Glasgow you are going to be happy, because you involved.’ Glasgow don’t measure yourself only by money 2019–20 or by assets, but by true happiness.’ ‘We need to get this wonderful opportunity to everybody, to everyone in the country, because we have a lot of talent,’ she added. ‘We just need to ‘I really enjoyed participating in Edwin Salcedo Aliaga be able to expand it, and a mission as hackathons, which are 24-hour or 26 Cheveners is to try to spread the word 48-hour-long competitions where Systems Engineer to everybody.’ MScEng Advanced Software Engineering you have to develop a prototype of University of Sheffield your idea,’ Salcedo said. ‘I participated Sheffield in four or five events outside of 2017–18 [Sheffield], and it was really nice to This year’s application deadline for the Chevening participate because I met people from programme is 5 November.