Young Diplomats

A couple of days have passed since I last communicated from Lima. Since then, I have seen and learned a lot. With Lima being in the middle of a desert, it does not rain. I found it strange that a Pacific coastal city would be considered a desert city. No one has referred to it as a desert oasis. There is a shortage of water and all solutions need to consider the provision of water--things we take for granted. We traveled to a portion of town where on one side of the road was a man-made lake. On the other side there was dust and dirt far as far as the eye could see. The latter condition will characterize the worksite in which we will be working on the nursery. That´s the condition that describes where our Peruvian families live.

Yesterday we were greeted by representatives of Lima´s mayor. The mayor had other obligations. The assistant mayor made a presentation welcoming us to Peru. You could tell that he was quite proud of Lima. The vice mayor's assistant made a subsequent presentation which unveiled a host of challenges facing Lima. Lima has experienced a population explosion. This is from the migration of non-city dwellers of the Andean mountains into Lima. They are looking for work and a better life. Lima has grown from less than 2 million people to over 8 million in about 10 years. Shantytowns have sprung all over Lima's outskirts. Infrastructure varies from area to area, with most shantytowns having electricity, but the availability of water and sewage systems is not always as consistent. The constant and reliable provision of food, education and health care to over 50% (the percentage of Lima's habitants who are considered poor) of Lima´s population is a problem. These conditions have attracted the label of “third-world” to Lima. These problems present the governments of Lima and Peru great challenges in the futures. In part, this program is designed to explore the special issues created by Peru´s urban development problems.

I was privileged (and proud) to see our UNO students engage the mayoral staff. Our students sat like dignitaries in the parliament-like chambers of the mayor´s building. They listened intently while the mayor´s staff made its presentation. Afterward they intelligently asked questions concerning the wisdom of center urban plans. One could see that some of the questions made the staff uneasy. Later today we meet with the City Council of Miraflores, the municipal district in which our hotel is located. I expect more of the same from the Omahans.

As an aside, the city seat of government was one magnificient building located in the city square. With a tie to its Spanish colonial past, the buildings in that square were painted a deep, rich yellow with brown wooden balconies constructed on the side of the buildings. In that same square, we watched the changing of the guard at the Peruvian President´s executive mansion (much like the same at Buckingham Palace). The guards were dressed in red and blue and marched with cryptic but synchronized high steps. The changing of the guard took about 20 minutes.

We have experienced a variety of food. I cannot remember the names of many of the Peruvian dishes. The culinary experience has been exquisite. My personal delight is seafood. I have tasted many forms of octopus (my personal favorite) and will taste anything that the locals eat. It does not require much bravery, just an open mind.

Darryll Lewis: Associate Professor: J.D, CBA Finance & Banking