| Hola everybody! I'm going to start by talking about The Programa Pueblos Mágicos ("Magical Villages Program"). This program was started in 2001 by the Mexican government. It was created to help promote traveling to the rural areas of Mexico, and not just the beaches and resort towns. The program currently consists of 83 towns within 31 states, and is still being promoted by the government. Towns who are awarded this title win much needed funds to improve their city. They also bring in outside capital from tourists all around the world. Sounds all good right? Well, one negative affect this program is the erosion and degradation of the native culture through constant exposure to Westernized culture. Acculturation is a global plague that is spreading rapidly across this earth. A wise teacher once told me that 14 languages die every day, and with them dies the culture that once made them unique. It is our duty as global travelers to do all we can to protect this dying diversity, so we still have a reason to travel. We may not be able to prevent exposure (nor do we have the right to), but we can help preserve our differences by respecting and honoring theirs. |
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