How did Rigoberta Menchu’s life, values and roles change over time and why?
Rigoberta Menchu Thum is an indigenous Guatemalan woman, who is renowned for promoting indigenous and human rights in the Guatemalan country. Her enthusiasm in fight for human rights has earned her a Nobel Peace Prize and the Prince of Asturias Award in 1992 and 1998 respectively. She has always had a place in her heart for others. Although the fight for human rights, mostly in Guatemala was not easy, she fought all odds and gender biasness to ensure that the indigenous people are not oppressed in their own homeland. Rigoberta Menchu Thum’s courage and passion for a better and brighter tomorrow for the oppressed is a clear sign of real human rights activist. …show more content…
The continued persecution of her family members, father, and herself leading her to exile in Mexico really changed her life. This is the point in her life where her ideas, values and roles changed. To clearly exhibit this change, Menchu accepted her work as a revolutionary locally and globally and also renounced her marriage. This was the point she officially and emotionally accepted herself as a human rights activist. (Elizabeth 49)
In exile, her new nature clearly manifested. She formed the United Representation of the Guatemalan Oppression and organizes resistant movements. The movement, United Representation of the Guatemalan Oppression (RUOG), was the main weapon Menchu used to push for human rights. While still in exile she took up the role of an active political worker in human rights and labor groups. She also promoted and defended the rights of oppressed abroad. Through the Guatemalan Civil War, Menchu fought against oppressors and some Guatemalan military and political oppresses. Years later after the war she ensured that the Guatemalan military and political oppressors were tried. (Elizabeth