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IPPNW Promotion Tour through Central America
With the support of IPPNW International, the International Student Representatives and the El Salvador chapter of IPPNW MESARES, Ademar Guardado, IPPNW's Regional Student Representative in Latin America set off on a journey through Central America in order to promote IPPNW amongst medical students in Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama. On his trip, he met up with local medical student leaders, discussing possibilites of cooperation, promoting the idea of a regional student conference in El Salvador next year and explaining the concept behind IPPNW. This trip, amongst other exploits, led to the formation of a Nicaraguan student chapter and a cooperation treaty between IPPNW students in Latin America and the Latin American Federation of Scientific Medical Student Societies (FELSOCEM) as well as the newly formed Union of Medical Students of Central America (UEMCA). Guardado returned to San Salvador with a long list of new student contacts, possible future collaborating partners, numerous new ideas and many concrete project plans for the near future. Below are more detailed reports from each country as well as a few photos from this trip:
Nicaragua
In Nicaragua, where Ademar Guardado met up with local student leader Cesar Aleman, he found that medical students study at three main universities: the UNAN in Leon, where an IPPNW student chapter already exists, as well as the Universidad Nacional de Nicaragua (UNAN) and the Universidad Autonoma de Nicaragua (UAN) in Managua, where IPPNW member Dr. Arguello is the dean. During the meeting between Guardado and Aleman, the main problem for the Nicaraguan students were tackled, which are a lack of funds, the limited interest of the national affiliate in student activties, too little information material about IPPNW in Spanish and the large distances and nonexistent network between medical students in Nicaragua (200 km between Leon and Managua). Besides planning concrete lectures and educatiion campaigns on IPPNW-related topics like the prevention of nuclear proliferation, a closer networking of medical students from Nicaragua and El Salvador was agreed on.For example, print materials, videos and power point presentations were promised from El Salvador and will be delivered to Nicaragua for further distribution amongst medical students. While Ademar Guardado was not able to meet with IPPNW Board member and former Nciaraguan ambassador to the US, Dr. Antonio Jarquin in Managua, he visited the National University in the capital, met with Dr. Piura, the academic director of the medical faculty and were granted the possibility of giving a presentation on IPPNW, its international projects, its program and its mission in front of 3rd and 4th year students. A third year student, Claudia Aragon, was named prinipal contact in that country and will work on establishing a chapter.
Costa Rica
 In Costa Rica, nine universities exist, many of which do not have working student organizations. Meeting representatives of the medical student association of the UCIMED (Universidad de Ciencias de la Medicina) and speaking with their president, Jorge Vizquel, Ademar Guardado was able to encourage the creation of an IPPNW liason officer, who will be the prime contact in the country and stay in touch with Guardado about the foundation of a working student chapter in the near future. He also provided them with information material about IPPNW in Spanish and offered further support for the future creation of a student chapter in Costa Rica despite the absence of a physicians' affiliate in that county.
Panama
In Panama, Ademar Guardado met with representatives of the Latin American Federation of Scientific Medical Student Societies (FELSOCEM) in order to discuss possibilies of cooperation between them and IPPNW. Guardado introduced the students to the mission behind IPPNW, the student activities in Nicaragua and El Salvador, as well as the possible collaboration of IPPNW and SCORP, which is the group's Standing Committee on Refugee and Peace. The photo shows Ademar Guardado together with local medical students Diego, Dagoberto, Gaby Noel, Lorna, Eduardo and Maydeline.
A meeting with Cristian Garita, the administrator of the local NGO called "Fey Alegria", which works in the field of violence prevention resulted in another promising partnership and possible future creation of an IPPNW affiliate in Panama.
Guardado then met up with Lic. Julieta Gonzalez, the director of the Drug Prevention Program of the Achbishop of Panama and Padre Raul Peregrina, and discussed IPPNW's interest in working together with the UN Youth Network for the prevention of violence drug abuse and HIV, which is extremely active in the country. Joint education campaigns were discussed and future collaboration planned.
At Columbus University, Guardado met medical students whom he had already won for the concept of a Panama student chapter a few years ago and who once again reiterated their desire to help in the creation of such a chapter in their country. The main focus of their work lies in the prevention of small arms violence, a topic vital to most of the Latin American medical students. Another interesting angle which the students asked Guardado to follow up on is scientific research on the risks of radioactive materials shipped through the Panama Canal. This picture shows Ademar Guardado together with students from Columbus University at a meeting on "Violence and Health in Panama" in 2003.
Students from the Universidad de Nacional Panama the need for a stronger networking between IPPNW Latin America and FELSOCEM was once again discussed and students from the newly forme UEMCA (Union de Estudiantes de Medicina de Centro America) also joined in, stressing the need for stronger ties between the Latin American student organizations working on similar topics. This photo shows the students Ricardo, Joel and Yolanda during the meeting between IPPNW and FELSOCEM.
Route of the trip
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