Sara Mingorria received the LASA/Oxfam America Martin Diskin Dissertation Award for her doctoral thesis
ICTA-UAB researcher Sara Mingorría was awarded the LASA/Oxfam America Martin Diskin Dissertation Award for her doctoral thesis "The nadies weaving resistance. Oil palm and sugarcane conflicts in the territory, communities and households of the Q’eqchi’, Polochic Valley, Guatemala".
The award was presented during the XXXVI International Congress of the Latin American Studies Association (LASA2018) which takes place on 23rd- 26th May 2018 in Barcelona. The congress is dedicated to “Latin American Studies in a Globalized World”. On Friday, Sara Mingorría had the opportunity to present a summary of her dissertation in a special panel.
The Martin Diskin Dissertation Award is made possible through the generosity of Oxfam America, LASA, and LASA members. This award is offered at each LASA International Congress to an outstanding junior scholar who embodies Professor Diskin’s commitment to the creative combination of activism and scholarship.
The award is presented to an advanced doctoral student or recent Ph.D. The Award Committee evaluates three criteria: (1) overall scholarly credentials, based upon the candidate’s curriculum vitae; (2) the quality of the dissertation writing, research, and analysis as determined by the dissertation outline and sample chapter submitted; (3) the primary advisor’s letter of recommendation. The definition of activist scholarship shall remain broad and pluralist, to be discussed and interpreted by each selection committee.
The 2018 selection committee consists of: Martín Benavides (Chair), Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú; Jo-Marie Burt, George Mason University; Kevin Healy, OXFAM America and Daniel Mato, UNTREF-CONICET.
Dr. Martin Diskin was a vital member of the Latin American Studies Association and of Oxfam America. His passion towards the human rights movement and his guidance over grantmaking in Latin America proved to be invaluable. He was fervent about supporting justice and openly criticized the US foreign policy in Central America and Cuba. He demonstrated the value of being informed and strategic advocates. As Raymond Offenheiser remarked “his [was a] prophetic voice in a world so in need of courage and hopeful vision; his commitment to academic rigor in service of humanity.”