Professor Bernardo Ca’amal Itzá, the United Nations representative for the Mayan People, will visit Cal State Monterey Bay on Oct. 6 as part of Hispanic Heritage Month.

“The Wisdom of Mayan Health Practices: Understanding the Mayan Cosmovision” is the topic for the 11:30 a.m. talk. The event will be held in the Music Hall, located on Sixth Avenue near Col. Durham Street.

Professor Itzá became interested in radio and other forms of communication in the early 1990s, while studying agriculture and plant sciences at Mexico’s University of Chapingo. He combined his interest in media and his knowledge of agriculture to create radio programs in the Mayan language. Those programs continue to emphasize sustainable farming practices and the benefits of traditional knowledge and provide daily market information, bulletins about regional agricultural trends and analysis of farming issues.

He won the 2003 George Atkins Communication Award, given to someone who demonstrates excellence in the use of radio to contribute to positive change in rural communities.

In the last decade, he has worked with local governments on sustainable rural development projects. He has also collaborated with non-governmental organizations on issues related to climate change, which is leading to an exodus of young people from rural areas to cities.

His lifelong goal has been to preserve the intangible knowledge of Mayan communities.

His lecture will be delivered in Spanish with simultaneous English translation.

Driving directions and a campus map are available here. While the talk is free, a parking permit must be purchased from a machine on the lot or online.

More information is available from Lynda Oswald at 582-3736.

The talk is sponsored by the College of Health Sciences and Human Services.