Vision: A Guatemala governed by the rule of law, with vibrant social, economic, and political institutions functioning in the pursuit of justice, equality, and prosperity for all of its citizens.
Mission: To create a cadre of knowledgeable leaders, of thinkers and writers, of professionals and entrepreneurs possessed of sufficient knowledge of history and world affairs, of politics and jurisprudence, of philosophy and economics, and of science, literature, and the arts to make GSSG’s vision a reality.
Guatemala’s poor have always rebelled against their exploitation and they have always lost, because the only weapon available to them was the sword. The pen, however, is mightier than the sword. Knowledge is power and GSSG’s purpose is to equip the poor, not for conflict, but for a leading role in transforming Guatemala into a nation governed by the rule of law, with vibrant social, economic, and political institutions functioning in the pursuit of justice, equality, and prosperity for all of its citizens.
Because of the acute shortage of college-educated workers (3.6% of the population), Guatemalan institutions and businesses lie dead in the water. GSSG’s intent is that its graduates will fill the nation’s sails with the power of knowledge, the knowledge of history and world affairs, of politics and jurisprudence, of philosophy and economics, and of science, literature, and the arts requisite to creative change and development.
The role of GSSG’s graduates is envisioned as analogous to that played in the United States by the veterans of World War II, who took advantage of the G. I. Bill of Rights to get a college education, a phenomenon that propelled the United States to world hegemony. With a cadre of well-educated leaders from among its poor, Guatemala will be able to free itself from dependency on U.S. aid and remittances and become an independent player on the world stage. Other small nations have set a precedent; South Korea and Singapore come readily to mind. Why not Guatemala?
We are often asked if our students won’t want to stay in the United States illegally. They won’t. They know that if they stay here illegally, they will be washing dishes; if they return to Guatemala with an American college degree, opportunities will abound. The young are always idealistic and GSSG’s kids are eager to pursue a dream that now, for the first time in their lives, seems achievable, a dream to be proud of their country. We Americans sometimes make too much of ourselves.