2010 January/February- MEXICO - Tortillas and Trade

Travel to Mexico!

Tortillas and Trade:

People of faith explore hunger, spiritualtiy and economic globalization

January 29 - February 7, 2010

Join us!

The goal of our time in Mexico will be to look at the role people of faith in play in contemporary issues affecting Mexico such as trade and globalization.

Many of us have heard of NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement), but what does this trade agreement really mean to citizens of the United States and Mexico? What is economic globalization and how is it affecting the every-day lives of peasant farmers in Mexico? What is the relationship between trade policies, crop subsidies, and hunger? Why should it matter to us? We'll explore all of these questions and more as we spend time in Mexico in Cuernavaca and Mexico City.

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS

Experience some of the social, political, economic, religious and cultural realities of Mexico through direct encounters with people of varied perspectives and experiences
See and hear from a diverse cross-section of community organizations and faith-based projects working with peasant farmers, indigenous women, children and youth
Engage in active biblical reflections, simulation games and community building
Participate in experiential learning opportunities and interactive presentations on economic globalization and hunger
Tour cultural and historical landmarks in Mexico City

PROGRAM COST

The cost of this trip is $1600. This includes all pre- and post-trip resources, in-country programming, and transportation, program set-up, meals, lodging, language interpretation, entrance fees, and round-trip airfare from Chicago. Fundraising consultation available. Some scholarship assistance may be available; please don't let the cost keep you from going!

REGISTRATION & PAYMENT

All trip participants must fill out an application form. Please contact Erica at 773-293-2964 or espilde@crln.org to get an application. A $150 non-refundable deposit is required with your application (the deposit will be refunded to you if we cannot place you on the trip). Your application and deposit must be received no later than October 15. In some cases, space may be available after this date - please contact Erica at the CRLN office for more information. Final payment will be due November 15.

IN-COUNTRY HOSTS

While in Mexico we will be hosted by Transformational Immersion Programs of the Lutheran Center and the Cuernavaca Center for Intercultural Dialogue on Development (CCIDD):

LUTHERAN CENTER in MEXICO CITY

The immersion program at the Lutheran Center challenges and empowers participants as God's people to become advocates and promoters of a more just and humane world in the context of a global order that increasingly robs the poor of life and difnity. Participants experience the reality of the poor; reflect critically on the root causes of this reality; experience the hope for transformation through movements and projects arising from marginalized sectors of society; and return home with a recommittment to the gospel of Jesus, who lived in solidarity with the poor and excluded.

CUERNAVCACA CENTER for INTERCULTURAL DIALOGUE on DEVELOPMENT

Located in Cuernavaca (nicknamed the City of Eternal Spring) CCIDD is an intercultural, ecumenical Christian retreat center rooted in an inclusive and liberating theology. CCIDD's mission is to provide oppportunities for churches and other groups from the U.S. and Canada to encounter the presence of God in the struggle for justice in the Americas and to empower them to work for social transformation.

ACCOMODATIONS

Both the Lutheran Center and the CCIDD house program participants in comfortable, family-style houses. Participants will share rooms and full bath. Facilities in Cuernavaca also include a pool and garden, and both locations offer areas for group meetings. Delicious meals are prepared on site by Mexican cooking staff.

WHO CAN PARTICIPATE?

The trip is open to all interested adults and high school students, if accompanied by a parent/guardian. We ask that participants be open to exploring the connection between the Christian faith and social justice issues, and be comfortable engaging in Bible studies. Participants need not be Lutheran, Catholic, nor any other particular denomination.

APPLICATION / MORE INFORMATION:

To request an application form, please contact Erica Spilde, Coordinator of the Encuentros: Encounters in Latin American Program at the Chicago Religious Leadership Network on Latin America (CRLN).

Phone: 773-293-2964

Email: espilde@crln.org

Applications are due by October 15. A $150 deposit is required with your application. The deposit will only be refunded if we cannot place you on the trip.