Encuentros: Encounters in Latin America

Cross-cultural encounters leading to life-changing experiences and understandings form the foundation of CRLN's Encuentros: Encounters in Latin America.

One of CRLN's top priorities is to develop delegations to Latin America, creating direct, personal experience with Latin Americans in their actual social, economic and cultural communities as they work for justice, peace and human rights. Latin America is a microcosm demonstrating how U.S. foreign policy is structured vis-a-vis less powerful nations. At this time of accelerating globalization, it is vital for citizens of the most powerful nation in the world to leave our "North American cocoon." We must witness and experience the reality of other people in the world and hear the voices that have been excluded or drowned out by powerful economic interests. It is also vital for religious people to wrestle with how their faith traditions call on them to respond collectively to such a reality.

For many of us, delegation visits to Latin America are conversion experiences, transforming the way we perceive the world and our place in it. For others, these visits create first-hand, experiential understanding of otherwise abstract realities. For these participants, a delegation experience creates new relatiuonships and renews motivation toward greater activism.

Encuentros has four components:

CRLN planned and led interfaith and ecumenical group trips to Latin America
trips responding to requests from Latin American partners for solidarity and presence
support and resource for trips organized by denominations and congregations
promotion and resource for trips sponsored by partner organizations