Chicago Religious Leadership Network on Latin America

CRLN is just one of many organizations that offer educational and solidarity travel opportunities to Latin America. Here is a list of other great opportunities to experience the realities of Central and South America:

2008

April 2008

April 21 – 27 Honoring Gerardi: Pursuing Justice and Truth in Guatemala
Guatemala
Chicago Religious Leadership Network on Latin America (CRLN) and Chicago Metropolitan Sanctuary Alliance (CMSA)
• Participate in national events commemorating the 10th anniversary of Bishop Gerardi’s death
• Hear testimonies from those affected by civil war violence about their continued struggle for justice
• Learn from local organizations about the impact of CAFTA
For more information, please contact:
Erica Spilde espilde@crln.org 773-293-2964
Martha Pierce mpierce@chicagosanctuary.org 773-293-3680
www.crln.org

May 2008

May 3 – 10 Christian Faith and Poverty: A Look at Immigration, Globalization, Trade and the Role of the Church
Mexico
Center for Global Education at Augsburg College and Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Church
• Visit the homes of people from different socio-economic backgrounds
• Learn about the diverse religious backgrounds of Mexico, hear a talk on indigenous spirituality and Cosmo-vision and participate in an indigenous ceremony
• Visit governmental and non-governmental social service agencies in Mexico
For more information, please contact:
Pastor Brian Ericskonl 602-249-1936
globaled@augsburg.edu www.centerforglobaleducation.org

May 14 – 27
Focus on the indigenous Awá people and how they are affected by armed conflict, coca cultivation, multinational megaprojects, and Plan Colombia
Colombia
Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT)
CPT seeks participants with some of the following interests and gifts:
• Commitment to and/or experience in nonviolent action
• Willingness to engage in public witness, worship and vigils
• Interest/experience in international human rights work
For more information, please contact:
delegations@cpt.org 773-277-0253
http://www.cpt.org

May 18 – June 1 From the Roots: Globalization and the Migrant Journey
Mexico and Arizona
Witness for Peace and the Chicago New Sanctuary Coalition
• Learn about the root causes of migration
• Build bridges of understanding between migrants and receiving communities in the U.S.
• Journey through the desert on the 5th Annual Migrant Trail Walk
For more information, please contact:
Jennifer Hill jhill@chicagosanctuary.org 313-938-1029
http://www.witnessforpeace.org/

May 19 - June 1 Environmental Justice and Sustainable Development: Views from Latin America
Guatemala
Center for Global Education at Augsburg College and the Davidson Honors College and the Environmental Studies Program at the University of Montana
• Dialogue with university students involved in environmental issues at San Carlos University
• Hear what members of the Guatemalan formal business sector have to say about environmental concerns
• Meet with campesino (peasant) farmers to discuss issues of land reform
• Discuss environmental theories for the collapse of the classic Mayan civilization
For more information, please contact:
Professor Dan Spencer 406-243-6111 daniel.spencer@umontana.edu
Center for Global Education 612/330-1159 or 800/299-8889 globaled@augsburg.edu
www.centerforglobaleducation.org

May 23 – June 1   Labor Rights and Economic Justice
Mexico
Witness for Peace
For more information, please contact:
   Xenia Barahona  justjourneys@uusc.org  617-868-6600
   http://www.witnessforpeace.org/

May 24 – 31  Colombia: The People Behind the Coal
Colombia
Witness for Peace
• Follow the trail of coal that supplies power to New England
• Meet with human rights activits, member of Afro-Colombian and indigenous communities and other affected by coal production in Colombia
• Explore how we as consumers can work in solidarity with communities and organizations in Colombia to hold corporations accountable for human rights
For more information, please contact:
   Avi Chomsky  achomsky@salemstate.edu 978-542-6389
   Steve Striffler  striffler@hotmail.com 479-283-4795
   http://www.witnessforpeace.org/

May 24 – June 3 Colombian Birds, People, and Policy
Colombia
Witness for Peace
• Meet with Colombian experts on avian biodiversity and local experts on the effects of fumigation within and outside of Bogota
• View Colombian birds in pristine and previously fumigated areas
• Have opportunities to strategize the changing of harmful practices
For more information, please contact:
Jess Niederer jln28@cornell.edu 609-462-3854
http://www.witnessforpeace.org/

May 24 – June 3   The Return of the Sandinistas
Nicaragua
Task Force on the Americas
• Find out how the Sandinistas are doing after a year and a half, what's working and what isn't
• Visit different sectors of society and grassroots organizations 
• Spend 2 days in Matagalpa to look at issues of rural poverty
For more information, please contact:
   Dale  geodale1@earthlink.net  
   http://www.mitfamericas.org/Trips.htm  

  
June 2008

June 1 – 22 International Health Immersion Program
Guatemala
Concern America
• Gain a “hands-on” learning opportunity for all healthcare students, residents in medicine, and health care professionals already in the workplace
• Learn from and work with Guatemalan community-based health promoters, midwives, and environmental promoters about a comprehensive health care program
• Learn about basic tropical diseases and treatments
• Engage in the struggle for health rights at home and abroad and foster a career in international health and development
For more information, please contact:
Catharine Quinn, BSN, RNC, MPH at:
cquinn_concern@earthlink.net or 773-290-8692

June 12 – 23 Building Bridges of Hope: International Delegations, Action and Celebration
Guatemala, Nicaragua, Mexico, Venezuela or Colombia AND Washington, DC
Witness for Peace
• Celebrate 25 years of Witness for Peace delegations
• After 8 days in country, return to Washington, DC for a weekend of workshops, skill-building, advocacy, lobby training, and direct action
For more information, please contact:
Ken Crowley ken@witnessforpeace.org 202-547-6112
http://www.witnessforpeace.org/

June 14 – 23   From Mexico to Minnesota; From Minnesota to Mexico
Mexico
Witness for Peace
• Learn about the roots of Migration
• Gain knowledge of ways U.S. policy affects migration patterns
• Discuss ways to act in solidarity with people from Axochiapan and Minnesota
For more information, please contact:
   Breanna Parslow  breannaparslow@yahoo.com 651-271-0068 
   Kristen Melby  kemelby@gmail.com  
   http://www.witnessforpeace.org/ 

June 18-28 Health Care, Education and Sustainability: Are the Promises Being Fulfilled?
Nicaragua
Witness for Peace
• Meet with economists, civic leaders, and labor organizers to learn about the current socioeconomic situation
• Experience a home-stay in Ometeppe with hands-on experiences led by health-care providers, public school educators and campesinos
• Meet with US Embassy officials about US policy in Nicaragua
For more information, please contact:
Lyn Clark Pegg carolynpegg@yahoo.com 218-348-3048
Ken Crowley ken@witnessforpeace.org 202-547-6112 http://www.witnessforpeace.org/

June 20 – 29   Fact Finding Delegation
El Salvador
CISPES - Committee in Solidarity with the People of El Salvador
• Meet with and how solidarity to our allies as they fight water privatization, the effects of CAFTA, and government repression
• Meet with human rights offices and other institutions that have worked to denounce political violence and represssion
• Produce a report about human rights abuses, government repression, and potential irregularities leading up to the 2009 elections
For more information, please contact:
   Elizabeth@cispes.org  202-521-2510
   www.cispes.org  

June 20-28 Training for Transformation Experience – tentative dates
Chiapas, Mexico
Concern America Education Team
Purposes and Goals:
• Popular Education on Global Justice Values in the surroundings of Chiapas, Mexico
• Raise funds for the support of the mission of Concern America
• Assist in bridging polarizing societal realities through the formation of leaders from all segments of society with the values/principles of Global Justice
The experience will include:
• Local art/artesania and music
• Visits to indigenous Mayan communities where Concern America works in education, health, and potable water
• Education experiences in the Training for Transformation model of Concern America with Concern America staff members
For more information, please contact:
Marianne 714-953-8575
http://www.concernamerica.org/

June 21 – 29   Human Rights Defenders Under Fire
Guatemala
Guatemala Human Rights Commission/USA
• Meet with aleaders in the Guatemalan human rights community throughout the country, including victims of threats and attacks
• Learn about the new International Commission Against Impunity in Guatemala (CICIG) and its efforts to investigate organized crime rings and clandestine groups
• Explore the wider socioeconomic and political context in which violence takes place
For more information, please contact:
   Marty Jordan mjordan@ghrc-usa.org 202-529-6559
   http://www.ghrc-usa.org/

July 2008

June 1 – 11   A Delegation to Nicaragua: A Casualty of the War Against the Poor
Nicaragua
Witness for Peace
• Meet sweatshop workers, coffee pickers, farmers and street children to hear personal stories of struggle
• Talk with economists and proponents of fair trade to learn about alternative economic models
• Enjoy some Nicaraguan music and dance
For more information, please contact:
   Lynette Culverhouse  lculverhouse@gmail.com 781-641-3076  
   http://www.witnessforpeace.org/

July 12 - 20 Globalizing Women's Studies: Pedagogy and Praxis. A Professional Development Seminary for Facultry, Staff, and Graduate Students
Mexico
Center for Global Education at Augsburg College
• Talk with representatives of grassroots women's organizations about the feminization of poverty in Mexico and their efforts to challenge economic globalization
• Visit people's homes and talk about family ilfe, gender roles, and social concerns, including the impact of NAFTA and emigration to the United States
• Engage in dialogue wih leaders of one of the LGBTQ organizations that succeeded in passing a new law enabling same-sex civil unions in Mexico City in 2007
• Attend a feminist theatre performance and discuss the use of the arts in feminist pedagogies
For more information, please contact:
Center for Global Education 612/330-1159 or 800/299-8889 globaled@augsburg.edu
www.centerforglobaleducation.org

July 16 – 29
Focus on a gold mining reserve in the San Lucas mountains, the tension between small scale miners and government support of multinational investment, and increased clashes between the guerillas and paramilitary forces in the region.
Colombia
Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT)
CPT seeks participants with some of the following interests and gifts:
• Commitment to and/or experience in nonviolent action
• Willingness to engage in public witness, worship and vigils
• Interest/experience in international human rights work
For more information, please contact:
delegations@cpt.org 773-277-0253
http://www.cpt.org

August 2008

August 2 – 16 Building Peaceful Resistance to the “Other War”: A Human Rights Delegation
Colombia
Fellowship of Reconciliation
• Meet with Indigenous, Afro-Colombian, Youth and Women’s organizations, Colombian and U.S. government officials
• Travel to the Peace Community of San José de Apartadó
• Learn more about peaceful resistance growing in Colombia, and U.S. military intervention
For more information, please contact:
forcolombia@igc.org 415-495-6334
http://www.forcolombia.org/summer08delegation

August 3 – 13  Plan Colombia, Human Rights, and eht war on "Narcoterror": The Truth and Consequences of U.S. Policy
Colombia
Witness for Peace
• Visit communities in Putumayo that have been directly affected by U.S. military aid and counternarcotics efforts
• Learn how the "regional crisis" between Ecuador, Colombia, and Venezuela is affecting the civilian population in Putumayo
• Gain the knowledge and skills necessary to educate U.S. citizens and policymakers about the failures of our Colombia policy and how it should change
For more information, please contact:
   David Anderson  david.anderson@csus.edu 
   Travis Wheeler  twheeler@lawg.org 
   http://www.witnessforpeace.org/ 

August 3 – 17   Social Justice - Environment - Culture
Brasil
Task Force on the Americas
• Build solidarity ties with Brazilian social movements (environmental and social justice, women's rights, racial justice)
• Experience the uplifting Brazilian environment
• Learn about grassroots projects
For more information, please contact:
   Dale or Ericka  geodale1@earthlink.net 415-924-3227 
   http://www.mitfamericas.org/Trips.htm
   www.brasil2008.com
 

August 8 – 19*
Colombia
Chicago Presbytery: Congregations in Solidarity with Latin American Mission Team (CSLA), Chicago Religious Leadership Network on Latin America (CRLN)
• Learn about the vision, mission and ministry of the Presbyterian Church in Colombia (IPC) amid a 40-year civil conflict
• Examine about the role of the IPC’s Reformed University in promoting a just peace
• Dialogue with Afro-Colombian communities
• Explore the roots of the conflict, the role of the Church, and pathways toward peace
For more information, please contact:
Gary Cozette gcozette@crln.org 773-293-2964
www.crln.org
*Open to Presbyterians of the Chicago Presbytery

August 24 - September 3  Bilateral Free Trade Agreement, Human Rights and Military Repression
Colombia
Chicago Religious Leadership Network on Latin America (CRLN) / Witness for Peace / EPICA / 8th Day Center for Justice / SOA Watch
• Learn about Afro-Colombian and indigenous communities struggle for territory, culture and environment
• Meet with communities organizing in resistance to current military and free trade policies in the provinces of Cauca and Valle de Cauca
• Meet with a wide range of Colombians including community leaders, displaced persons, and human rights defenders
• Learn how to educate and advocate to US citizens and policy makers
For more information, please contact:
Erica Spilde espilde@crln.org 773-293-2964
www.crln.org

September 2008

September 12 – 22   Bolivia - Social Movement - Democracy
Bolivia
Task Force on the Americas
• Meet with Ministers and other members of the government
• Learn about he role of USAID's Office of Transition Initiatives and NED funded projects
• Travel to the incredibly beautiful Yungas, the other coca-growing region
For more information, please contact:
   Dale  geodale1@earthlink.net 415-924-3227 
   http://www.mitfamericas.org/Trips.htm 

September 22 – Oct 13 International Health Immersion Program
Guatemala
Concern America
• Gain a “hands-on” learning opportunity for all healthcare students, residents in medicine, and health care professionals already in the workplace
• Learn from and work with Guatemalan community-based health promoters, midwives, and environmental promoters about a comprehensive health care program
• Learn about basic tropical diseases and treatments
• Engage in the struggle for health rights at home and abroad and foster a career in international health and development
For more information, please contact:
Catharine Quinn, BSN, RNC, MPH at:
cquinn_concern@earthlink.net or 773-290-8692

October 2008

October 18 – 28 Globalization and Coffee: The Impact of Free Trade and Fair Trade on Colombians Farmers
Colombia
Witness for Peace
For more information, please contact:
Anna Utech autech@equalexchange.coop 774-776-7411
http://www.witnessforpeace.org/

2009

January 2009

January 12 – 20 Defend Democracy and Human Rights! Be an International Election Observer! Mayoral and Legislative Assembly Elections
El Salvador
Centro de Intercambio y Solidaridad (CIS)
• Learn about Salvadoran reality
• Make an important contribution to free and fair elections
• The CIS observer report has been used by the Supreme Electoral Tribunal and the Legislative Assembly as a basis for debate on election reform
**Additional 4 & 6 month volunteers are needed! Spanish-speaking volunteers requested January 2 – April 2. The CIS also needs volunteers to stay until July 1st to help write and present the election report.
For more information, please contact:
Delegaciones_cis@yahoo.com or misionelectoral_cis@yahoo.com
http://www.cis-elsalvador.org/

January 17 – 25   Tortillas and Trade: People of faith explore poverty, economic globalizatoin, and the role of the church
Mexico
Chicago Religious Leadership Network on Latin America (CRLN)
• Spend time at the Cuernavaca Center for Intercultural Dialogue and Development (www.ccidd.org) and the Lutheran Center in Mexico City (www.elca.org/mexico)
• Experience the reality of marginalized communities in Mexico
• Hear testimonies from local women, families, community leaders, and political refugees 
• Grow in understanding the impact of economic globalization on the countryside and urban setting
• Engage in discussion, Biblical reflections, and group exercises on power dynamics and economics
For more information, please contact:
Erica Spilde espilde@crln.org 773-293-2964
www.crln.org

March 2009

March 9 – 17 Defend Democracy and Human Rights! Be an International Election Observer! Presidential Elections
El Salvador
Centro de Intercambio y Solidaridad (CIS)
• Learn about Salvadoran reality
• Make an important contribution to free and fair elections
• The CIS observer report has been used by the Supreme Electoral Tribunal and the Legislative Assembly as a basis for debate on election reform
**Additional 4 & 6 month volunteers are needed! Spanish-speaking volunteers requested January 2 – April 2. The CIS also needs volunteers to stay until July 1st to help write and present the election report.
For more information, please contact:
Delegaciones_cis@yahoo.com or misionelectoral_cis@yahoo.com
http://www.cis-elsalvador.org/

**Global Exchanges offers many opportunities for travel in Latin America and other countries around the world. Due to the sheer number of opportunities they offer, we have not listed them on this calendar. For information on Global Exchange’s reality tours, please visit their website: http://www.globalexchange.org/tours/index.html