TORTILLAS and TRADE!
Travel to Mexico!
Tortillas and Trade:
People of faith explore poverty, hunger, economic globalization and the role of the church
January 17 - 25, 2009
Join us!
The goal of our time in Mexico will be to look at the role people of faith 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
- Participate in a Christian Base Community gathering
- 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 local worship celebrations, 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 $100 deposit is required with your application. Your application and deposit must be received no later than October 15, 2008. 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 20.
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
http://archive.elca.org/mexico/
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 Cneter 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. We will be meeting with AMEXTRA, an ELCA World Hunger partner, but participants need not be Lutheran, Catholic, nor any other particular denomination.
For more information / Application Process:
To request and application form, please contact Erica Spilde at the Chicago Religious Leadership Network on Latin America (CRLN).
Phone: 773-293-2964
E-mail: espilde@crln.org
Applications are due by October 15. A $100 deposit is required with your application. The deposit will be refunded if we cannot place you on the trip.
THIS TRIP is SPONSORED BY:
The CHICAGO RELIGIOUS LEADERSHIP NETWORK on LATIN AMERICA
and
ELCA World Hunger
