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Ecuador : Peace, Gender, and the Environment (co-led by Medea Benjamin)
August 07, 2009
- August 17, 2009
Join Global Exchange Reality Tours on our upcoming "Anti-Militarism, Gender and the Environment" delegation to Ecuador. Accompanied by Global Exchange and Code Pink co-founder Medea Benjamin, this program explores the ways in which Ecuadorian women are organizing to resist US military and corporate exploitation and promote environmental justice. In light of Ecuador's landmark Constitutional victory, which was crafted by leftist President Rafael Correa to protect rights of nature and indigenous peoples, the country has experienced wide-scale reform as activist communities have risen from periphery to power. Meeting with indigenous leadership, non-governmental organizations, environmental activists, and government officials, we will foreground the role of women in strategizing toward sustainable change. In particular, we will examine the efforts leading to the closure of the US military base in Manta, assess the impact of western oil companies in the Amazon, and learn about the ways in which US-backed mining legislation threatens indigenous self-determination and ecological sustainability. Based out of the Andean highlands and the Amazon Basin, this delegation aspires to increase awareness on human rights in Ecuador and inspire participants to engage social justice issues upon return to the US.
Program Highlights:
- Fly to the Ecuadorian Amazon and take the "Toxic Tour," witnessing Chevron-Texaco's oil disaster firsthand
- Visit highland indigenous community and learn about their struggle against a multinational mining company
- Discuss environmental, social, and economic rights with activists and leaders in Quito as you uncover the alternatives to "free trade"
- Visit the Sarayacu, an Amazonian indigenous group, and understand their long history of resistance to oil drilling
- Meet with Esperanza Martinez, a leading environmentalist credited with incorporating "rights of nature" into the national Constitution
- Meet with indigenous leaders and healers in the Amazon, and visit eco-tourism projects that provide alternatives to extractive industries like oil and logging.
- All activities subject to availability.
Cost:
$1425
Price Includes:
- Double-room accommodation; ground transportation including airport pick-up and drop-off; Global Exchange bilingual delegation leader; preparatory reading and orientation materials; admission and fees to all program activities; two meals per day
- NOT INCLUDED: airfare; airport departure taxes; one meal per day; tips; personal expenses. Single rooms are available at an additional $200.
- Please note: All Global Exchange participants should arrive and depart from Quito, and those arriving and departing on scheduled delegation dates will receive airport transfers. Please notify program director with special travel arrangements.
How to Register:
We must receive your application and a non-refundable $400 deposit two months before departure. A late fee of $50 will be applied to late applications. Payments by Mastercard or Visa are welcome.
This delegation will be as diverse as possible in terms of race, age and life experiences. We strongly encourage people of color to apply. In some cases, a limited number of partial scholarships are available for low-income applicants.
Make your reservation online now!
Contact Sneh with any questions about this trip,
or call toll-free 1-800-497-1994 ext. 221.
Trips on related issues: Environment and Sustainability
Fair Trade
Labor and Economy
Women's Delegations
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