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Ecuador : The Social Forum of the Americas: Otro Mundo es Posible
July 24, 2004
- August 05, 2004
Ecuador, a bastion of cultural and biological diversity, is home to one of the most successful and peaceful indigenous movements. More than bananas, oil, exported roses, and the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador bears a unique blend of social movements and natural beauty. This tour will give participants the opportunity to contribute to the week-long Social Forum of the Americas and then visit local sites including beautiful indigenous markets, destructive cut flower factories, and cloud forest being bisected by an oil pipeline.
After the World Social Forums, first in Porto Alegre, Brazil, and most recently in Mumbai, India (Jan 2004), the Hemispheric Social Forum of the Americas will extend the agenda of debating and creating alternatives for a more socially just and sustainable world order. Meet with NGOÅfs, social movements, indigenous leaders, and environmental, labor, and human rights activists from around the hemisphere committed to creating alternatives to neoliberal policies. Conferences, Panel Discussions, Seminars, Workshops, and Testimonials will address topics from the Free Trade Agreement of the Americas (FTAA) to transgenic crops and intellectual property rights.
Our site visits will look at how globalization and free trade policies impact Ecuadorian society (from the cut flower industry and factory pollution, and oil and environmental degradation, to intellectual property rights indigenous knowledge and biopiracy, and IMF reforms and social service chopping). Participants will learn about Ecuador's rich ethnic makeup and its indigenous cultural roots.
Participants will meet with representatives from strategic governmental agencies, political parties, NGOs and grassroots community projects to examine important social, economic, political and environmental issues.
For more information on the Social Forum of the Americas please see http://www.forosocialamericas.org/
Program Highlights:
- Saturday 24: People arrive, Orientation Intro Lecture and Dinner
- Sunday 25- Friday 30: Social Forum of the Americas. Seminars, workshops in the daytime. Cultural events and dinner discussions with experts at night.
- Saturday 31: Visit Otavalo (2 hr. North of Quito). Indigenous political and cultural stronghold. Meet with Indigenous organizations, visit polluting and labor abusing flower plantations, shop at the amazing Saturday market.
- Sunday August 1st: Visit Cotacachi, amazing experiment in indigenous collective governance. Using World Bank funds to promote local leadership and decentralized politics. Meet with mayor and learn about their experience. Return to Quito.
- Visit Mitad del Mundo Equator site and Indigenous Cultures museum. Evening Speaker.
- Monday August 2nd: Visit Mindo Cloud Forest (90 minutes from Quito).
- Examine issues of the Mindo oil pipeline development. Meet with activists and environmental organizations. Return to Quito. Debriefing session, Closing Dinner.
- TRIP will be extended to visit the Amazon from August 2-5. ask for details.
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Cost:
$1200
Price Includes:
- Double-room accommodations; two meals per day; transportation to and from all programmed activities; guides and translators; a qualified trip facilitator; all program activities; the $25 delegate Forum fee and reading materials.
- * * * NOT INCLUDED is international airfare to Quito, lunches, airport departure taxes, tips, and personal expenses.
- * * * Single rooms are available for an additional $200.
How to Register:
We must receive your application and a non-refundable deposit of $200 two months before departure. A late fee of $50 will be applied to late applications. Payments by Mastercard or Visa are welcome.
This trip will be as diverse as possible in terms of race, age and life experiences. We strongly urge 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 Malia with any questions about this trip,
or call toll-free 1-800-497-1994 ext. 233.
Trips on related issues: Environment and Sustainability
Health and Healing
Labor and Economy
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