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Guatemala : Fair Trade VS Free Trade
May 26, 2008
- June 03, 2008
Join Global Exchange for a reality tour exploring how U.S. fair trade activists and women's cooperatives in Guatemala are working together to use fair trade to advance local development efforts in Latin America's most impoverished communities. We invite you to travel to Guatemala to meet with artisan cooperatives and affiliated grassroots NGOs. Visit and work with cooperatives that are providing fair wage employment and a support network to women in some of Latin America's most impoverished communities, many of which survived violent repression during Guatemala's civil war. Trip participants will learn about each community's history and the local development projects funded through their fair trade sales in the U.S. In contrast participants will witness the negative impacts of the free trade model in the region.
Fair Trade VS Free Trade will allow participants to explore how they, as consumers, can support development efforts abroad. The tour is intended to motivate participation in fair trade initiatives upon return to the U.S. Participants will have the opportunity to engage in dialogue with cooperative members, representatives of leading indigenous and human rights organizations, and local government officials about issues related to women's rights, racism, economic justice, and community health in both the U.S. and Guatemala.
Program Highlights:
- Learn about the popular resistance to the Central America Free Trade Agreement.
- Learn about the opposition to mining ventures in San Marcos.
- Meet and work with jewelry and weaving cooperatives formed by widows from Guatemala's civil war period.
- Visit small producers of organic, fair trade coffee and their processing center.
- Visit a community of workers on a traditional coffee plantation who have organized to defend their labor rights in the hope of one day gaining land to produce under fair conditions.
- Meet with the Alternative Network for Solidarity Trade, a network of cooperatives and small producers who have come together to access and create alternative markets.
- Meet with representatives of indigenous organizations fighting for their cultural and political rights.
- Learn about the history of US-Guatemala relations and learn how the US is impacting policy in Guatemala today.
Cost:
$1285
Price Includes:
- Double-room accommodations; on-ground transportation including airport pick-up and drop-off; Global Exchange bilingual trip leader; preparatory reading and orientation materials; admission and fees to all program activities; two meals a day (breakfast and dinner).
- NOT INCLUDED: airfare, lunches, airport departure taxes, tips, room service charges, travel insurance, and personal expenses. Single rooms are available for an additional $200.
How to Register:
To secure your space on this trip, please submit your registration form and a deposit of $200 two months before departure. A late fee of $50 will be applied for late registration. Deposits are non-refundable but transferable for up to one year toward the cost of another tour. Payments by check, 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. 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: Art and Culture
Education
Environment and Sustainability
Fair Trade
Labor and Economy
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