PC(USA) Sponsored Delegations
Fair Trade Delegation to Nicaragua
January 5-12, 2013*
Join our Fair Trade Delegation to Nicaragua! Each year the Presbyterian Hunger Program leads a one-week delegation of 12 Presbyterians from around the United States. Participants experience the benefits of Fair Trade first-hand when they visit coffee, craft and sewing cooperatives and have the opportunity to deepen their commitments to global discipleship in learning about the items we buy from clothes to coffee, handicrafts to Sweat-Free T-shirts.
The delegation is perfect for anyone involved in a congregation, college or camp that uses Fair Trade coffee, tea or T-shirts. It’s also great for anyone who has hosted a holiday bazaar with Fair Trade products, or simply wants to learn more.
Highlights include:
- Meeting Fair Trade farmers and artisans
- Picking coffee and staying in the homes of farming families
- Visiting a craft cooperative connected with the PC(USA) Global Marketplace
- Meeting the women who sew Sweat-Free Ts
- Building community with fellow Presbyterians
- Learning about Nicaragua, Fair Trade and more!
The delegation is led by staff from the Presbyterian Hunger Program and Equal Exchange and is hosted locally by PC(USA)’s partner organization, CEPAD, Nicaragua’s council of Protestant (evangelico) churches.
Applications are due October 29. Invitations will be extended by November 2, and the delegation takes place January 5-12, 2013. We visit during the dry season when coffee is being harvested, so it is a perfect time to visit cooperatives, pick coffee with farmers and learn about Fair Trade.
Costs for 2012 will be approximately $625 plus airfare. $625 is all-inclusive of meals, lodging, translation, in-country transportation, etc. The only extra needed is a small amount of spending money for snacks or souvenirs. Some need-based scholarship assistance is available from the Presbyterian Hunger Program.
*Dates for this trip were previously publicized as November 24-December 1, 2012.
Other Opportunities
Fair Trade and Women's Economic Justice Delegation to Guatemala
February 16-23, 2013
Fair Trade provides hope for women in developing countries. Often, artisans are women who come from violence both in their homes and war-torn countries. Hear first-hand the many and unique ways women address these issues and how Fair Trade impacts their lives and communities. The tour is intended to encourage and motivate participants to come home and become involved in fair trade initiatives.
Hosted by CEDEPCA, PC(USA)'s church partner in Guatemala, the trip begins in Guatemala City with a full day of historical and political overview, then launches out to visit Fair Trade and other women’s groups, and markets, continuing to hear stories and sharing meals.
- Fair Trade visits include UPAVIM, Mayan Hands, the Ruth and Naomi weaving cooperative, and Corazon de Mujer.
- Other visits include the Guatemala Human Rights Commission, a textile museum, Lake Atitlan and surrounding area, Antigua, and well-known markets.
- Speakers include national figures Julia Esquivel and Sandra Maron.
Cost will be approximately $1,300, plus airfare. Fee includes all transportation, housing, meals, airport exit fees, and honorariums to each group the delegation visits.
For more information contact organizer and leader, Sandi Thompson-Royer, at sandit@hotmail.com or (509) 863-7005. Sandi is manager at Jubilee Global Gifts, a Fair Trade store in Leavenworth, WA. She is also former PC(USA) staff and a domestic violence expert.
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Comments
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Hi Ann. Yes, I would say go ahead and apply. Better to cancel (if you have to) than try to join late in the game. Let us know if you have further questions.
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We are very interested but wonder if we should apply when we might have a conflict with the date. We're waiting to hear about a granddaughter's surgery in Philadelphia (we'll be needed to babysit a sibling). Is is worth applying if we might have to cancel?