Friday, February 28 – Tuesday, March 3, 2020
The U.S. Southern Border: What is Happening and How Presbyterians Can Respond
Description
This domestic travel study seminar will immediately follow the Central American Migrant Trails study seminar in Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador. This portion will begin and end in Los Angeles, California. We’ll travel from Los Angeles to Tijuana, Mexico to visit a migrant shelter and have interactions with important actors offering humanitarian and legal services to asylum seekers being forced to wait in Mexico. We will stay overnight in Tijuana, Mexico and on Sunday will attend a binational worship experience right on the border. Monday will be a full day, hosted by the Presbytery of the Pacific, in meetings and conversations to further understand the context and gain tools and insight to discern ways we can get involved, offer support, accompaniment and much needed advocacy. This seminar is sponsored jointly by the Presbyterian Peacemaking Program, World Mission and the Presbytery of the Pacific. It may be attended independently or added to the end of the Central America travel study seminar.
Please note: While this seminar is being promoted as a “domestic” travel seminar, it DOES include travel into Mexico and a valid passport IS REQUIRED in order to participate.
Preliminary Schedule
The following schedule is provided to give those interested an idea of the content of this domestic travel study seminar. All items are subject to change.
Friday, February 28th
Participants may arrive to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) anytime this day. A shuttle to the hotel will be provided. There is no program this day and all meals are on-your-own.
Saturday, February 29th and Sunday, March 1
We will drive to the border and cross into Mexico on foot. In Tijuana we will have the opportunity to visit a migrant shelter and meet with different organizations providing humanitarian and legal aid. On Sunday morning we will have some time right along the border wall that will include a talk on migration perspectives, a binational worship service and a community meal. That afternoon we will cross back into the U.S. on foot and then drive back to Los Angeles.
Monday, March 2
Monday will be a full day to learn more about issues surrounding immigration and hearing about different way we can respond. Matthew 25 SoCal/Ecumenical Collaboration for Asylum Seekers (ECAS) will share with us their model of migrant accompaniment that partners immigrant churches with non-immigrant churches by creating support circles and we’ll meet with church members, who out of that model, have committed to accompanying asylum seekers in different ways. There will also be time to hear about the learning and discernment process of local congregations who have felt called to migrant ministries at this particularly pressing time in our nation’s history.
Tuesday, March 3
Participants may depart from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) anytime this day. A shuttle from the hotel will be provided. There is no program this day and all meals are on-your-own.
Accommodations
The seminar will last 3 full days (Saturday-Monday) and include 4 nights of lodging. Travel days are Friday, February 28 and Tuesday, March 3. Accommodations are double-occupancy. Some single-occupancy rooms may be available for an additional charge.
Cost
The cost of this seminar is $600 for those who will be flying in and out of LAX on the indicated travel dates and includes a total of 4 nights lodging. Cost is per person double occupancy including all seminar expenses (meals – with the exception of travel days, accommodations, program, tips, and transportation). Airline transportation to and from Los Angeles, California (LAX) is not included.
This seminar is also available for local participants who may not need a hotel in Los Angeles. The cost for this option is $300 and includes expenses for all day Saturday and Sunday, with the overnight in Tijuana, Mexico as well as participation in Monday’s all-day event at the Presbytery of the Pacific. It does not include lodging for Sunday night. However, if that is needed, it can be arranged for an additional cost.
Application Due Date
Apply online by January 17, 2020. After that date, applications will be considered as space remains available.
For more information
For more details related to this travel study seminar or to reach a member of the Presbyterian Peacemaking Program staff, please call 888-728-7228 x 5805.
