Category Travel Delegations

Nov 19 2019

Cancelled-Register for These Upcoming Travel Delegations in 2020!

Witness for Peace Southwest is partnering with Altruvistas to bring you three new solidarity delegations in the next year.  The delegations will be put on by the Altruvistas team in support of Witness for Peace Southwest and the work happening on the ground in each delegation location. You can register for any of these delegations here:  https://altruvistas.com/registration/

Cuba – April 26-May 3, 2020

Solidarity and Socialism: May Day in Cuba

Learn about the Cuban people’s revolutionary history and cultural resilience, while also celebrating May Day! Expect to learn about the importance of organized labor in Cuba. Explore the fruits of the Cuban Revolution: education, health care, sports, and the arts. Examine Cuban socialism and the impacts of the US embargo on the nation. Plus, enjoy an incredible culture!

Tour Price
$1780 double occupancy in 3 star hotels
$300 single supplement
Limited space is available—Apply early! Application with a non-refundable deposit of $500 is due by February 1st, 2019.

Puerto Rico- June 14-23, 2020

Puerto Rico’s status as a US commonwealth leaves the island without a vote and voice in their nation’s political future. Stand in solidarity with the people of Puerto Rico as they continue their fight for their independence against US occupation and militarization. We will learn about the history of Borinquen and its people’s history of resistance. We will explore the movement for independence and also statehood, while enjoying vibrant culture, some bomba y plena,  and extraordinary cuisine, of course.

Tour Price
$2875 double occupancy in 3 and 4 star hotels
$450 single supplement in 3 and 4 star hotels

Delegation fees cover all set-up preparation, 2 meals per day, accommodations, interpreters, transportation within the country, all entrance fees, donations to sister organizations, a $200 donation to WFPSW,  honoraria to speakers and a trained delegation coordinator. The fee also covers extensive reading and activist tools before and after the delegation. Limited space is available—Apply early! Application with a non-refundable deposit of $500 is due by April  1st, 2019.

Hawaii- July 25-August 2, 2020

Aloha aina, love of land…life. This is the way in which Hawaiians experience the world. Kīpaepae is a ceremony involving the stepping-stones for entering a house, and through this definition, travelers are recognized for reaching the lands sustained for thousands of years by native Hawaiian ancestors–from modern day contemporary times. This huaka`i, or “travel with an informed purpose,” is a journey to understand the Hawaiian nation before it was colonized and militarized by the US and became the 50th State. Through meaningful exchanges you will learn about cultural and ecological resilience, the status of current the Hawaiian sovereignty movement, and the inspirational successes of community organizing from Makua to Makai–while enjoying the beauty and the the aloha that the islands are known for.

Tour Price
$2740 double occupancy
$490 single supplement
Limited space is available—Apply early! Application with a non-refundable deposit of $500 is due by May 1st, 2019.

Jul 19 2017

Honduras: The Fight for Reparations Delegation Returns!

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Delegates gather with the community leadership of San Juan, Tela Bay. San Juan is currently in the process of their own international court case against the Honduran state for violating their rights as Indigenous peoples with rights to their ancestral territories including the land and sea. (Photo: Raul Medina Ceballos)

The Witness for Peace delegation “Honduras: The Fight for Reparations” just returned from a nearly two week long Black and Brown exchange with Garifuna communities located along the North-east coast and organized by OFRANEH, the Black Fraternal Organization of Honduras. Throughout the delegation, the Garifuna spoke about their legal victories demanding the return of their ancestral lands from the Honduran state and transnational corporations as well as their communities’ struggles against the ongoing coup.

“The Garifuna are descendants of the African Diaspora as well as Indigenous peoples across the Caribbean and the continental Americas. They have historically fought to repair the colonial and imperial wrongs perpetrated against their nations for centuries. In Honduras, the Garifuna have won two unprecedented cases at the Inter-American Court of Human Rights in defense of their ancestral rights to land, inherent rights to cultural preservation and their livelihood. These landmark cases have resulted in clear demands for the Honduran state to guarantee the return of all the Garinagu ancestral territories and financial restitution.” (WFP’s website)

Currently, the Garifuna people are under fierce attack from the government, narco-traffickers, and transnational corporations. Honduras is “Open for Business”, as a banner in English proclaims in the San Pedro Sula airport, and its politicians are taking the lead in new varieties of colonialism that intend to sell off resources, rivers and even cities to foreign bidders who would establish sovereignty with no fetters in those chunks of territory.

Garífuna and also Lenca people stand at the forefront of building justice from the ashes of the 2009 coup, that was backed by the U.S. government. The coup halted a vast people’s movement headed toward changes in their constitution that would allow genuine rule by and for the people. Due to a current wave of repression led by the state and other conservative forces, Honduras has statistics of murder among the general population, murders of journalists, murders of trans people, murders of organizers at some of the most alarming rates of any country in the world not officially at war.

Delegates came from Belize, Peru, Ecuador and represented different migrations and Diaspora including: El Salvador, Haiti, Mexico, Zimbabwe, Mali and Tanzania.

Keep posted for more information!

In solidarity,

The Honduras Fight for Reparations Delegation

Jan 9 2017

Conversatorio sobre Cuba, Venezuela y México, 15 de enero de 2017 (+ volante en español)

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Más de 200 Zapatistas participaron en el Encuentro Internacional (Con)ciencias en San Cristóbal de las Casas, Chiapas para interrogar y retar a la comunidad científica y también buscaron cómo infundir a sus tradiciones ancestrales con estrategias científicas para vencer los efectos negativos del cambio climático en sus comunidades y el mundo (Radio Zapatista).

Procesos revolucionarias por las Américas – volante oficial

Evento bilingüe

DOMINGO 15 de enero de 2017

4:00 a 6:00pm, las puertas abren a las  3:30pm

La Casa Roja, 1251 S St. Andrews Place Los Ángeles, CA 90019

*Donación sugerida de $5 a 20, nadie será rechazadx por falta de fondos *

*Libros, artesanía & más a la venta* & *Refrigerio* 

Bienvenidxs a nuestro primer evento de 2017 con charlas sobre los procesos revolucionarios en Cuba, Venezuela y Chiapas, México. Aracely Barboza Cabral es una mujer de color y queer de Los Ángeles del Este con raíces mexicanas y 14 años de experiencia de organización. El noviembre pasado, Aracely participó en una delegación de personas de color a Cuba con WFP. Aracely y otrxs delegadxs aprendieron sobre los logros de la isla y su movimiento en los contextos de justicia social, educación, salud y su transición del capitalismo a otra economía más justa basada en el pueblo. También, lxs delegadxs asistieron eventos con el pueblo cubano de luto después del fallecimiento físico del líder revolucionario Fidel Castro. Este evento celebra el espíritu revolucionario de Cuba.

Jeanette Charles, organizadora regional de WFP, volvió recientemente de Venezuela y Chiapas, México donde los movimientos están combatiendo al capitalismo e intervención estadounidense. El pueblo venezolano sigue definiendo la Revolución Bolivariana y Socialismo del Siglo XXI en sus propios términos a pesar de los ataques de la oposición derechista apoyada históricamente por los EEUU. Las comunas, cooperativas y colectivos trabajando a nombre de la soberanía alimentaria, iniciativas dirigidas por trabajadorxs y en pro de prácticas populares y no capitalistas siguen creciendo en todo el país.

El 1 de enero, 2017, el Congreso Nacional Indígena (CNI) y el Ejército Zapatista de Liberación Nacional (EZLN) anunciaron su nueva campaña para crear un gobierno paralelo y lanzar una campaña presidencial independiente para el 2018 con una mujer indígena como su vocera. Estas noticias llegan 23 años después del levantamiento del EZLN y marca un capítulo nuevo en su proceso autónomo y en su construcción del poder popular. El EZLN organizó también un encuentro internacional, (Con)Ciencias lo cual retó directamente a científicxs a nivel global a buscar soluciones para resolver los efectos del cambio climático y cambiar la ciencia y tecnología actualmente sometida al sistema capitalista y militarizado.  

Para más información: Jeanette Charles, 805.669.8482, jcharles.wfpsw@gmail.com o wfpsw@witnessforpeace.org

Dec 12 2016

2017 Delegations Announcement, Part 1 (+ flyers)

Join Witness for Peace Southwest on two delegations in 2017 to Honduras! Look out soon for additional announcements for delegations to Cuba and other locations across Latin America and the Caribbean. 

Radical Organizing Across Difference: Alternative Spring Break in Honduras

March 17th -26th 2017, Delegation Flyer

The Honduran resistance movement makes up a wide variety of grassroots organizations that are committed to creating alternatives in their country. African descendants, indigenous, women, students, union workers, alternative media outlets and other sectors of Honduran society have taken a courageous stand against the 2009 coup, corruption, impunity and injustice. Their organizing spans generations and their determination to build a more just and equitable society is inspiring.

Across movements and difference, Hondurans have come together to defend their country from state violence and corporate exploitation, their right to life and their right to sovereignty. Join Witness for Peace on an alternative spring break delegation to learn more about grassroots struggles as well as strengthen the links between U.S. organizing and Central American realities.

This delegation will:

● Meet with representatives of grassroots delegations across a variety of organizing sectors.

● Learn about the ways different groups have built coalitions across movements and the country to defend their livelihood and to build their people’s power.

● Develop a better understanding and strategize based on first-hand narratives how our communities can stand in solidarity with the Honduran people in their fight against state repression and corporate exploitation.

Cost: $1000 plus airfare from U.S. (Deposit $150 due by January 15th, 2017) Payment due February 20th, 2017). Delegation fee covers all meals, lodging, interpreters, and transportation within Honduras, along with extensive reading and activist tools. Fundraising support and scholarships may be available.

Contact: WFP Southwest Regional Organizer, Jeanette Charles at jcharles.wfpsw@gmail.com or 805-669-VIVA with questions

To apply visit: http://www.witnessforpeace.org/delegations

 

The Fight for Reparations in Honduras

June 25-July 5, 2017, Delegation Flyer

Descendants of the African Diaspora as well as Indigenous peoples across the Caribbean and the continental Americas have historically fought to repair the colonial and imperial wrongs perpetrated against their nations for centuries. In Honduras, the Garifuna, an Afro-indigenous people, have won two unprecedented cases at the Inter-American Court of Human Rights in defense of their ancestral rights to land, inherent rights to cultural preservation and their livelihood. These landmark cases have resulted in clear demands for the Honduran state to guarantee the return of all the Garinagu ancestral territories and financial restitution. As Black and Indigenous movements in the US give rise to a new era of organizing, it is a critical time to reflect on shared resistance histories and exchange strategies.

The delegation will:

● Meet with representatives of Honduran Garifuna and Indigenous organizations such as the Black Fraternal Organization of Honduras (OFRANEH)

● Learn about the inspiring organizing and power that Honduran Garifuna and other indigenous movements have generated through their struggles, amidst oppression by state and economic forces

● Develop a better understanding, from first-hand experience on the ground, of how our communities and organizations stateside can be in solidarity with Honduran grassroots movements and build our own campaigns for reparations

Cost: $1000 plus airfare from U.S. (Deposit $150 due by April 30th, 2016). Full payment due May 20th, 2016. Delegation fee covers all meals, lodging, interpreters, and transportation within Honduras, along with extensive reading and activist tools. Fundraising support and scholarships may be available.

Contact: WFP Southwest Regional Organizer, Jeanette Charles at jcharles.wfpsw@gmail.com or 805-669-VIVA with questions

To apply visit: http://www.witnessforpeace.org/delegations

Witness for Peace (WFP) is a politically independent, grassroots organization. We are people committed to nonviolence and led by faith and conscience. Our mission is to support peace, justice, and sustainable economies in the Americas by changing U.S. policies and corporate practices that contribute to poverty and oppression in Latin America and the Caribbean.

 

Aug 29 2016

Seeds of Solidarity, Venezuela Delegation: Oct. 24-Nov 1, 2016

Sponsored by the Task Force on the Americas and SOA WATCH Organized and led by Lisa Sullivan, 30 year resident of Venezuela. 

Most have read about the brutal economic war that has engulfed Venezuela and caused a grave food shortage. Fewer have heard about the creative efforts of many Venezuelans to provide food for their families and communities by growing it.  In balconies, backyards, median strips, old tires, vacant lots and more.

Come to Venezuela in October this fall to bring solidarity to local Venezuelan communities who are stepping out of food lines and into the soil to grow healthy local food. They are forging an alternative economy to the half-century-old model of fossil fuel exports for food imports that was a key cause of this crisis. This incipient economy is based on local production, barter, solidarity and sustainability.

The delegation will participate in celebrations of Venezuela’s National Seed Day, on October 29th, in the Andean village of Monte Carmelo. Venezuela has the world’s most progressive seed law, prohibiting GMO seeds and encouraging community seed banks.

The delegation will visit urban and rural conucos (Venezuela’s traditional food garden)They will also meet with leaders of the new Urban Agriculture Ministry and agronomists and campesino leaders involved in this local food-growing movement.

An optional add-on trip to the Afro Venezuelan communities of Ocumare and Cata is offered from November 1-4. This group will spend a day visiting the tropical small farming and fishing initiatives on the coast, and enjoy 2 relaxing days at one of Venezuela’s most pristine and peaceful beaches on the Caribbean, Bahia de Cata.

The delegation fee of $1150 covers all meals, lodging, in-country transportation, translation, materials and visa application free. It  does not cover international travel to and from Caracas. The fee for add-on trip to the Afro-Venezuelan coast is $300. A visitor’s visa is required for U.S. citizens. TFA will streamline the visa application process, for an additional $50 to cover visa fee and mailing.

 Interested? Contact  Lisa: lisavenezuela@gmail.com

Nov 27 2015

Want to lead a WfPSW Delegation?

 

Do you want to lead a delegation with WfPSW? We are currently looking for delegation coordinators for some of our delegations next year and in 2017.

If you have experience with popular education pedagogy, solidarity with Latin America and organizing group travel please consider working with us!

Contact Jeanette Charles at jcharles.wfpsw@gmail.com or at 805-669-VIVA for more information.

Nov 27 2015

WfPSW Announces 2016 Delegations

Consider joining Witness for Peace Southwest on one of our international and national delegations in 2016!

Delegation fees cover all set-up preparation, 2 meals per day, housing accommodations, interpreters, transportation within the country and a trained delegation coordinator. The feel also covers extensive reading and activist tools before and after the delegation. Limited space is available—Apply early!

For more information and an application please contact: Witness for Peace Southwest Regional Organizer Jeanette Charles at 805-669-VIVA or jcharles.wfpsw@gmail.com or Malia Everette at 415-735-5407 or malia@altruvistas.com. For additional information about scholarship opportunities and fundraising assistance contact Jeanette Charle or Tanya Hartley at southwestwfp@gmail.com.

WfPSW has experience organizing delegations to countries throughout the region including Honduras, Colombia and Mexico. If you would like to organize a delegation for your organization, school or community group through Witness for Peace Southwest, please contact Jeanette Charles, Tanya Hartley or Malia Everette (information provided above).

 

MEXICO-U.S. BORDER March 19-26, 2016: Impacts of US War on Drugs on the Mexico/US Border

Learn more about the Impacts of the US War on Drugs in Southern California and along the Mexico-U.S. border. We will meet with organizations challenging the prison industrial complex, fighting against massive deportations and creating alternatives to free trade. Contact Jeanette Charles for more information regarding this delegation’s overall cost.

Deadline: Application with a non-refundable deposit of $150 is due by January 18, 2016

 

CUBA April 24- May 3,  2016: Celebrate May Day in Cuba:  Labor and Community Organizing from the Ground Up

Join the Cuban people on International Worker’s Day in Havana, Cuba! Join us for what promises to be a remarkable time to celebrate Cuba’s revolutionary spirit, past and present!

Cost: $2350 without international airfare and $2950 with airfare included from Miami.

Deadline: Application with a non-refundable deposit of $200 is due by February 28, 2016.

 

VENEZUELA  May 21-30, 2016: Afro-Venezuelan History and Culture    

May is Afro-Venezuelan history month and is full of events marking the significant political, cultural and social contributions of the African Diaspora and the specific struggles of Afro-descendants in Venezuela. Learn how Afro-Venezuelans have secured significant rights with the Bolivarian Revolution and continue to build an anti-racist Venezuelan society today.

Cost: $1950 excluding international airfare.

Deadline: Application with a non-refundable deposit of $150 is due by March 14, 2016.

 

VENEZUELA  July 21-31, 2016: The Bolivarian Revolution: From Simon to Hugo  

From Simon Bolivar to Hugo Chavez, the Bolivarian Revolution has evolved into building an inclusive society where all Venezuelans participate. Delegates will learn first-hand the ways and means of Venezuelan democracy, providing a unique opportunity to witness how public policies and grassroots organizing come together.

Cost: $1950 excluding international airfare.

Deadline: Application with a non-refundable deposit of $150 is due by May 16, 2016.
PUERTO RICO  Nov. 4-12, 2016:  Boricua: The Hidden Colony $1850 

Their status as a U.S. commonwealth leaves them without a vote and voice in their nation’s political future. Stand in solidarity with the people of Puerto Rico as they continue their fight for their independence against US occupation and militarization.

Cost: $1850 excluding airfare.

Deadline: Application with a non-refundable deposit of $150 is due by August 15, 2016.

 

CUBA  Dec. 27, 2016-Jan 4, 2017: New Years in Havana:  Cuban Socialism and Cultural Resilience  

Learn about the Cuban people’s revolutionary history and cultural resilience while also celebrating the New Year! Expect to learn about the importance of arts and culture in Cuban society and its revolutionary development.

Cost: $2850 without international airfare and $3450 with airfare included from Miami.

Deadline: Application with a non-refundable deposit of $200 is due by  September 26, 2016.

Oct 29 2014

Cuba: New Year’s in Havana

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Cuba: New Year’s in Havana

December 27, 2014- January 4th, 2015

Deadline to apply Friday Nov 7, 2014

Community Engagement and Sustainable Development in Cuba For more information and an application please contact Tanya at tanya@wfpsw.org or Malia@altruvistas.com. Malia Phone: 415-735-5407 or Tanya 805-669-VIVA Greetings to you! We wanted to extend a special invitation to you to join us in Cuba to learn about the Cuban reality today while celebrating New Years with your social justice community. This special journey explores the the innovation Cuba has demonstrated in all fields of sustainable human and environmental development. Learn about the “fruits of the Revolution” as you visit social institutions like schools and hospitals. Engage with organic farmers, community organizers, architects, social workers, educators and more. Explore what the US embargo has meant to the Cuban people and what US/Cuban relations might look like in the future. Examine how Cuba organizes its social, political and economic system. Develop a deeper understanding of social and economic changes in Cuba today as you hear from the Cubans what there hopes and aspirations are for the future as you travel from Havana to outside provinces, and explore both urban and rural UNESCO World Heritage Sites. And, yes, celebrate New Years in Havana from a rooftop with live salsa band! The delegation cost starts from $2475-2675 (for a group of 15-18 and 10-14) and includes Cuba Visa, Compulsory Cuban Health Insurance, Double Room Accommodations in 3 star hotels, Two Meals a day, Transport by AC motor coach, a Full Time Cuban guide and translator, Full Program, Entrance and Program Fees, Honoraria, Donations and a rooftop New Years Eve party with live salsa band!. The price does NOT include airfare, one meal a day, gratuities, travel insurance or personal expenses related to travel. Airfare from Miami to Havana roundtrip including the $65 Cuban visa is available for $550. Single rooms are available for an additional $350. Contact us for a tentative itinerary or for a list of FAQ’s. This is a legally licensed people to peole travel delegation to Cuba. This journey is powered by Altruvistas and organized by Obtenga World, a licensed Travel Service Provider. Witness for Peace Southwest is an advocacy organization that is actively working to end the US embargo and travel ban against Cuba. Anyone interested in learning about Cuba is welcome! Draft Itinerary: Dec 27 Arrival into Havana We will be staying at the Hotel Capri, it has a great location. http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g147271-d6353319-Reviews-NH_Capri_La_Habana-Havana_Cuba.html It just was renovated. http://bigstory.ap.org/article/havana-mob-hotel-capri-reopens-after-renovation Orientation meeting and welcome cocktail. Welcome dinner and Evening meeting at the home of the renown photographer, Robert Salas for a pictorial overview of the Cuban Revolution. Dec. 28th. AM Briefing and exchange with architect, Miguel Coyula. Here you will learn about the history, development and future trajectory of Cuba’s Capital, Havana. Am Guided walking tour of old Havana and many of its beautiful UNESCO World Heritage Sites. You will journey through history and visit the four main colonial plazas and meet with Cubans from artists to entrepreneurs that inhabit these bustling streets. Lunch la imprenta Visit to community project benefiting from tourism like Convento de Belen (social, education and health care development project serving elders and children). Here we will learn about community development and meet with locals. City tour continues. PM Exchange with the Muraleando community at a special development arts project, and learn about how art and social enterprise have transformed a neighborhood. Eve -Free for cultural activities ( Casa de Musica in Miramar for salsa dancing). Dec. 29th. Am Meeting with the FMC the Federation of Cuban Women to learn about the advancements of gender equity in Cuba today. AM Travel to the community of Alamar-exchange with Miguel, the founder of a wonderful urban agriculture farm at Vivero and meet with other local farmers. Learn about urban agriculture, organics and modern food security issues and how local food production benefited the urban population. PM Visit to the Forteleza, Che’s command center and then the Museum of the Revolution. Dinner EVE Free for Cultural options ( Palacio de la Rumba traditional cuban music) Dec. 30th. AM Visit with FANJ-Fundacion de Antionio Nunez a wonderful NGO in Cuba dedicated to sustainable development and environmental protection. Here will will learn about sustainable community development in Cuba. Optional visit to learn about contemporary Cuban Artes at the Bellas Artes Musuem Lunch at the Casa de Amistad PM Briefing by ICAP, the Cuban Institute for the People for a discussion of current US/Cuban international relations. Discuss the impacts of the US embargo and travel restrictions on Cuban society and its national development. PM Enjoy a private rooftop concert as we enjoy a musical overview (Grupo MEZCLA reserved ) Dinner at a local paladar and Eve free for cultural activities Dec. 31st AM Literacy Museum and meeting with a representative from CENEXEX to discuss literacy advances, gender rights, LGBYT community rights, and the future of Civil Rights in the Cuban revolution. City Tour of Havana continues by bus to important sites like the Revolution Square, the University of Havana, and other sites. Free time in Old Havana or to rest for the evening. Eve NYRS Dinner and Celebration! Rooftop party with live salsa band and lots of Cuban friends! Jan. 1st AM check out of hotel to leave for the Zapata Peninsula a UNESCO bioreserve, located in Matanzas. Depart for Playa Girón. We will visit an environmental reserve, Bermejas Preserve, which took the brunt of Hurricane Michelle in November 2001. Local conservationists have been assisting the natural recovery process here under park supervision. PM We will check in to a local hotel on Playa Larga. We will receive a lecture outlining the history of the reserve and current projects and after they will have an opportunity to share in small group discussion with volunteers working on the reserve. Jan. 2nd Am Optional morning biodiversity hike for birdwatching. Perhaps you might see the smallest bird in the world, the bee humming bird. Exchange with local naturalists from CITMA. Am Visit to the Play Giron Bay of Pigs Museum and learn about this important historic event from the Cuban perspective. PM Visit to the Caleta Buena and enjoy the marine ecology. EVE Meeting with a local CDR-the Commites for the Defense of the Revolution Jan. 3rd. AM Visit to “Central Australia” and the Memorial Library “50th Anniversary of the Carbonera Dinner with Fidel”, in Batey Soplillar, with an exact replica of the huts where the President of Cuba, Fidel Castro Ruz, shared the dinner (on Christmas Evening ) December 24th Day 1959, with the Charcoal cookers area. AM Return to La Havana. Check back into the hotel. PM Meeting with a specialist on Climate Change in Cuba. Dialogue about sustainable trends, resource conservation and the impacts of climate changes in Cuba with The National Centre for Protected Areas and how this will impact Cuba’s economic future and coastal populations. Farewell Dinner at La Torre with invited speakers on Youth in Cuba. EVE Free for optional cultural activities . Jan. 4th AM Breakfast. Wrap up meeting For more information and an application please contact Tanya at tanya@wfpsw.org or Malia@altruvistas.com. Malia Phone: 415-735-5407 or Tanya 805-669-VIVA

Facebook Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/1440830556180863/

FAQS: https://wfpsw.org/faqs-about-travel-to-cuba/