Day 8 (Saturday, 01/06/07)

On our first morning together as a group, we took a tour bus (incredible luxury compared to our previous digs) to the Center for Global Education.  (NOTE:  If you followed John Nelson-Pallmeyer in the 2008 MN senate race, this is where he taught in the 1980s.)  The center has existed since the early 1980s to help raise awareness of international issues among Americans.  It is based out of Augsburg College in Minneapolis.  When we arrived we were introduced to  our Nicaraguan guide for the week, Juan Lopez.

Next, an American who has taught at the center since 1987, Mark Lester, soliticited questions from our group.  "What went wrong with the Sandinista revolution?"  "How has Nicaragua been impacted by free trade agreements?"  "Where are the poor placing their hopes right now?"  "Has global warming affected agriculture?"  He answered these by presenting us with a whirl-wind history of his adopted country - the indigenous traders before Columbus; the slavery and disease introduced by the conquistadors; Britian and Spain's struggle for imperial control; the titling of indigionous land to euopeans; the Sandinista revolution and reforms; the violent destruction of the Sandinista government by the US backed Contras; the introduction of neo-liberal economics; the impact of the past on modern day economics, culture and politics.  Nicaragua, he said, has never gelled as a nation-state.  It remains a country devided along lines of wealth and poverty, ___ and native, conservative and liberal.  ________cont________.

After lunch, we drove to Lutheran World Relief's headquarters to met with Cesar Castillo and Bill Weaver.  They gave an overview of LWR's work in the region.  They explained LWR's philosophy of partnership and accompaniment.  ____.   The biggest focus of LWR's work in Nicaragua are supporting farmers, small scale businesses, environmental risk management and nutritian and health.

Starbucks sells 75,000 tons of coffee every day.  The farmers LWR supports have sold 400 tons of coffee on the Fair Trade market over 10 years.  Although  Fair Trade represents only a drop in the bucket of the global coffee market, it has allowed some communities to build schools, establish youth programs and increase access to health care.  Furthermore, it represents an example of alternative way of doing business that actually works.

EQUAL EXCHANGE PRESENTATION

see that page in notebook.

THAT NIGHT

"What do you hope to get out of the trip?"

"What is this trip costing you?"

"What do you intend to do with your experiences when you return?"