Witness for Peace: Nicaragua Delegation June 18–28 2008

Health Care, Education and Sustainability: Are the Promises Being Fulfilled? When the Sandinista party won the elections in November 2006, President Daniel Ortega promised to expand health care services, make education more accessible, and provide support to small farmers. The focus of this delegation is to learn about whether those campaign promises are reversing the effect of globalization and neoliberal economic policies on the lives of Nicaraguans.

Participants will hear from representatives of those who have been most affected -- rural agriculture workers, service providers, and factory workers. Through formal and informal encounters with Nicaraguans, reflection, and a home-stay on the island of Ometepe on Lake Nicaragua, delegates will gain a broader understanding of themselves and their relationship to the global problem of poverty.

This delegation will include an orientation to Witness for Peace and the history of Nicaragua; meetings with economists, civic leaders and labor organizers to learn about the current socioeconomic situation; a home-stay in Ometepe with hands-on experiences led by health care providers, public school educators and campesinos; a meeting with US Embassy officials about US policy in Nicaragua; a final wrap-up and Action Planning session.

For more information contact Lyn Clark Pegg (218)348-3048 carolynpegg [at] yahoo [dot] com. You can also download a flyer here and view the Witness for Peace travel schedule here.

Witness for Peace is a politically independent, grassroots organization. They are people committed to nonviolence and led by faith and conscience. Visit their website for more information.