Globalization and Workers’ Rights
Cuernavaca, Mexico
April 29–May 6, 2007

Join UUSC for a JustJourneys experience to explore the important ways in which the global economy is changing people’s lives. We will travel to Mexico to experience firsthand how corporate and government policies have affected the lives of Mexicans, particularly peasants, women, and indigenous and migrant workers.

We invite you to:

Witness how workers’ rights, particularly the rights of women working in the garment industry, have been affected by economic globalization and trade policy.

Discover the new challenges and opportunities for organizing across boundaries of age, ethnicity, gender, and nationality.

Engage in the discussion around peasant livelihoods, food security, and other human rights issues.

Initiate an informed dialogue about global migration and the rights of migrant workers.

Meet other faith-based activists and explore ways to contribute to faith-based economic justice ally work.

This JustJourney is a collaboration between the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC) and Unitarian Universalists for a Just Economic Community (UUJEC). Trip planning is coordinated with the Center for Global Education at Augsburg College, a nationally recognized leader in experiential learning.

The effect of globalization on human rights is one of the most hotly debated topics of our time. As corporations and business interests praise globalization for expanding economic opportunities for workers worldwide, others have countered that globalization has devastated worker livelihoods and caused vast labor migration.

Participants on this JustJourney will visit a maquila; discuss free trade agreements with government officials and businesspeople; meet women labor organizers and workers; travel to the countryside to experience daily life in an indigenous community; connect with faith-based grassroots organizations; and visit migrant workers and their families.

You will also have the opportunity to discover how Mexicans are putting their faith into action and share with an emerging UU congregation.

Where: Mexico City, Cuernavaca, and surrounding area.

When: April 29 – May 6 , 2007

Cost: $ 1,150. This includes room and board in double and triple rooms, pre- and post-trip resources, in-country transportation, and experienced interpreters and facilitators. It does not include airfare to and from Mexico City or any incidentals. Participants are responsible for making travel arrangements to and from Mexico City.

Application deadline: March 26, 2007, with $250 deposit.

This is a trip for adult participants with an interest in labor issues and workers’ rights. Priority will be given to those who demonstrate a strong commitment to sharing with others upon their return what they have learned. Participants will be notified promptly of decisions. Please do not finalize travel plans until you have received notification.

For more information, contact trip coordinators Xenia Barahona (UUSC) by e-mailing justjourneys@uusc.org or by calling 800-388-3920, or Bob Alpern (UUJEC) by e-mailing rza@wildblue.net or by calling 707-433-2236.