With abundant natural resources and a thriving middle class, Argentina was once considered the Europe of Latin America. In the late 1970s, however, a brutal military dictatorship wreaked havoc on the country, causing the death and disappearance of over 30,000 individuals. Democracy was finally attained in the 1980's but the country's economy was in ruins. In the 1990's, acting as the poster child for the neo-liberal economic policies of the IMF, the Argentine people were told that they would soon become part of the "first world". On Dec. 19 and 20, 2001, however, the bottom fell out. All the banks were locked denying people access to their own accounts, and the people watched as the Peso, along with their savings, was devalued to a third of its original worth. Citizens all around the country took to the streets banging their frying pans and chanting "que se vayan todos" or "throw them all out" for the removal of the corrupt government.
Argentines are leading a movement that has emerged as a response to failed economic policies led by interntional finance institutions such as the IMF and the have organized into neighborhood assemblies that attempt to take the place of the void left by the insecurity and failure of the state. As a result, over 65 factories have been taken over by their workers and transformed into cooperatives. Meanwhile, social movements have gained in efforts to hold politicians and military officers accountable for gross human rights violations during the period of the dictatorship, and a broad effort at recuperating the memory of the lives of the disappeared has brought new life to human rights cases. Visit Argentina, to better understand the collapse of the neo-liberal project, witness the possibilities that Argentine movements present in building a community-based economy, hear new voices for human rights from the South, and discover how new alliances are reshaping the political horizon of the Southern Cone.
Program Highlights:
- Tour a recovered factory cooperatively owned and managed by its workers.
- Meet with the women of the Abuelas Del Plaza de Mayo who continue to search for their grandchildren who were kidnapped during the military dictatorship.
- Meet with an economist who explains how the country ended up in its current situation examining past policies of 'structural adjustment' promoted by the IMF and looking towards the country's fugure.
- Explore the beautiful and rich culture of Buenos Aires with the music and dance of tango.
- Travel to the Argentine countryside to gain a different perspective from the one in the 'big city' of Buenos Aires. Delegations may visit organizations of the unemployed workers.
- Extend your stay in Argentina and visit magnificent tourist destinations, like the world famous Iguazu Water Falls on the Argentine/Brazil border.
Cost: $2000 (from Buenos Aires)
Price Includes:
- Double-room hotel ($200 extra for single room), guest house, or dormitory accommodations; two meals per day; transportation to and from all programmed activities; guides and translators; a qualified trip leader; all program activities; reading materials; and honoraria to all host speakers, organizations and communities.
- International airfare, lunches, airport departure taxes, tips, and personal expenses are NOT included.
- Because the program varies according to the focus of each trip and the special interests of each participant, itineraries become available closer to actual date of departure.
How to Register:
To secure your space on this trip, please submit your registration form and a deposit of $200 two months before departure. A late fee of $50 will be applied for late registration. Deposits are non-refundable but transferable for up to one year toward the cost of another tour. Payments by check, Mastercard or Visa are welcome.This trip will be as diverse as possible in terms of race, age and life experiences. We strongly urge people of color to apply. A limited number of partial scholarships are available for low-income applicants.
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