At a time when the U.S. President is espousing dangerous and irresponsible ideas about the world, international travel and citizen diplomacy is more important than ever.

A recent article in The Seattle Times that profiles Global Exchange’s Reality Tours says it clearly: “Our nation is confronted with complicated and unprecedented challenges. And lessons learned from our travels have never been more important as we search for answers.”

The article makes the important point that educational travel is relevant for people of all ages and that Global Exchange “tours are safer, easier (the logistics are worked out for you) and, with connections to a network of people in the location, they give you insider knowledge, greatly increasing opportunities for learning.”

At a time when our so-called leaders are promoting fear of foreigners and immigrants as part of a broad assault on our values and humanity, it is important to fight back.  We need to feed our souls and our movements by continuing to travel, to embrace the world, and to make its many struggles for human rights, worker’s dignity, ecological-sanity our own.

An educational tour lets you take home the very best souvenir: a broader perspective.

– Rick Steves


We invite you to travel with us — a human rights organization. We’ll give you the opportunity to take a deep dive into the complexity of world issues, to tap into established local networks, to access insider knowledge, to learn a lot and to have a lot of fun and make new friends along the way. In addition to our usual Reality Tours programs, here are three new trips we’re offering in 2018-2019:

Nepal: The Dalit Struggle for Justice

November 20 – 29, 2018

This journey begins in Nepal’s capital city of Kathmandu. We’ll meet with community leaders, the National Dalit Commission, and UN High Commission working on caste-based discrimination while exploring Nepal’s UNESCO World Heritage Sites. We’ll take a deeper dive into the Dalit struggle, resistance, and culture in the small village of Aapshawara. During our stay in the community, we’ll have the opportunity to try our hand at traditional crafts like iron and bamboo work, basket weaving, and mud jewelry while meeting with community leaders, women’s groups and youth clubs working against caste-based discrimination. Then, we’ll make our way to Australian Camp near Pokhara. A short trek will reward us with a breathtaking view of the Annapurna Himalayan Range, were we will spend the night in a teahouse. Before returning to Kathmandu, we’ll relax at Nepal’s serene lakeside city of Pokhara and visit some touristic sites like Fewa Lake and the World Peace Pagoda.

Ghana: Impact of Globalization

January 3 – 14, 2019

During this 12 day tour of Ghana, we’ll learn about the local effects of neoliberal globalization and see how Ghanaians are meeting the challenges of living in a world dominated by the predatory activities of the corporate elite. Site visits will include the W.E.B Du Bois Center, the Frederiksgave Plantation and Common Heritage Site, the Cape Coast slave Castle, the African Women’s Development Fund, Green Advocacy Ghana, and the Artist Alliance Gallery. We will meet meet with leaders working on environmental sustainability, on incorporating women into economic development, and on African unity. Of course, we will also enjoy Ghana’s rich cultural and natural heritage — from drumming and dance to the Kakum National Park, Anomabo beaches, and Aburi Botanical Gardens.

Vietnam: Legacies of war

February 21 – March 1, 2019

Throughout this 11 day trip, we’ll examine the history, impact, and recovery process from foreign interventions, particularly the protracted American War (or, the Vietnam War). On the outskirts of Hanoi, we’ll confront the war’s toxic legacy, particularly Agent Orange, an herbicide with deadly levels of dioxin sprayed by American forces. We will meet with a de-mining organization working to reduce the number of deaths and injuries caused by cluster bombs and munitions remaining in Central Vietnam; explore tunnel complexes used as shelters during the war’s intense bombings; visit one of the war’s most bombarded areas, Dong Hoi City; and visit the Ho Chi Minh trail and the DMZ zone. And throughout, we’ll enjoy Vietnamese cultural and natural heritage.