What is happening in Venezuela?

What is happening in Venezuela?

It is a perplexing question and one that we have been discussing a lot lately at Global Exchange. We are alarmed over deepening conflict and concerned about the dire conditions facing Venezuelans. We are also worried and sometimes divided about apparent anti-democratic moves by the government and the best path ahead — as are many other observers in Latin America and around the world.

In our efforts to understand what is happening in Venezuela we have spoken with people on the ground and are reading widely — beyond mainstream US sources. To help expand and deepen debate and understanding we wanted to share some of that with you.

One thing we are clear and unified about is this: The United States has no business intervening in Venezuela’s internal conflict. On the rest, we are posting here because we are curious what your analysis is too, so here’s to hoping for a vibrant and civil debate.

The case against US intervention is clear and is well laid out here in an article from the Independent called:  Venezuela may be on the brink of civil war and the US – for once – should keep its nose out.

Mark Weisbrot, director of the Center for Economic and Policy Research shares why he believes that: “More Severe Sanctions Against Venezuela Would Only Worsen Crisis and Possibly Violence.”

Here are two articles from NACLA, a long trusted source of critical reporting on Latin America.

Critiquing Maduro from the Left By Steve Ellnerd
What’s Left of the Bolivarian Revolution By Sujatha Fernandes

Contributors to the left-independent, Jocobin Magazine have presented a variety of analysis both critical of the government and supportive of popular initiatives it undertook in recent decades.

Which Way Out of the Venezuelan Crisis? By George Ciccariello-Maher
Why “Twenty First Century Socialism” Failed By Eva María
Being Honest About Venezuela By Mike Gonzalez

Add a comment and let us know your thoughts.

Yes, you heard that right. We are offering $200 off select trips this fall using the discount codes listed below.

From Fair Trade in Palestine, to indigenous rights in Mexico, to the Rights of Nature movement in India, this fall we have several great trips that will highlight important issues around the world. Join us as we meet with local leaders and movements to learn about the innovative ways communities and individuals are organizing for social change. Return with a new understanding of the issues and, perhaps most importantly, new ways to engage and support these inspiring movements from home.

But don’t miss out – discount codes expire September 1st!

Cuba: Sustainability and Community
October 10 – 17, 2015
$2,450
Promo Code: CubaGXfall15

During this historic time of change between the US and Cuba, we invite you to join us for a week-long People-to-People trip to learn from Cubans of the amazing work they are doing in and around Havana to create sustainable communities for all. This unique itinerary will look at sustainability via development, restoration, community programing and programs in the arts for the people.

Palestine: Fair Olive Harvest
October 24 – November 3, 2015
$2,500
Promo Code: PalGXfall15

Learn how Fair Trade cooperatives are restoring hope and providing economic alternatives to the Palestinian people. Stay with a local farming family and then harvest olives with farmers who use organic practices. Witness community-building traditions and cultivate a greater appreciation and understanding of Palestinian culture and pride. More importantly, you will learn first-hand from Palestinians about the impact of the occupation on farm lands, the economy, tourism and day-to-day life.

Oaxaca, Mexico: Day of the Dead/Dia de los Muertos
October 28 – November 5, 2015
$1,450
Promo Code: OxGXfall15

If you’ve never been to Oaxaca during its famous Day of the Dead/Dia de los Muertos celebrations, you really should. Join us as we make our annual pilgrimage to Oaxaca at the end of October. Dating back to the Aztecs, this celebration is a family event to remember departed souls and to celebrate the resurrection of their spirits. In addition, explore Oaxaca’s rich culture through excursions to historical archeological ruins, mezcal palenques, and artisan workshops. Meet with local social organizations and indigenous leaders, and learn about fair trade/free trade and globalization in Oaxaca.

India: Rights of Nature

November 1-11, 2015
$2,550
Promo Code: IndiaGXfall15

Travel to and stay at renowned activist and author Dr. Vandana Shiva’s Navdanya Biodiversity and Conservation Farm while learning about rights of nature in India and the power of the seed. While many over the past decades have explored the idea of living in balance with the planet and limiting the role of unfettered corporate power in all aspects of life, the rights-based movement that seeks to change fundamental law and culture is both relatively new and rapidly growing. It has kept pace with the realization that the current corporate-led global economic framework has brought us to the brink of economic and ecological disaster, and that true change will only come from the grassroots.

Venezuela: Community Development ​​

​November 21 – 30, 2015
$1,900
Promo Code: VzGXfall15

Travel with Global Exchange to dig past the headlines and explore the changes occurring in Venezuela, Latin America and the hemisphere as a whole. You will meet with human rights activists, rural agricultural workers, labor unions, community activists, journalists, government officials and opposition figures, and see for yourself the unprecedented social change that is occurring at this historic time in Venezuela and the region.

We hope you can take advantage of this great opportunity and travel with us this fall!

Check out our full list of travel opportunities

www.globalexchange.org/reality-tours

Yes, you heard that right. We are offering $200 off select trips this fall using the discount codes listed below.

From Fair Trade in Palestine, to indigenous rights in Mexico, to the Rights of Nature movement in India, this fall we have several great trips that will highlight important issues around the world. Join us as we meet with local leaders and movements to learn about the innovative ways communities and individuals are organizing for social change. Return with a new understanding of the issues and, perhaps most importantly, new ways to engage and support these inspiring movements from home.

But don’t miss out – discount codes expire September 1st!

Cuba: Sustainability and Community
October 10 – 17, 2015
$2,450
Promo Code: CubaGXfall15

During this historic time of change between the US and Cuba, we invite you to join us for a week-long People-to-People trip to learn from Cubans of the amazing work they are doing in and around Havana to create sustainable communities for all. This unique itinerary will look at sustainability via development, restoration, community programing and programs in the arts for the people.

Palestine: Fair Olive Harvest
October 24 – November 3, 2015
$2,500
Promo Code: PalGXfall15

Learn how Fair Trade cooperatives are restoring hope and providing economic alternatives to the Palestinian people. Stay with a local farming family and then harvest olives with farmers who use organic practices. Witness community-building traditions and cultivate a greater appreciation and understanding of Palestinian culture and pride. More importantly, you will learn first-hand from Palestinians about the impact of the occupation on farm lands, the economy, tourism and day-to-day life.

Oaxaca, Mexico: Day of the Dead/Dia de los Muertos
October 28 – November 5, 2015
$1,450
Promo Code: OxGXfall15

If you’ve never been to Oaxaca during its famous Day of the Dead/Dia de los Muertos celebrations, you really should. Join us as we make our annual pilgrimage to Oaxaca at the end of October. Dating back to the Aztecs, this celebration is a family event to remember departed souls and to celebrate the resurrection of their spirits. In addition, explore Oaxaca’s rich culture through excursions to historical archeological ruins, mezcal palenques, and artisan workshops. Meet with local social organizations and indigenous leaders, and learn about fair trade/free trade and globalization in Oaxaca.

India: Rights of Nature

November 1-11, 2015
$2,550
Promo Code: IndiaGXfall15

Travel to and stay at renowned activist and author Dr. Vandana Shiva’s Navdanya Biodiversity and Conservation Farm while learning about rights of nature in India and the power of the seed. While many over the past decades have explored the idea of living in balance with the planet and limiting the role of unfettered corporate power in all aspects of life, the rights-based movement that seeks to change fundamental law and culture is both relatively new and rapidly growing. It has kept pace with the realization that the current corporate-led global economic framework has brought us to the brink of economic and ecological disaster, and that true change will only come from the grassroots.

Venezuela: Community Development ​​

​November 21 – 30, 2015
$1,900
Promo Code: VzGXfall15

Travel with Global Exchange to dig past the headlines and explore the changes occurring in Venezuela, Latin America and the hemisphere as a whole. You will meet with human rights activists, rural agricultural workers, labor unions, community activists, journalists, government officials and opposition figures, and see for yourself the unprecedented social change that is occurring at this historic time in Venezuela and the region.

We hope you can take advantage of this great opportunity and travel with us this fall!

 Check out our full list of travel opportunities

www.globalexchange.org/reality-tours

It’s springtime and discounts are in the air! Use the discount codes provided below by June 17th and save $200 on any of the following Reality ToursWe hope you can join us on one of these great trips!

 

Venezuela: Community Development & Populist Movements
July 18-27
$1,900
Discount code: VzGX15

Travel with Global Exchange to dig past the headlines and explore the changes occurring in Venezuela, Latin America and the hemisphere as a whole. You will meet with human rights activists, rural agricultural workers, labor unions, community activists, journalists, and government officials and opposition figures, and see for yourself the unprecedented social change that is occurring at this historic time in Venezuela and the region.

Costa Rica: Sustainability on the Caribbean Coast
July 18-27
$1,700
Discount code: CrGX15

Join use as we explore the advantages and disadvantages of a tourism-based economy. As we travel across this naturally rich and strikingly beautiful country, we will examine the social and environmental problems facing Costa Ricans and meet the important players who are creating sustainable solutions. The local solutions to these challenges will inspire our action and involvement with these issues.

Iran: Ancient and Contemporary Culture
September 19 – October 3
$3,600
Discount code: IranGX15

The Citizens Diplomacy Reality Tour to Iran will give participants a chance to see inside this much-maligned nation and gain first-hand experience of the effects of the political policies of both the United States and Iran. Participants will have a chance to put a human face on this ongoing political dispute and help facilitate understanding and respect between people of different nations.

 

It’s springtime and discounts are in the air! Use the discount codes provided below by June 17th and save $200 on any of the following Reality ToursWe hope you can join us on one of these great trips!

Venezuela: Community Development & Populist Movements
July 18-27
$1,900
Discount code: VzGX15

Travel with Global Exchange to dig past the headlines and explore the changes occurring in Venezuela, Latin America and the hemisphere as a whole. You will meet with human rights activists, rural agricultural workers, labor unions, community activists, journalists, government officials and opposition figures. See for yourself the unprecedented social change that is occurring at this historic time in Venezuela and the region.

Costa Rica: Sustainability on the Caribbean Coast
July 18-27
$1,700
Discount code: CrGX15

Join us as we explore the advantages and disadvantages of a tourism-based economy. As we travel across this naturally rich and strikingly beautiful country, we will examine the social and environmental problems facing Costa Ricans and meet the important players who are creating sustainable solutions. The local solutions to these challenges will inspire our action and involvement with these issues.

Iran: Ancient and Contemporary Culture
September 19 – October 3
$3,600
Discount code: IranGX15

The Citizens Diplomacy Reality Tour to Iran will give participants a chance to see inside this much-maligned nation and gain first-hand experience of the effects of the political policies of both the United States and Iran. Participants will have a chance to put a human face on this ongoing political dispute and help facilitate understanding and respect between people of different nations.

Gustavo Palma, a native of Brazil, traveled with Reality Tours on our Community Rights and Democracy delegation to Venezuela in January 2015.  Join us on one of our many Citizen Diplomacy Delegations to Venezuela. 

Venezuela was my first destination with Global Exchange. I was very attracted to the proposal of the organization, but I had some trepidation to join on one of their expeditions because the organization is not well known in Brazil. My fears, however, were soon removed. The staff is very caring and honest. Everything was arranged with much clarity and plenty of information. I spent ten days in Venezuela, with total support and security, forewarned of all discomforts that such a trip – which does not seek comfort or sightseeing but to confront the harsh reality of the country – could lead me to.

My other fear was that the frame that Global Exchange would present to me, through the people whose encounters it promotes, would be biased and partisan, something less than desirable in a politically polarized country such as Venezuela. Again, there was nothing to fear. The trip was far from an apology to the Bolivarian Revolution. Next to the defenders of the Bolivarian Revolution, I spoke with many of it’s staunchest critics. And, most importantly, I had contact with social forces and trends – oriented mainly to the common organization of civil society – that were created by the Hugo Chavez government.

The local Global Exchange staff in Venezuela is excellent. Leo, the translator, is an academic enthusiast and politically free, the owner of an inexhaustible kindness. He introduced me to the rich Venezuelan literature, particularly Héctor Torres, a little-known genius. Alvaro, responsible for logistics, is a man of the people, a talented musician, and active community leader. His knowledge of the Venezuelan people is deep, and his insights into the social conflicts in the country alone would be worth the trip. My traveling companion – Jo Rawlins, a freelance blogger from California, is a person who is wise, tolerant, friendly and inquisitive – I will remember her with great nostalgia.

As a result of this balance that Global Exchange strives to make, I returned home fully satisfied, with a feeling of understanding, deeply, at least lucidly, of a national situation about which the information in Brazil comes scarce and distorted. I highly recommend Brazilians to experience Global Exchange’s Reality Tours. My experience was innovative and deeply satisfying.

Camilla SchneiderCamilla Schneider, a long time member of Global Exchange and a board member of the Marin Interfaith Task Force recently returned from a trip to Venezuela where she witnessed first hand the power of new media for social disruption. She was interviewed by Global Exchange co-founder, Kirsten Moller. Global Exchange has been sending Reality Tours to Venezuela for many years with three new trips listed for 2014 and has long understood that the U.S. media isn’t always telling the full story when it comes to Venezuela. During the rise of the social movements in 1998 and the election of Hugo Chavez, there was concerted effort to paint the charismatic leader as the source of all anti-imperialist sentiment and redistribution of wealth rather than the result of many people’s work. The attempted coup of 2002, which removed Chavez from power for all of 47 hours, was also a story, which got strange international press, recognizing Pedro Carmono as the de-facto president and initially avoiding the word “coup” for the take over.

Recent revelations about U.S. funding of new social media, “twitter-like” strategies to collect names of young people who might be stirred to undermine the Cuban government have got me thinking that this tool, so highly touted in the “Arab Spring” might have fallen into the wrong hands. We’ve all been captivated by stories in Egypt and the Ukraine about the power of social media to move students to protest and to topple regimes.

Camilla confirmed that social media is one of main tools of the protesters in Venezuela now who have given up on the

photo credit: John Patrick Lewis

photo credit: John Patrick Lewis

electoral process after Nicolas Maduro narrowly won the presidential election after the death of Hugo Chavez. His main opponent, Henrique Caprilles refused to accept the legitimacy of the election and counted on municipal elections in December to ratify dissent against the government. Despite major problems with crime and inflation, the people again ratified the government-sponsored coalition, the “Polo Patriotico”. There are no more elections scheduled until the end of 2015. With no electoral route to follow – the right wing decided that protest and social disruption was the only way to was the only way to topple the current government and that has been their strategy since the unrest began on January 23rd. They announced a campaign for “la Salida”, an exit strategy that was intended to create chaos in the streets — “in every corner, every market, every school and every university”, according to Carmona.

For a clear and cogent synopsis of the different currents and characters at work see our friend Miguel Tinker-Salas’ article in Common Dreams (Tinker-Salas is a professor at Pomona State who worked with Global Exchange on the Caravan for Peace with Justice and Dignity).

Camilla’s group met spent 7 days in the country meeting with government officials, including the ombudsman’s office, students and ordinary people in different regions. She says it is clear that there are real problems – with high inflation, too much crime and shortages, but the causes given for the problems vary depending on the social and class backgrounds of the people trying to make sense of it all. In the rural areas there still seemed to be overwhelming support for the current government while upper class neighborhoods constructed barricades around their enclaves to keep the National Guard out and pro-Maduro forces out. Angel Vivas – a retired general, tweeted out instructions for stringing wire tautly across roads in order to behead motorcyclists in order to “neutralize the criminal hordes” . The National Guard uses motorcycles to get around and private citizens on the bikes tend to be those with less money. When a federal police officer tried to remove a privately erected barricade and was shot by a roof-top sniper, the police response of entering the building to look for the sniper was tweeted out with photos decrying “police repression”.

Many of the photos depicting police brutality are not even from Venezuela, including the infamous 2011 picture from UC Davis where police pepper sprayed Occupy protesters. Pictures from the earthquake devastation in Japan and protests in Chile have also been sent out on social media as evidence of the crisis in Venezuela. Images, even false ones burrow deep into our consciousness and when confronted with the misinformation the right wing claims to have just been “overly enthusiastic”, according to the report from the delegation. Camilla adds that students from both private and public universities have been paid stipends to come to the US to learn social media skills in order to switch tactics away from the electoral to a media war. Unfortunately the international press is relying too heavily on the unsubstantiated claims of the trending social media memes.

The responsiveness of the government to opposition complaints, has been largely over-looked by the international press. Maduro held a peace conference with business leaders, mayors and the papal nuncio and received 57 suggestions for ways to handle the crisis. Fifty-three of the suggestions were agreed to by the government and yet the international media called it a failed conference. In a meeting with the ombudsman, the group heard her say with some level of frustration: “We have to handle complaints against the security forces with a hard hand, and we cannot touch the opposition with a rose petal. ” She complained that human rights groups won’t report the cases of abuse they write about to her office and instead use unsubstantiated claims to spread misinformation to de-legitmize and destabilize the government.

Why is this happening I asked. “Its not the oil”, says Camilla, “though we do get 16% of our oil from there, but that isn’t the key interest in this destabilization; its the Bolivarian revolution’s whole new way of thinking about Latin America and justice. The world needs places for how a government and the people relate and Venezuela has empowered the people to build a new relationship.” It would be a shame for 140 characters to be the key to destroying that relationship. Take Action

TAKE ACTION! 1 ) Go and see for yourself – Join a Reality tour to Venezuela 2 ) Oppose sanctions. House Resolution 488 passed in March, calling for an end to the violence but also threatening sanctions. Venezuela needs more people to know what is really going on and to call and educate their representatives.

The following post is written by Reality Tours communications intern William Jones Jr as he explores Afro-Venezuelan identity historically and in its current context. Visit Venezuela on a Reality Tour to learn more about the struggles, contributions, and successes of Afro-Venezuelans.

History and Legacy

Under the leadership of the late President Hugo Chávez, Venezuela has made strides toward combating the historical legacy of racism and recognizing the national importance of African heritage, promoting social inclusion and respect for Afro-Venezuelans. Among them is the official celebration of the Month of Africa in May and Day of Afro-Venezuelans on May 10.

Although Abolition occurred in 1854, freedom did not bring equality. Venezuela, like many other Latin American countries, used the idea of the mestizo born of European, Indigenous, and African blood, to uphold a myth of racial democracy that denied rampant discrimination on the basis of skin color and African identity on paper.  In reality African cultural traditions remained marginalized and European traditions were promoted. Blacks remained at the bottom of the economic and social hierarchy.

Since the election of late Hugo Chávez, conditions for Afro-Venezuelans have improved vastly. Once a privilege enjoyed by only a few, education is now considered a human right. Afro-Venezuelans are partaking in education at unprecedented rates, an education that has an intercultural emphasis and includes their historical contributions. Massive literacy campaigns and new educational institutions have allowed more than 1.5 million adults to learn to read and write, or to return to school.

With the 1999 Constitution, Venezuela became the second Latin American country after Cuba to guarantee all citizens the right to basic healthcare. To meet this goal, a partnership was initiated with the government of Cuba in 2003, which provided 20,000 medical professionals to treat previously underserved Venezuelans. Thousands of community health clinics have been established throughout the country, which has directly benefited Afro-Venezuelans. Since 2003, millions of Afro-Venezuelans have been issued national ID cards guaranteeing them the citizenship rights they previously lacked. Electoral participation among Afro-Venezuelans has grown exponentially. Social missions addressing poverty and inequality have resulted in a great rise in the standard of living for Afro-Venezuelans.

Celebrating and Connecting with African and African Diaspora Heritage

Venezuela has prioritized its relations with Africa by opening 18 new embassies in countries including Mali, Morocco, Congo, and Angola. The Second Africa-South American Summit was held in Venezuela on Margarita Island on the Caribbean from Sept. 26-27, 2009, where Chavez quoted “Africa will be an important geographic, economic and social pole. And South America will be too.”

Transnational alliances and movement building has occurred between African Americans and Afro-Venezuelans involving organizations such as the Rainbow Push Coalition, TransAfrica Forum, the NAACP and the Organization of Africans in the Americas. Prominent social activists include Cornel West, Julianne Malveaux, Danny Glover, Harry Belafonte and Bill Fletcher. They are just a few of the many U.S.-based organizations and activists working to build bridges to Afro-Latin America.

Visit Venezuela on a Reality Tour

Travel on a Reality Tour to Venezuela to learn more about Afro-Venezuelan history and to see how Venezuelans are working together to combat racism and economic inequality in the country. Join us on the May 3- May 13, 2014 Reality Tour to celebrate in person the Day of Afro-Venezuelans!

Thanks William for this informative and inspiring post!

After a two-year battle with cancer, Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez died of a heart attack on March 5th, 2013 at the age of 58.

The government of Venezuela has since declared a seven day period of mourning in honor of the Commandante, heads of state from across Latin America have traveled to Caracas to issue tribute to the President and Sean Penn and Rev. Jesse Jackson were among those present at the funeral today. At Global Exchange we reflect on the legacy and impact Hugo Rafael Chávez Frías leaves on Venezuela and the world.

Hugo Chávez was a champion of the poor and marginalized and a staunch believer in the integration of Latin America. He believed in uniting Latin America as Simón Bolívar had proclaimed. As former Brazilian President, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva credits in his obituary of Chávez, he was not afraid to stand up to the U.S. hegemony and push for a system based on social justice.

Since the election of Hugo Chávez in 1999, Venezuela embarked on a profound and controversial project of reinventing society from within, changing a political and economic system that benefited the few and powerful to one that would give ordinary Venezuelans a seat at the table. Global Exchange was proud to launch Reality Tours to the country during this time and witness the incredible transformation of society, much of it documented in the movie, South of the Border.

Reality Tours to Venezuela flourished in the early millennium with Global Exchange establishing a full time presence in the country – on one Reality Tour, participants were invited as guests on the Aló Presidente weekly television show in which President Chávez spoke to the nation and toured social programs active in the country. This brought criticism of Global Exchange, some of which still live on our Wikipedia page. But we continue to offer the trips, believe that people who have traveled and met with Venezuelans can tell a story far better than the mainstream media coverage.

Chávez’s Bolivarian Revolution gave millions of Venezuelans universal access to free health care, education, housing, land, clean water and cut poverty in half. With new spaces for political participation opened to grassroots social movements, once-marginalized Venezuelan citizens came out of the shadows to demand an active role in society.

Not only did his government give the people basic needs to survive, he also empowered communities with tools to participate in democracy in order to create positive change. It brought various grassroots movements together, including opposition groups. Much of this was recorded in a book, Venezuela Speaks! Voices from the Grassroots written by one-time Global Exchange staffers JoJo Farrell, Carlos Martinez and Michael Fox.

Beyond Venezuela, Hugo Chávez worked hard to establish a strong Latin America independent of influence from the United States and other countries in the North, proposing and championing the ALBA trade block. Always critical of U.S. Interference, he called ‘Yankee imperialism’ a ‘threat for all the people of the world’. He highlighted the importance of addressing climate change and pushed for the end of U.S.-backed wars. Venezuela was always the first to respond to natural disasters in the Caribbean and helped neighboring countries get out of their debt.

Speaking on Tuesday after hearing the announcement of the passing of Chávez, Global Exchange’s Reality Tours trip coordinator, Alvaro Morillo, said, ‘it is a great loss and a great pain for Venezuelans … We are mourning and sad but in healthy peace and with the hope that there will be respect of the pain we are feeling. Well, Chávez left a legacy of his prinicpals and work for the poor and it is this in which we will continue working … Venezuela is going forward CHAVEZ WILL LIVE IN HEARTS FOREVER!

Chavez_vigil

… es una perdida muy grande y un dolor muy grande para los venezolanos … tenemos es un luto activo y con tristesa pero en sana paz y con deseo que se respete el dolor que se esta pasando. Bueno Chávez deja un legado de seguir sus principios y trabajar por los pobres y eso es lo que hay que seguir haciendo … venezuela va para adelante CHAVEZ VIVIRA EN LOS CORAZONES PARA SIEMPRE!

Hugo Rafael Chávez Frías… ¡Presente!

This week we are thanking and recognizing the people who make Global Exchange’s work possible.  We’re highlighting a few individuals who represent the thousands who make up the amazing global network of change makers.

In this post, we thank Lea Murray, Reality Tours traveler extraordinaire! To read about others we’re thankful for, click here.

Lea Murray, Reality Tours Traveler Extraordinaire

Lea (left) with fellow Reality Tours travelers

Reality Tours travelers aren’t tourists.

They’re travelers on a mission.

What makes Reality Tours travelers so awesome is what they do when they get home.  They don’t just unpack their suitcases, they unpack a life changing experience.  Speaking to family and friends.  Hosting film screenings.  And in a few instances, starting their own volunteer efforts to address the issues raised on their journeys.

Lea Murray traveled with Global Exchange on a Reality Tour to Venezuela in June of 2012, and her life hasn’t been the same since.

“Now that I have seen with my own eyes and heard with my own ears, what will I do?  I will re-think my life.  I have a new vision.  I want to see how other people live and experience life.  I want to travel to even more places where black Africans were dispersed during the slave trade.  I will travel to Haiti and Cuba and examine the plight of my black brothers and sisters in these small island countries.  I will re-think my business…I will open my eyes — see the vision — and do something to make a difference.  I will participate,” said Murray.

All of us at Global Exchange are grateful for Lea’s efforts to inspire and educate others about what she’s seen, and for the work done by the hundreds of other Reality Tours participants each year.

Every traveler makes a difference.

So to Lea and all Reality Tours travelers, we say…

Thank You.

Know that wherever your journey takes you, we are honored to have joined you.

P.S. Have you watched our new Thank You video yet?