Welcome!

    We are once again assembling a team of teachers, university students, and others interested in global justice issues, to collaborate on our next “reality tour” in the Dominican Republic. The size of the group will be limited to 12, so please act quickly if you would like to be a part of our delegation.  This is a not-for-profit project, organized collectively by the participants. If you would like to learn more about this trip, I urge you to read last years’ tour diary, see the photos, and the explore the rest of this website.  I can assure you that this will be a life changing experience. 

The Itinerary:

    We will be focusing on a variety of themes related to globalization, migration and human rights. Last year we were fortunate enough to be able to have meetings with Sonia Pierre (2007 RFK Human Rights Award Recipient) and other life long activists in the struggle for global justice. We hope that the same doors will open themselves to us in August 2008, while we continue to build and expand upon our previous experience.

    HIghlights of the tour will include visits to sugar cane bateyes where we will experience first hand the  harsh conditions under which Haitian migrants labor.  We will meet with community activists, rural educators and human rights experts seeking to improve living conditions for these families.

    We will visit a “free trade factory” as well as the homes of the Dominican workers who sew baseball caps and jeans for export to the U.S and beyond.   We will meet with management, workers and organizers to learn about the impact of “free trade” on this island.

    We will meet with women’s groups to learn how free trade, human trafficking, and global tourism are contributing to the double marginalization of women on the island.

    Additionally, we will meet with Peace Corps volunteers, interact with local teachers and students, and reflect on our immersion experience in a developing country.

    The tour will also hold an added benefit for teachers. We will make personal contacts on the ground, gain new resources and we will collaborate to create innovative ways to bring back this learning experience to our students and communities.  

Dates:

August 11-17,  2008

Costs:

$1,000 from Puerto Plata / Must be paid before May 7, 2008.  The group is limited to 12, so we are working on a first come, first serve basis. 

The cost of the trip will include our ground transportation, guides, stipends to our host community groups, hotels, breakfasts, dinners, admission fees, etc.  The only extra cash you might need would be for the lunches we take while we are on the road, snacks, souvenirs, or free-time activities.

We will each be responsible for our own airfare.  Those of us leaving from the NY/NJ area will travel together flying out on Continental Airlines from Newark Liberty Airport.

The Food:

One of the unexpected pleasures of last years’ tour was the group dining experiences.  Like last year, we will dine at a variety of places covering the full spectrum of possibilities.  In addition to local restaurants off the beaten path, we will also enjoy home cooked meals and hospitality from local families.   See last years tour journal for more information.

The Hotels:

This year we have upgraded the tours’ hotel accommodations. While the places we stayed at last year weren’t bad, we did learn the importance of air conditioning and reliable electrical generators in the D.R. This has caused our price to go up $200, but I think everyone will agree that a bit more extra comfort will help our group be more productive and have the energy needed to meet the demands of our challenging itinerary. For the first half of our tour we will stay at the resort “Sosua By the Sea.”  As we move towards Santo Domingo, we plan to stay at the Hotel Mercure or a place of similar quality. 

For more information:

please email Kevin LaMastra at this address:  klamastra@linden.k12.nj.us

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