We encourage you to participate in a delegation to Mexico to learn about how U.S. policies and corporate practices affect people in Mexico. Our delegations give participants the opportunity to learn firsthand about these issues from those most affected by the policies. Below you can read about the different delegation themes. Click here to see the current Mexico delegation schedule.

                                                                                                   Through what lens do you see the world?
                                                                                                             Delegation to Tzajalchen, Chiapas

Security Note
Currently the news is reporting incidents of violence related primarily to drug cartels in areas controlled by these organizations which are mostly along the U.S.-Mexico border and in northern states, not in areas where Witness for Peace delegations regularly travel.  While there is certainly always a risk to travel, the Witness for Peace Mexico Team will take security precautions to keep delegates safe. You can read a statement on the security situation here.

Witness for Peace Mexico Delegation Themes

Globalization 101: At What Human Cost?
Despite promises that corporate-led globalization and regional free trade agreements like NAFTA will alleviate poverty and support dignified and sustainable development, the case of Mexico illustrates otherwise. Learn how Mexican small farmers, workers, indigenous people, women and men are impacted by free trade and the resistance strategies they have adopted to construct a healthier and more just future. Delegations can also focus more specifically on the struggles of indigenous peoples in Mexico and of women.

The Globalization of Alternatives: Another World is Possible
"Everyone is against something, but not FOR anything!" is a common phrase heard these days. This delegation will debunk this myth. Learn how Mexicans from all parts of civil society are proactively organizing to construct communities that are true alternatives to the neoliberal development model. Meet with labor organizers, urban neighborhood activists, small farmers and indigenous people who are seeking to build a more just and inclusive Mexico.

Looking at the Roots of Migration: Free Trade & Migration 
Learn about policies that are driving people to increasingly dangerous border crossings in search of a way to sustain the families they've left behind. Travel to southern Mexico to see first-hand the effect of U.S. policies and how they have contributed to migration. Learn from activists, farmers, and women about what the effects of migration have been on daily life, and how people are creating alternatives in Mexico that allow for men, women, and children to construct viable and healthy lives at home.

Fair Trade Coffee - People Over Profits
The struggle for economic justice inside and outside the free trade model is happening all over the world. In Mexico, many viable alternatives have taken shape, one being the promotion of fair trade. Fair trade attempts to offer small-farmers a fair and living wage for their work. Learn about the cooperative fair trade system in Oaxaca and Chiapas as well as about other organizations that are seeking a better way to do trade.

Corn and the Mexican People: NAFTA and the Mexican Countryside
Due to NAFTA, many Mexican agricultural producers are no longer able to compete. Learn about the impacts of free trade agricultural policies on the Mexican countryside, meet with organizations that are fighting to change NAFTA-related agricultural policies and learn from the very campesinos that are resisting these policies. Hear from small farmers how they are fighting to preserve their rural communities and are making links across borders.

Biodiversity, GMOs, and Food Sovereignty
Mexico is considered one of the few biologically "mega-diverse" countries in the world and has become a place of intense debate over the use of natural resources and the introduction of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs), such as GMO corn. The impacts of GMOs on health, culture, and the environment should not be underestimated. The country's biodiversity is an extremely valuable cultural and ecological resource, but is also highly valued as an economic resource by transnational companies. Learn about the threats of corporate involvement and how indigenous communities in Chiapas and Oaxaca are defending native foods and resources.

Faith, Conscience, and Workers' Rights: NAFTA and its Impacts on Mexican Labor
One of the promises of NAFTA was that it would create more jobs in Mexico. As in the US, the results in Mexico have not been black and white. Learn about where jobs have been created and where they have been lost, as well as the general impact of the free trade agreements on labor, workers' rights, and a living wage. Get an in-depth look at Mexican labor history and the maquiladora development model by talking with maquiladora workers as well as other Mexican NGOs.

Where does the Violence Begin?
The poor in Mexico are often those most vulnerable to military and political violence. Mexico provides an example of how economic violence can begin a larger cycle of violence such as in military conflict. Visit areas of Mexico that have seen conflict and explore what the roots are. Learn about where the US government and citizens fit into this cycle, and what is being done in Mexico to end it.
Other Titles: "Spirituality and Economic Justice", "The Violence that Plagues Mexico: Economic Roots"

Here is our current travel delegation schedule to Mexico.

We can also custom design delegations for your group!