Woman from PWRDF Partner K’inal Antzetik. Profile of partners on the itinerary.
Delegation to Mexico
In an effort to raise awareness about, and provide support to PWRDF partners and their work in Mexico, a delegation of 9 people made up of PWRDF Board of Directors, Network members, and staff will visit Mexico from March 11-22, 2007.
Introduction to the tripThe delegationItinerary and Profile of partners to be visited 
Delegation blog at PWRDF Keeping in Touch
Introduction
The Primate’s World Relief and Development Fund (PWRDF) work in Mexico dates back to the early 1990s as a member of the then Inter-Church Committee on Human Rights in Latin America (ICCHRLA), now part of KAIROS. ICCHRLA took a decision to begin monitoring the country’s human rights situation in response to calls from Mexican human rights, church and other civil society organizations. PWRDF’s direct partnership engagement in Mexico began in 1997 and has gradually grown to include relationships with five organizations in various parts of the country: K’inal Antzetik, Peace Brigades International – Mexico, Human and Labour Rights Commission of the Tehuacán Valley, Paso del Norte Human Rights Centre, and the Centre for Women’s Human Rights.
In an effort to raise awareness about, and provide support to PWRDF partners and their work in Mexico, a delegation of 8 people made up of PWRDF Board of Directors, Network members, and staff will visit Mexico from March 11-22, 2007.
Over a ten-day period the delegation will meet with PWRDF partners based in Mexico City, visit indigenous communities together with PWRDF partner, K’inal Antzetik in southern Mexico, and then meet with PWRDF partners, the Centre for Women’s Human Rights and the Paso del Norte Human Rights Centre in Chihuahua City and Ciudad Juárez (on the Mexico-U.S. border) respectively. In northern Mexico, the visit will be coordinated by the Maryknoll Border Office, based in El Paso, Texas.
In each place time will be taken to introduce the delegation to the economic, social, and political contexts in which PWRDF partners work. An orientation session took place in Toronto, in November, 2006. Further orientation will occur in Mexico City and a debriefing in Ciudad Juárez prior to the group’s departure for Canada.
Purpose of the trip:
To provide PWRDF board, network members and staff the opportunity to:
- deepen our partnership relationships particularly with organizations whose work focuses on women, women’s labour rights, indigenous women, and violence against women issues in the context of economic integration;
- deepen our understanding of the social, political and economic context that our partners in Mexico work in.
Upon their return, the delegation will be supported by PWRDF in the development of a presentation to enable them to share their experiences;
- A report including pictures will be submitted to the Public Engagement Program Committee for use by PWRDF;
- Delegates will be asked to represent PWRDF at events following their return including seeking invitations to local parish, deanery, and diocesan meetings. We have a volunteer speakers bureau and hope delegates will be active members of this.
