Join the Vamos a la MILPA Delegation to Honduras

                                                          July 2nd- 12th, 2021

Apply here

After applying, we REQUIRE a photograph and a copy of your passport for accredited ID. Please email it to [email protected]

SHARE INVITATION to Join the Vamos a la MILPA Delegation to Honduras,  

            Jul 2nd-12th, 2021.
 “Let's get together and continue with hope..” 

  Berta Caceres, delegation in her honor on her 5th anniversary.
"We invite you to come to Honduras to be in solidarity with La Milpa '' 
an invitation from Padre Melo, SJ of Radio Progresso/ERIC, Hermana Rosa Maria SSND, and Bertita Caceres of COPINH. 
Our presence is a powerful message of solidarity that says: you are not alone, we believe in you, we support your right to stay, we accompany you in planting your Milpa.
 Months after the hurricanes decimated Honduras leaving over two thirds of the population without basic resources and affecting up to 80% of the country’s agricultural production, utter despair, and near starvation is griping the communities. READ MORE

Frequently Asked Questions

​1. What is Vamos a la Milpa?

In Honduras, the “Milpa” consists of corn, beans, squash, fruit trees and more. We will work together to help families start growing their own food in small parcels through sustainable practices.  But the Milpa is more than food. 

• La Milpa is solidarity: La Milpa seeks to strengthen community and foster unity – the land, the water, and the people are bound together in hope.
  
• La Milpa is political: La Milpa promotes sovereignty, equity and harmony with the environment. 
  
• La Milpa is life: La Milpa is rooted in creation; nourishing communities with encouragement and love. 
  

2. What are the objectives of the Milpa Delegation?

​​

• To be in solidarity with La Milpa: Responding to the invitation of our sisters and brothers in Honduras for accompaniment, we are going to be walking with them as they plant seeds of hope. 

• To accompany human and environmental rights defenders as they continue their work under pressure and threat. Honduran environmentalist like Berta Caceres or the defenders of the Guapinol River are  persecuted and assassinated for defending Mother Earth. We will visit their communities and stand with them; 
• To accompany communities affected by the hurricanes.

• To return to the U.S. and plant a Milpa with seeds of solidarity. Each delegate will become a promoter of solidarity with the Honduran people and the Milpa, including hosting a delegation of Hondurans in September to 12 cities in the US.

​3. Who is the sponsoring organization?

The Vamos a la Milpa, a project of the SHARE Foundation share-elsalvador.org is sponsoring this delegation. In Honduras, we will be hosted by Radio Progreso/ERIC, a Jesuit center for reflection, research, and communications that is a leading advocate for democracy and human rights in Honduras, eric-sj.org.
SHARE has 40 years’ experience organizing delegations to El Salvador and Honduras and has sent over 10,000 delegates.

4. hat are the dates of the delegation?

July 2nd- 12th, 2021 Arriving in San Pedro Sula Airport NOT Tegucigalpa.

5. an I participate in the delegation virtually?

Yes, you can join the Virtual Milpa Delegation. You will travel with the delegation via zoom, FaceBook live, and Instagram. ​

​6. What is the cost of this delegation?

Approximately $950. This includes all housing, food, translation, partner honoraria, and in-country transportation. It does NOT include round-trip airfare from your home to Honduras.
The cost of Milpa Virtual Delegation is free but we encourage making a contribution of $450 towards a Milpa Basket.
1st payment of $100 is due June 1st, this is a nonrefundable fee
2nd payment of $850 is due June 20th
To pay, make out your check to the SHARE Foundation, memo line- “Vamos a la Milpa delegation” and send to SHARE, 2425 College Ave., Berkeley 94704.   (Checks are preferred- no fees); or online with a 3% fee at the SHARE website:  www.share-elsalvador.org
There is limited financial aid available on a need basis.  We have many suggestions of how you can fundraise for this trip. No one should be left behind for lack of funds.​

7.  Where will we stay?

Our program begins and ends in the northern town of El Progreso about an hour from San Pedro Sula, where we will be hosted at the Sisters of Notre Dame Retreat House in simple, comfortable clean rooms. Meals are simple and healthy, and we will have access to purified water at all times. 

8. What is the Itinerary for the Honduras portion of the delegation?

Participate in the Blessing of the Seeds ceremony with Lenca communities in Esperanza the land of Berta Caceres, visit the families of the Guapinol River political prisoners, accompany the planting of the Milpa in in rural and urban communities, participate in the Milpa National Congress, participate in the festivities of the town of Tocoa in the Bajo Aguan.

​9. Who should come on this program?

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• People interested in supporting food sovereignty.
  
• Interfaith religious leaders and activists who care about human rights.
  
• People working with the immigrant community
  
• Elected officials and/or their aides.
  
• Journalists and people working in the media
  
• Artist and cultural workers.
  
• Youth, women and people of color are particularly encouraged to apply.
  

​10. Are there concerns about safety?

Honduras is one of the most violent countries in the region. Our itinerary is developed in close collaboration with Honduran partners, who are aware of risks and mindful to reduce them in every possible way. We will be lodged in secure locations and will not be traveling at night nor into the most isolated areas; being part of a group provides some safety. We will not participate in demonstrations or knowingly enter situations that would put us at risk.
Nevertheless, it is important to know that Honduras has high levels of crime, gang activity, and state-sanctioned repression. This is part of the daily reality lived by Hondurans and contributes heavily to the continuous flow of people who can no longer live safely at home and who seek asylum elsewhere, including in the United States. This delegation is one of accompaniment, and we encourage participants to consider both the risks and the rewards of this form of activism. 
If people are concerned about safety, they should not go and join the virtual delegation
Please check the US Travel Advisories travel.state.gov
​

1​1. What is the Covid 19 protocol to travel?

We will follow strict US and Honduras Covid 19 travel protocol; get vaccinated if possible, we will need a Covid test before traveling and another when we return to the US. In country, we will follow strict safety guidelines such as wearing a mask at all times, washing hands, keeping distance among delegates and with our host, etc. We will stay up to date with regulations before the trip. Delegates with compromised health will be advised to not travel and be a support person for the delegation before and during the delegation. ​

12. Do I need a passport or a visa to travel to Honduras?

A valid passport with an expiration date no less than 6 months from departure date to Honduras is necessary for travel.  U.S. citizens do not need a visa, ​

​13. Do I need to speak Spanish?

Spanish is not necessary for participation.  Interpretation will always be provided by Vamos a la Milpa. 

14. what are the expectations for preparation and follow-up for this trip?

Some weeks before the program begins, you’ll be asked to engage with study materials that will help you understand the people and places we will visit, as well as the long history of US intervention in Honduras. On your return home, we hope you will find many ways to share your experience and what you’ve learned with your community and engage with your local Congress members. We will support you with ideas and resources for action and advocacy. Those with skills will be asked to organize presentations, blog, write and contact media.  Delegates in certain areas of the U.S. will be invited to host a delegation from Honduras in the future.
 
We wish to deliver 100 Milpa Baskets at $450 each and we invite delegates to help raise money before and after the delegation. We have many strategies of how to raise money such as an online GoFundMe campaign, inviting donations for a birthday party or significant date, asking for a collection in your church, job or community, submitting a grant proposal to an institution, organizing a go away or welcome back event, and 100 more strategies. A Milpa Basket includes a Bag of Native Seeds, Tool Kit for planting the Milpa and 10 Milpa Activities.
There will be 2 Preparatory Calls for Delegates:  
June 1st from 4 pm PST/ 7 pm EST
June 20th  from 4 pm PST/ 7 pm EST
​

 I cannot go; how can I help?

We invite you to support La Milpa by donating to SHARE/Vamos a la Milpa
You can help recruit delegates.
 
You can organize presentations in your community to educate and gather solidarity with La Milpa
 
When is the Registration Deadline?  June 1st, 2021.​

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