INDIGENOUS FAIR TRADE TOURISM ASSOCIATION IN THE AMERICAS
Indigenous Tourism Rights International and our partners, The
International Indian Treaty Council's Central America office in
Guatemala, announce a new program for building an Indigenous Fair
Trade Tourism Association in the Americas. The announcement was made
September 12, 2003 at the Fair Trade Fair and Symposium in Cancun,
Mexico.
Fair Trade has assisted Indigenous communities throughout the
Americas, particularly in the certification and marketing of
agricultural products such as coffee, cocoa, honey, and textiles. Well
developed standards developed by Indigenous Peoples for Indigenous
Peoples can provide benefits for community-based tourism.
Tourism Rights, based in St. Paul, Minnesota (USA) and CITI (Guatemala
City) are organizing community trainings in Guatemala in November, and
will host a Central American fair trade tourism workshop and planning
meeting in spring 2004. There is additional coordination on the
international level outside of the Americas with NGO groups and
Indigenous communities for a conference and interventions on fair
trade tourism at the upcoming World Social Forum in Mumbai, India
(January 2004).
The initial program is currently in a planning stage, facilitating
diverse Indigenous input into forming standards for fair trade tourism
which can be certified and implemented on a regional level.
To become a member of the Fair Trade Tourism network, contact Cyndy
Harrison at Cyndy@tourismrights.org (English speakers) or Amavilia
Simone' at
Amavilia@tourismrights.org (Spanish speakers).
For more information contact:
Deborah McLaren
Indigenous Tourism Rights International
366 N. Prior Ave., Suite 205
St. Paul, MN 55104 USA
Tel. 651-644-9984 Fax 651-644-2720
www.tourismrights.org (this link no longer active)
