Dear friends,
Greetings! I’m
writing to you from Nicaragua, my home base for the next 2.5 months as I learn
about and support the work of the Asociación
de Trabajadores del Campo (ATC), the rural agricultural workers
association of Nicaragua.
ATC has been actively involved in social movements in
Nicaragua since the 1970s revolution.
ATC is one of the founding members of La Via Campesina, the global food
sovereignty social movement that has 160+ member organizations in 70+
countries. ATC operates IALA Mesoamerica (Latin
American Institute of Agroecology) in Nicaragua. This school brings together individuals and
groups from around Central America for workshops, where participants teach and
learn about specific agroecological techniques, farmworker rights, political organizing,
and more. ATC and IALA Mesoamerica use popular
education, prometora, and campesino a campesino methods of training.
I’m here in Nicaragua to study the core concepts of
agroecology, food sovereignty, and political organizing, all of which are
important components of the work of La Via Campesina, ATC, and IALA Mesoamerica. I will be studying Spanish language tailored
toward agroecologial food systems and social movements, which is something I
have wanted to do for some time now. Hopefully,
I will also participate in some of the planning and/or implementation of the
many projects that ATC is working on right now.
For now I am staying at ATC's Escuela Campesina in Ticuantepe
(near Managua) but I also hope to spend time in Juigalpa, Matagalpa, and other
locations where ATC works. Stay tuned!
PS: My new buddy Kira (University of Toronto international development student)
arrived here the same day as me and will be here for 12 months as part of her
studies. You can read her blog here.
