Solidarity Trip to Honduras

Tomorrow is the first day of the Solidarity Trip to Honduras – a special trip between Development & Peace and Canadian Catholic Campus Ministers.

From May 6-16 this group will have the amazing opportunity to be accompanied by D&P’s partner Caritas Honduras, to learn about solidarity and to be challenged to live out our faith in a global world.

Genevieve Gallant (D&P), Lori Neale (CCCM Coordinator), Fr. David Shulist (Carleton U), Fr. Daniel Renaud (St. Paul’s U), Kim and Norbert Piche (Ryerson U) are the Solidarity Trip participants. We will share with you our experiences visiting Caritas projects in Honduran dioceses, our learnings, our reflections.  

Come journey with us!

For our first blog post, we asked Kim what motivated her to join this special collaborative trip:

“I have had a chance to study the documents of the Latin American Episcopal council and some liberation theology, but I have not yet had the chance to travel and learn about the people and development of Central America. I see this trip as a way to integrate some of my theological experience with lived experience.

After some reflection and discussion with peers, I anticipate feeling better equipped to promote the work of D&P on campus, if this is the direction that the chaplaincy team decides to take in the future. I would also be interested in incorporate the teachings of the Latin American Bishops into future programming in Campus Ministry.”

“There is a real passion for social justice on the Ryerson Campus and students work incessantly to promote awareness of justice issues among students through various campaigns, rallies and action. These activities can range from inviting people like Vandana Shiva to speak about the demise of independent Indian farmers to local initiatives that advocate for the rights of people on social assistance to have access to special dietary allowance.

The real and tangible work that is happening on campus for social justice awareness and action is not necessarily associated with a faith or religion. In fact, observations lead me to believe that that many students on campus do not believe that Catholics have an interest in these matters.

The question that I ask is “Is it possible to  empower Catholic students who cheer from the sidelines at the justice work done on campus to a stronger leadership role?” Knowledge of the Catholic Social teachings and leadership among Catholics (including campus ministers!) will help strengthen the conviction that our tradition has something essential to offer the work of justice.

Right now, this conviction lays hidden in the hearts of many who stay watching tentatively from the sidelines.

The exposure trip to Honduras will enable me to see development work done in the global South through a Catholic organization for Development and Peace that coincides with what many students at Ryerson are passionate about.  The process of seeing, reflecting and acting that will be done by participants on this trip will be a learning tool that I hope to introduce and integrate into future programming.”

Thank you Kim! Come back in a few days for more news from Honduras…