Delegations

Delegations are a great way to get introduced to the model of solidarity and Sistering that US El Salvador Sister Cities has practiced for more than 30 years and now wants to update. You not only get to visit a city or group’s sistered community, but also meet with different voices of the popular movement facing big challenges. Each delegation is different, and built around the interests of the visiting group. At their core, delegations are about building and sustaining the relationships that are at the base of our solidarity model!

Depending on the group, a delegation might spend the majority of the time visiting a sistered community – making pupusas together, shadowing community leaders, hanging out with the youth, etc. Other groups choose a theme for the delegation, such as anti-mining, the arts, sustainable agriculture, women or youth organizing, theater, etc. With all delegations we make sure to include visits with our partner organizations so that all delegates get at least a basic introduction to grassroots organizing in El Salvador.

Check out our Events page to learn about upcoming delegations!

Sample Itinerary

Day 1 – Arrival in San Salvador, dinner at scenic sites and stay in hostel in the city.

Day 2 – Visit historic sites. Meet with leaders of the anti-mining movement

Day 3 – Have breakfast with leaders of the popular movement. Travel to sistered community, have lunch and welcoming party with community members.

Day 4 – Meet with community structures to learn about community history and current organizational work. Visit the agricultural fields to learn about crops and cultivation practices.

Day 5 – Meet with scholarship recipient youth, go swim in the river and cook pupusas with host families.

Day 6 – Have breakfast with host families then head to the beach to relax and reflect on the experience.

Day 7 – Relax on the beach and then go to the airport to fly back and share your experience at home.

Cost

We request a delegation fee of 375 US dollars from each delegate. This fee is used to cover the time and expenses of the El Salvador staff in planning and attending the delegation. In addition, each member pays the costs of the trip itself, which include transportation, food, lodging, and all other activities included in the itinerary.

Next Steps

U.S. committees are responsible for the recruiting and organizing of delegations, so get in touch with your local committees´s leaders. Or, if you´re not sure who to get in touch with, you can contact our main office at sistercities.elsalvador(at)gmail.com