by John Gehring-NYC
The America's Friendship Projects (AFP) were begun in 1996. These projects are an effort to bring students and young adults from the America's together to provide service, share friendship, culture, ideals and faith.
The first American Friendship Project was hosted in Haiti, 1996 and was followed by projects in Honduras and in the Dominican Republic. The 4th AFP will be held in Guatemala on May 14-23, 1998 and will involve fifty youth from a dozen nations in an effort to deepen links of friendship and promote peace and cooperation.
The Guatemala project will focus on a theme of, " Sharing True Values through Educational Uplift". The work service will be a continuation of a project sponsored by the World Student Corp which built two local schools in Santiago Atitlan a decade ago. Over-crowding and high demand from local villagers makes building a second floor of the school a necessity.
The project will be bi-lingual (Spanish and English) and involve youth from over twelve nations. Participants arrive in Guatemala City for a two day orientation on May 14th. The service portion will follow as participants travel four hours to the beautiful but poor rural community of Santiago Atitlan.
The work site is nestled between three volcanoes and the beautiful Lake Atitlan. The overcrowded five room rural school house offers scholarships for local villagers and therefore needs to be enlarged in order to provide greater opportunity for the rural poor of Guatemala.
Sponsors
The Religious Youth Service (RYS) RYS was initiated in 1985 as an international service project that has involved tens of thousands of young adults from over 90 nations in active service. The RYS has helped sponsor nearly 70 service projects in twenty seven nations for the purpose of building intercultural and interreligious friendship and cooperation.
Women's Federation for World Peace (WFWP). Began in 1992 and a UN registered NGO with chapters in over 180 nations worldwide, the WFWP has had numerous peace activities, promoted service and educational outreach globally. The WFWP has cooperated with the RYS in sponsoring American Friendship Projects since 1996.
Cost
Participation Fee: $200. This covers room, board, local transportation and fees. Optional Additional Sightseeing-Adventure: following the program a two day sightseeing and fun program will be held. The cost is $100 for room, board and fees. Participants cover their air travel to and from Guatemala City. (around $ 500 from NYC)
For more information please contact:
Mr. Gerhard E. Bessell
13 Avenida "B" 25-25, Zona 13 * Colonia La Libertad
Guatemala Ciudad, Guatemala
e mail: bessell@pronet.net.gt
tel. 502 333-3077
fax 502 333-2197
or the International Office:
Prof. John W. Gehring
4 W. 43rd St. New York, NY 10036
fax 212 869-6424
phone 212 869 6023 ext. 429
e mail rys@pipeline.com