Over 20 years of experience working for international human rights and advancing social, environmental and economic justice. Global Exchange was founded in 1988 by Medea Benjamin, Kevin Danaher, Kathie Klarreich and Kirsten Moller. Each founder has helped this organization become what it is today, an innovator and leader in international human and environmental rights.
In order to make lasting changes, Global Exchange strives to transform the global economy from profit centered to people centered, from currency to community. Their motto, “building people-to-people ties” is best summed up by a vision of, “a people centered globalization that values the rights of workers and the health of the planet; that prioritizes international collaboration as central to ensuring peace; and that aims to create a local, green economy designed to embrace the diversity of our communities.”
As one of their programs, Reality Tours offers a variety of alternative, educational trips that addresses contemporary political, economic, environmental, and cultural issues around the world. For over 15 years, Reality Tours has organized trips to over 30 countries in Latin America, Africa, Asia and the Middle East. Each trip “provides participants with a deeper way in understanding other cultures and issues and to ultimately instill positive change and interactions.”
The Alliance
Global Exchange and EcoDance Tours created an alliance in 2009 to share their common passion for bridging cultural ties through alternative travel. EcoDance Tours creates specialized tours for Global Exchange that integrates dance with ecotourism. These unique tours provide educational exchanges about the economic, cultural and environmental values of dance. The value of dance is many-faceted, and when used as an ecotourism product, not only helps preserve cultural traditions, but is also a means of economic empowerment.
