Page
      13
      December
      2008
      CAMPUS
     
    
   
   
    
     
      PANTHER
      POST
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      By
      Lisa
      Marie
      Walsh
     
     
      Post
      Contributor
     
    
   
   
    
     
      A
      number
      of
      P.E.I.
      youth
      are
     
     
      beginning
      orientation
      for
     
     
      their
      2009
      Dominican
      Re-
     
     
      public
      Faith
      and
      Justice
      Ex-
     
     
      perience.
     
    

    
     
      The
      program
      is
      organized
     
     
      by
      the
      Latin
      American
      Mis-
     
     
      sion
      Program
      (LAMP)
      of
      the
     
     
      Diocese
      of
      Charlottetown
     
     
      and
      the
      Diocesan
      Youth
     
     
      Committee.
      The
      young
     
     
      people,
      accompanied
      by
      a
     
     
      LAMP
      coordinator
      and
      two
     
     
      youth
      animators,
      will
      go
      to
     
     
      the
      Dominican
      Republic
      for
     
     
      the
      three-week
      mission
      in
     
     
      mid-May
      2009.
      As
      the
      name
     
     
      of
      the
      program
      implies,
      it
      is
     
     
      based
      on
      the
      dynamic
      unity
     
     
      of
      faith
      and
      social
      justice.
     
     
      The
      program
      is
      open
      to
      all
     
     
      youth,
      ages
      18
      to
      26,
      who
     
     
      are
      interested
      in
      a
      challeng-
     
     
      ing,
      first-hand
      experience
     
     
      of
      how
      most
      of
      the
      world’s
     
     
      population
      live.
     
    

    
     
      This
      is
      the
      sixth
      youth
      mis-
     
     
      sion
      to
      the
      Dominican
      Re-
     
     
      public.
      The
      participants
      say
     
     
      they
      are
      changed
      by
      their
     
     
      first-hand
      interaction
      with
     
     
      people
      in
      a
      developing
      coun-
     
     
      try.
     
    

    
     
      They
      see
      with
      their
      own
     
     
      eyes
      the
      impoverishment
     
     
      which
      is
      the
      life
      of
      the
      vast
     
     
      majority
      of
      the
      world’s
      pop-
     
     
      ulation
      They
      come
      home
     
     
      with
      a
      new
      view
      of
      their
      own
     
     
      lives.
      Many
      of
      them
      return
     
     
      looking
      for
      better
      ways
      to
     
     
      live
      out
      their
      experience
      as
     
     
      they
      make
      life
      choices.
      —
     
    

    
     
      A
      former
      participant
      com-
     
     
      ‘ments,
      “I
      have
      learned
      so
     
     
      much
      about
      people,
      justice,
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ‘Walking
      Together’
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Latin
      American
      Mission
      Program
      sends
      P.E.I.
      youth
      to
      the
      Dominican
      Republic
     
    
   
   
    
     
      myself
      and
      my
      faith
      from
     
     
      coming
      on
      this
      experience...I
     
     
      love
      what
      is
      happening
      to
     
     
      me.
      The
      blinders
      have
      been
     
    
   
   
    
     
      _
      lifted.”
     
    
   
   
    
     
      While
      in
      the
      Dominican
      Re-
     
     
      public
      the
      participants
      spend
     
     
      the
      first
      eight
      days
      hosted
      by
     
     
      a
      wide
      variety
      of
      organiza-
     
     
      tions,
      both
      church-based
      and
     
     
      community-based,
      involved
     
     
      in
      work
      for
      social
      justice.
     
     
      The
      areas
      of
      special
      interest
     
     
      are:
      sugar
      cane
      plantations
     
     
      community
      health
      clinics,
     
     
      Christian
      base
      communities,
     
     
      community
      engagement,
      and
     
     
      youth
      group
      programs
      with
     
     
      street
      kids.
      For
      ten
      days,
     
    
   
   
    
     
      -each
      of
      the
      P.E.I.
      youth
      will
     
    
   
   
    
     
      live
      with
      a
      typical
      socially-
     
     
      involved
      Dominican
      fam-
     
     
      ily.
      They
      will
      also
      spend
     
     
      two
      days
      living
      and
      work-
     
     
      ing
      with
      an
      organic
      coffee
     
     
      growers’
      cooperative
      in
      the
     
     
      mountains.
     
    

    
     
      A
      key
      component
      to
      the
     
     
      program
      is
      the
      seven
      month
     
     
      preparation
      time,
      which
      is
     
     
      already
      underway.
      During
     
     
      this
      time
      participants
      learn
     
    
   
   
    
     
      more
      about
      Dominican
      life
      -
     
    
   
   
    
     
      and
      culture
      through
     
    

    
     
      such
      topics
      as:
      Dominican
     
     
      history
      the
      story
      roots,
      and
     
     
      consequences
      of
      economic
     
     
      injustice
      in
      the
      Dominican
     
     
      Republic,
      solutions
      based
      on
     
    
   
   
    
     
      a
      social
      justice
      model
      rather.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      than
      on
      a
      charity
      model
      the-
     
     
      ology
      of
      liberation
      and
      the
     
     
      faith
      of
      the
      Dominican
      peo-
     
     
      ple
      cultural
      expressions
      and
     
     
      basic
      Spanish
      language.
     
     
      Another
      important
      aspect
     
     
      of
      the
      experience
      takes
      place
     
     
      once
      participants
      have
      re-
     
     
      turned
      home.
      They
      are
      chal-
     
     
      lenged
      to
      reflect
      on
      the
      so-
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      i
      Caminando
      Juntos/as
      !
     
    
   
   
    
     
      DOMINICAN
      REPUBLIC
      2009
     
     
      FAITH
      &
      JUSTICE
      EXPERIENCE
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Walking
      Together
      !
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Program
      for
      Young
      Adults
      in
      the
      DR
     
     
      May
      13
      —
      June
      3,
      2009
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Information
      session
      to
      be
      held
      at
      UPEI
     
     
      MacDougall
      Hall,
      Room
      329
     
     
      12PM,
      Friday,
      December
      5,
      2008
     
    
   
   
    
     
      For
      further
      information
      please
      contact
      Lisa
      at
      lwalsh@upei.ca
      or
     
     
      Cathy
      at
      368-1128
      or
      e-mail
      lamp@pei.sympatico.ca
     
    
   
   
    
     
      -o:-9:-9:-93o-9-9:-9S:-D9
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Poster
      for
      the
      Dominican
      Republic
      Faith
      and
      Justice
      Experience.
      Submitted
      photo
     
    
   
   
    
     
      cial
      justice
      questions
      which
     
     
      arose
      from
      their
      experience.
     
     
      They
      have
      an
      opportunity
      to
     
     
      share
      their
      encounters
      and
     
     
      the
      effects
      on
      their
      personal
     
     
      lives
      after
      sharing
      the
      hard-
     
     
      ships,
      fears,
      hopes
      and
      joy
     
     
      of
      the
      Dominican
      people.
     
     
      They
      will
      also
      consider
      the
     
     
      role
      of
      Canada
      in
      perpetuat-
     
     
      ing
      or
      lessening
      the
      impov-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      erishment
      of
      peoples
      in
      the
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Dominican
      Republic
      and
      in
     
     
      other
      parts
      of
      the
      world.
     
    

    
     
      “T
      would
      recommend
      it
      (this
     
     
      program)
      to
      those
      searching
     
     
      for
      experiences
      out
      of
      the
      or-
     
     
      dinary,”
      is
      a
      comment
      from
      a
     
     
      2007
      participant.
     
    

    
     
      There
      are
      still
      available
     
     
      spaces
      for
      participants
      who
     
     
      apply
      immediately.
      If
      you
     
     
      are
      interested
      in
      applying
     
     
      or
      would
      like
      to
      know
      more
     
    
   
   
    
     
      about
      the
      program,
      an
      infor-
     
     
      mation
      session
      is
      being
      held
     
     
      Dec.
      5,
      2008.
     
    

    
     
      This
      session
      will
      be
      held
     
     
      in
      MacDougall
      Hall,
      Room
     
     
      329
      at
      12
      p.m.
      Also
      feel
      free
     
     
      to
      contact
      Lisa
      Walsh
      at
     
     
      lwalsh@upei.ca
      or
      Cathy
     
     
      Ronahan
      at
      368-1128
      or
     
     
      lamp
      @
      pei.sympatico.ca
     
     
      with
      any
      further
      questions
     
     
      you
      may
      have.