Seeking “Reality Travel” Tour Companies

I’ve been hard at work updating my “Travel as a Political Act” book, and I’d love some help. Can you recommend any travel organizations that focus on helping thoughtful Americans get a political education on the road?

Ever since I traveled on three trips to Central America with the Center for Global Education (CFGE) at Augsburg College back in the 20th century, I’ve recommended their program for what I call “reality travel.” They were expert at taking groups to troubled regions with top-notch teachers, and connecting their travelers with the various players in confusing and complicated situations. On my CFGE tours, we’d visit with the United Nations peacekeeping mission, the local military’s PR office, professors in local colleges, farm workers’ unions, and church groups. One day we’d meet with Socialists in the morning and the US Ambassador in the afternoon. The next day we’d meet with the pro-business, right-wing political party (supported by the USA) in the morning and “The Mothers of the Disappeared” (women whose sons were killed by right-wing death squads) in the afternoon. These experiences contributed mightily to my political awareness.

Center for Global Education

For years, I’ve recommended the CFGE for travelers inspired to visit places like Iran, Palestine, Cuba, and Central America. But now they are providing travel education only to their students, and I need other “educational tour” companies to recommend.

Today more than ever, the world’s challenges deserve a firsthand look. And I’m sure there are plenty of opportunities to enjoy the education provided by “reality travel.” If you can recommend an organization that provides in-depth educational tour experiences like the ones I’m describing, I’d love to hear about it. Thank you!

Comments

5 Replies to “Seeking “Reality Travel” Tour Companies”

  1. This may not be exactly what you’re looking for but may be of interest nonetheless. There’s a non profit group in Berlin called Querstadtein that employs Syrian refugees as local tour guides. They guide people through Berlin from the perspective of a refugee who is new to the language, customs, etc.

  2. I’ve travelled as a private citizen on two separate occasions with university groups going abroad. One, was with the University of Utah, Foreign Language Dept going to Russia and second, was Oregon State University, with the Music Department, to China. Both tours were very educational and included the politics of the day.

  3. Hi Rick,

    I’ve been working as a freelance guide for several different educational based study abroad programs and have a lot of insight in to the companies that offer these types of “Travel as a political act” trips.

    There are dozens of Educational study abroad programs. Of which you can search through a great database of different programs at iie passport.

    Three organizations that I can personally vouch for and that have well run, extremely informative and effective programs abroad would be CIS Abroad, CEPA Europe, and Pacific Discovery.

    For CIS Abroad or (The Center for International Studies Abroad) I have led dozens of trips across Europe, several of which are solely based upon politics. CIS works with the professors to design custom programs one of which for the University of South Carolina, I ran a trip with Dr. Kirk Randazzo and Dr. Susan Miller exploring the Politics of the United Kingdom and the Netherlands. We visited places like The Royal courts of Justice, the Inns of Court, Parliament and the house of Representatives. We sat in on court cases at the Supreme court, the ICC and even witnessed the final case at the ICTY against general Mladic in the Hague.

    One of the most interesting programs I’ve run personally have been through a collaboration between CIS abroad and the University of Oregon for students that are coming to learn how to create more livable cities with Dr. Marc Schlossberg. In this program we also learn about the political side of city planning, meeting not only with Mayors in Scandinavia, cycling ‘lobbyists’ in Holland, along with this years program which includes Senator Peter Di Fazzio of Oregon joining in on our month long trip to Sweden, Denmark, and the Netherlands.

    CEPA Europe runs a great International Policy and Management course that goes through The Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and France. Also their City of Internationql law trip to The Hague trip is also recommended.

    Pacific Discovery is a great organization out of New Zealand that offers gap year programs all over the world for students that specialize in giving them an adventure, while getting them out of our comfort zones and working with locals on meaningful service learning projects.

    I could go on for hours about such organizations and projects, because for me getting an international education and gaining perspectives on culture is the answer to most of what ails modern society. There are answers to all of the questions we have, but you have to go looking for them, sometimes they’re found in some of the most unexpected places. There is still so much to learn from each other! International travel and education have been a way for me to continually learn and to continually update and reshape the way I think and the way I look at the world.

    I wish you the best of luck in your quest. I feel it could be one of the most important things you’ve done!

    Adam

  4. We have always traveled independent for decades and the one thing I have found is when we sign ourselves up on a tour for a day or just a walking tour offered by the local tourist agency (usually for free), you learn a lot about the current culture and how to get along in European countries. I have been surprised over the years when I have researched (mostly your books) before the trip how many little rules and customs I have learned about and been thankful that I ran upon it before the trip. And there are a lot of books out there on other parts of the world you don’t cover.

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