True social change takes years and even decades to occur.  Progressive organizations looking to make lasting change must show determination.  In addition, while these organizations continue their important work they must also remain resilient; this means searching for alliances and strengthening ties with like-minded institutions and organizations.

The AfroLatino Forum’s excursion to Ecuador in May of 2007 accomplished the above and much more.  The Forum was also able to create lasting connections that bridged our agendas.  Through informal discussions our organizations shared best practices.   The Ecuador excursion also proved to be mutually beneficial.  The Forum brought an amazing diversity to the panels.  This diversity was not just in the geographic or ethnic representation but also in terms of sex and age.   The Forum members were both male and female; from the Caribbean, and North and South America; and represented every age group.

For me, this was an education on multiples fronts.   I saw what the organizations with similar missions were doing with their resources.  In addition, I was able to see what their challenges are and how they confronted them.   Shared and disparate history and conditions forced me to conceive of the Afro-latino struggle in the United States differently.  The Afro-latino population is large and quite diverse and that range is difficult to grasp at times.  Visiting Afro-latino communities in Ecuador brought me to a better understanding of their realities and challenges, and consequently enhanced my understanding of my community’s challenges.

The Forum’s trip to Ecuador galvanized our organization.  For both our organizations and for those we met we realized the scope of the mission, and we learned we had colleagues throughout the South American continent.