Executive Summary..

The exchange program:..

Rotary districts:..

D9830 Team..

District 4200 team:..

Team Orientation:..

District 9830 assistance:..

Other assistance:..

District 4200 GSE Committee:..

Flight schedule:..

The itinerary:..

Host Families:..

Presentations:..

Climate:..

Language:..

Mexican food and drink:..

Safety issues..

Achievement of goals:..

GSE team member profiles..

Arthur Orchard - team leader..

Andrew Mitchell..

Marion Edmondson..

Donna Woodleigh..

Des Smith..

Cultural/recreational visits and activities wish-list for the team:..

District GSE Committees..

District 9830 - Tasmania...

District 4200 - Southern states of Mexico...

Host Rotary Clubs - District 4200...

List of Vocational visits - District 4200..

Exchange Statistics..

Vocational Visit statistics..

Team Member Reports..

Andrew Mitchell's team member report...

Marion Edmondson's team member report...

Des Smith's team member report..

Donna Woodleigh's team member report..

Tasmanian gifts sourced for the exchange...

Attachments..

Photo of team presentation at the District 4200 Conference..

Team leaflet - English..

Team leaflet - Spanish..

Example - Action List..

Examiner and Huon News newspaper articles..

Article in Department of Health & Human Services - Links quarterly magazine.

Distinguished visitor certificate..

Itinerary provided by Mexican GSE ChairmanItinerary provided by Rotary Clubs of Merida..

Itinerary provided by Rotary Clubs of Merida..

Itinerary provided by Rotary Clubs of Ciudad Del Carmen..

Itinerary provided by Rotary Clubs of Chiapas..

 

Executive Summary

The exchange program:

In the 2005 - 2006 Rotary year a Group Study Exchange program took place between District 9830 (Tasmania) and District 4200 ( The states of Quintana Roo, Yucatan, Campeche, Tabasco, Chiapas and Oaxaca in Southern Mexico).

The teams for the five week exchanges consisted of four carefully selected non-Rotarian members aged between 25 and 40 years of age plus a Rotarian as team leader.

The team from District 4200 in Mexico was in Tasmania from the 11^th February until the 18^th March and the District 9830 team toured Southern Mexico from the 22^nd April until the 28^th May.

Rotary districts:

The exchange was the first in many years between Tasmania and a country with many social, political and cultural differences. Language and extreme climate differences between the two countries also added to the challenges facing the teams.

More than half of the 100 plus million people in Mexico live in poverty. There is obvious affluence in parts and a rapidly emerging middle class that auger well for the future of the country and Rotary in Mexico.

District 4200 was significantly larger than Tasmania and considerable distances were travelled by the Tasmanian team during the exchange. The number of Rotary clubs was similar however the average size of clubs in the south of Mexico was around 15-20 members compared with around 30 in Tasmania. Most Mexican clubs meet in the evening, usually later than 9.30pm. This led to many 16 -18 hour days for the Tasmanian team.

Lack of a detailed itinerary for the Tasmanian team and at times poor communication led to some frustrations however all issues were resolved quite quickly and the Rotarians were always very friendly, welcoming, generous with their time and wanting to make our time with them as enjoyable and fulfilling as possible. The team members made many new friends.

Southern Mexico has extraordinary beauty in its beaches, Spanish architecture, ancient indigenous cultural sites and the mountainous regions of Chiapas. Its emerging economy offers hope for a brighter future and the people the team met throughout the district were optimistic and forward thinking.

Despite the challenges the exchange was successful for both teams and a great deal of goodwill has been generated between the two countries involved and the two Rotary districts.

D9830 Team

The team leader was Arthur Orchard, member and past president of the Rotary Club of Sandy Bay. The team members were Marion Edmondson (sponsored by Rotary Club of Central Launceston), Donna Woodleigh (Rotary Club of Kingston), Des Smith (Rotary Club of Sandy Bay) and Andrew Mitchell (Rotary Club of North Launceston). The reserve team leader was Barry Pearn (Rotary Club of Longford) and the reserve team member was Simon Clayton (sponsored by Rotary Club of Howrah).

The team chosen proved itself to be worthy of the decision taken to include each of the members. The team bonded well as a working unit and adapted well to the challenges encountered. The Mexican Rotarians seemed to genuinely enjoy the experience of hosting the team and many great, long term friendships were forged in surprisingly short periods of time.

The team did a great job of ìsellingî Tasmania as the wonderful place it is, both through the formal presentations and in general discussions with the local people. They were each a great ambassador for Tasmania, Australia, Rotary International, District 9830 and their respective employers.

District 4200 team:

The team leader was Mary Lolys Alverez Toledo (Villahermosa, Tabasco). Team members were Alicia Yanneth Gonzalez Dominguez (Villahermosa, Tabasco), Diana M Tontantzin Obrador Becerril (Cuidad Del Carmen, Campeche), Alberto Arroy Marquez (Oaxaca, Oaxaca) and Marie-Jose Guillermo Cardena (Merida, Yucatan).

For the first time in District 9830 incoming GSE team members were home-hosted by outgoing GSE team members. Donna Woodleigh hosted Alicia and Des Smith hosted Alberto for four nights during the District 9830 Conference in March.

The teams met formally and socially over the conference period and the Tasmanian team benefited substantially from the interaction. The Mexican team were instrumental in convincing the Tasmanian team that their power-point presentation should be delivered in Spanish, a key factor in the success of the exchange.

The Tasmanian team met Marie-Jose whilst in Merida, Tontanzin( Diana) whilst in Ciudad Del Carmen and caught up with Mary, Marie-Jose, Alicia and Alberto at the District 4200 Conference held in Villahermosa, Tabasco over the last three days of the exchange.

Team Orientation:

The Tasmanian team met on several occasions prior to leaving for Mexico. Firstly on Sunday 30^th October at Ross to work on a to-do list and again before a Rotary Club of Sandy Bay family barbecue on Sunday 13^th November (attended by team member partners and DG Paul Grubb and Ann).

A third pre-Christmas meeting was held in Launceston on Saturday 3^rd December, followed by a special weekend retreat to Eaglehawk Neck on the 11^th-12^th February The team met on several occasions during the District Conference and again at Ross on Wednesday evening the 22^nd March.

Countless emails were exchanged over the six months leading up to the exchange and Spanish lessons gave the team members in Launceston and Hobart many opportunities to meet.

District 9830 assistance:

District GSE Chairman James Wilcox was always available for advice and input for the team leader and provided encouragement to the team. District Governor Paul Grubb and former GSE team leader Ian Shuey also gave valuable assistance, advice and encouragement. Many other Rotarians offered support and advice, all of which was most welcome.

Financial assistance from the sponsoring clubs was gratefully received although some guidance from the district would facilitate consistency in the sum made available to each team member. Additional donations were sought from non-sponsoring clubs which resulted in small but vital donations from the Rotary Clubs of Devonport, Devonport South East, Sorell and Brighton.

Other assistance:

Letters seeking financial support from the employers of the team members resulted in a most generous donation from the Department of Health and Human Services in recognition of their high regard for Marion Edmondson who heads up their women's health programs in Northern Tasmania.

Letters requesting financial assistance or assistance in kind were sent to a wide range of businesses and relevant Government departments with mixed results.

Events Tasmania, Tourism Tasmania, Cadbury's, Seahorse World and the. Department of Premier and Cabinet all responded in a positive manner. Many gifts were obtained by team members from other sources, many being purchased.

Five cartons of Tasmanian wares and gifts were posted to Mexico in January by sea mail. Unfortunately only one reached the destination.

District 4200 GSE Committee:

GSE chairman of District 4200 was Ruby Rivero de Gonzalez. A wish list of individual vocational visits and team cultural and social preferences was emailed to her in early December. We were unable to confirm the itinerary prior to or during the exchange however copies of the wish list was seen in several places the team visited and most items included were fulfilled during the course of the exchange.

The team did not receive a detailed itinerary during the exchange and this lead to some frustration at times as the team was often unable to determine their near term or longer term itinerary. In three cities the team received a more detailed itinerary for the period of the exchange however much important detail was omitted. Communication of a detailed itinerary well in advance is considered highly desirable to a successful and less stressful experience.

Flight schedule:

Most flights went smoothly. The trip to Cancun, Mexico via Melbourne and Los Angeles took around 25 hours.

The time allowed in Los Angeles for the transfer from the long Qantas flight to Mexicana via US customs was inadequate and the team was initially denied access to the Mexicana flight as less than 20 minutes remained till scheduled take off.

Some fast talking and pleading secured the team seats on the plane however no luggage arrived in Cancun with the team. Local Rotarians willingly assisted and the luggage arrived the following day.

The return trip from Villahermosa, Mexico to Hobart via Mexico City, Los Angeles and Sydney took around 33 hours.

The team was not booked to fly together from Villahermosa to Los Angeles and the team leader paid for the cost of changing the flight schedule so that the team did fly together as is Rotary policy.

The team leader lost his passport just prior to getting seat allocation on Qantas for the long return flight from Los Angeles to Australia. The matter was very promptly and professionally resolved by the Qantas check-in staff. (Always carry a colour copy of your passport).

The itinerary:

Although the team often knew little of the itinerary ahead of the current event the exchange program was extremely interesting, wide-ranging and diversified. The team visited all states in the district with the exception of Oaxaca (pronounced Wah-Hah-Kah) the most westerly state and some 12 hours by bus from the nearest state capitals.

The team spent three nights in Cancun and three nights in Playa Del Carmen, both in the state of Quintana Roo; eight nights in Merida in the state of Yukatan, two nights in Campeche in the state of the same name, four nights in Ciudad Del Carmen, Campeche; five nights in Tuxtla, two in Comitan and one in San Cristobal, all in Chiapas state, and the final seven nights in Villahermosa in Tabasco.

The third night in one city was made necessary when a scheduled day and night hosted by another club was summarily cancelled. The team leader paid for the extra night's accommodation and local Rotarians provided a great day of recreation and sight-seeing the next day.

Apart from two trips kindly provided by Rotarians the transport was by (generally) comfortable coaches but unaccompanied by Rotarians. In total some 30 hours were spent on coach transfers. The team was faithfully met and warmly welcomed by local Rotarians at the end of each trip.

The team received a full day break on arrival in Mexico to recover from jet-lag and relax. However the required two day mid-term isolation break did not take place due to poor communication and this caused some stress within the team. A short break was arranged and a further short break in the last week. The importance of these breaks cannot be over emphasised, particularly where climatic, cultural and language differences are significant.

Host Families:

The mix of accommodation was varied and interesting. The Rotary clubs in five cities provided host families in Rotarians homes. The two male members usually shared host homes as did the two female members.

In three cities the team stayed in hotels. In one city the team stayed together in a Rotarian's beach house at seaside village and for the first night in another the team had the use of a very spacious, Spanish-style home of a Rotarian .

Alternative accommodation was requested for the team leader and both female team members in one city due largely to climatic conditions. The requests were acted upon promptly and with understanding.

Presentations:

The team made 15 presentations to 18 Rotary clubs plus a special presentation prepared for the District 4200 Conference. It is estimated that at least 600 Rotarians, Rotaractors, partners and youth exchange students would have seen a team presentation. The presentations were all made in Spanish and were very well received by all groups.

Many presentations were unplanned but the team was able to satisfy all requests except two.

Climate:

The climate in Southern Mexico had a major impact on the team during the exchange. Whilst evening temperatures were generally in the high 20's or early 30's Celsius, daytime temperatures ranged between 35 c and 45 c, with high humidity often adding to discomfort levels.

Air conditioning and/or fans were sometimes available in host accommodations and vocational visit locations, but more often not. Cooling breezes in coastal areas helped in the latter parts of the days. Most transport had air conditioning.

All members of the team handled the climate better than had been anticipated and no serious ill effects were felt. A great deal of bottled water was consumed to maintain hydration and ìslip, slop, slapî was the order of the day on most occasions.

Team at Tulum, Quintana Roo

Language:

The team made an early decision to take some Spanish lessons during the lead-up to the exchange. Private tutors were engaged in Launceston and Hobart and paid for by team members. A decision was made while the Mexican team was in Tasmania to deliver power point presentations in Spanish. Scripts were prepared, translated, fine-tuned for pronunciation and practiced prior to departure.

The number of Mexicans who would speak any English and the amount of English spoken by those who did was seriously over estimated by the team. It was fortuitous that the team undertook some Spanish lessons before the exchange but the level of skills was still often inadequate for easy communication.

All members spoke some Spanish and skills improved over the course of the exchange. No situations were found to be insurmountable. Team member Des Smith was the most proficient at Spanish and was able to act as ëinterpreterî on many occasions. Interpreters were frequently sourced, especially during vocational visits, and the abundant presence of English and Spanish speaking youth exchange students often assisted the team.

Mexican food and drink:

The team literally ate its way through the southern states of Mexico, with every host Rotary club eager to have the team members sample the local culinary delights.

Eating out was a frequent event, at venues ranging from small local open cafes through to fine-dining restaurants, and a wide range of Mexican food was consumed - too many to list here - along with some pretty hot chilli at times. Meals were generally washed down with generous quantities of Mexican beer, tequila, mescal, sangritas, margaritas, occasionally some wine and frequently with equally delicious non-alcoholic drinks.

Safety issues

All team members felt safe in all cities with regards to the environment they were living and touring in.

Driving habits in Mexico are reminiscent of Australian habits in the 50's and 60's, with mobile phones added as a distraction. Thousands of very severe speed-humps keep the traffic to a crawl around most intersections in the cities and through small villages but the accident rate is still very high.

Chiapa de Corzo, Chiapas

Achievement of goals:

The stated goals and objectives of the GSE program were met in that a wide range of appropriate vocational visits were provided, many unique cultural and social experiences were had, team members were tested through language, climate and cultural differences, many cross cultural friendships were made and a broad membership of Rotarians in Mexico were able to participate in the exchange. Each team member came back after the experience with a different perspective on life and the longer term effects on each of their lives will be profound.

GSE team member profiles

Arthur Orchard - team leader

Arthur is 57 years old, has been married to Jill for 34 years, has three adult children (Anita 30, Julie 29 and Peter 27) and four beautiful grand-daughters (Tahlia 6, Chloe 4, Hannah and Ebony (twins aged 2.5).

He is now retired but still very busy with some investments, family, travel and Rotary. He was self-employed for most of his working life and has worked in a diverse range of businesses, including some 20 years in the financial planning industry.

Arthur enjoys spending time with his family, travelling, touring, boating, walking, their holiday home at Eaglehawk Neck, reading, relaxing with friends and, of course, his involvement in Rotary.

He joined Rotary in 1982 as a charter member of a new club and joined the Rotary Club of Sandy Bay in 1998. He was club president in 1984/85 and 2001/02.

Arthur and Jill have hosted several GSE team members and exchange students over the past twenty years and Arthur spent two weeks working on a Fijian Rota-home project in 1994.

The team at a Rotary meeting in Playa Del Carmen, Quintana Roo

Andrew Mitchell

Andrew Mitchell is 36 years old, married with two children, lives in the city of Launceston in northern Tasmania and owns his own workplace training business called "Work Plus Development & Training"

Andrew is happily married to Danielle, a school teacher; together they have two daughters (Grace 10, and Chelsea 8) and live in a dilapidated old house that is at the beginning of a renovation journey. Grace & Chelsea are keen pianists, and junior athletes; Grace is also studying ballet and Chelsea developing tennis skills.

Andrew has worked in the petroleum, retail and hospitality industries and has most recently spent five years in the training and business development industry. Andrew's  business employs nine people aside from himself and his business partner. It delivers workplace training in the areas of business, management, retail, wholesale, hospitality and warehousing. Andrew's business also operates a small takeaway food outlet in the Launceston city centre.

Andrew is a person driven by the need to help others. He constantly seeks fulfilment, and needs to see that he is helping others in order to achieve that.

Andrew loves to cook and eat, entertain and generally be around friends and family.

Andrew's Vocational visits wish-list:

Local, State & Federal Government bodies dealing with education, training & workforce development

Local, State or Federal Government body or private organisation dealing with individuals or groups wishing to start a business

A public and private secondary (senior) school

A university and/or collage (public & private)

A private training organisation (providing training to workers)

An adult education facility

A small to medium retail, hospitality and transport/distribution business (talk to owners/managers about workforce issues and employee training)

An Australian business operating in the area

Marion Edmondson

Marion Edmondson is a thirty five year old woman who lives in Launceston, Tasmania and is the Coordinator of Women's Health North. Women's' Health North is a part of the Tasmanian Government's Department of Health and Human Services and is an information and referral service that aims to improve the health and wellbeing of women in Tasmania

Marion is married to Ian, who is studying for his PHD in Education and has three children: Hannah (deceased) Gus (13) and Clara (5).

Marion has worked in community services since graduating with a Diploma in Community Services 10 years ago. Most of her work has been in women's services, especially domestic violence and sexual assault.

Marion is passionate about social justice and feels privileged to work in an area she cares so deeply about.

Her interests are spending time with her family and friends, cooking, playing the guitar and piano and singing. She also enjoys being in the outdoors - camping or on picnics.

Marion's vocational visits wish-list:

Visit any government funded Women's Health Services

Visit Mexifam clinics

Visit Indigenous Women's projects

Visit an IPAS clinic (termination of pregnancy)

Visit an orphanage and a prison.

Visit any programs working with Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault.

Visit any groups working in the Sex Industry

Visit any government department that makes policy on Women's issues

Visit any school based sexuality education programs

<Visit Amnesty International.

Marion is happy to share vocational visits with Andrew, des and Donna where they overlap.

Marion - After a great evening out in Cancun, Quintana Roo

Donna Woodleigh

Donna Woodleigh is a lawyer who lives at Bonnet Hill, Tasmania with her 7 year old son, Liam and partner Nick. Donna is 32 years old and works for the State Government in the  Education Department as a legal advisor. Nick is a police officer.

 

Donna also has a background in alternative dispute resolution having experience working as a mediator, and management experience from co-ordinating an office for a mediation, counselling and training organisation.

 

Donna volunteers for, amongst other commitments, the Red Cross International Humanitarian Law Committee, and has an interest in social justice issues. Donna has also written an Honours thesis on human rights.

 

Her interests include travelling, the outdoors - especially kayaking, bushwalking, and horse riding, entertaining with family and friends, and theatre. She is committed to ëhaving a go' at most things and has a keen sense of adventure.

 

Donna loves above all else, people. She keeps busy by trying to balance family and work commitments, organising social activities with friends, and having fun.

Donna's vocational visits wish-list:

Visit private legal firm especially human rights lawyer/law firm

Visit an orphanage

Visit a mediation organisation/practitioner

Visit a prison

Visit a school - primary & secondary

Visit education government minister/ or equivalent

Visit Red Cross project

Visit education department (or government department equivalent)

Visit the Courts - spend day with a Judge

Visit a university - especially law school

Visit Attorney General (or government equivalent)

Visit Amnesty International

Donna is happy to do joint vocational visits with Des, Andrew and Marion where they overlap.Donna would like a home-stay on a ranch or hacienda if possible.

Donna at an orphanage in Cancun, Quintana Roo

Des Smith

Almost 28 years ago, Des was born to Irish parents in Deloraine, Tasmania.  He went to Deloraine Primary School and then St Brendan Shaw College, Devonport.  In 1996, he moved to Hobart to attend university and, in 2001, graduated with a Bachelor of Arts/Law with Honours in History. 

In 2002, he was admitted to the Bar and worked for a year as the Associate to the Honourable Mr Justice Blow in the Supreme Court of Tasmania.  From mid-2003 to the present, Des has worked at Butler McIntyre and Butler, Lawyers, specialising in civil and commercial litigation. 

If asked to list the most formative experiences of his life (which he hasn't been!), he would put becoming a Christian in 1996, and travelling with his parents to Europe for four months in 1991 (a real eye-opener), at the top. 

Des loves coffee, reading, talking too much and Rugby Union (not all at once).    

Des's vocational visits wish-list:

• Visit a university law school;
• Visit a prison;
• Visit a private law firm;
• Visit a community legal centre or equivalent;
• Visit a law court and/or meet a judge;
• Visit Parliament and/or meet members of parliament or equivalent;
• Visit to professional mediation business or government mediation organisation to meet with professional corporate, family and commercial mediators;
• Visit a youth justice office or equivalent - somewhere to learn about youth sentencing options and programs, diversionary programs, etc;
• Meet a migration Agent, someone who assists people in immigrating, either to or from Mexico.
• Visit an orphanage;
• Visit Amnesty International

Des is happy to do joint vocational visits with Donna, Marion and Andrew.

 

 

Cultural/recreational visits and activities wish-list for the team:

Attend a regional or national soccer game, a baseball game and a horse race.

Visit many of your cultural, religious and historic sites and museums - San Cristobal, Virgin of Guadaloupe, La Venta, Aquaselva, Comalcalco, Palenque, Yaxchilan, Bonampak and others.

Visit cocoa plantation, a coffee plantation, forestry plantation and other agricultural farms.

Learn some authentic Mexican cooking & maybe undertake a cooking class.

Learn some Mexican dancing (Salsa and others).

Attend local markets, functions and festivals.

Sailing, horse riding, golfing, diving, kayaking, deep sea fishing, - whatever is available.

Visit national parks and Biosphere Reserves.

Visit a Mexican ranch/hacienda.

Visit some seaside resorts and smaller rural villages

Team at Mayan cultural site: Chichen Itza, Yucatan

District GSE Committees

 

District 9830 - Tasmania.

Paul Grubb - District Governor 2005-2006.

PDG Lew Pretorius - District Rotary Foundation Chairman

PP James Wilcox - District GSE Committee Chairman

Graeme Elphinston. (RC of Spring Bay)

Nairn Walker. (RC of West Launceston)

PP Max Skirving. (RC of Latrobe)

PP Peter Killick (RC of Kingston)

PP Ross Hart (RC of Launceston)

PP Robert Bentley (RC of Burnie)

District 4200 - Southern states of Mexico.

C.P. Carlos Alvarez Alcazar (Carlos) - District Governor 2005-2006.

Rubi Rivero de Gonzalez (Ruby) - District GSE (IGE in Spanish) Chairman.

Heric Castillo Basulto (Eric) - AG of Quintana Roo

Jaime Edward Clark 11 (Jim) - AG of Yucatan

Jaime Gould Taylor Tadeo (Jimy) - AG of Campeche

Jose Maria Brindis Burguete (Pepe) - AG of Chiapas

Gabriel Focil Correa (Focil) - AG of Tabasco

Host Rotary Clubs - District 4200.

Sat 22^nd to Tues 25^th April  -     Cancun -            RC of Cancun #

                                                                              RC of Cancun Zona Hotelera #

Tues 25^th to Fri 28^th April - Playa Del Carmen -RC of Playa Del Carmen #

Fri 28^th  April to Sat 6^th May -    Merida               RC of Ejecutivo de Progresso #

                                                                              RC of Merida Ejecutivo #

                                                                              RC of Merida Itzaes #

                                                                              RC of Nuevas Generaciones #

                                                                              RC of Meridanas

                                                                              RC of Merida Montejo

                                                                              RC of Izamal

Sat 6^th to Mon 8^th May -  Campeche                    RC of Campeche #

Mon 8^th to Fri 12^th May - Ciudad Del Carmen    RC of Ciudad Del Carmen Centro #

                                                                              RC of Ciudad Del Carmen #

                                                                              RC of Carmen Centenario #

                                                                              RC of Perla Del Golfo

Sat 13^th to Thurs 17^th May - Tuxtla                     RC of Ejecutivo de Tuxtla Gutierrez

                                                                              RC of Chiapa de Corza #

                                                                              RC of Tuxtla Gutierrez #

                                                                              RC of Oriente de Tuxtla Gutierrez #

                                                                              RC of Amanecer #

Thurs 17^th to Sat 20^th May -  Comitan                  RC of Rosario Castellanos #

                                                                              RC of Comitan de Dominguez #

Sat 20^th to Sun 21^st May   - San Cristobal            RC of San Cristobal de las Casas #.

Sun 21^st to Sun 28^th May - Villahermosa            RC of Villahermosa

                                                                             RC of Villahermosa Olm

(Includes District 4200 Conference #)                RC of Maculis Villahermosa

                                                                             RC of Centenario Villahermosa

                                                                             RC of Tabasco

# = Team presentation in Spanish                    RC of Comalcalco

                                                                             RC of Jalpa de Mendez

List of Vocational visits - District 4200

22/4 & 23/4: nil

24/4: DIF, Children's Welfare Centre (D.I.F.) - Director General - Margarita Mota

         Universidad Anahuac Assistant Registrar - Heidy Juarez.

25/4 till 30/4: nil

1/5: City Council of Progresso (Sr. Luis Lee - Secretario General, Frente Unico de Choferes Camioneros Y Similares Del Municipio De Progressa.) and (L.A. E. EnriqueVillamil - Presidente Municipal - H. Ayuntamiento Constitutional Progresso, Yacatan).

2/5: Visit City Council of Izamal - meet mayor.

3/5: Social work office about defence of the minor and the family

       Caimede (centre of integral attention of the minor in neglect = orphanage)

       Centre of Minor Violators

       Superior court of justice (Tribunal Superior DE Justicia Del Estado)

       Hospital (did not happen)

4/5 Andrew and Marion - Patria School, SEP (Public Education Secretary) and CAM (Office of  Special Education)

      Des and Donna - legal office (Sola, Castillo & Associates). Miguel Castillo Martinez), Public Notaries Office, the MP (police office in charge of investigations) and the PGR (like FBI)

5/5 till 7/5: nil

8/5 - Universidad

          Casa de Justicia

9/5 Visit Casa Hogar ìSan Pedro Pescadorî

       Visit an asilo de ancianos ìVilla Mercedî

        Visit an Autoridades Municipales . Ing. Jorge Abrea - Preseidente Municipal

         Visit Dept of Tourism, State Gov of Campeche - Jorge Gonzalez Curi 0Minister) and Carlos Marrufo - Director of Congress and Conventions.

10/5 nil

11/5 - Casa de la Justicia

           Jardin Botanico

12/5 till 14/5: nil

15/5 - Women's Rights Office

16/5 - Justice Tribunal

           Supreme Court.

17/5 - Aguas De Unidad, Chiapas.

           Federal Ministry of Economics

           Chiapas 2020 Office.

18/5 - Nil

19/5 -  Casa Materna, Comitan

20/5 - 28/5: Nil

Exchange Statistics

Host Rotary clubs                                                                      24

Rotary Club meetings                                     18

Power Point Presentations                                                         16

Vocational visits                                                            28

Mayan ruins                                                       7

Catholic churches                                                15

Museums /art galleries                                              8

Gardens/zoos                                            4

Distinguished Visitors Certificates (each)                                         1

Coach/bus trips                                                                                      7

Boat trips                                                                                              3

Plane flights                                                                                          7

Vocational Visit statistics

Law courts and offices                                                                            6

Local government offices                                                                        5

Universities and schools                                                                          4

Orphanages/children's shelters                                                                 3

Aged care facilities                                                                                 1

Women's services facilities                                                                      2

Human rights offices                                                                              1

Human rights commissioners                                                                   1

Economic development departments                                                2

Micro-credit offices                                                                                1

State tourism departments                                                                       1

Catholic missions                                                                                   1

Catholic church in San Cristobal, Chiapas

 

Team Member Reports

Andrew Mitchell's team member report.

Looking back, I have no idea of what I really expected when I was approached to apply for the 2006 Group Study Exchange. Michael Ferguson phoned me and said ìInterested in going to Texas or Mexico?î, ìUmmmm, Yeah, I guessî,The Rotary Club of North Launceston, after having me as a guest speaker advised me that they were going to be my sponsoring club, am I thankful for that now, you bet!

The selection day at the beginning of October last year was great fun. I met and spent the day with some terrific people and thankfully four of them ended up being my fellow team mates heading to Mexico.

We spent quite a bit of time planning, with our first team meeting being the end of October 2005. We met at least once every month, and exchanged somewhere in the vicinity of 900 emails. We almost instantly gelled as a team and we each took on specific roles in the planning process. We spent what seemed like a ridiculous amount of time deciding on uniform (and didn't get it right). Our attempts to gain additional sponsorship dollars was looking pretty grim until the Department of Health & Human Services (Marion's generous employer) committed a ëlovely' amount of money; that in addition to the few clubs that threw us some dollars was making the whole thing look quite rosy. At the time I thought we were doing a great job at planning, and in retrospect, I still think we did a pretty good job. Although, as the saying goes, you can never plan enough.

Fast forward to the 21^st of April 2006, sitting in our team leaders house sipping a glass of red and thinking, bloody hell, we leave tomorrow. I had already made the decision to say goodbye to my wife and daughters that afternoon rather than have them see me off at Hobart airport at 6am on Saturday morning. Didn't sleep that night much, nervous or excited? Not sure which. Hobart Airport at 5am saw us all come together as a team and we were on our way. Hobart to Melbourne, Melbourne to Los Angeles and then (after almost missing the connection) Los Angeles to Cancun, Mexico ,

Cancun, hot (mid 30's I suppose) and luggage not with us, our hosts were so nice (probably still are I guess). I remember us all saying when we left Cancun that we were spoiled for the first few days of the trip, and it would definitely go ëdown hill' from here. How wrong were we? Playa Del Carmen, a fantastic little beach city that reeked of the Caribbean (that's of course where it is, so I suppose that is should reek of it). Again, fantastic hosts, and we stayed in great little hotel/motel type places. We said again that it can't stay this good, but it just kept getting better. There were some small accommodation challenges for some of us, but nothing too major in retrospect.

Overall, our hosts were probably the friendliest and most generous people I have ever met. I know that this was in part because we treated like long time friends, being fellow Rotary alumni. We were shown how to eat meat, cheese and tortilla at every meal of the day, and also how to get by with almost no vegetables. We were treated to some very nice beverages; tequila of course, but also a myriad of other drinks that were very refreshing in the heat that topped forty seven degrees. Our hosts also taught us the way time in Mexico has a completely different emphasis than we were used to. We learnt very quickly to chill out and relax; no-one was in a hurry.

We were told before leaving Australia that is would be hard to lose all control over your life; and whilst this was true in part, it was a very liberating experience as well. I am used to making almost all of the decisions in the majority of my life, and having to make none for over five weeks was incredible. I have always been a fairly highly strung individual, a control freak some would say, and I feel that in the small space of five and a half weeks I have almost grown out of this (maybe??).

Our hosts showed us the real culture of Mexico. Of course we saw the fantastic Mayan Ruins that cannot in any way be understated and some of the amazing architecture, but most of all they showed us the fun that they have as a part of their everyday lives. They showed us the restaurants they loved to dine in, the clubs they went to for fun and the streets and shops they visit. The rotary meetings (we attended 16) were more often than not filled with laughter and singing, and quite often dancing as well. I think our latest meeting finished somewhere around 1am, Fun and relaxation are a huge part of the Mexican culture for these people, and they were determined that we would take that away as a large part of our experience.

Vocationally I was initially getting a little concerned. There seemed to be very little that fitted with my profession. My business is a training organisation, dealing with government departments and small business. I very quickly did a re-think on my expectations and was able to take something from every vocational visit that we attended (we visited almost all venues as a team rather than individually). We had a total of 29 visits, and I can honestly say that I took something from each of them (even if it was only a blue pen...J).

The orphanages, special schools, women's shelters, human rights commissions and home for the aged obviously gave a new found respect for our country, but also taught me that I need to look beyond our privileged existence and be more altruistic in my activities. I have always believed in business having social responsibility, however these experiences along with out teams regular and often deep discussions on a multitude of topics has made me raise the importance of this in my life.

Visits to the various mayoral offices and other government departments enabled me to see avenues for helping individuals and businesses exist in a town, city or country in different ways. Seeing how a country with minimal resources (fiscal) manages to promote business, promote tourism and the like really opens up ones eyes.

Visits to lawyers' offices, law courts and law departments! Well, there were a few of these, and apart from learning that legal concepts are very difficult to explain in a foreign language (not me, I sat and watched), I gained a basic understanding of the difference between our common law system and how different it is to the system in Mexico.

The GSE was tiring, almost draining at times. We rarely knew what we were doing from day to day, and often had no idea where we were heading when we piled into a car. This sounds frustrating, and at times it was; however we learnt that this was a reflection of the Mexican way of life, and to relax and enjoy the ride.

Overall the GSE experience has evolved my thinking more than I ever thought it would, or even could. I am almost 37 years old as I write this report, and in many ways I feel that half of my life's growing up has been spent in Mexico (keeping in mind that this was my first trip there). I have formed some of the most significant friendships of my life, learnt some of the most intense lessons and am now starting to make some of the most important decisions about my future and the future direction of my business.

As a major part of my report, I want to say thankyou!

Thankyou to Arthur Orchard, our team leader, for sharing this whole experience with me, and for being there when I needed him,

Thankyou to Marion Edmondson, a true friend, for her never diminishing love and support, and for helping me to grow so much in such a short space of time,

Thankyou to Des Smith, my fellow ëhombre', for being such a good listener, for challenging my thinking and for providing so much reason for laughter,

Thankyou to Donna Woodleigh, my fellow control freak, for her determined pursuit of fluffy animals pre trip and fun times during the trip,

Thankyou to Michael Ferguson, for making me aware of GSE,

Thankyou to the Rotary Club of North Launceston for sponsoring my application,

Thankyou to Rotary International for the GSE Program,

Thankyou to my business partner and staff for making it possible for me to leave my business for five and half weeks,

And , Thankyou to my family and friends for all their support and love leading up to the trip and since my return!

Rotary club meeting in Campeche, Campeche

 

Marion Edmondson's team member report.

In October 2005 I was incredibly fortunate to be selected to go on Arthur Orchard's GSE team travelling to Mexico in April 2006, at the time I really had no idea how fortunate!

The GSE has changed so many aspects of my life mostly for the better but it has also made some aspects of my life more difficult.

The first thing I need to say is that I had my husband and children's full support to undertake this experience. Ian and I have been married for 18 years and our children Gus and Clara are 6 and 14.

On being selected I had two major concerns. Firstly how would I possibly survive away from my family for almost six weeks and secondly how would I ever get along with four strangers, travelling in a hot climate?

I soon found out that I was worrying for nothing over both of those matters. In fact I was so busy that I really didn't feel homesick or miss my family badly. The team of people I travelled with Arthur Orchard, Donna Woodleigh, Des Smith and Andrew Mitchell were a lifeline in a sometimes difficult situation and have become lifelong friends.

The preparations for the trip were made more difficult by the fact that we couldn't get much information about Mexico at all. In the end none of that mattered very much we had what we had and we made do with it. Our uniforms looked great in Tasmania but proved a little impractical in Mexico,again,not that important in the whole scheme of things.

I am the Coordinator of a Women's Health Service in Launceston and had very generous support from my employer, The Department of Health and Human Services to go on this exchange. My manager Morven Andrews really made it possible for me to go through her constant practical and moral support. My Colleagues also deserve a mention for their encouragement and work while I was away.

Spanish lessons were the next hurdle to tackle. They were a great way to get to know my fellow northern team mate as well as get some language. I am very thankful that we made the decision to do our presentations in Spanish and there was really very little English spoken.

That illustrates one of the wonderful outcomes of the GSE. We had many, many occasions where we sat through torturous meetings in Spanish and realised quickly how awful it is not to be able to keep up. The experience of not being a part of a dominant culture is invaluable and has helped me to think deeply about my interactions with people from other cultures.

The vocational visits in Mexico were probably different to many GSE's in that we went to nearly all our visits together. Initially we were really happy with this and got to know more about each other through doing this. For example I know that the visits to domestic violence and sexual assault services were very significant experiences to my team mates. However after a number of repeat visits to Law courts and Women's Services we all became less enthusiastic about vocational visits that were not relevant to us.

The heat was a constant factor at play in Mexico. Walking around an orphanage filled with unwanted children was really heart breaking. Add 38 degrees to that and it becomes a very difficult experience.

The most valuable part of the GSE for me was our team and how we worked together, looked after each other and had so much fun! We had the opportunity to talk very deeply about every subject from our school days to the rights and wrongs of the world. I am so grateful for their love and support.

Mexicans really know how to have fun!! Every possible opportunity is taken to enjoy life,wether it is a Rotary meeting or just waiting for a bus. I think we can learn a lot for their attitude to life.

One thing I would like to make a point of   the importance of the mid exchange breaks. While we were having a ball, the constant talking got really hard and the idea of that break kept us going. When it didn't happen our morale took a real plummet. I can't stress enough how important that opportunity to regroup and recharge would have been.

I have found returning home much more difficult than I expected. I have been away and had this fantastic and life changing experience,and my husband has been at home looking after our children. That in itself is a difficult dilemma. Real life seems a bit of a drudge compared to those magical five weeks. I am torn with wanting to hold on to them and to those people I shared them with and needing to return to some form of life as I knew it.

I came away from Mexico even more committed to the Women's Movement than I was before I left. We saw orphanages filled with girls because boys get adopted and heard examples of 13 year old girls getting sold into marriage for a case of beer. I feel my global obligation to work to redress injustice for women more intensely than ever.

I want to make the whole world a place that is safe and fair for women and children,You may say I'm a dreamer,but I'm not the only one,.

 

 

 

Mexican flowers - Cuidad Del Carmen, Campeche

Des Smith's team member report

Introduction

Between 28 April and 30 May 2006, I and four other Tasmanians travelled through Mexico on a Rotary International Group Study Exchange. 

Before we left we had only a general idea of our itinerary.  As it turned out, we followed it pretty closely: fly to Los Angeles, and then on to Cancun and Playa Del Carmen, (both in the State of Quintana Roo), Merida in Yucatan, Campeche and Ciudad del Carmen in Campeche, Tutxla, Comitan and San Cristobel in Chiapas, and finally Villahermosa in Tabasco for the District Conference and the flight home. 

As to our specific itinerary,.we often didn't have one, and when we did, it was followed only loosely.  Although this could be frustrating at times, it certainly added an element of spontaneity to each day!

However, whether we followed the itinerary or not, we saw and did some amazing things on the way: swimming in lime-stone caves, horse riding through the hills of Chiapas, poking around jungle encrusted ruins in the tropical heat of Tabasco, talking with Judges of Supreme Courts of Appeal, body surfing in the Caribbean, singing karaoke at Rotary meetings, and eating meal after meal made of nothing but meat - fantastic! 

What follows is a break-down of some of some of the specifics of the trip.

Vocational

We went on a number of vocational visits.  Most of them were of real interest.  We visited courts (of all levels and jurisdictions), the offices of two Notaries Public, a law firm, and the Mexican equivalents of the CIB and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.  From my perspective as a lawyer, the visits were helpful to ìpiece togetherî how the Mexican legal system works, and what are its pros and cons in comparison with our (very different) system in Australia.  From a cultural perspective, they were valuable to see the role of the law in Mexican culture generally, and in particular the issue of poor people's access to it and the problems of corruption it faces and the frustration that causes legal practitioners.

There were also lots of other, non-legal vocational visits, and because we nearly always conducted visits as a team, I went to orphanages, old people's homes, municipal councils, human and women's rights centres, the equivalent of the Department of Economic Development, and an organisation specializing in providing micro-loans for small business.  Although we had quite a few ìdouble-upsî through the trip, we still managed to cram in quite a bit of variety.

The impression of Mexico I got from these - and the legal visits - was mixed.  In some areas - for example, the streamlining of legal, health and social care for rape victims - the southern states of Mexico is well ahead of us.  In others, such as in personal injury law, or the institutional care of abandoned or orphaned children, it is well behind.  In every case, we saw people working hard with what they had available.

I would have to say that I learnt very little of direct application to my work.  However, that has more to do with how nation-specific the law is, and I certainly learnt heaps of things of general application, and gained an insight into Mexican culture I would not have had otherwise.  Although perhaps more a particular species of cultural visit on this exchange (at least for me), the vocational visits were definitely worth-while.

Cultural

What were the cultural highlights?  There were so many!

My team-mates will laugh at the fact that I mention this one first: the food.  It was amazing (in all sorts of ways).  It contained almost no vegetables and was very meaty.  Although not all of it was spicy itself, there was nearly always an array of salsas to dribble on top of it, varying in strength from mild (even by Australian standards) to nuclear war-head.  There was always large amounts of it.  I wondered if the waiters had double vision when they looked at us, as they often brought enough to feed us twice over.  And the combinations of flavours were something else, eg, a breakfast of: re-fried beans (ìfrijolesî), tortilla chips, whole fried eggs, tomato salsa, processed ham bits, crumbled cheese, green peas, and deep fried banana!  Actually, it wasn't as bad as it sounds.  And the fat!  One favourite snack was the ìgorditaî (literally, a cute little fat girl), which was a fried corn bun with crackling and sour cream in the middle.  If you ordered two you got a free ambulance.  Basically, although at times I got cravings for veggies and showed early symptoms of scurvy, by and large I loved it.

The Mayan ruins dotted all over the country-side were also spectacular.  There is nothing like peering up at a 35 metre pyramid which has been there for thousands of years to make you feel the weight of history bear down on you.  Many of the buildings served astronomical purposes, such as observatories, and were placed in such a way that the sun would only strike a certain key point on the wall once a year.  Their skills in surveying and engineering were obviously impressive. 

The cities were another cultural high-light.  Some - such as Merida, Campeche and San Cristobal - were Spanish and French colonial towns, beautifully brightly coloured and all cobbled streets and raised footpaths.  Others - such as Ciudad del Carmen - were unattractive industrial towns, but were more interesting from the perspective of seeing what happens when big industry takes over a rural culture.

Last - but of greatest importance - were the people.  They killed us with kindness and were totally accommodating.  They were also, for the most part, very disorganised, sometimes charmingly so, sometimes less charmingly.  They had a strong sense of fun.  They were obviously proud of their country and keen, even anxious, to show it off in its best light.  They had an obvious love of ceremony but were also quite unpunctual: the culture that produced the grave and moving speeches of the District Conference was the same culture that produced the vast majority of the delegates who were not hearing a word of it because they were outside, talking idly to the friends!  They were the best part of the trip.

Presentations

As Tasmanians, it's funny that the bulk of our experience of Rotary is that of Mexico.  The meetings would often start late (one started at about 11pm) and would often finish with a Mariachi band wandering in and large amounts of food and drink being consumed.  They also seemed to be primarily a social gathering, and that the real work got done in the sub-committees.

Our presentations went down well.  By the end of the trip, we could guess exactly what the crowd's reaction would be at any given point during the slide-show: gasps at the pictures of Wineglass Bay and Arthur's granddaughters; laughs at Andrew's apology for none of us speaking any Spanish; and muted squeals whenever what even vaguely resembled an Australian animal turned up on the screen.  The final presentation at the Conference was probably the best of them.  Patched together the day before, it consisted of bad jokes in Spanish, worse photos of us, and two songs (Waltzing Matilda of course being one).  It went down a treat.

Team

I had an inkling before we left that we might be an eclectic bunch.  The more we got to know one another, the more it was confirmed that we were all very different people.  That sometimes led to tensions, compounded by the natural intensity of the experience, lack of sleep and familiar surroundings, etc.  But at the same time it was also a real advantage, each of us contributing particular skills and traits, and filling in the ìpersonality gapsî of the others.  We often stayed up until all hours of the evening, talking about everything you could think of, and by the end of the trip I really did start to wonder whether I'd ever done anything else but travel around Mexico with my four team mates.  I won't list all the qualities I like about them - I hope they already know - but suffice it to say, I wouldn't have swapped the experience for anything, and have hopefully made friends with whom I'll stay in contact for years and years and years.

Finally, many thanks must go to Rotary International and District 9830, for sending us on the trip and making it possible.

 

 

Donna Woodleigh's team member report

The Group Study Exchange has been one of the most rewarding, and at the same time challenging experiences that I have undertaken. As an AFS Exchange Student to the USA in 1990-91 I was well aware of the benefits of exchange, as I am still in regular contact with my host family, and the experience continues to have an impact on my life. I therefore deemed the GSE another amazing opportunity in life to not just be a ëtourist' in another country, but to truly experience a culture and its people - in our case Mexico and the wonderful Mexican people.

I was invited to apply for the GSE by a returnee Nairn Walker. I thank her sincerely for her encouragement and support.

The GSE experience and its rewards and stressors begins when as a team, an individual and a family, you undertake the necessary planning and preparation for the trip. As part of that preparation I stumbled across a PhD thesis that used the GSE experience to analyse short term vocational exchange. I found it extremely beneficial to read, as it made me realise that I was ënot alone' in some of the experiences I was having in the lead up to going to Mexico - including feeling guilty for leaving my son/partner, struggling to get any (paid) leave from work, finding the time to catch up with my team mates in Hobart, Launceston or half-way between and recognising there was going to be a significant financial impact as a result of participating on my family.

Without question, for me, my team mates continue to be the greatest aspect of the trip. Incredible that as 4 young professional Tasmanians to think that we had to be chosen to undertake an exchange in Southern Mexico to meet and form those friendships! One of the stand-out aspects of the GSE for me, was a reminder of what fabulous young professionals we have in Tasmania - many of whom did not get the opportunity to participate. We were extremely fortunate to have been selected, and to have travelled together, with life-long friendships now formed. I miss and think about them often. 

The people we met, stayed with, ate, drank and danced with, remain a further highlight for me. Mexicans are truly beautiful people. Generous, fun-loving, hard working and caring, if somewhat non-plussed regarding timeframes! It was incredible to form attachments to people in such a short-period of time. There are many people and places that I visited whom I intend to maintain contact with and hopefully see again.

Vocationally it was difficult to attend work places in another language and gain a true insight. As a lawyer, it was certainly interesting to visit Courts, Notary publics and have the opportunity to speak frankly with lawyers about the issues they face in practice. The highlight of the ëvocational visits' for me however, was the opportunity to learn also about what my team-mates from Tasmania were undertaking in their own professions (especially Marion) and the ëcommunity' type visits we undertook, to orphanages, elderly peoples homes and ëthe mother-house'. I hope that we can make a small difference to some of the people we met, and continue to make some form of contribution into the future.

The language and sometimes cultural barriers, such as not having an itinerary and no-one considering that this should be of concern, continued to challenge the team, and me individually during the experience. In part this is because I am a self-confessed control freak and I appreciated the opportunity to ëlet go' of decision making as a challenge for myself, in an effort to experience some personal growth.

There were 4 days that really stand out for me as spectacular. On one we were taken cave-snorkelling (and free diving) which was something that I had requested on my pre-exchange wish-list, and an activity that whilst pre-trip did not appeal to all, we achieved as a team. The second involved numerous activities in the one day but included the team (3 of us in tears) empathising with a Rotarian mother whose daughter had recently been kidnapped and murdered, a visit to waterfalls and a meal at a private residence that backed onto a waterfall where we swam in Tassie water temperatures (no-one joined us!). The third involved Des and I horse-riding with some new found friends from San Cristobal to San Juan Chemula - both gorgeous towns in Chiapas. Des had never ridden and approached the task with the same confidence and enthusiasm as he had the Spanish language. And the 4th involved singing karaoke, in the middle of the afternoon after a day at the beach, and feeling so happy and accepted by the local Rotarians that we considered we would be able to attempt a song in Spanish! Fortunately for them, we did not, however Andrew was extremely popular serenading the Rotarians with Elvis.

It would be remiss of me however in my highlights not to mention the food, which varied so incredibly from region to region that at times it was also a lowlight (I craved a stir fry and my vegetables after the first week), the history - of particular interest to me was the Zapatista rebellion in Chiapas and the way it was viewed by the different families/people we met, and of course the architecture! The Spanish colonisation, the Mayan ruins and the COLOURS were all incredibly impressive!

Mexico was a land of contrast for me. At times, the whole GSE experience could be described in the same manner. On the one hand, very organised, and yet at times completely chaotic! I had concerns regarding some of the process, and could not have praised other aspects more highly. The lawyer in me will certainly feedback my comments for the benefit of future teams (especially given next years team will be travelling to Brazil). It was good to know that Rotary District 9830 (Tasmania) was a phone call away! Thank you for that support.

And now for the rest of my ëthank yous': the team -  my compadres,  team leader Arthur Orchard for caring so much about how the experience was for us, Mexico and all its people - Rotarian and non-Rotarians alike, Rotary International, District 9830, my sponsor club Kingston Rotary and especially my contact there Kim Pitt, the Department of Education for approving 2 weeks paid leave plus 4 weeks annual/unpaid leave, and last, but by no means least - my family, I recognise the impact this experience has had on all of us and thank you for the opportunity.

 

Tasmanian gifts sourced for the exchange