The Cuba Partnership Resource Manual

On Being an Accompanier

Last Updated (Monday, 21 February 2011 16:26) Written by John Walter Monday, 21 February 2011 15:59

In October of 2008 I attended the World Mission Networks Conference in Louisville
and spoke to Anne Barstow about her experiences in Colombia, South America.
Not long after I completed the PCUSA’s application for volunteers, the process that
would lead me to the Colombia Accompaniment Program’s training exercises at
Stony Point, NY.


Upon arriving in Stony Point I was handed a project manual with very good detail
concerning all points of the Colombia Accompaniment Program and a good bit of
history regarding the violence in Colombia. That got me thinking that the time had
come for the Cuba Partnership to undertake a project manual; so finally, here is a
resource for us all to use as we contemplate the realities of short term mission (STM),
and best practices. 

The first question is: How does a program of accompaniment differ from other short term
mission models?  What does it include and exclude? What are the specific challenges?

The Second question is: How does accompaniment in Cuba differ from Colombia? 
This question leads us to consider defining how "violence" is done to any people, and how
we - in solidarity with our brothers and sisters - are to react to that violence as persons
in relationship with communities anywhere in the world. .

John Walter
2.21.2011