Journey Philosophy

We can show you a slice of Mexico - of Mexico City in particular -- that you may not be able to see otherwise. We want you to see and feel the vibrant chaos, the cacophonic symphony of colors and sounds, the unending efforts of people to live full, creative lives and to resist the efforts of government, businesses and robbers of all sorts to turn us all into docile, unquestioning voters and consumers who don't see what is going on under our noses. We will not show you a rosy-colored exotic country, nor the paralyzing drama of helpless poverty - both of these are creations of the system and by no means describe what is happening. Rather, we seek to expose you to a small part of the many-sided reality that is neither black nor white, neither evil nor good, always evolving, always alive.

We are interested in contributing to an encounter between you and what is going on around you, on the surface that is unseen or ignored by the media, by television, by many people. This is the surface that finds a way to survive and even to grow. This surface is where you may find great aggression or great warmth, but where you will always find creativity.

In doing so, we hope to contribute to two results. First, we hope you will begin (or build) a personal relationship with the people you encounter here. Then, we hope to contribute your efforts to see the surface, to reflect and even to act purposefully in your places of origin, because the problems you will encounter here are by no means Mexican ailments, nor is the creativity in finding ways to LIVE solely a Mexican talent. We believe that the better we can see ourselves in "the other", the more likely we are to question the twisted and divisive images presented to us by the powers that be. When we see and smell other ways that people live, so different from our own ways but somehow understandable, then we suddenly realize that there are also many ways to live in our places of origin. Seeing this makes it more likely for us to try and shape our world in some way, instead of letting others shape it for us. The system, or the current dominant force based in (but not limited to) the West, promotes the vision that we cannot invent solutions, that we must leave matters in the hands of "experts," that we need not question nor delve under the surface, nor create new ways of confronting our problems. But this is clearly contrary to human history, including Western history.

In all our places of origin, we can find specific cases of people modifying their world, confronting challenges with creativity and imagination and resisting injustice - always alongside the simultaneous and painful history of divisions and violence between allies and friends. Our offer is to open a window for you to glimpse the specific experience of parts of Mexico, very close to and yet very far from your own world. Write to us and we will begin to create your journey together.