May 4, 2025 – May 9, 2025 UTC+0
“I have been on several Global Journeys with [Forward Global] as a member, including Sierra Leone, Ethiopia, Colombia, Canada and Brazil. Each one made a significant impact in my learnings and my experiences getting into the field with partners. It was also transformational for me in building close relationships with other Forward Global members; sharing those kind of experiences builds bonds and trust that underpins this community as a whole. This is the best of what [Forward Global] has to offer.” —Forward Global Member & Global Journey Participant
What is the Journey about?
The world is facing a number of urgent and interconnected crises, including threats to democracy, climate change, global inequality, and economic stagnation.
Migration is one of the critical issues that connects these crises. Climate and conflict are driving increasing levels of migration, which is being weaponized by authoritarian forces across the world to push forward anti-democratic agendas. Populist policies and the narratives undermine social cohesion, collective security, economic growth and planetary protection, threatening many of the issues that Forward Global members care about.
Promising paths forward exist, but we first have to understand the problem. Our migration systems, mostly set up in the mid 20th century, are no longer fit for purpose. Our understanding of migration is also deeply flawed; the news typically focuses on what is happening at U.S. and European borders, overlooking why migrants are pressured or forced to leave their communities, and what they encounter on the Journey. The human experience, and the realities of what really causes people to make such difficult decisions, all gets forgotten.
The Global Journey to Guatemala will help participants cut through these challenges, and better understand what can be realistically done to build a more just and humane system.
Why Guatemala, and why now?
Guatemala’s geography, culture and politics make it geopolitically significant, and a fascinating place to learn about global challenges and opportunities for these interconnected issues that drive migration. It is a country of both origin and transit for migrants moving towards Mexico and the United States. Displacement is caused by violence, climate change, poverty, and food insecurity, and certain groups, including Indigenous communities and women from lower-income families, face particularly high risk.
Guatemala is in a unique moment in its history. June 2023 marked the first time in half a century that Presidential elections were won by a candidate from outside the highly conservative and largely corrupt political establishment. These developments make Guatemala an interesting case study for countries across the world who are taking on the challenges of corruption and good governance, themselves crucial for a broad range of social and environmental outcomes.
“I really felt the power of learning in a group. People have different questions to the ones you would think of, and you learn so much more.”
– Forward Global Member & Global Journey Participant”
Who should join a Global Journey?
Forward Global strongly encourages all members to join Immersive Learning Journeys for a simple reason: the importance of proximity. Whether it is for learning, connections or inspiration, nothing compares to being physically in the communities on the frontlines of change, and speaking with leaders with huge potential but little visibility.
This Global Journey is ideal for all members looking to learn from real-life case studies of how funders can empower communities and protect the planet, while getting out to the field and building strategic connections with practitioners and peers. We will cover a range of approaches, including movement-building and advocacy, social enterprise and impact investing, and community organizing. Given the community and systems focus, the program is relevant for all members regardless of cause area or geographic focus.
What will this Global Journey cover, and what will I get out of it?
The Global Journey will focus on what is working to adddress the root causes of forced migration. In addition to the time spent with social change leaders and experts, you will have time to rest, bond with fellow travellers, and experience all that Guatemala has to offer, including one of the world’s most beautiful lakes, one of the most beautiful cities, and the fascinating Mayan communities.
By participating in this program you will:
Build an understanding of how to work in partnership with local communities.
Develop communication and due diligence skills in global contexts, including how to build an understanding of organizations’ strategy, approach and impact, and of the context they work within.
Understand the role of philanthropy and impact investing in supporting systems change.
Make strategic connections with peers and practitioners that can take your social investing to the next level.
Leave with practical next steps.
Have a unique and unforgettable shared experience with fellow Forward Global members.
“The theory is important, but actually seeing it makes such a difference. I knew it intellectually but actually being in the place and meeting the leaders has been a real eye-opener.”
– Forward Global Member & Global Journey Participant
Where will we be and what will we do?
We will meet in Guatemala City. Direct flights to Guatemala City leave from New York, Los Angeles, Miami, and Houston. Flights from other cities can change in one of these, or a number of other destinations.
After a day in Guatemala City, meeting with President Bernardo Arévalo at the Presidential Palace, we will make our way to Antigua, a beautiful town that is home to many civil society organizations. After our time in Antigua, where we will build a sense of opportunities for civil society and the funding landscape, we will make the short journey towards Lake Atitlán in the Guatemalan highlands. There we will visit Indigenous Mayan communities and meet local leaders, before closing the program by the lake, with opportunities for group activities making the most of the beautiful surroundings.
The agenda will follow the below flow:
Sunday, May 4: Arrival and opening meal in Guatemala City
Monday, May 5: Context-setting, meeting with President Arévalo, and travel to Antigua
Tuesday, May 6: Building an understanding of Guatemalan civil society and funding and site visits to community-based organizations
Wednesday, May 7: Travel to Guatemalan highlands and visit to Iximche, a Mayan archeological site before continuing on to Lake Atitlán
Thursday, May 8: Site visits to Indigenous and community-led initiatives surrounding Lake Atitlán
Friday, May 9: Debrief & close by Lake Atitlán
A more detailed agenda can be accessed here. Optional group activities will also be available for participants staying near Lake Atitlán after the program closes.
When should I register and how much does it cost?
The Global Journey will have a strict registration cap of 20 people with places given on a first-come first-served basis, so we encourage you to register as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.
The registration fee for the Journey is $7,750 USD. The cost is inclusive of all hotels, food and internal travel from the night of Sunday May 4, until departure on Friday May 9. It does not include the price of international flights. Our group will be staying at the El Convento boutique hotel in Antigua and Casa Palopó at Lake Atitlán.
Registration can be cancelled with a full refund of the program fee up until 31 October 2024, or with a 50% cancellation fee between 1 November and 31 December 2024. We unfortunately cannot offer refunds after 1 January 2025, though can provide registrants with the same value in credit for future Journeys.
If you have any questions, please contact community@forward-global.org.
“I initially struggled with the power and was thinking in an extreme scarcity dynamic. How can we make a change in such a challenging context? I arrived thinking there was nothing we could do – that we would just look and leave. Then we went to into community and saw people working towards real solutions. I realised I can help.”
– Forward Global Member & Global Journey Participant