Good afternoon all...
When I visited Copan Ruinas for the first time in
March 2003, I knew that that town would be a perfect
location for the 4th Conference on Honduras (
http://www.projecthonduras.com/conference ). Little
did I know then that the town would become the "home"
of the conference. The 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th
Conferences on Honduras have been successfully held in
Copan Ruinas, and now we are in the midst of planning
the 8th one... again in Copan Ruinas.
Given that the Copan area is one of the homes of the
ancient Maya, I thought it extremely appropriate that
Copan Ruinas be designated as the home of
projecthonduras.com's "unconventional movement" to
change Honduras for the better (... and perhaps fuel
the revival of another "Golden Age"?).
While technically our movement's true home is
cyberspace, it is Copan Ruinas where the people of our
network gather annually to meet face to face and catch
up with each other and compare notes on the work they
are doing to help empower the people of Honduras. It
is in Copan Ruinas where we become re-energized and
re-inspired to continue. As I've written before, I
see our annual visit to Copan Ruinas as a kind of
pilgrimage.
As my family and I have developed an affection for
Copan Ruinas and close personal ties with many
Copanecos, my view of the relationship between the
town and projecthonduras.com/Conference on Honduras
has evolved. While I initially saw Copan Ruinas as
just a "place" to stage the conference for a few days,
and then leave... I now see it as a dynamic
relationship that must grow and thus be nurtured. We
are helping each other, and judging by several
meetings that I had with business leaders in town...
there is a mutual interest to continue and expand this
process.
I have come to the full realization that "what is good
for Copan Ruinas is probably good for our movement",
and thus ultimately for Honduras. The town is our
spiritual homebase in Honduras. Thus, I would
encourage everyone who has a chance to visit the town
to do so, even if it's only for a day or two... at the
beginning or at the end of a mission trip. If you
need information on things to do and places to stay or
eat, just e-mail me. You can also simply pay a visit
to our physical homebase in Copan Ruinas... Casa de
Todo ("House of Everything"). See
http://www.casadetodo.com
See also http://copanruinas.blogspot.com and
http://www.copanruinas.com and
http://www.copanhonduras.org
During the next few months, as I provide updates on
planning for the Conference on Honduras 2007, I will
also include information on news from and activities
in Copan Ruinas. This should help give you a feel for
the beauty, diversity, and special energy of the town
and its people. In turn, this may convince that you
just need to join us in this year's pilgrimage!
One of the defining features of Copan Ruinas are the
nearby ruins of the Maya civilization. These alone
are worth a visit to the area.
Note that there will soon be an international
archaelogical congress in Copan Ruinas. The Third
International Copán Congress will be held on June
14-16, 2007. Eighteen of the world’s most well-versed
Maya archeologists, cultural historians, artists and
scholars of anthropology and astronomy will gather to
discuss ancient practices of art and politics among
the Maya. Gathering under the theme, “The Art of Power
in the Mundo Maya”, the International Copan Congress
has only been staged on two previous occasions, in
1946 and 2001. Amateur Mayanists, tourists and anyone
with an interest in the Maya are welcome to attend and
can take advantage of airfare discounts and pre- and
post-tours through Roatan Charter, Inc. (
http://www.roatan.com )
The three-day program will feature various
presentations experts who have been selected for their
knowledge and insight into the Maya culture. A few of
the featured speakers include: William Saturno,
University of New Hampshire; Barbara Fash, Peabody
Museum, Harvard University; Barbara Arroyo,
Universidad del Valle, Guatemala, Mary Miller, Yale
University, Mercedes de la Garza, UNAM, Mexico, and
Jaime Awe, Institute of Anthropology, Belize. A full
list of speakers can be found at
http://www.copancongress.com
Altogether, a total of 18 presentations will be given
during the three-day conference. Each presentation
will last for 30 minutes and will be suited for a
general audience. Near the end of each day, round
table forums will allow attendees to participate in
discussion with conference speakers as well as provide
attendees a means to explore their curiosity of Maya
culture.
Other events and activities intended to disseminate
the heritage left by the ancient Maya culture include
lunch with delicious traditional foods, morning tours
guided by natives, various festivals, traditional Maya
games, and a farewell concert.
The diverse experiences, wide-ranging discussions and
interactive presentation methods of the Third
International Copan Congress will serve to enrich
participants’ understanding and appreciation for Maya
culture, specifically its art and history.
Those looking to attend the Third International Copan
Congress can obtain information regarding travel and
accommodations through Roatan Charter, Inc. at
(toll-free) 1-800-282-8932 (option 6), (international)
352-588-4131 (option 6), or by e-mailing
copan2007.....com. The registration form to attend
the congress can be downloaded at
www.roatan.com/copan07/registration.html.
Sponsors of the Third International Copan Congress
include the Mundo Maya Organization, Archaeology
Magazine, the Honduras Institute of Tourism, and the
Copán Association. Further event information is
available at http://www.copancongress.com.
Please spread the word.
Thanks,
Marco
Sponsored By:
Adventures on Roatan: An exciting tour of the island on DVD
http://www.roatanvideo.com
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