National Organizing Committee present their greetings through Bulletin
No. 3 on the International Conference for the Abolition of Foreign
Military Bases to be held on 5-9 March 2007 in Quito and Manta
(Ecuador). In this bulletin you will find useful information on the
Conference, as well as on other processes and campaigns that work in
the belief that Another World is Possible. We hope to see you in
Ecuador in March in the International Conference.
DELEGATES AND PARTICIPANTS
The International Conference for the Abolition of Foreign Military
Bases will be carried out with the participation of delegates and
participants.
Delegates are those designated by their organizations to participate in
the building of the International Network for the Abolition of Foreign
Military Bases during the International Conference. We expect a total
of 150 delegates. Delegates will participate in all events and in
decision-making processes, under the mandate of their organizations.
Participants are individuals or members of organizations that are
interested in broadening their knowledge and understanding of
militarism and military bases around the world. They can participate in
all events.
REGISTRATION DEADLINE
If you are planning to participate in the International Conference for
the Abolition of Foreign Military Bases, you should register on the
site www.no-bases.net . Please take note that the deadline for
registration is February 2, 2007. (In the space provided for a number,
please include your telephone number, with international code and do
not leave any empty spaces.)
REGISTRATION COSTS
COSTS:
US$ 50 for international delegates and participants
US$ 20 for national delegates and participants
Registration costs are per person. Your registration cost must be paid
when you arrive in Quito. There will be registration tables in the
venue: Casa de la Cultura Ecuatoriana located at Av. 6 de Diciembre and
Av. Patria in Quito.
Registration costs include:
conference materials
transport to and from Manta by bus for the March 8 Caravan “Women for Peace”
It does not include hotel, food and local transportation in Quito and
in Manta. Each participant or delegate must cover such costs.
SELF-ORGANIZED EVENTS REGISTRATION AND COSTS
Parallel to the official Conference program, we have provided space for
self organized events. These events will be held on Tuesday March
6 and Wednesday March 7, 2007. You can register workshops and self-
organized events at
www.no-bases.net . Once all events are
registered, the National Organizing Committee will send out a schedule
indicating the day, hour and venue for your event. The National
Organizing Committee will provide the venue. Any other material,
equipment, translation, etc., is the responsability of the organization
carrying out the self-organized event. The deadline to register
self-organized events is February 13, 2007.
COSTS.
US$ 100 for each self-organized event
This cost must be paid on arrival in Quito at the Conference venue:
Casa de la Cultura Ecuatoriana located at Av. 6 de diciembre and Av.
Patria. There will be registration tables at the venue.
Venue in Quito: 5, 6 and 7 March
The International Conference for the Abolition of Foreign Military
Bases will take place on March 5,6 and 7 in Quito at the “Casa de la
Cultura Ecuatoriana”, located in Av. 6 de diciembre and Av. Patria.
The venue has a large theatre for 2000 people, plus additional smaller
theaters and meeting rooms. It is located in the central part of Quito,
near the historical part of the city and close to the commercial
sector, banks, etc. The large “El Ejido” park is located in front of
the venue and many hotels in the area. It has exhibition areas both
inside and outside. The President of the Casa de la Cultura (Ecuadorean
Culture House) is supporting the Conference by providing the venue.
Most, if not all, of the activities will be carried out here.
If additional space is required for the self-organized events, these
will be held at the Catholic University, located at walking distance,
two blocks away, from the Casa de la Cultura. This large University has
very good auditoriums and meeting rooms.
Ecuador is located between Peru and Colombia, on the Pacific coast,
with 12 million inhabitants. The population is mostly mestizo, followed
by indigenous, afro-ecuadoreans and white population. The hour zone is
UTC-5. The main language is Spanish and the indigenous peoples speak
mostly quechua. English is used only in tourist agencies.
Quito is the largest historical center of South America, located 11
kms. South of the Equator. With a population of 2,000,000, it has a
contemporary and a colonial environment. It is the metropolitan and
capital district of the Republic of Ecuador. The city is located at
2.850 meters above sea level, with temperature between 10ºc to
20ºc.
You should always carry a jacket or a sweater, but also summer clothes.
Climate is very changeable. Sunrays are strong and we recommend
sunblock.
Caravan Women for Peace Quito-Manta: 8 March
The Caravan “Women for Peace” will depart from Quito on March 8 at
08h00 by hired buses. It will be led by Ecuadorean women’s groups,
Cindy Sheehan and Medea Benjamin, among others. The objective is to
stress the impacts of war, military bases and other forms of military
presence on women, as well as to highlight women as activists for peace
all over the world. We will stop in 3 or 4 cities on the way to Manta,
providing space for messages from women to local populations.
Some of these will also join the Caravan to increase visibility. We
will arrive in Manta the night of March 8. This will also be a good
opportunity to cross from the highlands where Quito is located (2800
metres) to the Pacific Ocean coast where Manta is located. We will stay
the night of March 8 in hotels near the beach and you can taste
excellent sea food. The buses will return to Quito on Friday March 9 at
23h00. People who prefer to fly to Manta must buy their own tickets,
available at USD 112 return.
Venue in Manta: 9 March
The venue for the Forum to be held on March 9 in Manta is the Manta
University. The demonstration/march will begin in downtown Manta and
arrive in the Manta Base where the US army is currently stationed
(about 8 kms.) Buses will also be available for participants to arrive
directly in front of the Manta Base for the rally. The closing festival
will be at the Civic Plaza, located in the heart of Manta.
The buses will return to Quito on Friday March 9 at 23h00.
Manta (180,000 pop.) is the most important harbor city of Manabí
Province. In the last three years Manta has received hundreds of
domestic and foreign visitors who want to enjoy the sun, sea and
typical plates. It has gorgeous beaches (as the beaches of Tarqui and
Murcielago). Places near Manta are Jaramijó, Punta Blanca, San Mateo
and Montecristi (home of the famous “Panama” hats). Is located 6 meters
above sea level with temperatures around 30ºc. The rainy season runs
from January to April.
Translation
The International Conference in Quito will provide translation to the
languages with which people have registered: Spanish, English, French,
Korean and Japanese. While in Manta we will have translation for
Spanish, English, Korean and Japanese. We are requesting Korean and
Japanese organizations to arrange translation and equipment.
Cultural Events
Ecuador has rich and diverse cultures. Our Conference will have the
opportunity to experience such cultures through different activities
that are being organized in the program. During the Opening ceremony,
we will see traditional dances and music from the Ecuadorean highlands.
In the evenings in Quito there will be festivals. And in Manta we will
see different cultural presentations from the Coast.
Just walking the streets in the historical Quito area and visiting the churches will also be wonderful experiences.
Visa and immigration requirements
Visitors must consult with the Ecuadorian Consulate or Embassy in their
country for correct information on their migratory situation.
If there is no Embassy in your country, please contact the Embassy
closest to your country. On the web-page www.no-bases.net you will find
a complete list of the countries that require visa to enter Ecuador, as
well as the addresses of all Ecuadorean Embassies and Consulates.
During your stay in Ecuador, you should always have your passport with
you. The police frequently carries out passport controls. If you plan
to remain in Quito or Guayaquil for a long period it is preferable to
only carry a copy of your passport. Most of the Embassies give
"official" copies to its citizens. These copies are recognized by the
Ecuadorian law. In case of loss or robbery it must be reported
immediately to the Embassy or Consulate.
You do not need any specific vaccination to enter Ecuador.
Currency and credit cards
Currency: The currency in Ecuador is the US dollar since 1999 (a sad
moment in our history!). It is advisable that you carry USD 20 bills
and under. It is extremely difficult to change USD 100. Foreign
exchange offices are open Monday to Friday. If you arrive on a weekend,
you should bring US Dollars. You will need cash to buy handicrafts and
food. Travellers checks are also accepted.
Credit cards: Major credit cards can be used in department stores and some hotels (Visa, American Express, Mastercard).
Hotels in Quito
The International Conference is working with YMCA Tours (
www.ymcatours.org ), a community and social tourism agency that is
supporting us in booking hotels. You can contact YMCA Tours and they
will help you with all reservations. If you prefer to book hotels
directly, you will find a list of hotels and e-mails in our web-page
www.no-bases.net
If you are interested in one of the three hotels reserved by YMCA Tours
and want to make reservations through YMCA Tours, please contact
[email protected] . In your e-mail, please include the following
information: your name, citizenship, passport number, date of arrival,
date of departure, type of room, if you come alone, accompanied or in
group; in case of group specify the data of each person and the size of
the group. Also please indicate preferred hotel. They all accept cash.
Hotel Tambo Real is located in front of the venue. It has 90
comfortable rooms, wire-less internet, cable tv and private bath.
Costs are per person and include breakfast and taxes. Credit cards
accepted with 10% surcharge (Visa, Mastercard, American Express). No
travelers checks.
Single room: USD 40.26 double: 25.01 triple: 20.33 four: 18.00
Hotel Plaza offers comfortable rooms, with private bathroom, color tv
and phone. It is one block away from the Venue. The cost is per person
and includes taxes and American breakfast. Travelers checks accepted.
No credit cards.
Single room: USD 24.00 double: 16
triple: 15 four-five: 14 six: 13
Hostal La Cartuja offers comfortable rooms, with private bathroom. It
is less than a block away from the Venue. Costs are per person and
include American breakfast and taxes. Credit cards accepted with 10%
surcharge (Visa, Mastercard, American Express). Travelers checks.
Single room: USD 38.00 Double: 24.50 Triple 22.00 Four: 19.25
Hotels in Manta
Hotel accommodation will be paid by each delegate or participant in
Manta for the night of March 8. For the moment there is a list of
hotels in the website www.no-bases.net . YMCA Tours is working in a
similar arrangement with hotels as in Quito, but for Manta we need
confirmation from each delegate or participant that will be going to
Manta and staying the night of the 8. You will receive a message from
the Conference Coordinator, Anabel, requesting that you confirm your
participation in the Caravan and that you wish us to book your hotel in
Manta. You must pay for the Manta hotel when you register in Quito on
March 5. There will be a registration and payment table.
Airport and city transportation, flights, internet and phone services
To get to the conference you should book a flight to Quito. Arriving at
the airport you can take a taxi to your hotel, which is probably
walking distance from the venue. The taxis will charge around USD
5.
You can move around in Quito by bus, with modern Trole or Ecovía buses,
with exclusive lanes and designed stops. The cost is 0,25 cents, which
you have to pay when you enter the bus stop. On other buses you pay
0,25 cents directly to the driver or assistant.
For internet and phone service, there are cabins all over Amazonas
Avenue, which is near the venue. This is a tourist area so you will
find facilities nearby. Telephone access to Ecuador from abroad is as
follows: Ecuador international code: +593; Quito: +593 2; Manta: +593 5.
Flying within Ecuador, with the exception of the Galapagos, is quite
affordable. Ecuador has one of the best domestic air transportation
system in the region; twelve cities have airports. The longest flight
inside Ecuador may take 45 minutes, with the exception of the Galapagos
Islands which may takes an hour and a half. As mentioned above, people
preferring to travel by plane to Manta, may make their own reservations
or they can contact YMCA Tours for support ( [email protected] )
Food and water
Food is varied in Ecuador, normally in the coast the meals are
accompanied by rice and green platain and in the mountains by rice and
potatoes. The soup is a common plate for lunch and dinner.
Breakfast is usually coffee with bread and juice. There are many
restaurants for all budgets and pleasures. Normally restaurants offer a
daily menu that costs around USD2.50 – USD 4.00, but in tourist places
you will pay up more. You can leave a gratuity of 10% for waiters. In
order to stay healthy we recommend that you consume bottled water,
either with or without gas. You can obtain it anywhere, even in remote
places.
Security
Ecuador is considered one of the safest countries of the Andean Region;
nevertheless it is always recommendable to take precautions during your
visit. Do not show your camera, laptops or other valuable equipment in
the streets. Always keep an eye on your belongings, especially if you
travel by bus. It is better to walk in group. At night, avoid empty
streets.
Electricity
Electricity is 110 V in Ecuador. All appliances work with plugs with
two square legs. The system is similar to the U.S. You can bring your
plug transformers or buy them here.
Further information
Preliminary Conference Program and more information available at:
www.no-bases.net . If you have questions, please contact Anabel Estrella ( [email protected] ) or Lien Jansen
( [email protected] )
Phone:
+593 2 256-1539 / 254 5428
