Cuernavaca Center
for Intercultural Dialogue on Development
was Founded May, 1977

In recognition of CCIDD's 30 years as a cross cultural, immersion and social justice center, CCIDD Founder, Raymond Plankey, has written a personal history of the Center, 30 years of Memories, the CCIDD Story, Its Struggles, Its Achievements.

In this document Ray relates the story of the beginnings of the Center in 1977 after he and his wife, Gabriela Videla, arrived from Chile with the onset of the military coup by General Pinochet.

As Ray developed the program he focused on "our mission... to help our materially comfortable churches in the United States and Canada to learn from the reality and vision of poor Christians in Latin America" through a process he referred to as "reverse mission". In reading the history you will see that Ray realized that "the heart of the program must be experiential learning". The program will awaken you to new questions about yourself, your life, your purpose. Ray poses an important question, "what does this have to do with me and my Christian faith?"

There are six APPENDIXES accompanying A History of CCIDD. These are:

APPENDIX I CCIDD VISION/MISSION STATEMENTS

APPENDIX II CHRONOLOGY: BOARD AND STAFF

This appendix includes listings of staff who worked at CCIDD these past 30 years as well as the board members who worked in leadership for the Center. See the listing as we remember those who are deceased from CCIDD staff and board. Additionally see about marriages given the CCIDD Mexican experience with many couples remaining in Mexico

APPENDIX III CHRONOLOGY: VISITING GROUPS

Included here is a listing of groups from Canada and the United States who have participated in CCIDD programs from 1977-2007. Thousands have been to Cuernavaca these past thirty years. This file on groups is not complete. If you know of any additions, kindly contact us at ccidd@cableonline.com.mx.

APPENDIX IV TESTIMONIES: PARTICIPANTS, LEADERS, STAFF

CCIDD has been a transformative experience for many participants and staff members. In honor of the 30th anniversary of CCIDD, a number of people have shared their testimonies of their experiences at CCIDD. This is a sampling of the many notes and comments received after individuals and groups have shared in the CCIDD cross cultural immersion experience.

APPENDIX V ARTICLES PUBLISHED BY PARTICIPANTS AT HOME

Participants who have come to CCIDD have reflected on their experience and have written articles which have been published in their local areas. Here are some of those articles from the past thirty years:

Abrazame by Karolyn Edwards, Blending Salt and Spice by Bedlen C. Lane, Encountering God by Hazel Jack, Face to Face by Walter and Joan Farquharson, If Your Kids Starving to Death by Patricia Samples, La Estacion by Suzy Prenger, Latin America Experience by Fr. Brian McCullough, Life on the Fringe by Rosamond G. Steere, Reflections from Mexico by Andrea Utrie, Religion, Politics Clash by Frank Aukofer, Six Months in Mexico by Dorothy Badry, Spring Break Revelation by Phil Minden, The Mexican Experience by Brother Philip Armstrong, Today I Saw the Gospel by Sister Joan Chittister, O.S.B., Trip to Mexico Brings Poverty Home by Barbara Watkins, Visit to Mexico by Teresa Coyle. A Conscious-Building Experience by Stan Moonyham, Mary's Song by Pastor Kim Erno, and Transformation by Christa Herich, SLW.

Enjoy the reading of 30 Years Of Memories, The CCIDD Story, its Struggles, Its Achievements! Many thanks to CCIDD Founder, Ray Plankey, for his time and effort in sharing the story!