Tela, Honduras: International City of Peace

We welcome Mayor Darío Alejandro Munguia Quezada and the citizens of Tela, Honduras who have established Tela, Honduras as an International City of Peace.

Once part of Spain’s empire in the New World, Honduras became an independent nation in 1821. After two and a half decades of mostly military rule, a freely elected civilian government came to power in 1982. The country was devastated by Hurricane Mitch in 1998, which killed about 5,600 people and caused approximately $2 billion in damage. Since then, the economy has slowly rebounded. Many challenges remain but the people have a legacy of peace and the incentive to  build a community with greater safety, prosperity and quality of life for all citizens.

Now with the establishment of Tela as an International City of Peace, the civic leaders, community leaders and citizens of Tela are working toward an increasing culture of peace. As their goals listed below state, their efforts will “Involve every person of different sectors of the community to define peace, identify the necessary actions to line up to peace and help system to achieve the actions to obtain peace.”

On January 13-17, 2019, citizens in Honduras, along with representatives from Nutley, New Jersey initiated the process of establishing Tela as an official International City of Peace.

        

Note: Introduction page with information primarily at the time of joining International Cities of Peace. For updates, please contact the liaison.

 

VISION

A mutual, interactive and prosperous community.

MISSION

Create a culture of service to our neighbors, focused on happiness and security to our residents and visitors of our city and finally our country, through the cooperation and collaboration of all the education, religion, commercial, civic and art sectors.

 

GOALS

  • Involve every person of different sectors of the community to define peace, identify the necessary actions to line up to peace and help system to achieve the actions to obtain peace.
  • Incentivize honor and connect defender of peace and organizations.
  • Create a plan to expand peace tourism in Tela.
  • Institute a course of tourism in the educative system, initiating from preschool.
  • Create a system of individuals, villages and cities of peace. (Especially with our potentially sister city of Nutley, NJ, USA)

Letter of Intent to establish Tela, Honduras as an International City of Peace, as well as the Certification.

 

CULTURAL AND FESTIVAL EVENTS

 

 

 ABOUT THE LIAISON

Ing. Darío Alejandro Munguia Quezada

  • Mayor of the city of Tela, Atlántida, Honduras.
  • Born on the 24th of April of 1955.
  • Graduated as an Agricultural Engineer.
  • Successful entrepreneur, in the agricultural sector.
  • President of the palm oil extractor company “PALCASA” for two years.
  • President of the company “AGROVET” for a year.

 

NOTE: Special thanks to Carol Pobanz and the citizens of Nutley, New Jersey, U.S.A.: City of Peace for their friendship and collaboration with the citizens of Tela, Honduras. The following is a Report entitled “Three-day preparatory visit to Tela, Honduras, January 13-17, 2019”  by Ms. Pobanz and  Honduran colleague Mario Salinas.

Three-day prep in Tela .

 

CONTACT INFORMATION

 

To contact or support this initiative:

mun.gerardo@gmail.com

 

 

ABOUT TELA, HONDURAS

Founded the 3rd of May of 1524 by a Spanish population.

Founded by the “Conquistador” Cristobal de Olid, giving the city the name of “Triunfo de la Cruz” because he disembarked at the “day of the Cruz” a festival celebrated be the catholic.

Historic details

  • In 1807 the Spaniards brought to Tela the first group of “Garifunas” from Trujillo.
  • In 1912 the Tela Railroad Company, a member of the United Fruit Company was established in the city of Tela, giving employment to the 80% of the population.

This two facts of the history, makes Tela a location in which four cultures collided. The Spaniard, the African/Honduran, the North Americans and the native Honduras. This created conflictive period in history but as well a beneficial knowledge and growth of every culture into a peaceful, tolerating community.

The community worked to create an educated healthy community under the help and collaboration of the “Tela Railroad Company” giving Tela a period of prosperity that unfortunately ended when the company left the city.

Now Tela is yearning and wishing to have that greatness one more. Growing in peace with every member of our community.

TRADITIONAL GAMES

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