NEWSLETTER
FALL 2012
Border Action Network Educates & Advocates
Welcome Pepe Marcos-Iga! Border Action Network Education Advisor! Border Action Network has adopted “Educates and Advocates” as the motto for our work. We are very please to welcome a new member of our team to further our goals. Pepe has over 15 years of international experience as an environmental communicator and educator, with a background in capacity building, cultural competencies development, and online training and networking. As the International Programs Manager at the Environmental Education Exchange, he has managed a wide array of bilingual networking and capacity building efforts for environmental educators along the US-Mexico Border, which include conferences, training workshops and social media that reach thousands of educators both sides Continued on page 4 of the border.
Alexander Gibilisco joins Border Action Network Meet our Civic Engagement & Organizing Coordinator! Growing up in Guatemala, I never thought college would even be possible. When I moved to the U.S. as a child my life completely changed. Putting myself through school while balancing jobs and an internship wasn’t easy but the desire to help immigrants in the U.S. was my motivation to work as hard as I have. I was a firstgeneration college student at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. I have a Bachelors of Arts degree in International Studies & Political Science and a Minor in Spanish. As an intern at Nebraska Appleseed last year, I learned how to apply my skills and focus my passion. I worked on several projects that taught me about lobbying, setting agendas, public speaking, and media relations. I have given speeches on behalf of Nebraska DREAMers and have documented grant-funded projects on film, using social media to spread our mission. I worked on a report of the disparities that exist in Continued on page 4
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TUCSON WEEKLY Q&A: Juanita Molina by Mari Herreras Juanita Molina is the new director of the Border Action Network, and she continues to work as the director of Humane Borders. The dual roles signal an operational agreement between the two organizations rather than a merger. BAN continues to advocate for undocumented immigrants, while Humane Borders focuses on providing water at stations throughout the desert. In last week’s SB 1070 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court invalidated most of the law, but kept intact the part that requires law-enforcement officers to check the immigration status of anyone stopped, detained or arrested if they suspect the person is in the country illegally. For more information, visit www.borderaction.org or www.humaneborders.org. How do you feel about the recent SB 1070 ruling? It’s disappointing that they stuck so closely to constitutional law and did not hear points that argued human rights. Obviously, the members were conflicted. What happens next? The reality was people knew this was going to be problematic. Human rights will now come into play, and the courts are going to delve more deeply into racial profiling on citizens here in the United States. Our focus is working with the community that has an immediate fear of racial profiling. There’s always been racial profiling, but what’s different now? Law-enforcement agencies have no idea how they are going to implement this law. And then there are issues of community trust: A person here walking to get a quart of milk may witness violence. That person (if a minority) ... is not going to be as inclined to come forward.
We hope you will join with us! There is always a need for volunteers to help in numerous areas; teaching ESL, helping with events, helping in the office, or assisting with our civic engagement campaigns . . . if you have time to help, this is the place for you! Email us at luis@borderaction.org, or call us at 520-623-4944 for volunteer opportunities. Thank you for your support of BAN! ¡Si se puede!
3 This has come up in the past, and BAN has interceded with the TPD. We will continue dialogue and (have) discussion with the TPD. I think this is an incredibly difficult thing to implement. There is a traffic stop, and the officer has to figure out if this person is here without documentation when there is no centralized database. How is he supposed to determine that? How has BAN been preparing for the ruling? For all of us, this is a long-term struggle, just like the civil-rights movement. I personally did not expect this to be the end point of any situation. ... The extreme right is working to criminalize this population. But the reality is, in Arizona, we are so much more diverse than that, and not all views of all Arizonans reflect this. We’ve paid the price for this. ... The image of our state internationally and nationally is compromised by these views. ... We’re going to continue to do what we’ve always done, which is educate and advocate for the community in Arizona. How does this new agreement between BAN and Humane Borders work? We have an operational agreement to share resources, but it is different than a flat-out merger of the agencies. I think it really enhances our work. For some reason, within our own movement, there is a lot of division between humanitarian-aid and human-rights groups, but I don’t know why. I do know that we cannot treat human suffering as a commodity. ... Both agencies are a community response to what the undocumented community faces. A few weeks ago, your water trucks were vandalized. How did that get resolved? We got the trucks fixed. The thing to know about Humane Borders is that it is such an amazing and exceptional place. Within a week, we were up and running. We didn’t have all the liability insurance that could cover the costs, so we had to pay all repairs out-of-pocket. But in a week, we had the money. We live hand to mouth. But that’s the thing about border issues—there’s no infrastructure support. If you look at other movements, like domestic violence and sexual assault, there is a certain infrastructure from the government. Humanitarian aid is from the goodness of people’s hearts. How can folks help? Come volunteer with us. (Undocumented) families are often cut off from the rest of society. One of the most impactful moments I had at Humane Borders was when a group of teachers and students from Mexico helped us with water runs. One student started to cry: “We thought all Americans hated us.” That is the perception. We also need to be allies as citizens and voters for the undocumented community of Southern Arizona and make our voice heard.
4 Pepe Marcos-Iga (continued from front page)
He is currently a member of the EECapacity Expert Panel, a capacity building project funded by EPA in partnership with Cornell University and NAAEE. Pepe has served on NAAEE’s board since 2007, expanding and diversifying the organization’s reach, working with key partners to increase participation from Mexican and Canadian professionals as well as from underserved audiences within the U.S. As part of the Guidelines Trainer’s Bureau, he has worked to take the Guidelines for Excellence in Environmental Education to Spanish speaking educators. Pepe holds a Ph.D. and a M.Sc. in Natural Resources with a focus on Environmental Learning from the University of Arizona, as well as a M.Sc. and Bachelor Degree in Communications and Media Arts from Monterrey Tech and University of Monterrey respectively. Pepe is originally from Monterrey, Mexico; his grandparents migrated from Bethlehem, in the West Bank, in the early 1900s. He was raised catholic, but is now more of a humanist with an interest in all spiritual traditions. He enjoys connecting to others, storytelling in all of its forms and helping people make connections with their communities, their environment and their planet.
Visit our website at www.BorderAction.org for more updates, news and photos! Alexander Gibilisco (continued from front page)
Nebraska since an affirmative action ban was passed in 2008. I was also a member of the Mexican American Student Association, and Vice President of the Nebraska Latino Organization Conference (NLOC). My volunteer experience includes translating at health fairs and parent/teacher conferences, with community service and outreach events and I trained minority youth after school. I’ve seen the shame of a poverty stricken family and experienced the struggles of life in a third world country. These injustices, evident around the world, motivated me to pursue a career in community outreach. I have joined the Border Action Network team to carry out the mission of immigrant progress in Southern Arizona, the nation and the world. I want to dedicate my time to the civil rights of all immigrants.
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COMMUNITY MEMBER HIGHLIGHT: ADELINA LOPEZ Border Action Network wants you to meet our community! Each month we will feature a community member in our newsletter. This month, please meet BAN DREAMer: Adelina Lopez. Border Action asked Adelina “what does Obama’s Executive Order mean to you?” This is her heartfelt response. “I will have permission to apply for a job for the first time in my life, get a driver’s license and continue my education at Pima Community College; I will no longer just “hope”, but I will take action to make my dreams come true. I know that this is a temporary fix, but to apply for a good paying job is better than cleaning toilet bowls. Having a job will help me pay for school and help my parents pay bills and rent. Even though I am still waiting for the DREAM Act, I will work very hard during these next two years to succeed in school. I am encouraged, and want to become a better role model for our next generation. This is a great opportunity for me and for thousands of others in the same situation as I am. This does not mean it’s the end of the DREAM, it just means it’s the beginning of our greater contribution to the nation we love so dearly. This country will have amazing professional teachers, doctors, architects, engineers, business men and women and so much more. Our economy will grow and more jobs will be created, because a door was opened to thousands of DREAMers in the United States. We have finally been given the chance to show what we are capable of doing and giving. We worked hard to create change, and now we will create a difference.“
BORDER ACTION NETWORK board and staff Board of Directors Dinah Bear Dr. Edward Machtinger Leonardo Maturana Maru Moreno Sima Sharkharsi Gary Wolfe
Executive Director Juanita Molina Staff Jill Davis-Nunes, Events and Media Communications Alex Gibilisco, Civic Engagement & Organizing Coordinator Luis Griego, Data Manager Jose “Pepe” Marcos-Iga, Education Advisor Michael Monyak, Administrator Ana Maria Rivas, Online and Visual Communications Mike Wilson, Policy Director
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Donate to Border Action Network Together we form a partnership of compassionate individuals that understand human rights should not be confined to a few; based on race, religion, country of origin, or gender preferences. This year, and for the foreseeable future, there will be many challenges. With your help, we will continue to “Educate and Advocate”. Make a donation today. Help build a just, safe US-Mexico border region for all. We truly appreciate anything you can contribute.
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BY MAIL OR PHONE Legacy Giving
Make an important difference in the lives of all our communities by including BAN in your estate planning.
Employer Matching Gifts
Maximize the impact of your donation on improving care for children with serious illnesses by taking advantage of employer matching gift programs.
Your donation will be gratefully accepted over the phone during business hours or anytime via mail. Please mail your donations to: Border Action Network P.O. Box 384 Tucson, AZ 85702 Or, call (520) 623-4944 to make a donation over the phone.
OTHER WAYS TO GIVE Car Donation Your donation of a car, truck, van, SUV, boat, or RV helps support BAN’s critical initiatives. The process is fast and easy and includes free pick-up of your donated vehicle. Personal Fundraising You can help raise important funds to support BAN’s work. Establishing a special fund, organizing a bake sale or car wash, or throwing a themed event are just some of the easy, fun ways to motivate family and friends while educating them about a cause close to your heart. Group Fundraising Bring minds, bodies, and resources together to raise money for BAN’s efforts. Foundation Support Foundations invest in BAN because we consistently leverage their dollars to bring about meaningful results. Funders also have the satisfaction of knowing they aren’t just supporting a single organization – they are a critical partner in a statewide coalition.
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