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World community
The following article originally appeared in Salt of the Earth. It is posted here for private use only. It may not be reprinted in whole or in part without the permission of Salt of the Earth magazine.
Make a run for the border
The cement floor was a cold and hard place to find a night's sleep, and the bathroom was a monument to wishful thinking. But the home-cooked breakfast offered by our hosts was a pleasant way to begin the day.
I was halfway through my BorderLinks visit and only a few days away from that near-mystical event all BorderLinks veterans grow to long for—a hot shower.
It will never be confused with Club-Med, but a journey with BorderLinks brings visitors right into the homes of people living in border communities. BorderLinks "tourists" share the same material conditions of the people they visit; they also share their hosts' daily bread. They'll find a perspective on U.S./Mexico relations that can't be seen on TV or heard from politicians, but one that has become critically important to respect—the perspective of the people who have the most to say about how we shape our global market future because they have the most to lose.
M ost of the material for this article was gathered on a ten-day study visit organized by BorderLinks.—KC
For more information on BorderLinks, contact: Rick Ufford-Chase, 710 East Speedway, Tucson, AZ 85719, Phone: 520-628-8263. E-mail: borderlinks@igc.apc.org.
Other groups organizing border awareness or immersion experiences include:
Women's Intercultural Center in Anthony, New Mexico (customized weekends or stays of up to five days in the Juarez area). Contact: Sister Kathleen Erickson, 301 Lincoln, P.O. Box 2411, Anthony, NM 88021. Phone: 505-882-5553.
Annunciation House in El Paso, Texas (organizes weeklong border awareness experiences that present realities on both sides of the border). Contact: Ruben Garcia, 1003 E. San Antonio, El Paso, TX 79901. Phone: 915-545-4509.
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