Source: http://nnirr.blogspot.com/2010/11/
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Immigrant Rights News: November 2010
Congress may consider the DREAM Act this week or sometime before the end of its lame duck session. As you may know, this legislation – the Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act -- could provide access to legalization to tens of thousands of undocumented immigrant students.Many more young people could be eligible and benefit long term if the bill is improved before final passage. Please join us in urging Congress to bring DREAM to more youth and students by including access and options tocommunity service, as well as educational opportunities and job training.We urge you to call your congressional representatives NOW to ask for their support of DREAM. Click to get the contact info for your Representative and Senators.A just DREAM must include options to community service & educationThe current version of the DREAM Act requires applicants to complete high school, demonstrate good moral character and complete at least two years of higher education or U.S. military service.Please ask your congressional delegation to add community service to the list of criteria for access to this program. This would restore a provision of the original bill and would embrace a broader cross section of students. It would provide more life choices and options for these young people beyond the controversial military service criteria, which could act as a de facto "poverty draft."And ask representatives to support access of undocumented students to in-state tuition and federal financial aid.Take a few minutes to call (202) 224-3121 to connect to your representatives’ offices and ask that they support and improve the DREAM Act.[Click here to see the important message and commentary from our colleagues at the American Friends Service Committee.]Tens of thousands of young immigrants -- "undocumented and unafraid" -- and their supporters have rallied to support DREAM. Let’s send a message to Congress that we stand on the side of justice and in support of immigrant youth and students, for their future and that of their families.Labels: Arizona, DREAM Act, immigration, lame duck, legalization, Luis Gutierrez, NNIRR, Pelosi, Reid
posted by arnoldo garcia @ 12:00 PM 0 comments
Un llamado a la acción: El día del migrante internacional
¡Celebra y organízate para la justicia y los derechos humanos! Día del Migrante Internacional – 18 de Diciembre La Red Nacional Pro Derechos Inmigrantes y Refugiados invita a su membresía, sus socios y aliados a celebrar y organizar por la justicia y los derechos humanos el 18 de Diciembre, Día del Migrante Internacional. En este día, nos uniremos a las comunidades migrantes y sus apoyadores a través del mundo denunciando los abusos y la discriminación contra migrantes, asi como también en celebración de sus vidas, su dignidad y sus aportaciones.Haga clic aquí para bajar una copia de este afiche. Vigésimo Aniversario de la Convención sobre Trabajadores Migratorios Este año también marca el 20 aniversario de la Convención Internacional para la Protección de los Derechos de Todos los Trabajadores Migratorios y los Miembros de Sus Familias (CTM; vea liga al final para más información). Aprobada por la Asamblea General de las Naciones Unidasel 18 de Diciembre, 1990, la Convención sobre Trabajadores Migratorios (CTM) entró en vigor en el 2003; hasta la fecha, 44 países han ratificado la Convención. La Convención sobre Trabajadores Migratorios es significante porque elabora las protecciones de derechos humanos para todas y todos las y los migrantes, sin importar su condición migratoria o ciudadanía. En este vigésimo aniversario, la Red Nacional se unirá a miembros comunitarios y aliados globales para renovar nuestros esfuerzos para exigir la ratificación universal de la Convención – una tarea que se ha tornado más urgente con el crecimiento en las restricciones migratorias y la xenofobia en países alrededor del mundo. Aquí les sugerimos cómo celebrar y organizar para el Día del Migrante International Migrante con NNIRR: 1. 1. Envíenos y comparta la información sobre su acción o evento del 18 de Diciembre para antes del Martes, 7 de Diciembre. Incluya el título, la fecha/la hora/ el lugar, los patrocinadores e información de contacto público (número de teléfono, email y página de web).NNIRR enviará un comunicado nacional anunciando las actividades a los medios noticieros y a organizaciones y comunidades hermanas. Actividades sugeridas incluyen: Eventos con los medios noticieros, declaraciones, comunicadosOrganizar en la comunidad recepciones, cenas, programas culturales, proyección de películas.Resoluciones reconociendo el significado del 18 de Diciembre en los consejos de sus ciudades.Acciones de protesta en las oficinas locales/estatales/federales contra programas de control policiaco como “Comunidades Seguras”Eventos con sus grupos de féTambién puede conectarse con grupos en su área para ligarse a actividades celebrando el Día Internacional de los Derechos Humanos, el 10 de Diciembre. 2. Denuncie violaciones y abusos cometidos contra miembros migrantes y refugiados de su comunidad. Haga clic aquí para ver un guía de documentación.Por favor envíe su denuncia de abusos a lrivas@nnirr.org Durante la semana del 13 al 18 de Diciembre, NNIRR compartirá las historias de resistencia y las denuncias de abusos de las comunidades que están participando en la Red de acción por los derechos humanos de comunidades migrantes, o HURACÁN. 3. Comparta un extracto o cita de una entrevista de alguien que está denunciando un abuso o que sufrió una violación de sus derechos 4. También puede enviarnos una fotografía del abuso o de una acción por la justicia, o un video corto y hasta un recorte de un periodico. ¡Documentar abusos esorganizárse por la justicia y los derechos humanos! 5. Use y comparta los hallazgos y recomendaciones del informe nuevo sobre derechos humanos de la Red Naciona, Injusticia para tod@s: El surgimiento del régimen policiaco de control migratorio, durante su evento o celebración. 6. Haga clic aquí para bajar o ver una copia de Injusticia para tod@s También puede compartir Injusticia para tod@s con reporteros, oficiales del gobierno, grupos y dirigentes comunitarios, su iglesia u otras organizaciones para deliberar sobre que hacer para organizarse para lograr la justicia y los derechos humanos, incluyendo exigir una reforma migratoria justa. Haga clic aqui para ver recursos para las acciones del Día del Migrante Internacional.¿Qué es el Día del Migrante Internacional? Como organizar para que su ciudad apruebe una resolución sobre el Día del Migrante Internacional (sólo en inglés). La Internacional de Derechos Migrantes. La Red del 18 de Diciembre. La plataforma internacional de ONG sobre la Convención de Trabajadores Migratorios. Extractos de la Convención de Trabajadores Migratorios Artículo 7 Protección contra la discriminación o distincción de cualquier tipo basado en el género, raza, color, lenguaje, religión o creencias, políticas u otra opinión, orígen national étnico o social, nationalidad, edad, posición económica, la propiedad, estado civil, nacimiento, u otro estatus. Artículo 8 La libertad de salir de culaquier país, incluyendo a su país de orígen, y el derechos de volver o re-entrar a cualquier moment su país de orígen. Artículo 17 Tratamiento con humanidad y respeto a sus dignidad e identidad cultural. Las y los migrantes detenidos tienen acceso a los mismos derechos de los nacionales en la misma situación. Artículo 26 El derecho de participar en las reunions y actividades de sindicatos. Artículo 44 La reunificación familiar y la protección de medidas apropiadas para asegurar la protección de la unidad de su familia. Artículo 54 El tratamiento igual a la de los ciudadanos en protecciones contra el despido del trabajo, sin importar su estatus legal. Haga clic aqui para leer el texto de la Convención sobre Trabajadores Migratorios. Labels: Convencion sobre Trabjadores Migratorios, Dia del Migrante Internacional, human rights, HURACAN, HURRICANE, International Migrants Day December 18, NNIRR, Red Nacional
Call to Action: Celebrate & Organize on International Migrants Day
For Justice & Human Rights International Migrants Day - December 18 . Haga clic aqui para leer este llamado a la accion en espanol.NNIRR is calling on members, partners and allies to celebrate and organize for justice and human rights on December 18, International Migrants Day. On this day, we will be joining migrants’ rights supporters throughout the world in protest of abuse and discrimination against migrants, as well as in celebration of their lives, dignity and contributions.[download this poster here.] . This year also marks the 20th anniversary of the International Convention for the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families (MWC). Approved by the United Nations General Assembly on December 18, 1990, the Migrant Workers Convention (MWC) entered into force in 2003; to date, 44 countries have approved the Convention. . The Migrant Workers Convention is significant in elaborating on human rights protections for all migrants, regardless of their immigration status or citizenship. On this 20th anniversary, NNIRR will be joining community members and global allies to renew our efforts for universal ratification of the Convention – a task that has grown in urgency with the increase in immigration restrictions and xenophobia in countries around the world. . Here's how you can celebrate and organize for International Migrants Day with NNIRR: . 1. Let us know about your December 18th event by Tuesday, December 7. Click here and send your event information to agarcia@nnirr.org. . Include the title, date/time/place, sponsor(s) and public contact information (telephone, email and webpage). NNIRR will send an announcement of nationwide activities to the media and to sister organizations and communities. . Suggested activities include: Media events, statements, press releasesCommunity receptions, dinners, cultural programs, film showingsCity resolutions recognizing International Migrants DayProtest events at local/state/federal offices against immigration enforcement programs like Secure CommunitiesFaith-based events You may also want to connect with groups in your area to link with activities celebrating International Human Rights Day, Dec. 10th. . 2. Report rights violations and abuses committed against immigrant and refugee members of your community. Click here for a suggested guideline. . Please send your report on abuses to lrivas@nnirr.org. . During the week of December 13-18, NNIRR will share the stories of organizing and report abuses from communities participating in the Human Rights Immigrant Community Action Network, or HURRICANE. . 3. Share a quote from an interview of someone who is reporting an abuse or had their rights violated. . You can also send a photograph of the abuse or action for justice, a short video or even a news report. Documenting an abuse is organizing for justice and human rights! . 4. Use and share the findings and recommendations of NNIRR's new human rights report, Injustice for All: The rise of the immigration control regime, during your event or celebration. . You can also share Injustice for All with reporters, elected officials, community groups and leaders, your church or other organizations to discuss what to do to organize for justice and human rights, including demanding socially just immigration reforms. . Click below for FAQ on December 18 and other key materials: Resources for Action on International Migrants Day Key Resources What is International Migrants Day? Get a December 18 resolution passed in your community. December18.netMigrant Rights InternationalInternational NGO Platform on the Migrant Workers Convention From the Migrant Workers Convention . Article 7 Protection from discrimination or distinction of any kind on the basis of sex, race, color, language, religion or convictions, political or other opinion, national ethnic or social origin, nationality, age, economic position, property, marital status, birth, or other status. . Article 8 Freedom to leave any country, including your home country, and the right at any time to re-enter your home country. . Article 17 Treatment with humanity and respect for your dignity and cultural identity. Detained migrants are entitled to the same rights as nationals in the same situation. . Article 26 Right to participate in meetings and activities of trade unions. . Article 44 Family reunification and protection of appropriate measures to ensure the protection of the unity of your family. . Article 54 Equal treatment as citizens in protections against dismissal from employment, regardless of legal status. . For more information about the convention, please visit: . Migrant Workers’ Convention ____________________________No human is undocumented. No human is a minority; and No human is illegal. Labels: human rights, immigration, International Migrants Day December 18, justice, NNIRR
The Battle for World Public Opinion | Frontera NorteSur News
November 13, 2010[On the GFMD & International Migration]From Frontera NorteSur (FNS): on-line, U.S.-Mexico border news Internationally, migration stands out as one of the most heated issues of the times. Across the world, restrictionist measures increasingly shape public discourse. On November 10 and 11, representatives of 146 governments met in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, where they discussed how public perceptions of migrants figure in the contemporary global political landscape. A consensus on combating the demonization of migrants was evident at the the Fourth Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD), but differences emerged on how best to counter anti-immigrant sentiments and whether governments-especially those from the developed world-are doing enough to curb outbreaks of xenophobia and support immigrants. At one session, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Navanathem Pillay stressed that governments are obligated to apply international legal instruments dedicated to the rights of migrants. Pillay urged more countries must ratify the Migrant Workers Convention. “It’s shameful that only about 40 states have ratified this convention, which has been around for about 40 years,” she said. The host country of the 2010 GFMD, Mexico is among nations which has signed and ratified the Migrant Workers Convention. Based in Switzerland, an international network of civil society organizations is promoting the ratification and monitoring of the agreement, which mandates that signatories accord rights to immigrant workers that are increasingly the source of heated political disagreement in developed nations. The members of the network include Anti-Slavery International, Human Rights Watch, the World Council of Churches and many other labor and human rights advocates across the world. Fresh from a speech delivered to the Council on Foreign Relations in which he highlighted the “critical role” of immigration in US history, State Department official Eric P. Schwartz led the US delegation in Puerto Vallarta. In a presentation to the GFMD, Schwartz, an assistant secretary for refugee and migration affairs, spoke about the Obama administration’s efforts to assist local and state governments in refugee resettlement and the integration of newcomers in host communities. Although perceptions of migrants are shaped by interactions at the local level, it is incumbent on Washington to help ease the transition of migrants and their integration into society, Schwartz said. To do otherwise, he said, represents a federal let-down of local communities. Government has a role to play in shaping public attitudes about immigration, Schwartz told a packed room, specifically through a leadership that channels concerns and fears, opposes the demonization of immigrants and emphasizes the costs to society of keeping migrants as an “underground population.” Despite the prevalance of a “difficult conversation” on immigration in the US at the moment, Schwartz said demographic changes were among reasons he was optimistic about the long-term future of immigrants in a nation built up by immigrants. In the not-too-distant future, no single racial or ethnic group will constitute a majority in the US, he added. A representative of the socialist government of Bolivian President Evo Morales questioned the immigration policies of the US and other developed nations. Eliciting a round of applause from an audience stacked with officials from different governments, Alfonso Ramiro Hinojosa, general director of consular affairs for Bolivia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, slammed measures like Arizona’s SB 1070 law for inflamming public opinion against migrants. Schwartz countered that the Obama administration opposes SB 1070 and backs comprehensive immigration reform as an answer to the growing attempt by states to assume federal authority. In comments to Frontera NorteSur, Schwartz reiterated that President Obama is against several parts of SB 1070, and both the US president and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton have taken time to “articulate their set of concerns” about the law, as well as speak out on the general importance of immigration to “our well-being.” Internationally, SB 1070 continues being a contentious matter. In Puerto Vallarta, flyers were passed out at the GFMD urging readers to contact Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig and demand that the 2011 All-Star Game be moved out of Phoenix. Washington’s response to SB 1070 is still “insufficient,” Bolivian official Hinojosa told Frontera NorteSur. “This law continues generating dramas among migrants in our countries,” Hinojosa said. Bolivia’s posture, he said, is shared by the rest of South America. In late October, Bolivia hosted the most recent meeting of the South Amercan Conference on Migration, a grouping which brings together 12 nations. The regional sentiment, Hinojosa added, is to uphold a “dignified immigration” that respects human beings who are usually subordinated to the interests of capital. Founded in 1999, the South American Conference on Migration promotes a gradual but decisive drive towards a “regional integration based on the construction of the free mobility of persons and South American citizenship,” according to an organizational document. Hinojosa estimated that about 250,000 Bolivians currently reside in the US. In the bigger scheme of things, Bolivia is among countries in the world that could be most impacted by climate change and forced migration – issues which were considered in this year’s GFMD. According to Hinojosa, President Morales’ government considers a climate agreement at the upcoming Cancun summit a “top priority,” but will not be too disappointed if no accord materializes from next month’s world meeting. The massive turn-out of 30,000 at the Cochabamba climate conference hosted by Bolivia last spring is an example of the inexorable tide in favor of climate action, Hinojosa insisted. “We’re accumulating forces,” the Bolivian diplomatic official said. “If not Cancun, something soon.” On immigration, Hinojosa said “double-talk” characterized the stances and policies of developed countries. Besides SB 1070 in the US, he exorciated Italy’s denial of health care to migrants, France’s deportation of Romas and the failure of developed nations to ratify the Migrant Workers Convention. Hinojosa said he was dismayed that he had not heard a single Mexican official address the massacre of 72 Central American and South American migrants in the northern Mexican border state of Tamaulipas last August. “Not talking about it, doesn’t make it go away,” he maintained. Not surprisingly, debate at the GFMD examined the role of media in shaping public perceptions of migrants. A representative of Lebanon reported how radio spots promote a positive image of immigrants, whose exodus after war broke out with Israel in 2006 caused a crisis for a small country suddenly short of foreign workers. An official from the Phillipines described how his government employs the popular soap opera format on television to give migrants a high-profile in the public sphere. Armed with access to all the latest statistics on immigration and its economic impacts, the GFMD should do more in the public relations field for migrants, some speakers concurred. Several members of non-governmental organizations were allowed to address government meetings of the GFMD. While pledging to continue her work against racism and xenophobia, Carol Barton of the United Methodist Church in the US said economic changes were needed to counter public insecurities that stem from the economic crisis and fan anti-immigrant attitudes. “Just giving facts and figures doesn’t change the reality of those fears,” Barton said. Concrete action was necessary on home foreclosures, mass unemployment and other problems arising from the Great Recession, she said. Getting to the structural roots of economic problems, the church activist contended, was paramount “if we are going to end this kind of backlash that’s directed against migrants.” The next GFMD is scheduled for Switzerland in 2011. -Kent Paterson Frontera NorteSur (FNS): on-line, U.S.-Mexico border news Center for Latin American and Border Studies New Mexico State University Las Cruces, New Mexico For a free electronic subscription email: fnsnews@nmsu.eduLabels: AGP, GFMD, human rights, immigration, Migrant Workers Convention, NNIRR, PGA, United Methodist Church, Vallarta
posted by arnoldo garcia @ 4:54 PM 0 comments
November 11, 2010Frontera NorteSur FeatureWill Migrants Gain Respect?Countering racism. Ratifying the Migrant Workers Convention. Doing away with exploitative guestworker systems. Assuring the rights of migrant domestic workers. Regularizing “irregular” migrants. Special protections for women and child migrants. Treating migrant remittances as an income emergency brake rather than an economic engine. Helping Haiti in its time of dire need.All the above were on the list of the proposals that emerged from the Civil Society Days of the Fourth Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD) held this week in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.Attended by more than 400 delegates from 80 nations, the GFMD was billed as a major meeting examining the situation of the world’s nearly 215 million international migrants, according to recent numbers from the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs Population Division.In a report prepared for national governments also meeting in the same venue this week, delegates criticized the political and economic climate confronting international migrants, and denounced the massacre of 72 Central American and South American migrants in the northern Mexican state of Tamaulipas earlier this year.“Civil society decries rising xenophobia that scapegoats migrants for broader societal and economic problems that are not of their making,” the GFMD delegates stated.Deploring the “heavy emphasis on security,” the civil society report blasted militarization, detention, border controls and deportation.“We urge governments to explore alternatives to detention that are not only more humane but cost less as well,” the report declared. “Children should not be detained under any circumstance.”Hosted for the first time by the Mexican government, the GFMD was organized by the private BBVA Bancomer Foundation. Other named sponsors included the Spanish-owned BBVA Bancomer bank, MacArthur Foundation, Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, and Oxfam Mexico.Separtely, President Felipe Calderon and First Lady Margarita Zavala attended the Civil Society Days of the GFMD. Security was extremely tight, as Mexican troops with heavy-caliber machine-guns and Jalisco state police in military-style uniforms ringed the Puerto Vallarta International Convention Center where the event was held.Attendees were forced to pass through two police checkpoints, a metal detector and a bag search before entering the premises. Outside the sprawling conference hall on the edge of the resort town, Mexican soldiers scoured an adjacent estuary.In prepared remarks that cited Mexican novelist Carlos Fuentes and his concept of “mestizaje,” or cross-cultural fusion, Zavala termed migration “fundamental” to the identity of a multicultural Mexico. She also stressed the need to protect and assist child migrants.Echoing his wife’s previous remarks, President Calderon’s words credited migration for helping develop both his country and the “largest economy of the 20th century” north of the border, despite the hardships suffered by Mexican families.The leader of a country which is under international scrutiny for the treatment of Central American and other migrants passing through national territory to the US, President Calderon detailed several accords Mexico has struck with Central American countries that are designed to regularize immigration.“Today, migration is not and never will be a crime in Mexico,” Calderon insisted.Other Mexican officials who attended the GFMD included Interior Minister Francisco Blake, Jalisco Governor Emilio Gonzalez and Puerto Vallarta Mayor Salvador Gonzalez among many others.While each country has its own particular experiences with migration, common themes resounded at the GFMD’s Civil Society Days. For example, defending domestic workers from human rights abuses and applying international labor standards to an isolated, vulnerable segement of the workforce was an issue that galvanized delegates from across the world.Instances of horrific treatment that range from rape to torture happen in “Manhattan and Kuwait,” said US labor organizer Ana Avendano in an interview with Frontera NorteSur.Avendano, who serves as the assistant to the President of the AFL-CIO for immigration and community action, said the US Bureau of Labor Statistics does not keep numbers on domestic workers, but an estimated 200,000 people of different nationalities toil away in homes in the state of New York alone.According to Avendano, the AFL-CIO is actively supporting an international campaign for the specific inclusion of domestic workers in the International Labor Organization (ILO), so household employees can enjoy the rights of other workers-the 8-hour day, social security and time for rest and relaxation.“We expect that it should be adopted,” Avendano said. “Really, this year should be about fine-tuning the convention.” The Obama administration, she said, has taken a stand in favor of a convention for domestic workers in the ILO.“Domestic work is a particular kind of work, not just because it takes place in the household, but also because of its fundamental importance in the very fabric of society,” states RESPECT, a European network of domestic worker groups and supporters. “Without provision for child-care, care for the elderly, cooking and cleaning, society simply couldn’t function.”In the US, New York recently passed a law that applies basic labor standards to domestic workers, and the measure could open the door to organizing a heavily immigrant sector of the labor force, according to Avendano.Nationally, the AFL-CIO is supporting independent domestic worker organizing efforts, Avendano added, as well as a new intitiative called the Excluded Workers Congress that brings together domestic workers, day laborers, taxi drivers, farmworkers, unemployable ex-felons, and other people at the margins of the economy.International labor advocates gathered in Puerto Vallarta cautioned that resistance to incorporating domestic workers into the ILO is still felt from the governments of Canada, Indonesia and some European Union member states.“Domestic workers are organizing themselves, but there really is a need to work with the trade unions and civil society,” said Rex Varona of the International NGO Platform on the Migrant Workers Convention.A big issue swirling around the 2010 GFMD had to do with the role of the forum in formulating international migrant policies. Although it grew out of the United Nations in 2006, the GFMD is not a formal meeting of the world body. Organized on an ad-hoc basis, the forum serves as a sounding board and networking space for both non-governmental and governmental organizations.Civil society representatives credited the Mexican government and GFMD organizers for making sure that this year’s forum allowed greater opportunities for interaction between governmental and non-governmental delegates, but it is unclear how much weight the non-binding recommendations emanating from the unofficial meeting will have on international migrant policy, or if they will even have an impact on the next UN high-level dialogue on migration scheduled for 2013.“Civil society and diaspora groups don’t want the Global Forum to be a talk show,” insisted Ndidi Njokou of the United Kingdom-based African Foundation for Development.The moderator for the Europe-Africa non-governmental group in Puerto Vallarta, Njokou maintained that a standing committee needs to be established to carry out the work of the GFMD between meetings, as well as “an evaluation process for our progress.”A veteran of the first GFMD in 2006, Njokou said the international gathering has made progress in advocating for migrants. “It is improving as it goes along,” she told Frontera NorteSur. “It has kept improving throughout the years, but a lot remains to be done.”Nonethless, some pro-migrant organizations from Mexico and other nations showed up in Puerto Vallarta to protest the GFMD. An e-mail sent by a member of the Mesoamerican Migrant Movement charged that the GFMD reeked of “illegitimacy” and only included “carefully selected” delegates whose expenses were paid.At the entrance to the long jungle road leading into the Puerto Vallarta International Convention Center, a metal gate guarded by dozens of Jalisco state police officers barred protesters from the University of North Tamaulipas (UNT) who had made a time-consuming trek from the Mexico-US border to the Pacific Coast.“In Mexico, we criticize the (US) border wall, but what do we have here?” questioned UNT Rector Francisco Chavira. “They don`t allow people who think differently to enter. The Mexican government is of the classist kind.”As UNT students chanted “Racist Forum” far from the ears of GFMD delegates, Chavira sharply criticized the meeting as an exercise in demagoguery that “won’t do anything.”Charging that corruption in the state and federal governments permitted the Tamaulipas migrant massacre to take place, Chavira insisted that human rights were not respected in Mexico.According to media reports, Mexican authorities have detained at least eight people for committing the Tamaulipas massacre, while six other alleged complices reportedly perished in clashes with Mexican security forces.Chavira and his students came to Puerto Vallarta with other grievances. The border educator urged his government to give Mexican consulates in the US the power to issue official identification cards to migrants for voting in Mexico. He demanded foreign-owned assembly plants in Mexico pay the equivalent of the US minimum wage, and called upon Mexican money transfer businesses like Banco Azteca and Elektra to return even a little portion of the profits they earn from remittances back to the families of migrant workers.“The people inside don’t know about the migrant problem,” Chavira said. “This a light forum paid for by a private business, and coming from a private sector that benefits from migrant remittances and pays miserable salaries.”-Kent PatersonFrontera NorteSur (FNS): on-line, U.S.-Mexico border newsCenter for Latin American and Border StudiesNew Mexico State University Las Cruces, New MexicoFor a free electronic subscription email: fnsnews@nmsu.eduLabels: AFL, border, Calderon, FNS, Fronter NorteSur, GFMD, human rights, immigration, Migrant Workers Convention, NNIRR, PGA, Vallarta
posted by arnoldo garcia @ 1:55 PM 0 comments
La AGP es un reto para mirar más allá de Carolina del Norte
The PGA is a challenge to see beyond North Carolina [See English version below]
Por Ada Volkmer
Recuerdo que me dio escalofrío cuando escuché que iba a participar en la reunión sobre la Acción Global de los Pueblos sobre Migracíon, Desarrollo y Derechos Humanos (AGP). Me emocionó pensar en salir de mi rutina cotidiana y ver el tema de migración con una perspectiva internacional.En la AGP fueron cuatro días de plenarias, comidas, mesas redondas de discusión, reuniones, mezcal, baile y talleres donde cientos de activistas pro-migrante de todo el mundo se reunieron para compartir experiencias, sumar energías y combatir los sistemas que ignoran los derechos humanos.Reflexionando sobre la semana pasada puedo decir que algunos momentos clave fueron:
Cuando una revolución de música derrumbó a Nora Jones con canciones y lemas de protesta de Marruecos, Estados Unidos, Togo y México (Como dice Arnoldo, pueblo que no canta, es pueblo que no vive);
Y también cuando yo era la única persona de los Estados Unidos en una reunión paralela sobre la detención y la deportación.
Esto era lo que quería salir de Carolina del Norte, la maldita 287g y los EEUU para hacer conexiones entre lo que esta pasando en mi comunidad y las muertes de inmigrantes en centros de detención en Corea del Sur;
La privatización de centros de detención en Malasia, la negación de la ciudadanía a hijos de migrantes Haitianos en la República Dominicana y los centros de detención aislados donde los inmigrantes no tienen acceso a recursos o consejo legal en México.
Los EEUU es un modelo para el resto del mundo y esta exportando la militarización de las fronteras, el duro cumplimiento de la ley de inmigración, la privatización de centros de detención y un marco de seguridad nacional que criminaliza a los seres humanos.La AGP es un reto para nosotros como coalición de mirar mas allá de los veinte condados del oeste de Carolina del Norte, mas allá de la frontera México-EEUU y mas allá de las reformas de leyes anti-inmigrante estatales y nacionales. Es un reto para pensar a escala mundial y recordar que la migración es un producto de el colonialismo, el racismo, la explotación, la pobreza y la desigualdad.Gracias a NNIRR por esta oportunidad. ¡Viva la justicia! ¡Viva México! ¡Viva el AGP!Ada Volkmer es la Coordinadora de la Coalición de Organizaciones Latino-Americanas - una red de centros Latinos en las monta~as del oeste de Carolina del Norte.*The PGA is a challenge to see beyond North CarolinaBy Ada Volkmer
A year ago, I heard about the People's Global Action on Migration, Development and Human Rights (PGA) and I remember getting chills. The possibility of getting out of the daily routine, going international and looking at migration from an global perspective game me something to get excited about.These four days of plenaries, box lunches, round tables, caucuses, mezcal, baile, and workshops brought together hundreds of migrants rights activists from around the world to share experiences, gather energy, and challenge the systems that ignore human rights and place the development of sending countries in the hands of migrants.I'm still trying to get my thoughts around this last week, but I can say that highlights included:A music revolution one morning in which Nora Jones was replaced with songs and chants from Morroco, United States, Togo and Mexico (Como dice Arnoldo, pueblo que no canta, es pueblo que no vive), and being the only person from the United States in a detention and deportation caucus. It was just what I was hoping for – to leave North Carolina, 287g and the US and make the connections about migrant deaths in detention centers in South Korea, the privatization of detention centers in Malaysia, the denial of citizenship to children born of Haitian migrants in the Dominican Republic, and detention centers in rural parts of Mexico where migrants have little access to resources or legal advice.The United States is providing a model for the rest of the world and exporting the militarization of borders, enforcement regimes, the privatization of detention centers and a national security framework that unjustly criminalizes human beings.The PGA challenges us as a coalition to look beyond our small scale (twenty counties in rural Western North Carolina), the US-Mexico border, and state and national reform of anti-immigrant laws and policies. It challenges us to think globally, to remember that migration is a product of colonialism, racism, exploitation, poverty and inequality. Gracias a NNIRR por esta oportunidad. Viva la justicia! Viva México! Viva el AGP!
Ada Volkmer is the Coordinator of COLA – a network of Latino community centers in the mountains of Western North Carolina.
[Photo by / Fotografía por Arnoldo García.]
Labels: AGP, Carolina del Norte, Coalicion de Organizaciones Latinoamericanas, COLA, derechos humanos. detencion, human rights, human rights detention deportation, migrantes, NNIRR, North Carolina, PGA
posted by arnoldo garcia @ 9:11 AM 0 comments
Reflection on the People’s Global Action on Migration, Development & Human Rights Mexico City
With thoughts on the Global Forum on Migration and Development, Puerto Vallarta, 2010By Pedro RíosInside the ex-convent San Hipólitohere we gather to humanize migrationagainst the cold pillars and walls built of stone from colonial rule thatremind me the task is heavy andburdened by a history smeared in tones of crimson.A scripted history that repeats with every generationin each apprehension, detention, and deportationa replica of that history and perennialdenial of our humanity.How do you convince the men in suits that their way has lost us?Will it burn their tongues if they speak of dignity andhuman rightsscald their lips if they dare utter a word aboutthe 72 men and women massacred in Tamaulipas?They used to point fingers at each other about itnow, silence is preferred – case closed -because those who dreamt of workingto feed their childrenwere poor which meansthey remain unknown;their storieslike the dustdeep in their graves.How do you convince the men in suits that their vision of development isa sordid privilege over humanity?Inside the ex-convent San Hipólitohere we gather to unearth the memories thatneed to be dignifiedin spite of the silence in Vallarta about them becauseeven when they speak of them their words will beempty.***
posted by arnoldo garcia @ 9:08 AM 0 comments
At the PGA: Migrant Rights Unite Us Across Borders
Salaam from the third day here at the People´s Global Action on Migration here in Mexico City!By Monami MaulikI am here at the People's Global Action gathering in Mexico City with with my colleague, Ayesha Mahmooda. Ayesha is a former youth member of DRUM and current Worker Organizer and has lived undocumented in the U.S. for 19 years until winning her deportation case this year.I am excited to be here together representing South Asian and Muslim communities in the U.S. who are members of DRUM-Desis Rising Up & Moving. DRUM organizes a membership of over 1,000 South Asian and Muslim low-wage workers and youth who are fighting for their rights as migrants in the U.S.We Raise Our Voices From New York to MexicoDRUM played a major role in hosting the first ever People´s Global Assembly in New York City in 2005 as the UN released its report after the Global Commission on Migration and Development process. I had the chance also to testify at the last GCMD in Mexico City in 2005 about the need to de-link migration policy from national security.In New York City DRUM hosted over 50 migrant leaders from Latin America, Asia, and Europe in our community of Jackson Heights. Bangladeshi women, who spoke no Spanish, shared our traditional food with Latin American women migrant leaders who spoke no English -- but they understood each other´s struggle without words. Later that week, we organized a town-hall and action at the UN as we saw the increasing importance this global process would take over the next decade.We did not want unaccountable governments, private corporations and exploitative international institutions like the World Bank to decide our futures for us.We decided that DRUM must raise the voice of migrant people ourselves in this global process towards human rights for migrants, rather than allowing the GFMD to only view migrants as tools to make greater profits for sending and receiving nations and corporations.Migrant Rights Unite Us Across BordersWe are very honored and excited to be present at this international gathering with hundreds of migrant rights leaders from across the globe. We are humbled to be in Mexico, from where many of the 14 million undocumented brothers and sisters of ours in the U.S. come from. We see the dignity and pride in the faces of workers here, of indigenous people and the poor who are displaced by NAFTA yet continue to struggle for a better world. Mexico has a rich history and legacy of the workers and poor waging revolutionary movements for equity and human rights for all people.On opening day of the PGA, I spoke on the welcome plenary about the need to unite across nationalities, both within the U.S. and globally, to challenge the 'national security' framework that is destroying the rights of migrants around the world.The U.S after September 11, 2010 has created and spread this model of permanently placing all issues of migration as a permanent threat to national security, stoking exaggerated fears of terrorism. In the U.S., this has meant the mass raids, deportations and unjust imprisonment of thousands of Muslim immigrants. But it has not ended there and will only increase for all communities of color.The national security paradigm in the U.S. has fundamentally channeled billions of dollars and unparalleled law enforcement resources towards the immigration enforcement regime of the Department of Homeland Security -- both in the interior and by hyper militarizing the borders.This is at the same time that the US is waging endless wars and occupations that have murdered over 1.5 million people in the Middle East and South Asia since 2002. As the mothers of victims of this attack on Muslims in our membership say, "The government is manufacturing terrorists out of poor migrant workers in order to justify its endless wars abroad and security regime."Yesterday, as we participated in a roundtable on National Security & Migrant Rights, this same story was told by half a dozen people from all over the world -- from Thailand to Mali, from Holland to Mexico. I learned that in Mexico, the government is copying the U.S. model and converted its national Migration Institute into the National Security Institute. Moreover, the Mexican government has opened up "Migration Centers" as National Security detention facilities that are top secret, deny access to lawyers and others, and use abusive tactics on migrants.Under the national security paradigm, the end goal here is the same as everywhere : to permanently by-pass human rights and accountability and to justify non-transparency and the abuse of migrant people. A Haitian migrant leader from the Dominican Republic spoke about how Haitian migrants in the DR are being detained as 'national security' threats by claiming they will create crimes and degrade the environment.Human Rights and Sustainable Development Make Us SaferToday, we held a formal workshop on "National Security & Human Rights of Migrants" and drafted proposals that will be presented to the governments at their Global Forum on Migration and Development, where civil society will pressure the governments:1) De-link migration policy from National Security globally, and2) Reject the framework of National Security and replace it with "Human Security" -- that when human rights and access to sustainable development are provided for all, communities and nations are safest.We are raising the issue of national security at the GFMD even though the U.S. government has been silent on the issue. We know that the U.S. is actively promoting this new tool to suppress rights and accountability behind closed doors with other governments. As Muslim migrants in the U.S., we are building bridges with our colleagues globally because we see that our organizing for human rights are interdependent and that none of us can win alone.Saludos! Monami MaulikExecutive Director, DRUM-Desis Rising Up & Moving www.drumnyc.org/Labels: AGP, DRUM, GFMD, immigration, migrant rights, Muslim, national security, NNIRR, PGA
posted by arnoldo garcia @ 7:11 PM 0 comments

References: resolución 
 Artículo 7
 Artículo 8
 Artículo 17
 Artículo 26
 Artículo 44
 Artículo 54