border witness program
The Rio Grande River marks the division between the US and Latin America, a division often beset by conflict and misunderstanding. However, the Rio Grande has been a meeting place as well as a dividing line. It is a place where the US and Latin America blend language and culture, a place where global neighbors interact.
The Border Witness Program works as a bridge connecting the reality of the people living in the Rio Grande Valley (RGV) with those who wish to understand it. Through educational tours of this area participants learn about issues such as free trade, political asylum for refugees, and the health and environment along the RGV. Participants visit refugee shelters, detention centers, colonias, and other organizations along the border. Through direct and personal contact, Border Witness Program delegations learn the stories of the people and communities facing poverty, oppression and the challenges of living on the frontera.
Our Program's Mission:
Assist people in understanding the reality of the border (the struggles, achievements, and challenges- economic, social, cultural, spiritual) through direct experience and personal contact;
Give voice to the people, families, and communities who struggle to surmount oppression and assert their dignity;
Serve as an educational resource in building capacity by opening eyes, studying the reality and the system that perpetuates it, and promoting action in the issues that face the community.
Border Witness groups typically include 5-10 people with a minimum group size of 5.
For more information on the Border Witness Program, download the packet linked below or contact 956.783.6959 / borderwitness@ariseadelante.org.