Border Network Hosts Unprecedented Border Conference in El Paso

A group of law enforcement executives, faith leaders, business leaders, academics, lawmakers, members of the media and human rights organizations will gather this Saturday in El Paso to examine the misconceptions about the Border region.

For months now, allies of BNHR in law enforcement, academic, religious institutions, community and advocacy organizations, and local, state and federal elected officials, have been working on an analysis of how they envision the border in 25 years and beyond. They have been asked to consider the values that drive their visions coming to fruition. They have asked their peers from many communities along the U.S.-Mexico border for input.

Each of these narratives will come together on July 13th and 14th, 2012 to form one shared statement that expresses the hopes and needs of multiple sectors in our society. We are having this conversation together with Department of Homeland Security and Customs and Border Protection officials so that we can get their reaction as well as feedback about the ways that collaboration lends itself to solutions.

Too often, the discussion about our region is based on perceptions of violence and chaos that do not reflect the reality or facts about life on the border. This translates into the creation of policies that do not serve the real issues on the border. The consequences of this — for national security, the economy, families — are serious.

That’s why such a wide variety of experts are gathering to examine why this false perception exists and how to confront it.