After an immersion at the Kino Border Initiative in Nogales, a panel of Xavier professors and Bellarmine parishioners will give a report of conditions at the border and share stories of thier encounter and people there. By listening, serving, and walking with the immigrants and those impacted by the immigrants - we are able to better "live the questions".
This Guide is broken into four part. Home: introduces who and what the Kino Border Initiative is. Humanize: recognizes that the immigrants' journeys are made to be de-humanizing and how we need to connect the body and soul of the immigrant and their journeys with Kino's mission and how we think and respond as individuals. Accompany: This is the concrete actions that we can take to help the immigrants and continue to walk with them on their journeys. Complicate: This encourages us to encounter the issues and look at and process all sides. There is no one correct answer to the issues that face immigrants and those that are trying to support them.
Vision
Humane, just, workable migration between the U.S. and Mexico.
Mission
To promote US/Mexico border and immigration policies that affirm the dignity of the human person and a spirit of bi-national solidarity through:
Before the Kino Border Initiative was founded in January of 2009, a needs assessment was conducted to determine whether a new migrant ministry should be inaugurated along the border between Arizona and Sonora. Potential stakeholders were interviewed on both sides of the border, and they identified the need for humanitarian assistance for deported migrants in Nogales, Sonora, the vulnerability of women and children to abuse and exploitation and the opportunity to raise awareness about the reality of migration and its effects. Also, since migration is a multinational phenomenon, it was recommended that a new project be binational in scope.
In light of this feedback, the Kino Border Initiative was set up to work with one foot on each side of the Mexico border in Nogales, Arizona and Nogales, Sonora, Mexico. As a faith-based organization, the KBI strives to respond to the most critical needs by respecting the God-given dignity of the human person and by fostering bi-national solidarity through humanitarian assistance, education and research/advocacy.
