THINKING GLOBALLY
In response to the NATO air strikes against Yugoslavia, our Foreign Policy In Focus project has: Developed the Kosovo Crisis Page on our website, offering insights from analysts and experts seeking to understand NATO-U.S. military objectives and the humanitarian crisis. Sponsored, with several members of the House and the Progressive Challenge, two congressional briefings in Washington DC, entitled "Kosovo: What are the Other Options?" and "Teach-In on Kosovo, NATO: Solution or Problem?" Both forums sought to foster a consciousness for peace and a search for a stable resolution of the Kosovo conflict. Speakers included Karen AbuZayd, Regional Representative, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and Dan Plesch, Director, British-American Security Information Council (BASIC). Look for more forums like these in the future as FPIF has expanded its outreach efforts. Erik Leaver has moved from the IRC to a new position with the same project as Media Outreach Coordinator at IPS, in Washington. With Erik moving on, Tim McGivern has joined the IRC as the FPIF Communications Director in the Albuquerque office. FPIF briefs are increasingly being used as significant sources of information and analysis at conferences around the country. In San Francisco, "Just Act: Youth ACTion for Global JUSTice" held their annual interactive forum for students working toward social and economic justice in a globalized world and circulated a number of briefs on environmental and economic issues. Washington's interfaith public policy community used briefs on Iraq, Colombia, and Korea at the 29th Annual Interfaith Public Policy Briefing. Our most recent brief "The Global Sustainable Development Resolution" was utilized by Emilie Nichols, organizer at the Alliance for Democracy Conference in Denver. The Sweatshop Free Albuquerque Coalition used the In Focus brief "Child Labor in the Global Economy" to push city officials to issue an ordinance for their purchasing manual that prohibits purchasing goods made under sweatshop conditions. The ordinance is now in effect. Foreign Policy In Focus website: http://www.foreignpolicy-infocus.org/
U.S.-MEXICO BORDERLANDS
Much work has been done on the INCITRA and borderlines web pages. We’ve changed the layout, added new information, and included more links to sites dealing with border topics. We encourage everyone to visit the web pages at: http://www.irc-online.org/ We'd like to welcome Tina Faulkner to our U.S.-Mexico Borderlands Program as a full-time Border Research Associate in the Silver City office. Tina has worked part-time for us for the past two years through UNM’s work-study program. borderlines At the Second Annual Meeting on the Border Environment in Tijuana (Encuentro), we distributed over 800 copies of borderlines. Response was positive and has motivated us to keep making borderlines the premiere publication on the U.S.-Mexico border region. Drawing on borderlands activists and experts, upcoming issues of borderlines will draw on the expertise of Irasema Coronado (University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio), who will be writing on the conflict over water in the border region, and Alejandro Canales (Mexico's Colegio de la Frontera del Norte), who will be writing about population growth and urbanization on the border. Inside EPA magazine interviewed editor George Kourous for a story sparked by his Border XXI analysis, and EPA staffers say that the article will be circulated at the upcoming Border XXI annual meeting. Borderlands Program staff will be at the meeting. We are working at being more effective in getting borderlines into the hands of Mexicans. (For a variety of reasons, mail delivery isn’t working well.) For the last couple of months, we have distributed 275 copies of borderlines to six Mexican groups each month, who redistribute them to members, during workshops,at rallies and meetings, etc. Finally, those who follow the IRC's border work may be interested in reading an article written by borderlines editor George Kourous on border environment issues for an upcoming edition of the Information Service on Latin America's Connexiones project, available at http://www.igc.org/isla/ borderlines website: http://www.americaspolicy.org/borderlines/ INCITRA The INCITRA staff has participated in many conferences dealing with border issues: In March, Julie Schneider made a presentation at the Transborder Library Forum on "Strengthening Cooperation Between NGOs and Academic Libraries." In April, Julie gave presentations on the "Internet as a Transboundary Resource Tool" at two conferences: the Association for Borderland Studies and the Second Annual Meeting on the Border Environment. A packet of information prepared for these presentations is available by contacting Julie at the IRC's Silver City office. INCITRA continues to provide people with information they need. Recently we provided health fact sheets, public health assessment reports, and assorted documents to an individual in southern New Mexico who was working to stop the placement of a new metal plating facility in a residential area near an elementary school. His fight continues. If you need information, please don't hesitate to contact us for help.
Office Contact Information
Albuquerque Box 4506 Albuquerque, NM 87196-4506 Voice: (505) 842-8288 Fax: (505) 246-1601	Silver City Box 2178 Silver City, NM 88062-2178 Voice: (505) 388-0208 Fax: (505) 388-0619 Email: irc@irc-online.org