The Border Buzz - Jan 6 2012
News from BPP Site Administrator | January 9, 2012
The Border Buzz
BORDER BUZZ is a roundup of the latest news and general interest items related to life and the work of philanthropy in the US-Mexico Border region. If you have a news item you would like to share with people from across the region in an upcoming BPP Border Buzz or, our newsletter, or any suggestions send these to michelle@borderpartnership.org |
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BPP NEWS
- The US-Mexico Border Philanthropy Partnership is pleased to announce the launch of BPP Translation Services
BPP offers exceptional translation services at discounted rates for members and favorable rates for nonmembers. We offer professional, certified translation services covering an array of sectors and industry. Our translation team has a combined 20-years experience in English to Spanish and Spanish to English translation services with special expertise in nonprofit, philanthropic and community oriented translation. We take pride in the cultural competency of our translation services; ensuring that the translation is written for the unique cultural context of the intended audience.
BPP sees the provision of quality, specialized translation as key to facilitating knowledge, sharing and learning across the nonprofit and philanthropic sectors of our two nations. The more our civic institutions can effectively share their knowledge across the border, the stronger our civic sectors will be on both sides. Have translation needs?
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BPP MEMBER NEWS
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Martha Hunter-Smith, US Mexico Foundation |
- The U.S.-Mexico Foundation welcomes its newly named CEO, Martha Smith as Jim Polsfut moves from the CEO position and retakes his seat on the board of directions. Raul RodrÃguez-Barcio has been named chair of the executive committee. Congratulations to all of our friends and colleagues at the U.S.-Mexico Foundation.
- Santa Cruz Community Foundation & FESAC are pleased to announce the Winter/Spring 2012 Schedule for a unique Cross-Border Tour Program! The Santa Cruz Community Foundation (SCCF) and Fundacion del Empresariado Sonorense, A.C.'s (FESAC) cross border tours open the door to experience innovative community development projects in a region too often inaccurately characterized by sensationalized stories about illegal immigration and drug related crime. Now you can see the real story for yourself. These tours have been going on for almost two years and have taken across over three hundred people to date. They are not tourist tours. They are designed for people who have a serious interest in supporting positive community development in the border region and learning first hand about the wonderful community service being performed by a group of Mexican NGOs supported by SCCF & FESAC. more
- The Yuma Community Foundation, in collaboration with the Arizona Western College Art Gallery, will host BPP's Frontera Vibrante; a photography exhibit celebrating the beauty and dynamism of the U.S.-Mexico Border region. If you would like to showcase Frontera Vibrant, enquire with Christiana DeBenedict
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GRANT OPPORTUNITIES
- AFI Winter Grant Round for IDA Grant Funding | The Assets for Independence (AFI) program provides five-year grants to nonprofit organizations and government agencies that empower low-income families to become economically self-sufficient for the long-term. Grantees provide financial education training on money management issues, and they assist participants with saving earned income in special matched savings accounts called Individual Development Accounts (IDAs). The winter grant round deadline to apply is January 25, 2012. Border organizations are encouraged to consult the resources available on RuFES site on Rural IDA's here. Click here for more information on the AFI IDA Grants.
- In partnership with the Urban Sustainability Directors Network, the Funders' Network is pleased to announce the formation of the Local Sustainability Matching Fund. The purpose of the Local Sustainability Matching Fund is twofold: to catalyze partnerships between local government sustainability directors and local, place-based foundations, including community foundations, and to advance important community-based sustainability initiatives. The Fund will provide partnership investments between $25,000 and $75,000, with a 1:1 match required by one or more local foundation. The application deadline for the first round is March 5th. The Network will host a conference call to provide more information. The call will be held on January 24th, at 2:00 p.m. Eastern. Click to register for this call and for more information on the fund.
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The Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs is seeking applications from qualified organizations to implement Culture of Lawfulness (COL) programs in Mexico. The overall objective of the Culture of Lawfulness program, which is funded by the Merida Initiative, is to instill a sense of individual responsibility for upholding the rule of law in Mexico and support the ability of Mexico's citizens to participate in the law enforcement process. Promoting the rule of law, and reducing insecurity and corruption, requires societal support by what has come to be known as a Culture of Lawfulness. In particular, INL aims to work with civil society organizations to implement programs that support COL principles across a variety of sectors, including education, law enforcement, mass media, health, private industry, and centers of moral authority such as religious associations. more
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UPCOMING EVENTS
- Jan 17, 1-2 p.m. EST - Innovations in Paying Down Debt: Lessons from Borrow Less Tomorrow (BoLT) Webinar | Presented by CFED and Neighborhood Works America this webinar will discuss the Borrow Less Tomorrow (BoLT) Program, a behavioral approach to helping low- and middle-income individuals and families pay down expensive debt. Using principles of behavioral economics, the BoLT Program helps consumers devise a repayment schedule and incorporates the use of peer support and reminders so that consumers both successfully pay down their debt and improve their credit scores. Developed by Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA), the BoLT Program has been implemented through several organizations including Encore Capital Group. Presenters will discuss the implementation and results of the program. more
- Jan 25, San Diego, CA, San Diego-Tijuana Border: A Vision for the Future | The Institute of the Americas hosts this discussion on the foundations of the Smart Border Coalition with Malin Burnham, James Clark and Charles Shapiro. more
- Feb 2-4, 2012 San Diego CA - 11th Annual New Partners for Smart Growth Conference | The Annual New Partners for Smart Growth Conference: Building Safe, Healthy and Livable Communities returns to its roots, San Diego. Join leaders from across the U.S. as we tackle the tough economic, environmental and social challenges of our day and demonstrate smart growth solutions that support strong economies, reduce our dependence on foreign oil, assure a healthy population, foster more equitable development, and expand transportation and housing options for all Americans. Learn more about the latest in smart growth, including the latest research, cutting-edge implementation tools and techniques, best practices,model projects, policies and codes, and new partners. Most importantly, this dynamic event offers you the opportunity to network and coordinate with your peers as well as practitioners from many different disciplines. more
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FROM THE FRONTERAS NEWSDESK- State Parks Reeling from Budget Cuts more
- Beyond the Sprawl: Rethinking the Southwest Economy Special more
- Notarios: Immigrant Friend or Foe more
---------------------------- Fronteras: The Changing America Desk is an unprecedented, multimedia collaboration among seven public radio stations. It is led by KJZZ in Phoenix, Arizona and KPBS in San Diego, California, and funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) as part of its Local Journalism Center initiative. From Central Texas to Southern California, and from Las Vegas to the Mexican border, Fronteras covers an area of about 9 million residents and reaches an audience of about 1 million listeners. Fronteras stories deal with the complex and controversial southwestern border with Mexico, including security, immigration, drugs and weapons smuggling. We also seek to show that the border is far more than a smuggling corridor. Fronteras mandate is to broadcast and publish stories from throughout the Southwest that go beyond breaking news and the sensational to find the people and stories that are real, relevant and alive. www.fronterasdesk.org |
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INDUSTRY AND ECONOMY
- KVUE reports that Border trade and travel bogged down by long lines. "Trade has been a bright spot in an otherwise gloomy economy, and international bridges linking the U.S. and Mexico are economic lifelines. But there are mounting complaints growth is bogged down by long lines at the border crossings. 'There has been no improvement over the past few years," said Steve Ortega, an El Paso city council representative.'" more
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HEALTH AND THE ENVIRONMENT
- A recent study released in Biological Conservation concluded that the black bear migration is further threatened by the border fence. "In the U.S.-Mexico borderland, urbanization and construction of the border fence have the potential to increase genetic subdivision and vulnerability to isolation in large mammal populations by bisecting movement corridors that have enabled dispersal between adjacent Sky Island mountain ranges," the study stated. more
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U.S.-MEXICO RELATIONS
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