May 30-June 5, 2011 A 75 mile walk from Sásabe, Sonora, MX to Tucson, AZ
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| Photo by Brenda Norrell. Migrant Trail. |
The precarious reality of our borderlands calls us to walk. We are a spiritually diverse, multi-cultural group who walk together on a journey of peace to remember people, friends and family who have died, others who have crossed, and people who continue to come. We bear witness to the tragedy of death and of the inhumanity in our midst. Lastly, we walk as a community, in defiance of the borders that attempt to divide us, committed to working together for the human dignity of all peoples.
There will be a press conference on Monday, May 30th at 10:30am at Southside Presbyterian Church (317 W. 23rd Street in Tucson, Arizona). The press conference will be held shortly before participants and supporters will head down to Sásabe, Sonora for the beginning of the Migrant Trail.
The purpose of the Migrant Trail is to call attention to the human rights crisis occurring on our borders. Since the 1990s, more than 5,000 men, women and children have lost their lives while attempting to cross the U.S. - México border. As the summer heat approaches, and triple-digit temperatures arrive, this number will dramatically increase, and many will die a horrible death of dehydration, exposure and hyperthermia. Last year, the number of human remains recovered on the Arizona-Sonora border reached a staggering 253; this is the second-deadliest year on record of migrant deaths. The remains of at least 88 individuals have been recovered thus far this fiscal year (the fiscal year runs from October 1 - September 30). These deaths must stop.
In no way is this journey meant to convey that we have lived the migrant experience. We will have food and water on our journey. We will have medical attention and aid at every step. Participants will be camping at various sites along the way. We will have sufficient rest and protection. We will have what no migrant holds as certain: assurance of reaching our destination. Our intent is to declare solidarity with our migrant brothers and sisters. It is important to understand the dangers that these brave men, women and children face. We will share our experiences with our communities, and will give testimony of our trek through the desert.
Please consider being part of the Migrant Trail this year. By bearing witness with us, you will see and experience for yourself the journey that thousands have made, including the extreme temperatures and terrain of the Sonoran Desert, and the isolation of the journey. You will have the insight into the extent that human beings are willing to go to in order to secure a better future for themselves and their children. Knowing what extreme suffering migrants endure to get here also leads us to consider the economic, political and social factors that drive them to risk and often lose their lives on our border.
For more information, or to confirm your participation on the Migrant Trail, please contact Kat Rodriguez at 520-770-1373 or migrant_trail@yahoo.com. Media participants will also gain access to the unpublished media cell phone. Participants will be available for interviews in either Spanish or English at this unpublished number during the week of the Migrant Trail.
In Solidarity,
The Migrant Trail 2011 Organizing Committee
The Migrant Trail
c/o Arizona Border Rights Foundation
P.O. Box 1286 Tucson, AZ 85702
Tel: 520.770.1373
migrant_trail@yahoo.com
http://www.derechoshumanosaz.net/
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