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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Amy Shannon: ashannon@alianzaamericas.org
Yancy Nuñez: ynunez@alianzaamericas.org
CHICAGO, January 17, 2019 – From January 21 to 24, representatives from national and local governments, private sector, and civil society organizations from around the world will meet in Quito, Ecuador for the XII Global Forum on Migration and Development Summit (GFMD-2019). In a year defined by the resurgence of attacks on migrant populations from across the Americas, the Summit will continue a global dialogue on migration just over a year after the adoption of the Global Compact for Migration. Quito will also host the People’s Global Action on Migration and Human Rights conference on January 20 – a space where civil societies can think critically and create proposals as an organized and collaborative community of activists. Delegates will exchange experiences and strategies to improve policies around include labor migration; climate-related displacement; and the criminalization of migrants and those assisting them.
Since before the creation of the Global Forum in 2007, Alianza Americas – a network of organizations led by migrants in the United States – has been an active part in the transnational effort to advocate for the protection of human rights of people in mobility, asylum seekers and refugees, and migrant communities in our region. We have been an active participant in the discussions taking place at the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration since its inception in Marrakech, Morocco.
During the Quito summit, a delegation of distinguished women leaders will represent Alianza Americas in a number of civil society spaces. The delegation includes Mirtha Colón, president of Alianza Americas and of the the Black Central American Organization; Lariza Dugan-Cuadra, treasurer of Alianza Americas and executive director of CARECEN San Francisco; and Claudia Lucero, member of Durango United in Chicago and director of CRLN in Chicago. Additionally, the voice of two emerging leaders will be present at the conference: Johana Valenzuela, of CARECEN DC and a student in Alianza America’s Leadership Institute; and Stephanie Rico, from the Transnational Women’s Collective in Mexico; along with two Alianza Americas national team members: Helena Olea, and Zorayda Ávila.
“Alianza Americas is proud to bring our perspectives as organized migrant leaders to this global forum. As an organization led by people who have lived experiences with mobility and migration, we know the root causes behind the difficult decision to leave one’s home. We reject the militarization and criminalization of people who migrate, which in the last year has caused so much pain and loss throughout our region. It is crucial that government actors, private sector and civil society work hand in hand to make it possible for people to live full and dignified lives, wherever they may be. We must create conditions so that fewer people are forced to leave their home countries due to violence, climate change and the lack of opportunities, and we must recognize the many benefits that migrants bring to destination countries,” says Mirtha Colón, president of Alianza Americas.
Interview Requests
Delegation in Quito. Delegates at the Quito summit will be available for press requests regarding the development of the event. You can contact Helena Olea at holea@alianzaamericas.org
In the United States and Central America. Oscar Chacón, executive director of Alianza Americas, is available to respond to press requests. You can contact him at ynunez@alianzaamericas.org.
Alianza Americas is a network of 50 immigrant-led organizations that represent more than 100,000 families across the United States. It is the only organization in the country that is rooted in Latino and Caribbean immigrant communities that work transnationally to create an inclusive, equitable and sustainable way of life. Alianza Americas is part of the Global Coalition on Migration and the Women in Migration Network (GCMWMN) and collaborates with the Peoples Global Action at its conference in Quito. Learn more at alianzaamericas.org.
