President's Peace Commission

Father Rudy Vela, Vice President for Mission and Identity at St. Mary's University, opens this first session of the Fall 2010 President's Peace Commission with an invocation. President Charles Cotrell then introduces the topic of border violence before Cyra Dumitru, instructor of English and Communication Studies, moderates the presentation. A collection of stories and poems written by St. Mary's students impacted by the violence along the border have been woven together and are presented by Francesca Garcia, Melissa Lara, and Kaylee Rivero in a dramatic readers' theater. Larice Yanar and Stephanie Zaragoza, both St. Mary's students explain how this project began with a writing assignment in Ms. Dumitru's class and expressed the importance of sharing these stories. Patricia McNaught, Director of the Children's Bereavement Center of South Texas, then speaks about how she uses creative interventions for her clients, which range in ages from 3 to 24 years of age and are trying to come to grasps and deal with grief. A question and answer period concludes this presentation. (55 minutes)

David Zapata, graduate student at St. Mary's University, moderates this panel presentation featuring Dr. Steve Nivin of the Economics Department at St. Mary's University and Director of SABÉR; Juan Antonio Flores, Associate Director of Public Affairs at North American Development Bank; and, Rogelio Garcia, Director of Business Development and Chief of Staff at Free Trade Alliance. Dr. Nivin begins by explaining the economic impact of the border violence on the Texas, San Antonio, and border economies. He reports that the Texas economy is growing, but may or may not be impacted by the violence. Mr. Flores, who grew up in Laredo, discusses Mexico's economy and judicial system. Mr. Garcia also addresses the issue of the economics along the U.S.-Mexican border. A question and answer period concludes this session. (83 minutes)

Dr. Bill Israel of the English and Communications Studies Department serves as the moderator for this presentation and introduces Robert Rivard the Editor and Executive Vice President of the San Antonio Express-News and author of Trail of Feathers. Mr. Rivard explains how the drug traffickers have used fear to silence the media in the U.S.-Mexican Border Region, particularly on the Mexican side. He explains how one person has used citizen journalism to create www.BlogdelNarco.com, the leading source of news in Mexico. The creator of BlogdelNarco has concealed his or her identity for protection, but the result is an uncensored view of what is really happening in Mexico. The site has 3 million visitors, including top Mexican officials, Mexican reporters, and U.S. reporters. Mr. Rivard also shares some of the stories of journalist violence, which have caused "main-stream" news to self-censor what is reported, including the death of his friend, story of which is the topic of his book Trail of Feathers. A question and answer period concludes this presentation. (49 minutes)

Melissa Garcia, student at St. Mary's University, moderates this panel presentation featuring Dottie Laster, President of Laster Global Consulting and Training, and Melissa Moreno, Director of the Anti-Trafficking Program of Catholic Charities, Archdiocese of San Antonio. Ms. Laster begins by explaining human trafficking and how she trains law enforcement personnel about human trafficking. Ms. Moreno explains her job and how the Anti-Trafficking Program works. A Question and answer period concludes this session. (47 minutes)

Gabriel Hernandez, a graduate student at St. Mary's University, moderates this panel presentation. Jose Gonzalez, a Federal Field Specialist for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, explains his job within the Department of Unaccompanied Children Services, which takes care of children (ages 0 to 17) who Department of Homeland Security has deemed "unaccompanied" immigrants. Jimmy Reyes, a Commander of the San Antonio Police Department of the Covert Section. He explains that so far San Antonio has not been directly impacted by the violence along the border. Indirectly, San Antonio has become a trans-shipment point for drug distribution, which may result in drug-related violence. Commander Reyes fears that drug transportation is moving north of the Texas-Mexican border. A question and answer concludes this presentation. (50 minutes)

Dr. Jordan R. Humphrey of the St. Mary's University Career Services Center serves as the moderator for this panel presentation. Michael W. Feil is the Director of Intrnational Security Initatives at Mexicans and Americans Thinking Together (MATT). Mr. Feil explains that MATT is trying for binational solutions. He suggests that since no one can "fix" everything by themselves, the U.S. government needs to partner with NGOs in Central and South America. Michael West (?) from Cases por Cristo speaks next explaining how Casas por Cristo is a partnership of American and Mexican churches which come together and build houses for the poor in Juarez in just 4 days. The group doesn't just provide shelter, they address the spiritual needs of the new homeowners. The last panelist to speak is Amanda L. Rivas, the Border and Pro Bono Coordinator and Clinical Fellow at the Center for Legal and Social Justice at St. Mary's University. Ms. Rivas details some of the projects the Center for Legal and Social Justice do along the border, including immigration referrals in Laredo and Eagle Pass; monthly civil legal clinics (to address identity theft, consumer fraud, Social Security issues, divorce/custody issues, and tax issues); and alternate spring break projects. A question and answer period concludes this session. (65 minutes)

Brother Brandon Alana moderates this panel presentation. Carlos Villareal, Editor and Multicultural Specialist for RCL Benziger begins by sharing a prayer of peace. He details the prayer aspects of the Church's response and reminds us that we must pray for our enemies, too. Reverend James Patrick Fischler, Pastor, Sacred Heart Parish in Del Rio, Texas, shares how just recently the drug violence has begun to affect Del Rio. The city has experienced a decrease in illegal border crossings, but an increase in drug traffic. He urges Catholic involvement in immigration reform. Anna Alicia Chavez is the Education and Formation Program Coordinator of Catholic Relief Services-Southwest Region. Ms. Chavez explicates how crime breeds crime in this region of the world and that violence has affected everyone in Mexico and the borderland. A question and answer period concludes the presentation. (64 minutes)

Marcela Camarena, student at St. Mary's University, moderates this panel discussion and begins by introducing the two speakers. Tatiana Sultzbach is the Manager of Diversity and Inclusion for the Methodist Healthcare System and is a St. Mary's University alumna. Ms. Sultzbach was born in Colombia and she shares her experience growing up in Colombia and her parents' decision to move the family to Boston. She briefly explains the "Plan Colombia" which is how Colombia is getting back on its feet after years of violence. Dr. Alejandro Velez, professor of Economics and International Business at St. Mary's University, shares how his family left Colombia when he was twelve. He also details the "Plan Colombia" which began in 2002 and is an atttempt to eradicate the narco-traffic in Colombia. So far it has resulted in the FARC ceding territory it had unrightfully claimed and a general pacification of the country, although much still needs to be done. Dr. Velez shares a video of a Charlie Rose interview with Sergio Fajardo, former mayor of Medellin, Colombia and who was running for the presidency of Colombia. Dr. Velez also shared a video showing what he called the "real" Colombia; he wanted to make sure the audience did not leave with a negative image of Colombia in their minds -- Colombia is not the most dire place to be. He further explained how drug traffic taints the "legal" economy. Mexico could very easily be the next Colombia and the panelists hope that Mexico learns from Colombia's fight with narco-trafficking to save lives and time. A question and answer period concludes this presentation. (76 minutes)

Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs, Andre Hampton, J.D., welcomes and introduces Sonia Nazario, a full-time author and until recently a projects reporter for The Los Angeles Times, who has spent 21 years reporting and writing about social issues. Ms Nazario explains how she happened upon the topic of children of (often-illegal) immigrants who want so desperately to be reunited with their parents that they travel thousands of miles and endure abuse in an attempt to locate their parents: her housekeeper Carmen shared her story of leaving 4 children in Guatamala because she could not provide for them. Ms. Nazario began investigating and learned that Carmen's story was painfully common. She interviewed hundreds of children and met Enrique. When Enrique was five, his mother, too poor to feed her children, left Honduras to work in the United States. The move allowed her to send money back home so Enrique could eat better and go to school past the third grade. She promised she would return quickly, but she struggled in America. Without her, he became lonely and troubled. After eleven years, he decided he would go find her. He set off alone, with little more than a slip of paper bearing his mother's North Carolina telephone number. Without money, he made the dangerous trek up the length of Mexico, clinging to the sides and tops of freight trains. He and other migrants, many of them children, are hunted like animals. To evade bandits and authorities, they must jump onto and off the moving boxcars they call the Train of Death. It is an epic journey, one thousands of children make each year to find their mothers in the United States. Ms. Nazario made this dangerous 1700 mile journey twice taking seven trains and both trips took 3 months. Enrique's story is one of thousands of stories of families torn apart. It is a human rights travesty and the story must be shared and become common knowledge to affect immigration legislation in the United States. A question and answer session concludes this presentation. (76 minutes)