On Lifted Problems (Preliminary Reports)

The American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) is a Quaker organization that includes people of various faiths who are committed to social justice, peace and humanitarian service. Its work is based on the belief in the worth of every person and faith in the power of love to overcome violence and injustice. About the San Diego Area Office The San Diego Area Office is part of the Pacific Southwest Region of the AFSC and is comprised of various Programs and Activities that encompass the values of peace, justice and Human Rights. The Programs housed in the San Diego Area Office include the U.S./Mexico Border Program and Project Voice Network. U.S./Mexico Border Program (USMBP)-USMBP was initiated in 1977 to address economic imbalances between the U.S. and México and to study the growing movement of human migration. Throughout the years the program has evolved into a Human Rights monitoring project with the objective of documenting human and civil rights abuses by law enforcement agencies as well as providing Human Rights workshops for migrant communities as a tool for Human Rights promotion and community empowerment. Project Voice/Proyecto Voz: Project Voice is a nationwide AFSC program whose purpose is to strengthen the voices of migrant-led organizations in setting the national agenda for immigration policy and migrants' rights. Project Voice combines local and national organizing, education, and outreach campaigns to achieve a strategic impact on key immigration and refugee issues, including legalization, abuse of authority, community relations, workers' rights, and other Human Rights issues. ISSUES ADDRESSED BY THE PROGRAMS: The San Diego Area Office focuses on the defense of migrant human and civil rights, farm labor rights, and the monitoring of policies and practices of federal immigration agencies under the Department of Homeland Security; and that of other law enforcement agencies. In addition, the programs work with migrant families to inform and facilitate an understanding on the impact of immigration law, enforcement of these laws, and the role of militarism on families, communities and society. COMMUNITY PARTNERS: The AFSC San Diego Area Office collaborates extensively with community partners that bring with them tremendous human resources, advocacy, education and community based responses to violations of Civil and Human Rights abuses. AFSC collaborates with the following community partners: KEY RECOMMENDATIONS This preliminary report's findings suggest that special concern needs to be prioritized for vulnerable communities during events of natural disaster, with a particular focus on migrant communities. The …