NNIRR Home National Network for Immigrant and Refugee Rights

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ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Advocacy for Fair and Just Immigration Reform and Challenging Immigration Enforcement Rights Violations

  • National Immigrant Rights Advocacy Days  ( March 2007): NNIRR partnered with the American Friends Service Committee to bring some 200 immigrant community groups and rights activists to Washington DC for National Immigrant Rights Advocacy Days. Organized delegations made over a hundred visits to congressional offices. We conducted a congressional briefing and convened a national telemedia conference featuring diverse immigrant community representatives who shared their stories to press for fair and humane immigration reforms.
  • Emergency National Delegation to the U.S.-Mexico Border ( June 2006): Organized delegation to call attention to the devastating impact of border enforcement policies and build greater commitment to the protection of human rights at the border. Some 45 participants from diverse populations and communities around the country declared the tour a profound and life-changing experience.  The exchange fostered additional initiatives focusing attention on the border crisis, including a national delegation of African-Americans led by the Black Alliance for Just Immigration and the National Network.
  • Public Hearing: Communities on the Line: Impacts of Militarization and Impunity, (August 2006): c onvened in Tucson in partnership with the Coalicion de Derechos Humanos, and with the support of the Rights Working Group. Congressman Raul Grijalva of Arizona heard testimony from community residents and constituency representatives. The hearing garnered local media coverage and generated testimony that was recorded and submitted to members of Congress.
  • "Braving Borders, Building Bridges: A Journey for Human Rights," (April 26-29, 2007): brought some 15 African American leaders to the border area in a precedent-setting African-American human rights investigation at the U.S.-Mexico border in the Arizona-Sonora region. NNIRR co-organized and sponsored the tour, working with the Oakland-based Black Alliance for Just Immigration (BAJI), and with the Coalición de Derechos Humanos, based in Tucson.
  • US Social Forum (USSF) (June 27 – July 1, 2007): Following up on its past work at the World Social Forums and building upon our work in both the domestic and international arenas, the Network played an active role in planning the first US Social Forum in Atlanta, Georgia. . NNIRR participated in the Immigrant Rights Plenary; organized an Immigrant Rights Caucus, providing daily de-briefing sessions; and hosted the Immigrant Rights Tent, used as a common space for meetings, caucuses and a press conference. W e additionally organized three workshops: Trade & Migration: Exploring the Intersections of Trade & Immigration Policies from Community Perspectives; The Battle for Immigrant Rights and the 2008 Elections; and Linking Communities to Stop Border Militarization and Interior Raids/Deportations: A National Community Dialogue. Finally, we helped convene several workshops including Approaches to Organizing on Trade; Countering the Bilateral Free Trade Agreement; Immigrant Rights Messaging; and Bringing the Immigrant Rights and LGBTST Movements Home.
  • Border Social Forum (October 2006): NNIRR helped to organize and lead the “migration track” at the Border Social Forum convened in Ciudad Juarez in October 2006, and several staff and members participated. NNIRR’s workshop on migrant rights attracted one of the largest numbers of participants and was key to shaping the outcome document of the Forum. (Forum report and photos posted on our blog at http://www.migrantdiaries.blogspot.com/.)

Advancing Migrant Rights in the International Arena: Connecting at Local, National and Global levels

  • Global Community Forum on Migration, Development and Human Rights (July 2007): NNIRR played a lead role in organizing this "parallel event" to the intergovernmental Global Forum on Migration and Development, held in Brussels, Belgium.  The separation of the Global Forum process from the UN system threatens to further undermine human rights protections for migrant workers and their families internationally, so our global partner, Migrant Rights International, convened the Community Forum to stress the need for a human rights framework in the new intergovernmental process. Over 200 people from migrant rights groups around the world attended the Community Forum and committed to forging a global migrant rights platform.
  • UN Special Rapporteur (SR) Fact-Finding Mission to U.S. (April – May, 2007): Working with the American Civil Liberties Union’s Human Rights Program, NNIRR co-organized the civil society portion of a 9-city mission of Dr. Jorge Bustamante, the UN Special Rapporteur on the Human Rights of Migrants, . The tour spotlighted the overall human rights crisis for immigrants at the border and the interior, and involved more than 15 NNIRR member organizations in various aspects (reports, hearings, site visits etc.). In addition, NNIRR coordinated with the Coalicion de Derechos Humanos for the SR’s visit to the U.S.-Mexico border. Dr. Bustamante will release a report on his findings at the UN by the end of 2007.
  • International Migrants Day (IMD), December 18, 2006: NNIRR promoted IMD nationally, developing and circulating a National Statement and publicizing events in some 25 communities nationally to raise awareness of human rights for migrants. NNIRR’s event in Oakland focused on and benefited the plight of the Oakland day laborers who have been the targets of vicious attacks and murders in recent months.
  • Mobilizing migrant civil society for the United Nations High Level Dialogue on Migration and Development (UNHLD) (September 2006): NNIRR played a leading role, working with international partners such as Migrant Rights International, to bring migrant voices to this important dialogue , held at the UN in September 2006. The UNHLD proposed a new direction for intergovernmental consideration of migration and development work outside of the UN system that will emphasize development to the neglect of human rights, and will further sideline civil society roles in policy development.  NNIRR participated in preparatory events and planning meetings at the UN and with partners in New York and Geneva and led fundraising efforts to support international migrant participation towards and during the UNHLD. NNIRR coordinated the preparations for several “parallel” events for civil society participants in New York, including bringing together almost 200 domestic and international participants to the Global Community Dialogue on Migration, Development and Human Rights; an International Migrant Rights Solidarity and Cultural Event with local immigrant community groups; and a media briefing and rally outside the UN featuring former UN Commissioner on Human Rights, Mary Robinson.

Shaping and Providing Education and Capacity Building Opportunities

  • Organized the 3rd annual national Immigrant and Immigrant Rights Training Institute (IRRTI) ( November 2006) in Oakland, bringing together over 100 immigrant rights groups and allies nationwide for popular education and skills-building workshops. The gathering also featured an assessment of the midterm elections and the impact on immigration. Launched in 2004, IRRTI provides an opportunity to immigrant rights organizers and advocates, both new and old, to learn new skills, share experiences, and network with friends and allies throughout the country.
  • Convened Northwest and Southeast Immigrant and Refugee Rights Training Institutes (April 2006, June 2007): Regional trainings are important in making IRRTI more accessible to grassroots groups and for providing strategic opportunities to meet and network on key issues. In April 2006 we worked with partners in the Northwest region to convene our first regional training institute, drawing together over 100 activists for a 3-day training that also highlighted strategic discussions on anti-immigrant initiatives in the various states in the region. In June 2007, 100 participants gathered in Chapel Hill, NC for our first Southeast regional training, which included a “mapping” of changed demographics in the Southeast and strategic discussions on strengthening relationships between immigrant and African American communities.
  • Produced new learning modules for BRIDGE (Building a Race and Immigration Dialogue in the Global Era), NNIRR’s popular education resource. Human Rights Documentation, Grassroots Legislative Advocacy, U.S.-Mexico Border History and Policies and “Messaging From Our Values”(in conjunction with the Progressive Communicators Network) will all help to strengthen organizing for immigrant rights.

 
National Network for Immigrant and Refugee Rights