Caravan to Calamity or Aspiration…
In 1502 Amerigo Vespucci, another Italian sailing for Spain, landed in Honduras and on returning to Spain declared that Columbus had not discovered India, but two conjoined continents. In his honor this discovery these new continents were called the Americas. Later termed North and South America. So when one says “America First,” or “Make America Great Again” should that not mean all of the Americas?
There is what is called a “Caravan” of people moving northward to the US border. This is not an invasion, these are impoverished, hungry migrants with just their sandals on their feet and their clothes on their backs walking 1000 miles seeking a better life. What is needed is humanitarian investment. Let me explain.
Making all of North and South America Great means that all of America (and England also in the case of Belize) must intervene. Mexico has already stepped up and offered all migrants resettlement in southern Mexico with rights to live, work, healthcare, banking, children’s education etc. These migrants simply want the opportunity to “pull themselves up by their boots straps.” However, we must see to it that they have bootstraps.
Where these migrants come from, mostly Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador, there is little industry, high unemployment, no healthcare. What they are forced to tolerate is injustice, and little if any police protection from violent gangs. These people see no future for themselves, so they are forced to leave to seek new hope.
We, primarily Mexico, US and Canada, need to seek: 1. Stabilization of all Central American Democratic Governments and economies, 2. An environment such as Mexico has to welcome refugees, 3. New opportunity for these refugees.
In North America, particularly the US, there is a void of skilled and semi-skilled labor. This is because vocational training has all but wiped out. Mexico, the USA and Canada needs plumbers, cement workers carpenters, electricians, and shopkeepers. I also see a greater need for sheet metal workers, auto mechanics, road paving and public safety.
After World War II the US sponsored the Marshall Plan for Europe and Japan. Certainly, with North America and South America working together as we could under a new NAFTA and a newly created SAFTA, we can uplift the economies in Central America. Factories can create low cost products just like originally Japan in the 1950’s, Korea in the 1960’s, and China in the 1970’s once did.
Immigration reform is a hot topic. In the US we already depend on migrant labor for harvesting most of our vegetable and fruit crops. These refugees need place to go. Let’s give them the legal option of applying for green card status. With Mexico’s permission, the US, Mexico and Canada could set up a migrant processing center in southern Mexico. Migrants can apply to stay in Mexico as Mexico has already offered resettlement, others may be documented and apply for US or Canada residence based on their past history, education and vocational skills.
Many of these refugees want to learn a vocation, Vocational educations are in demand in North and South America. What I propose is to set up a non-profit 501c3 corporation to assist In preparing migrant refugees with attaining needed vocational skills. Basic at first, such as road paving, painting, landscaping and public utility work, then add carpentry, plumbing, electrical trades. Other trades such as auto mechanics, sheet metal work could be added later. These migrants want to work, not live on the streets or on welfare.
The location: It would be easy to find and or construct some basic buildings preferably within walking distance from where they would be living with the assistance of the Mexican Government or possibly southern Texas. Next we need to find some teachers, preferably some retired volunteers, who speak Spanish. I want to establish a Go Fund Me Account to raise money for a 501c3 non profit.
I am just throwing some thoughts out there to generate a response, conversation, feedback on these ideas. Write to me on Linked In.
