Border Community Alliance, Inc.

Border Community Alliance bridges the border and fosters community through education, cultural exchange, and social investment.

(a.) The Borderlands Forum series of classes and workshops offered by BCA seeks to promote understanding and appreciation of the borderlands as a cross-cultural, binational resource. The forum provides focus, energy and quality to the educational mission of Border Community Alliance. Our aim is to be a clear, strong voice advocating mutual respect for the cultural diversity of the US-Mexico border region, thereby moderating the forces of xenophobia and racism that affect our region.

(b.) BCA Internship Program: The BCA Internship Program seeks to give participants broad exposure and provide hands-on experience to the realities of border life. Interns will experience perspectives from both sides of the border-politically, culturally, socially, and environmentally. Living close to the border is more than textbook theory. It is like having one foot in Mexico, and the other in the United States. BCA interns will have unique opportunities to dialogue with borderland writers, teachers, politicians, artists, migrants, social activists, environmentalists, and attorneys. And friendships are often forged for life.

(c.) Social Investment and Borderlands Community Development: Border Community Alliance grew out of relationships with people who wanted to promote binational connections between nonprofit organizations. From the beginning BCA has had a close relationship with FESAC, a Nogales, Sonora based community foundation. This unique arrangement allows us to provide pass through donations to FESAC and to specific NGO community organizations that BCA/FESAC supports. We strongly stand with FESAC in lifting up the local community by changing the narrative from charity to social investment.

(c.) Cross Border Tours: Nonprofit BCA offers cross-border intercultural experiences from Arizona into Sonora, Mexico and beyond for anyone interested in learning first-hand about the diverse heritage and realities of contemporary life in the shared border region.

(d.) Let's Speak Spanish Program: Let's Speak Spanish is a learning experience designed for adults who would like to interact more with Spanish speakers and learn more about the unique culture we all share here in the Borderlands. The program is especially targeted toward beginning learners who either have little experience with Spanish or had studied the language years ago. Through the use of small group breakouts, we are able to match learners with experienced facilitators who can help everyone gain new speaking and listening skills.

(e.) Borderlands Literature and Film Circle: The intention of the book circle is to meet with fellow readers and work together to develop a comprehensive understanding and appreciation of the Borderlands as a culturally diverse, historically significant and environmentally unique region that is connected to today's political and economic realities.

Testimonials

Since 2010 many people have learned first-hand about the dynamics of the borderlands by taking a BCA Cross Border Tour. After going on one of our tours, Dan Shearer, editor of the Green Valley News wrote, "…it changed my whole perspective on the border and our relationship with Mexico!"

Border Community Alliance's non profit citizen diplomacy work has been privileged to have been featured in the New York Times, NPR, PRI"s The World and international news media.