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No More Deaths Desert Aid Camp to Open for 6th Consecutive Summer |
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Friday, 05 June 2009 22:46 |
Sunday, June 7, 4pm - evening
Arivaca, Arizona
Tucson-based humanitarian aid group No More Deaths invites friends, supporters and media to the opening ceremony of their Arivaca Desert Aid Camp. This will mark the beginning of the sixth summer the group has maintained a 24/7 presence in the desert.
The camp serves as a base station for the hundreds of volunteers who come throughout the summer to look for migrants who may be in distress. No More Deaths holds weekly trainings throughout the summer to teach new volunteers first aid, map reading and desert survival skills. Volunteers also learn about border history and engage in discussions about privilege.
About 30 volunteers are expected to staff the first week of camp beginning June 7.
No More Deaths acknowledges the complexities of border issues - but recognizes that migration is driven largely by trade and economic disparities between the United States and other Latin American countries. Combined with a border enforcement strategy that uses the harsh, remote Sonoran desert as a deterrent, the results are the thousands of deaths that have occurred since 1994 when current strategies were implemented. Authorities have recovered 79 bodies in Arizona so far this year (October 1 - April 25), seven more than compared to the same time period the year before.
The camp always has certified medical staff and spanish speakers who follow a protocol for providing humanitarian assistance to migrants.
A carpool will leave from Southside Presbyterian Church (317 W. 23rd St.) in Tucson at 2:00 pm, Sunday June 7. A high-clearance truck or SUV is advisable, but cars, if driven carefully, can make it to the camp, which is a 90-minute drive from Tucson. The camp is located on land owned by Byrd Baylor, a world-famous children's book author. |
