2009 18th Annual Western Migrant Stream Forum HIGHLIGHTS 

The 18th Annual Western Migrant Stream Forum – Salud Sin Fronteras – was held January 23-25 in Del Mar, CA.  Over 150 migrant health professionals came together for education and training, information and resource sharing, coalition building, and policy development.  Among the multitude of topics addressed during the conference were: binational health initiatives, continuity of care, diabetes management, disaster/emergency preparedness, environmental health risks, housing and immigration.

On Thursday, 30 participants joined a pre-conference trip to Tijuana, México, where they were able to tour the Casa del Migrante, a migrant safe house providing shelter, meals, basic medical services, and educational materials to migrants.  The tour was a unique opportunity for conference participants to connect with migrants on the other side of the border, and gain a broader perspective of the migrant experience.     

Friday’s opening plenary session began with a tribute to Shelley Davis, the Deputy Director of Farmworker Justice.  Shelley was a nationally recognized expert attorney for migrant farmworkers on immigration policy, occupational safety and health and labor rights.  The tribute to Shelley featured friends and colleagues from Migrant Clinicians Network, Líderes Campesinas, and the University of Washington who celebrated her tireless advocacy and honored her extraordinary work for justice in the fields.

The opening plenary continued with a keynote address from human rights activist, Enrique Morones.  Enrique is the founder of Border Angels, an all volunteer organization that helps to save the lives of migrants by placing water, food and medical supplies in the desert.  Enrique’s presentation was impassioned and inspirational, and advocated for a more just and humane treatment of the migrant population.      

Roberto Dansie was the keynote speaker during Saturday’s lunch plenary.  As always, Roberto’s presentation was as entertaining as it was informative as he good-naturedly encouraged participants to work collectively for meaningful change.  Moreover, Roberto offered a staunch example of the importance of solidarity, reminding participants of the origins of President Obama’s “yes we can” campaign slogan: “It is from the fields of the farmworkers that the voice of liberation has found its way to the top – ¡Sí Se Puede!”  

Finally, throughout the conference attendees were able to view images from the internationally acclaimed photographic series Living on the Border.  Karl Hoffman, the photographer, was present to provide context and to answer attendees’ questions (see section below).