My work and research for the rest of the year will be a lot broader than the work I described in my previous blog post. I will be working with and researching refugee and migrant community organizations that utilize the Asset-Based Community Development model, which emphasizes focusing on the assets and successes of communities, rather than their needs and a problem-solving approach. I will specifically focus in on groups that are international in scope, in that they have offices in countries outside of their home country. I am going to study how much development is local as opposed to by “outsiders”, such as those outside of the community and outside of the country. This is especially important to target many of the national income inequalities that exist in Mexico between communities that are urban and rural, northern and southern states, and the rich and poor.

One of the main community organizations that I am working with and researching is Amextra, a fairly large bottom-up community planning and organizing group that works with urban and rural communities, mostly low income ones and specifically expanding communities created by rural migrants moving into the city and into new communities. They especially aid the migrant population in integrating into their new community and economy. I will be visiting communities that Amextra works with this upcoming week, and speaking with members of their staff to see the research needs they have and how their organizations utilizes the Asset-Based Community Development model.

Finally, the talk from ted.com that I encourage you to check out is by Hans Rosling, a global health expert and data visionary, who debunks myths about the so-called “developing world” using extraordinary animation software. See if it changes some of your perspectives on the “third world”.

Paz, Nikolai Smith