CHARTER

Mrs. Margaret Spellings, U. S. Secretary of Education;

Mr. Luis Alberto Moreno, President of the Inter-American Development Bank;

Mr. Emilio Azcárraga Jean, President of Grupo Televisa and CEO of Espacio Vanguardia Asociación Civil;

Mr. Jose Miguel Insulza, Secretary General of the Organization of American States;

Esteemed Madame Secretary and distinguished members of this panel:

We would like to begin this address by quoting the American author and philosopher, Henry David Thoreau, who we feel depicts what this space, Vanguardia Latina, has done for us, young Latinos and Latin Americans:

“If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost. There is where they should be. Now put foundations under them.”

We all came here as inspired students with dreams, which at times felt unrealistic and unreachable. But as we spent these days together, exchanged our views on different topics, and shared our dreams of having better cities, countries, continent, and world, we realized we are not alone: that our dream is shared by many other young enthusiastic people. We want to thank Vanguardia Latina for giving us the tools to begin constructing the foundations that will make our dreams a reality.

We, young Latinos and Latin-Americans, speaking from the standpoint of our realities, express to the current political and social leaders in the Americas our deeply interrelated ideas and concerns, and the commitments that we are willing to undertake, on the following topics, which have been consensually considered as priorities for achieving the development of the region:

1) Security

As inhabitants of the Americas we need strong, democratic states, capable of protecting their peoples from any security threats, without compromising an active respect of Human Rights and liberties. We must strive for the ideals of freedom that our ancestors once fought for. We need intergovernmental coordination and cooperation to respond to threats on a regional level. Moreover, we must improve the functionality of public institutions and their image. On an individual level, we will strive to achieve this through the promotion of active citizenship and a culture of peace.

2) Education for the 21st century

We urge the governments, the private sector, and civil society, to undertake initiatives that potentiate education in the Americas. We must improve access to knowledge, through educational texts and investment in information technologies and digital literacy.

Knowing that our countries do not allocate enough resources for education, we advocate the increase in public and private investment, rather than the expansion of military budgets.

As to the condition of immigrant students in the US, we aspire to foster cultural understanding by promoting a bilingual education, not only in the US but in the Americas as a whole. This must also imply the inclusion of the history of Latino immigrants in the US in a way that avoids stereotypes and misconceptions, in American educational programs. Regarding the opportunities available to these students, we strongly recommend the reconsideration of the Dream Act by the legislature.

Regarding education in the Americas, we want to transform our curricula to change their exclusionary character. We are in need of a Latin American culture that vindicates the diversity stemming from our origins and heritage.

As a means to achieve this we suggest the strengthening and expansion of linkage programs inspired in the European Erasmus model that promote cultural enrichment and respect for diversity.

To fulfill the gaps in access to, and the delivery of education in Latin America, we recommend the implementation of initiatives such as UNESCO's Life program for promoting literacy and the US model “Teach for America” that allows university students to help communities, not only in the US but also all around the continent.

3) Political challenges for the region

The weakness of public institutions is an endemic problem in our region.

We believe political engagement and participation, particularly among our youth, are essential to strengthen the institutions from their core. In order to achieve this aim, we want to embark in projects to educate the people in their civic rights and duties, both in the US and Latin America. Special attention should be paid to youth voter registration, which is a main strategy of political empowerment.

4) Migration in the Americas

Migration is a transnational issue that sets pressure on both sending and receiving countries across the continent. A fair and dignifying treatment must be guaranteed to the migrant individual, whether he or she is in transit or already settled in any given place. Documented or not, this population must see all their fundamental human rights guaranteed.

Latinos are presently the largest immigrant group in the US, and their identity has been shaped by various immigrant waves.

The perception of Latin American immigrants and Latinos in the United States must be improved by enhancing the positive aspects that make their identity unique.

Undocumented migration will not be solved through the implementation of more laws or physical barriers. The ultimate goal is to provide the most vulnerable individuals with viable alternatives to migration.

This group usually feels that they do not have a choice and many use their life-long savings to cross the border through unauthorized channels. This should not be by any means encouraged, since it perpetuates the chains of abuse and exploitation they are subjected to. We must foster programs that create economically feasible opportunities for them to stay and build a future in their home countries, and keep them from undertaking life-threatening journeys.

We expect the next President of the United States to assume responsibility for the consequences of the US-Mexico border fence. We express our condemnation of the existence of this fence and of any policies leading to exclusion and isolationism.

Humankind is better off when walls are torn down, rather than built.

5) Sustainability & entrepreneurship

We deem it important to develop economic activities within the framework of integral sustainable development, in order to guarantee long-term wellbeing. We propose to create investment funds for low-energy projects, technologies, and companies; to widen the access to microfinancing systems in rural and urban areas; to enforce green practices in all sectors, as well as to fortify regulations and standards for hazardous waste, to prevent Latin American countries from becoming destinies of obsolete or harmful littering.

6) Business networks

We see opportunities to strengthen the Americas through commerce by promoting trade and capacity building between Latin Americans and Latinos. We personally assume this mutual responsibility by taking advantage of the networks we have built during this seminar.

7) Health

The U.S. health care system has disproportionate effects on minority communities and the poor. In eliminating the barriers that Latinos encounter in accessing care, we urge the respective authorities to find more effective methods, such as specific research activities to identify successful interventions, and to educate the public about eligibility for state and federal health programs. In addition, it is important to address the fear experienced by undocumented immigrants that arises from the lack of knowledge about the community health centers program. The policies of this program mandate that it must provide services regardless of a patient’s ability to pay, or legal status. Furthermore, we recommend more support for legislation, such as Title VII of the FY 2009 Labor, Health, Human Services, and Education Appropriations bill, that aims to increase the presence of Latinos in the healthcare workforce. This will allow us to provide optimal healthcare to the most vulnerable populations.

8) Art and Culture

Building the Latino identity: How do we relate to each other? Is it through music? Language? Common struggles? Values?

As leaders, we must promote and improve our nations’ image through cultural channels. In achieving this, we will enhance the way we are being perceived by the rest of the world and the perception we have of each other.

In order to accomplish our objective, we propose the promotion of Latino role models representing outstanding and influential contributions to the development of US society. We value the importance of respecting native cultural aspects to be essential and useful in the construction of a solid society that commemorates those who built it, as it shows flexibility towards its evolution. We recommend the implementation of networks such as Vanguardia Latina as highly effective tools towards facilitating the acknowledgement and spread of the Latino identity.

CONCLUSION

We understand that we will be held accountable and judged for our actions and omissions by future generations, just as we now hold accountable those that came before us. We wish for today’s commitment, networks, and vision to have a permanent impact on the future. For this to happen, we need the unconditional support of the institutions that accompany us today: The US Department of Education, The Inter-American Development Bank, The Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development, The Organization of American States, Espacio de Vinculación, Televisa, and the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization. We expect to see and hear your reactions to this document, and the ways you will share this commitment with us.

No somos una generación estática, sino una Vanguardia en Movimiento.

Presented on the second of May, 2008, Washington, D.C., United States of America.