A Binational Call for Civic Action

he San Diego-Tijuana region, with its 4.3 million residents, is in the midst of significant demographic and socio-economic changes that will increasingly require coordinated binational civic action by our leaders if our cross-border region is to prosper and stay competitive in the future. Yet, today concerns about homeland security and immigration dominate the U.S. binational agenda, while a growing number of critical issues affecting both communities remain unresolved such as:

Health: Infectious disease knows no political boundaries with the growing incidence of HIV and TB in our region. Otherwise preventable non-infectious diseases such as diabetes, are also on the rise. In Mexico, Tijuana ranks #1 in teen pregnancies.

Environment: Growing cross-border impacts are on the rise due to urban wastewater runoff and hazardous waste mismanagement, while water becomes a scarce binational resource.

Education: The school drop out rate is rising and academic performance declining among border area youth, impacting our regional competitiveness.

Regional Planning: Over 50,000 daily northbound commuters cross the border from Tijuana to work in San Diego. With growing cross border traffic delays and rising house prices on both sides of the border, innovative cross-border solutions are needed to respond to the needs of our binational workforce and future regional planning needs.

To respond to our border region’s shared challenges, ICF and our sister foundation, the Fundación Internacional de la Comunidad (FIC) have teamed up to establish the San Diego-Baja California 2016 Fund, a binational discretionary grantmaking fund dedicated to:

• Catalyzing Cross-border civic solutions & social change to address
  priority trans-boundary needs.
• Expanding cross-border non-profit collaboration to strengthen civil
  society capacity.
• Increasing binational leadership development.

As a binational community we have three options:

1. Ignore the issues
2. Hope that someone else will resolve our shared problems
3. Become involved

ICF and FIC are committed to working together to improve the quality of life in our shared border region over the next decade. We hope you will join us.

Support the San Diego-Baja California 2016 Fund today!
Visit www.icfdn.org/sd-baja2016fund.htm

PHOTO: Border fence, Playas de Tijuana, Imperial Beach, California. Photo credit: Richard Kiy.