RCE Borderlands Mexico-USA - 2018

CURRENT PROJECT 14: Business beyond Borders
CSV
Basic Information
Title of project : 
CURRENT PROJECT 14: Business beyond Borders
Submitting RCE: 
RCE Borderlands México-USA
Contributing organization(s) : 
1) Las Cruces Green Chamber of Commerce

2) Sinuate Media: The organic marketing company

3) Law Offices of Melissa J. Reeves

4) Living Lab/Centro de Diálogo y Transformación Inc.
Focal point(s) and affiliation(s)
Name: 
Carrie Hamblen
Organizational Affiliation: 
Las Cruces Green Chamber of Commerce
E-mail: 
carriehamblen@gmail.com
Name: 
Leah Messina
Organizational Affiliation: 
Sinuate Media - The Organic Marketing Company
E-mail: 
leah@sinuatemedia.com
Name: 
Melissa J. Reeves
Organizational Affiliation: 
Law Office of Melissa J. Reeves
E-mail: 
mjreeves2005@gmail.com
Name: 
Carolina López C.
Organizational Affiliation: 
Living Lab/Centro de Diálogo y Transformación Inc.
E-mail: 
living.lab.cdt.inc@gmail.com
Format of project: 
Bilingual Business Toolkit Book, Workshops & Short Courses on Starting and sustaining a small business, i.e. to business operations, marketing, branding, customer outreach, business finance, legal concerns, customer service, etc.
Language of project: 
Spanish & English
Date of submission:
Friday, November 30, 2018
Web link: 
1) http://locallascruces.com/about/las-cruces-green-chamber-of-commerce-board-of-directors/
Additional resources: 
2) https://www.sinuatemedia.com/

3) http://www.mreeves2005.qwestoffice.net/index2.html

4) https://www.facebook.com/Living-LabCentro-de-Di%C3%A1logo-y-Transformaci%C3%B3n-Borderlands-M%C3%A9xico-USA-1080731175368081/
Does this project link to any education and/or sustainable development policy or policies?: 
Yes
Agenda 2030
At what level is the policy operating?: 
International
Geographical & Education Information
Region: 
Americas
Country: 
United States
Location(s): 
Primarily New Mexico USA & Chihuahua, México. Additional services will be provided in Texas, Arizona & California USA; Sonora & Baja California, México and beyond
Address of focal point institution for project: 
1) Las Cruces Green Chamber of Commerce
221 N Downtown Mall
Las Cruces, NM
88001 USA

2) Living Lab/Centro de Diálogo y Transformación Inc.
Priv. de Encino #1905-2
Col. Granjas
Chihuahua, Chih.
31100 México
Ecosystem(s):
Agricultural, Dryland, Forest, Fresh water, Grassland, Mountain, Urban/Peri-urban
Target Audience:
Community, Youth (Informal)
Socioeconomic and environmental characteristics of the area : 
The project aims to promote economic revitalization primarily in rural communities on both sides of the US-México border by providing business, marketing and e-commerce training for youth and for others residing on both sides of the international border.
Description of sustainable development challenge(s) in the area the project addresses: 
The project aims to promote local economic revitalization through local production and consumption, and to create e-commerce opportunities for residents of rural communities. The model used provides basic business, marketing and e-commerce training on-site in rural communities seeking to develop their local economies, and to increase employment opportunties for their youth and other residents.
Contents
Status: 
Ongoing
Period: 
November, 2018
Rationale: 
Healthy vibrant local economies provide sustainable livelihoods for their communities and, when environmental impacts are taken into consideration, they encourage restoration and sustainable usage of the local environment.
Objectives: 
° Create, publish and disseminate a bilingual Business Toolkit for use on both sides of the US-México border through Transformation Press

° Develop a second toolkit to help businesses create an online store

° Offer trainings in small business development, marketing and e-commerce on site in rural communities on both sides of the US-México border

° Conduct Situational Analyses and Needs Analyses in order to tailor the workshops to the particulars of each community

° Las Cruces Green Chamber & Sinuate Media will offer an initial training in the communities

° Las Cruces Green Chamber & Sinuate Media will train Prof. López to continue with the on-site trainings after their initial intervention

° Integrate follow-up consultations into the intervention plan in order to help communities address changes emerging in social media and e-commerce models

° Design a video-chat capability into the project in order to provide support to communities from remote locations

° Coordinate with CURRENT PROJECT 8. "’Include me!’- ‘¡Ne si asimera!’ Indigenous Education with the Rarámuri Community in Guazapares Municipality, Chihuahua México” in order to support efforts to ensure sustenance and wellbeing for members of the community

° Plan and help to launch a Rarámuri marketplace in Témoris, Chihuahua and online
Activities and/or practices employed: 
° Develop, publish and disseminate a bilingual 'Business Toolkit' which will include training for small business development, marketing strategies and e-commerce models for the creation of onlines stores designed to extend the reach of sales beyond the communities
° Provide small business development trainings on-site in rural communities along the US-México borderlands
° Create and offer a system through which we can continue supporting the communities when we are not on-site
° Offer our services as a priority to the Rarámuri community located in Témoris, Chihuahua and throughout Guazapares Municipality
Size of academic audience: 
Currently we have 14 communities wishing to receive small business training. We hope the book published in English & Spanish will reach countless communities around the world. We are willing to travel to offer these training sessions wherever needed.
Results: 
° Economic revitalization in rural communities

° Creation of licit employment opportunities for youth and others residing in rural communities throughout the borderlands

° Increased capital flow and liquidity in small rural communities

° Encouraging and supporting an entrepreneurial spirit in small rural communities

° Having a secondary impact on human migration patterns, as more livelihood opportunities are offered at the local level in areas where outmigration is currently prevalent
Lessons learned: 
° Honor the inherent dignity of all people, wherever they are and in whatever circumstances.

° Journey with people as they begin to envision themselves in sustainable, dignified livelihoods. Support their visions and their honorable efforts. Let the work grow from on the ground, from the local needs, dreams and visions. Support it, but let people do it. We are not the ‘experts’ or ‘the bosses,’ but simply steadfast companions on the journey.

° People are brilliant. When vision and self-confidence become strongly rooted, we are able to move away, and to simply provide a channel for ongoing support if and when needed.

° Communities will come to a place where they 'no longer need us,' only calling us when a crisis has occurred, when they wish for some sort of follow up, or simply to celebrate their victories with us.

° Honoring, respecting and dignifying, helping people to envision, to see the steps that need to taken in order to implement and to sustain their dreams are a fairly certain way to help communities move out of poverty and into plenty
Key messages: 
People often have hidden entrepreneurial talents. Our job is to help individuals and communities envision themselves as business owners, to let them develop and implementation plan, and to support them on the journey.
Relationship to other RCE activities: 
At RCE Borderlands México-USA we consider sustainable economic development as a foundation for all aspects of sustainable development. This project begins by building the foundations for strong local economies. As such, it underlies pretty much all of the work that we do.

This project is intrinsically linked to:

a) CURRENT PROJECT 1. The Mobile Living Lab as a Driver for Sustainable Community Development: Environmental, economic and human wellbeing along the Sustainability Corridor in Chihuahua, Mexico

b) CURRENT PROJECT 8. "Include me!"- "¡Ne si asimera!" Indigenous Education with the Rarámuri Community in Guazapares Municipality, Chihuahua México
Funding: 
1) This project has unconditional in-kind support from Living Lab/Centro de Diálogo y Transformación Inc.

2) We are currently seeking to identify foundations and other funding sources which support work of this nature
References and reference materials: 
File 14. BBB Proposal Summary. Funding. 17-12-18.docx
UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
(https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/sdgs) and other themes of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD)
SDG 1 - End poverty in all its forms everywhere 
Direct
SDG 2 - End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture 
Indirect
SDG 3 - Ensure healthy lives and promote wellbeing for all at all ages 
Indirect
SDG 4 - Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all 
Direct
SDG 5 - Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls 
Direct
SDG 6 - Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all 
Indirect
SDG 7 - Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all 
Indirect
SDG 8 - Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment, and decent work for all 
Direct
SDG 9 - Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialisation, and foster innovation 
Direct
SDG 10 - Reduce inequality within and among countries 
Direct
SDG 11 - Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable 
Direct
SDG 12 - Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns 
Direct
SDG 13 - Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts 
Indirect
SDG 14 - Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development 
Indirect
SDG 15 - Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification and halt and reverse land degradation, and halt biodiversity loss 
Indirect
SDG 16 - Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels 
Direct
SDG 17 - Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalise the global partnership for sustainable development 
Direct
Theme
Disaster Risk Reduction 
Indirect
Traditional Knowledge  
Indirect
Agriculture 
Indirect
Arts 
Indirect
Curriculum Development 
Direct
Ecotourism 
Direct
Forests/Trees 
Indirect
Plants & Animals 
Indirect
Waste 
Indirect
Global Action Programme (GAP) on Education for Sustainable Development – Priority Action Areas
Priority Action Area 1 - Advancing policy 
Indirect
Priority Action Area 2 - Transforming learning and training environments 
Direct
Priority Action Area 3 - Building capacities of educators and trainers 
Direct
Priority Action Area 4 - Empowering and mobilizing youth 
Direct
Priority Action Area 5 - Accelerating sustainable solutions at local level 
Direct
Update: 
No