Community Organizing

The Colonias Development Council is committed to bringing about sustainable and significant change in the colonia communities; community organizing is one of the integral tools in achieving this goal. The National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy (NCRP)  defines community organizing as “a process of building relationships, leadership and power, typically among disenfranchised communities, and bringing that power and collective voice to bear on the issues that affect those communities by engaging with relevant decision-makers.” The CDC strives to follow this model through its various community organizing projects, all of which involve community members in direct dialogue about the strengths and needs of their communities.

CDC community organizing develops long-term projects that build personal and communal leadership and empowerment. Moreover, these projects promote intergenerational involvement from residents, while encouraging community members to identify and address their own needs through self advocacy. This approach mirrors the NCRP definition that, in community organizing, “affected constituencies are the agents of change, rather than paid advocates.” 

Organizing includes many ongoing projects that are a part of larger ongoing “permanent campaigns” that engage community members in a variety of ways. Examples of these campaigns include:

-Human Rights Campaign: This campaign consists of multiple public “Know Your Rights” workshops that provide invaluable information to the residents of the colonias communities. Using curriculum developed in conjunction with New Mexico State University, the American Civil Liberties Union and other nonprofit organizations, these trainings are fundamental to empowering the residents of southern New Mexico.

-Promotores de la comunidad: Community promotores are lay workers who educate and disseminate information in their own communities. This grassroots model posits that residents understand the needs of the community better than outsiders. CDC regularly holds trainings for the various promotores programs throughout the year.

-Civic Education and Engagement Projects: In an effort to better educate communities that are often isolated from information outlets, the CDC sponsors “Meet the Candidate” forums and legislature education campaigns. These nonpartisan, informative forums help bring important issues to the forefront, educating residents on civic issues and providing a space for their concerns to be considered. There are also cultural events, including Mexican Independence and Year End celebrations, engage  and unify residents of these communities.

-Intercolonias Exchange: This campaign was established with the help of the Equal Voice for America’s Families through the Marguerite Casey foundation. Although colonia communities across southern New Mexico experience many similar problems, they are often isolated from one another. Opportunities like the Intercolonias Exchanges allow residents from neighboring colonias to share a community’s obstacles and triumphs while receiving feedback on these issues from other communities.

-Safe and Healthy Communities: The CDC regularly organizes many workshops and trainings about environmental health and justice issues. The trainings, held in collaboration with the EPA and New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) focus on issues of waste disposal, air and water quality, and fair land use. Periodic community clean-ups are also organizing under this permanent campaign.

-Farm Worker Rights: Due to many agricultural jobs in the southern New Mexico, farm worker issues are incredibly important in the communities where CDC works. In collaboration with many other organizations across the area, CDC is part of the Friends and Advocates for Farm workers (FAF). The CDC is also a supporter of the current Worker’s Compensation lawsuit, which hopes to bring coverage to farm workers.
The organizing efforts have had many successes throughout the history of the CDC. In the mid-1990’s, the CDC helped collect affidavits from farm worker families in preparation for a class action lawsuit against the Village of Hatch. The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights visited to investigate unfair housing practices in the Village ordinances. Sixteen families settled out of court, and Hatch was required to change discriminating language and develop a fair comprehensive housing plan.

In 1999, the CDC filed an injunctive relief against Doña Ana County for violations of Fourth Amendment rights in the county’s Solid Waste Ordinance. Subsequently, the Doña Ana County modified the ordinance to include protections against illegal search and seizure. Two years later, the CDC helped mobilize community resistance to a fourth landfill in the Chaparral community. The resistance movement took the issue to the New Mexico State Supreme Court.

In September 2009, after years of work by promotoras clamoring for better roads, residents of the Del Cerro and Vado communities learned that construction would soon commence on a local road. Thanks to the efforts of promotoras in this community, the roads project is finally showing promising results. The promotoras vow to continue fight for infrastructure development in their community.