Symposium #25
Around the world, the reliance of people on the move with cell phones, messaging systems and social media to communicate, gather information concerning their routes, and coordinate their journeys seeking to reach their destinations has been well documented. However, research and data on how people do in fact interact with technology and make decisions in a context characterized by high levels of misinformation are scant. Work on the groups that facilitate clandestine journeys using social media platforms is also limited, which prevents the identification and proposal of effective protection mechanisms.
This symposium will focus on the use of technology by people on the move along the United States – Mexico border. It will cover the ways in which they engage with social media and mis/information, and the challenges these pose. Presenters will also share findings on the ways smuggling services are marketed online in the El Paso and neighboring sectors and the risks they pose to those seeking to reach United States territory. This will be accompanied by examples of efforts to counter social media-based misinformation implemented by international organizations working in the El Paso / Ciudad Juarez area.
Researchers
Estefani Beltran del Rio - Cross Border Protection
Estefani Beltran del Rio is a humanitarian professional responding to crises related to human displacement. She has a bachelor's degree in Communication and Digital Media and a Master's Degree in Human Rights and has conducted research on the experiences of deportation from the United States. She is currently the Cross Border Protection Coordinator at the International Rescue Committee (IRC) where she leads projects along the northern border and the Central Mexico, including Child and Women's Protection, Access to Information, Mental Health, and shelter capacity building, as well as emergency responses that have included assistance for people from Haiti and Afghanistan. She has also held positions related to gender-based violence and safeguarding in the humanitarian sector. She can be reached at Estefani.beltrandelrio@rescue.org
Miguel Angel Lugo Ruiz - Signpost Manager for Mexico, International Rescue Committee
Miguel Angel Lugo is an attorney specialized in victims' rights with extensive experience in direct attention to people and groups in conditions of vulnerability. He has worked both in the humanitarian sector and in governmental agencies in Mexico. He is manages the InfoDigna program, a platform that is part of a global effort of the International Rescue Committee (IRC), which seeks to inform people about access to rights and services for informed decision making. Prior to his experience with the IRC, he served as a legal advisor for Mexico’s Comisión Ejecutiva de Atención a Víctimas (CEAV). Mr. Lugo can be reached at Miguel.lugo@rescue.org
Dr. Gabriella Sanchez - Research Fellow - Georgetown University's Collaborative for Global Children's Issues
Dr. Gabriella Sanchez is a research fellow at Georgetown University’s Collaborative for Global Children’s Issues, where her current work examines the participation of women, young people and children in the facilitation of irregular migration in the Americas and their engagement with technology, especially social media. With a background in law enforcement, Dr Sanchez is a frequent commentator for US and international media, and has conducted extensive field-based research for UNODC, IOM, UNHCR, ICRC, and US and EU government agencies, on the organization of migrant smuggling organizations on the US-Mexico border, the Americas, North Africa and Europe. She can be reached at gs1083@georgetown.edu.
Watch the Symposium webcast
TBA
