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Article 1 of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) states:  “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.” If you look up the definition of Human Rights it reads: “Human rights are moral principles or norms that describe certain standards of human behavior, and are regularly protected as natural and legal rights in municipal and international law. They are commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights “to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being”, and which are “inherent in all human beings” regardless of their nation, location, language, religion, ethnic origin or any other status.”  Therefore it is our moral and legal obligation to treat all people with dignity and respect.

Social Justice is based on the concepts of human rights and equality, and can be defined as “the way in which human rights are manifested in the everyday lives of people at every level of society”. While this term and practice is quite old, it gained momentum in the early to mid-1800s with religious groups. The concept has morphed over time, however, modern practice still embodies: the protection of human dignity, actions to promote equal opportunities for everyone and holding the State accountable for the distribution of vital means.

For five years the Beyond Borders Team has operated to promote these concepts and has argued that these dignities extend beyond the life of an individual. That humans should be treated with dignity in life and dignity in death.  We will continue to hold strong to these values, even at a time when those who work to protect Human Rights and fight for Social Justice are characterized as weak, annoying, offensive and unpatriotic, among many other  derogatory words.

I am very proud of all the students who have volunteered to participate in this humanitarian mission over the last five years. They are some of the strongest and most compassionate people I know. They embody the words of Lady Liberty, treat others the way they would want to be treated and are part of the generation that will make this world a better place. They are facing their own fears and volunteering to put themselves in the middle of a harsh environment that has claimed the lives of so many others. And while I know these missions are not about them, I do know what they experience in the Texas Borderlands changes them in ways they never imagined.  To me that is progress.  Change requires compassion, empathy and a drive to do what is right for all people regardless of their biology, cultural beliefs or economic circumstances.

~KEL

The past month has been a flurry of activity wrapping up classes, putting on events, and teaching, which means it still hasn’t sunk in yet that we are leaving in just a few days. Up to this point, the focus has been on logistical preparation like packing lists, schedules, flights, transportation, and fundraising. As I started to pack and had the chance to catch my breath this weekend, I realized how little mental preparation I have done for the upcoming trip.

Thinking about it, I’m looking forward to the new experiences that branch outside of the contexts I’m comfortable in. In my three years at UIndy, I’ve assisted with many cases that came through our lab, both on recoveries and doing analyses. If this were a lab or an exhumation trip, I feel like I would be better prepared to tackle it as an extension of the work I already do here.

But this trip is different.

While I’m still packing the same list of things I would to work in the lab or on excavations, these will be the only familiar things with me in Texas. What we are doing is new – I think there’s only been one other team that has worked on the water stations. Where we are going is a mix of old and new – while the work is back in Brooks County, I expect we’ll spend a lot more time on the road than on previous exhumation trips here. For me, the biggest part will be the who – outside of my UIndy team members, everyone we interact with will be a new acquaintance. Although this would be the case regardless, since this is my first time with the Beyond Borders work, I think we’ll have a lot more interaction with them than on other types of trips.

I look forward to meeting all the people I’ve heard stories about when each team gets back from their trip. In some sense, I feel like I already know so much about some of them, without ever having met them. The one exception was when Sister Pam came to visit UIndy a couple years ago and we were able to talk with her over a potluck in our old lab. She was just as lively as I had heard. After that experience, I’m excited to meet all the other people I’ve been told about in just a few more days.

In the meantime, my week will be filled with the endless list of things to do before I go – organizing things from the end of the semester, making some progress on my thesis work, cleaning my apartment for the first time in four months, making sure I have everything packed that I’ll need, etc. Most importantly, I’ll be spending some time thinking about the work we’ll be doing, the people we’ll be meeting, and each of our roles in this bigger picture of the migrant death crisis. Internalizing that is the first step for me to approach it with a mind open to new experiences and learning more from them that I can incorporate into my daily life.

Rachel