Mi Querido Pais
I wrote this paper in 2002, it proposes a “locally owned” development program to link North/South communities, leverage more resources for social and economic development, and assist U.S. Hispanics to assimilate more quickly into U.S. society.
The primary goal of the program is to promote community development in Latin America and prevent social and economic conditions that may cause increased illegal immigration to the United States.
The Program will enlist the support of the people of the Americas (their communities, non-profit groups and faith-based organizations) to lead development processes, promote equitable economic growth fueled by local initiative and ownership, and build community to community links to sustain these efforts over time.
This paper does not propose specific funding levels for the Mi Querido Pais Program (except under a proposed pilot activity for Peru in Attachment One). However, an earlier version of this proposal was briefed with the Peace Corps and called for a $50 million investment in order to leverage $200 million in additional financial resources for Latin America over ten years.