MND Local San Miguel de Allende: New forum, migrant aid and local honors

A new community organization known as the San Miguel Forum was established in San Miguel de Allende to tackle difficult social issues through improved collaboration. The forum's inaugural event, held from October 6-9 at the Instituto Allende, gathered 88 participants from both Mexico and abroad. The attendees, who were evenly split between foreigners and Mexicans, consisted of international philanthropists, implementers, and policy-makers interested in scaling solutions to societal challenges in six key areas.

These areas included dropout prevention, hospice/palliative care, girls' empowerment, youth employment, water and watersheds, and community cohesion. The latter issue emerged as the most popular theme, as it addressed concerns about gentrification and the loss of community identity in San Miguel. The forum's goal is not merely to identify problems but to connect people and resources around sustainable, locally appropriate solutions.

Organizers hope to focus on issues relevant to Mexico and encourage private philanthropy to collaborate with government and private sector entities in addressing societal issues at scale.