María de la Concepción García de Llano Valenzuela

President of the Assembly of Members

She is a professional economist and teacher, a mother, a granddaughter of migrants, and a witness to their existence in exile.

One day, she arrived with a donation at the old Migrant and Refugee Attention Center (CAMR). She encountered a reality that deeply moved her. That afternoon, it became clear to her that she wanted to be part of it. She was accepted as a volunteer in February 2015. She did everything from organizing used shoes to the privilege of cooking for migrants; months spent searching for them on the tracks and the excitement of collaborating in the construction of the new shelter. She was in charge of the night shift and met endearing people, both among the migrants and the volunteers and the core team.

Later, she became a member of the Operational Assembly, where she broadened her perspective of the organization. Since June 2018, she has participated in the Assembly of Members as president. To this day, FM4 is an extremely important part of her life. What she loves most about this work is talking to migrants or refugees, hearing their stories, and witnessing how they face anything to keep their dreams alive. Thus, Conchita has touched their lives, and at the same time, she is touched by theirs.

Bettina Moreno Calderón

Secretary of the Assembly of Associates

She is a garden designer and holds a Diploma in Literature from SOGEM (General Society of Writers of Mexico). Among her publications and awards are: Finalist in the 2005 Acento Short Story Award (Plenilunio Publishing). Book of short stories: “Sorbo a Sorbo,” 2007 (La Luciérnaga Publishing). With her first novel, “Duelo de campanas,” she won the 2010 Jorge Ibargüengoitia National Novel Prize (La Rana Publishing).

Her sensitivity, nourished by contact with nature and the exploration of the human condition required by literature, directed her desire to help build a just and empathetic world. This longing to be useful led her to join FM4 Paso Libre as a volunteer in 2018. Bettina found that the plurality in the organization unites people in the desire to create a welcoming space that promotes the well-being and respect of everyone. Since 2019, she has participated in the fundraising committee, encouraging the act of sharing. She has also been part of the Assembly of Associates since then.

Aurelio Fernando Valencia Castaños

Treasurer of the Assembly of Members

He is a visual anthropologist and documentary filmmaker. He volunteered at the Migrant House in Saltillo, Mexico, in 2006, an experience that marked his professional life and motivated his participation in the founding of FM4 Paso Libre in March 2007. Since then, and until August 2011, he was an active member of the organization. He has been part of the Assembly of Members of FM4 Paso Libre since its legal establishment as Dignidad y Justicia en el Camino A.C. in July 2009. In that same year, he produced his first short documentary titled “Sólo un día,” a piece that follows the journey of a Honduran family over one day as they travel through Mexico to reach the United States.

Between 2014 and 2017, he participated as a researcher and independent audiovisual producer in projects linked to non-governmental organizations and agricultural cooperatives in Guatemala, Colombia, and Ecuador. From 2018 to the present, Fernando has been involved in community initiatives of Mexican migrants of indigenous and peasant origin settled in New York City. Throughout this journey, audiovisual language has been the path to explore and reflect on the political and social reality of people on the move and rural communities.

Elisa Alejandra Guerra Macías

First Vocal

Elisa Alejandra Guerra Macías is a communicator, graduated from ITESO, and holds a master’s degree in Social Psychology from the University of Guadalajara. She served as the coordinator of the Accompaniment and Mental Health area at the Migrant House in Saltillo from January 2010 to January 2012.

At FM4 Paso Libre, she began as a volunteer in the Humanitarian Attention area in January 2013. Her work involved visiting the organization’s first dining room once a week to assist with intake interviews for migrants, as well as helping in the kitchen or the clothing area. Later, she began to implement introspection activities for the population, as well as active listening spaces.

Alongside her volunteer work, Elisa joined the Operational Assembly in mid-2014. In October 2015, she became the coordinator of the Comprehensive Accompaniment Area, coinciding with the move of the first dining room to what is now FM4’s 24/7 shelter.

This area has undergone several phases since its establishment to better serve individuals and organize volunteer teams. In its first phase, it included two sub-areas: Humanitarian Attention and Psychosocial Attention. The Humanitarian Attention covered all operational work of the dining room, later the shelter, as well as volunteer coordination; the Psychosocial Attention involved psychological support, psychoeducational activities, and medical accompaniment for the population served.

In January 2018, Humanitarian Attention ceased to be part of Comprehensive Accompaniment and was subdivided into four more areas: medical attention, psychological attention, social work, and social integration of migrants and refugees. In December 2019, she left the organization as part of the core team to join the Assembly of Associates in February 2020.

From January 2020 to the present, she has been part of the volunteer team at Saint Vincent de Paul, an organization that provides humanitarian assistance and social support to low-income individuals and those at risk of homelessness in Big Spring, Texas.

Mónica Salmón Gómez

Second Vocal

Mónica is a PhD candidate in Sociology at The New School for Social Research (NSSR) in New York City. Since 2018, she has been a research assistant at the Zolberg Institute on Migration and Mobility at the same university. She holds a Master’s degree in Sociology from The New School for Social Research, a Master’s degree in Social Sciences from the University of Guadalajara, and a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations from ITESO.

Mónica has experience as an educator and university professor since 2009. From 2015 to 2016, she served as the regional coordinator for knowledge management and networks at Asylum Access Latin America, where she coordinated the Regional Articulating Group of the Brazil Action Plan (GAR-PAB), a network of over 40 civil society organizations working on international protection issues in Latin America. In this role, she was able to promote and support the process of building the Network of Colombian Victims for Peace of Latin America and the Caribbean (Revicpaz-LAC).

In 2013, she received the “Recognition of Jalisco for Women” awarded by the Jalisco Institute for Women for her outstanding humanitarian work in support of migrants and refugees. She also received the UVM Award for Social Development in 2013 and the Irene Robledo García Award in 2014 for outstanding women, awarded by the Guadalajara City Council. She was a recipient of the Néstor Kirchner Presidential Scholarship in its fifth call (2015-2016), organized by the National University of San Martín in Argentina and the Latin American Observatory (OLA) at The New School, New York.

Mónica is a co-founding member of FM4 Paso Libre. She was the organization’s first coordinator from 2009 to 2014 and has been a member of the Assembly of Associates since its legal establishment. For Mónica, migrants and the collective work driven by FM4 have been her school in building utopias and grassroots resistance, as well as her motivation in the search for dignity and justice that have marked both her personal and professional life.

Gauri Porras Coronado

Third Vocal

Gauri was born in Guadalajara, Jalisco, and studied Communication Sciences at ITESO. She is currently a homemaker and a small-scale producer of edible products. Some of her favorite activities include studying Buddhism, practicing Qi-Gong, painting, and collaborating with FM4 Paso Libre.

She discovered the organization through the ITESO website and was immediately drawn to its brave and enthusiastic project, working alongside a group of volunteers full of hope who recognize in each other the desire to be well and to transcend suffering in a space where respect and empathy prevail. Inspired by this joy and with the desire to support and accompany those passing through their city, she began coordinating the annual “Backpacks for Migrants” campaign in 2012. After that, she spent several years volunteering in the kitchen of the shelter, a space that allowed her to make great friendships from all over the world and create strong bonds of affection.

Now, she is part of the fundraising team and the Assembly of Associates. What she loves most is that for all of us who are part of this great team, it doesn’t matter where you come from or where you’re going, nor your skin color, race, or beliefs. This is a place where everyone deserves to be happy and achieve their dreams, and together we work to make that happen.

Claudia Elena Villaseñor Pérez

Associate

Claudia Elena Villaseñor Pérez. With a background in computer engineering, she had the opportunity to work as a software developer in different companies during the early years of her career, which allowed her to gain diverse perspectives that later helped her to start her own independent projects.

She considers herself a tenacious and committed person. An encounter on the train tracks more than ten years ago made her turn her attention to migration and the unfavorable conditions faced by migrants passing through the area. From that moment on, her heart connected with this cause, but it wasn’t until early 2016 that she decided to approach FM4 and become a volunteer. She believes that if someone has the courage to step out of their comfort zone and take risks, it is a cause worth fighting for. Claudia is firmly convinced that a more just, loving, and peaceful world is possible, and that small actions by many can make it happen.

In January 2017, she began a Master’s program in Emotional Ecology accredited by the University of Barcelona and later completed a diploma in Business Coaching and Team Alignment at the Tecnológico de Monterrey, obtaining certification from both the Tecnológico de Monterrey and the international coaching certifier ICT. Currently, she works as a business coach and workshop facilitator for developing emotional skills. Without a doubt, FM4 motivated her to make changes in her professional life, and she is grateful for that. At present, she has been participating in FM4 as part of the fundraising team since early 2019 and recently joined the Assembly of Associates.

Santiago Aguilar Castañeda

Associate

Santiago has been a member of FM4 Paso Libre since 2011, initially as a volunteer at the Migrant Assistance Center (CAM). In 2013, he became an employee of the organization, participating in the Areas of Attention and Services, the Integral Accompaniment Area, and most recently in the Social Integration project for migrants and refugees.

He supports migrant and refugee populations on issues related to naturalization, family reunification, civil registration, and access to rights and services in the city. Within the organization, he has participated in training for volunteers, organizational strengthening, strategic planning, and has been a member of the assembly of associates since 2013.

Mauricio Pineda Velarde

Associate

Mauricio holds a degree in Philosophy, two Master’s degrees—one in Organizational and Human Development and another in Systemic Family Therapy—and also has a specialization in Gestalt Psychotherapy. Additionally, Mauricio is a coach.

He has 20 years of experience in the private sector in Human Talent Management, over 15 years as a psychotherapist, and 12 years in civil society organizations. In various instances, he has served as an executive responsible for different areas within organizations in several countries across the Americas and Asia-Pacific. He also has teaching experience in the following areas: Systemic Family Therapy, Organizational Development, Managerial Development, Talent Management, among others.

Mauricio joined FM4 in 2012 as a volunteer after being invited to learn about the organization. After this, he became convinced of his desire to join the team due to their professionalism, values, strategic vision, and impact, extending beyond mere humanitarian aid. In addition to volunteering for many years, he formally joined as the Coordinator of Organizational Development and has worked as a Consultant and Coach. He also served as the General Coordinator from 2018 to 2019.

Luis Enrique González Araiza

Associate

Luis fortuitously arrived at FM4 Paso Libre in 2009 during a forum on migration in transit, called in honor of “Solidarity Community Day” at ITESO. He engaged directly with the founding members of the humanitarian project, responding legally (sic) and with great heart to the inquisitive questions that challenged the project’s “illegality.” He assisted in drafting the Articles of Incorporation of the organization.

He reconnected with the organization in 2011, where he served as a volunteer in the attention and service area and as a pro bono lawyer. In 2016, he officially founded the legal area of the organization and the project for the Legal Clinic, a teaching-learning space for university students interested in defending migrants and refugees. He is currently the Executive Director and Legal Representative of the organization.