AR SMW DEBATE 1

Border Towns Aff

Towns, cities, and communities near but not directly related to the U.S.-Mexican border have
for a long time been in a state of disarray and many civilians lack the proper tools needed. Poverty runs
rampant in border towns. It is for this reason that __________ and I stand firmly resolved the united
states federal government should substantially increase its economic engagement with Mexico.























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Observation 1: Inherency
A.) Mexico border towns are in bad condition now, current
efforts fail
Andrew Van Dam, staff writer for Wall Street, July 11, 2011, Americas border towns are often health
care black holes, http://healthjournalism.org/blog/2011/07/americas-border-towns-are-often-health-
care-black-holes/, ACC 12/4/13 AR

Colonias, underserved, poverty-riddled communities along Americas southern border populated mostly
by American citizens of Mexican descent, have long remained uncomfortably disconnected from
mainstream government and social services. In a two-part series in the Texas Tribune, Emily Ramshaw takes stock of life in the
colonias, then focuses on the health issues created by their unique circumstances.
Ramshaw paints a vivid picture of these forgotten settlements, home to at least 400,000 folks in Texas alone, and no summary
would do her writing justice. Heres an excerpt from the first installment.
In Del Mar Heights, on the outskirts of Cameron County, residents live on a devastated stretch of
scrubland littered with dilapidated trailers and dotted with listing telephone poles. There are no paved
streets or sewers, basic infrastructure that developers promised the Mexican immigrants who purchased land here 30 years ago
and often live three families and several bleating goats to a lot. Floodwaters and wayward hurricanes routinely sweep through the area,
battering roofs patched with tarps and campaign signs.
Despite hundreds of millions of dollars of local, state and federal investment in infrastructure
and services in the colonias, they still clearly lag behind much of the country. As a curious aside, some of the
areas Ramshaw profiles happen to sit just miles from the notorious health care consumers of McAllen, Texas,
yet the care they are offered could hardly be any more different.
At last count, nearly 45,000 people lived in the 350 Texas colonias classified by the state as at
the highest health risk, meaning residents of these often unincorporated subdivisions have no running
water, no wastewater treatment, no paved roads or solid waste disposal. Water- and mosquito-borne illnesses are
rampant, the result of poor drainage, pooling sewage and water contaminated by leaking septic tanks. Burning garbage, cockroaches, vermin
and mold lead to high rates of asthma, rashes and lice infestations. And the poor diet so intrinsically linked to poverty contributes to dental
problems, diabetes and other chronic conditions, which residents of the colonias rarely have the health insurance, money or
access to regular health care to treat.
Ramshaw writes that cultural and geographic barriers, as well as a general distrust of the federal government in a community where
not all residents are legal migrants, have hampered adoption of available programs, but there have been signs of improvement in recent years.



AR SMW DEBATE 3

B.) US and mexico understand border town infrastructure is an
issue; plan benefits both
Joint press release, November 4, 2013, Mexican and U.S. Officials Hold Border Infrastructure Workshop,
http://mexidata.info/id3748.html, ACC 12/7/13
As part of a working visit to the Tijuana-San Diego region, U.S. Department of State Acting
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Western Hemisphere Affairs, Kevin O'Reilly and Mexico's Under Secretary
for North America, Sergio Alcocer led the Binational Border Infrastructure Workshop at the Tijuana
Cultural Center (CECUT).
Participants in the October 30 workshop included experts on strategic issues related to border
infrastructure and key players from civil society, academia, business and non-governmental
organizations. During working groups, participants shared their points of view on topics including
development, the needs of communities along the border, the social and economic impact of border
wait times, infrastructure planning and sources of financing.
Each roundtable's recommendations will be shared with the appropriate federal Agency for
consideration and possible implementation. Similarly, the recommendations will be incorporated as key
themes in formal discussions between the United States and Mexico.
This meeting is the first in a series of binational workshops to be held in key cities along the U.S.-
Mexico border to discuss issues fundamental to the region, such as competitiveness, sustainable
development and quality of life. The objective is to showcase the border as a catalyst for development
in Mexico and the United States, in benefit of both countries.
AR SMW DEBATE 4

Observation 2: Solvency
A.) improving infrastructure improves economy
The World Bank , November 12, 2009 ,Transforming Africas Infrastructure,
http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/AFRICAEXT/0,,contentMDK:22386904~pageP
K:146736~piPK:146830~theSitePK:258644,00.html, ACC 12/7/13

The World Bank just announced in its study, Africas Infrastructure: A Time for Transformation,
that the poor state of infrastructure in Sub-Saharan Africaits electricity, water, roads and information
and communications technology (ICT)cuts national economic growth by two percentage points every
year and reduces productivity by as much as 40 percent. The study team conducted an in-depth
assessment of the state of infrastructure in 24 countries across the continent.
African countries face daunting challenges in increasing investment and improving
maintenance and upkeep of their infrastructure stock, says Foster. The good news is that no one can
doubt that investments in maintenance yield solid returnswe found that every $1 invested in upkeep
of roads returns $4 in asset longevity and service.

B.) Infrastructure creates more jobs and boosts economy, empirically
proven
US Bureau of international information programs (IIP), 18 June 2012, Infrastructure Investments
Accelerate Economic Development,
http://iipdigital.usembassy.gov/st/english/pamphlet/2012/06/201206157519.html, ACC 12/7/13


Investments in modern infrastructure lay the foundations for economic development and
growth. Building roads, bridges, power transmission lines, and making other improvements create jobs.
When completed, these projects help a society increase its wealth and its citizens standard of living.
INFRASTRUCTURE FOR PROSPERITY
Efficient infrastructure underpins American economic strength. The construction of canals and transcontinental railroads in the 19th
century and of national highways in the 20th sparked growth and prosperity. More recently, investments in telecommunication and Internet
networks have provided a launching pad for a 21st century economy.
Infrastructure must be maintained and modernized as new needs and technologies emerge. The Political Economy Research
Institute estimates that the United States must invest at least $87 billion per year to maintain, or improve, the
efficiency and productivity of its economy. But U.S. infrastructure investments earn a fine return: each
$1billion potentially creates some 18,000 jobs.
Infrastructure investments can similarly accelerate economic development in less developed
nations and emerging markets. Nations that invest in infrastructure are better positioned to attract
direct foreign investment, stimulate commerce and support local businesses. Their citizens are more likely to enjoy
better health care, sanitation and other markings of well-being, according to the African Development Bank (AfDB). China, South Korea
and Taiwan owe their economic successes to a large degree to infrastructure investments. India plans $1
trillion investments over the next five years to modernize its economy.
CHALLENGES
Because infrastructure projects are expensive, governments often seek co-financing through
public-private partnerships and multilateral institutions. These partners also can supply valuable
oversight and technical expertise an important ingredient in avoiding corruption, cost overruns and failed projects.
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Plan:The USFG should work with Mexico to improve the
condition and infrastructure of border towns
Plan plank 1: the USFG will appropriate 5 billion dollars for said
initiative and it shall be balanced over a 5-year period. The
affirmative holds executive, legislative, and judicial intent to
define all terms of engagement
Plan plank 2: we shall improve infrastructure in areas such as
roads, hospitals, sewage, and more modern and safe buildings
Plan plank 3: we shall also provide a law enforcement
department which is sufficient for the status quo


AR SMW DEBATE 6


Advantage 1: War on Drugs

A.) Border Towns are a new hotbed for narcotrafficking
By DAVID ROBLES, Cronkite Borderlands Initiative, Sep 24, 2013,Law Enforcement Officials: Flow of
Drugs Across U.S. Borders Continues 'Every Day, All Day Long',
http://cronkite.asu.edu/buffett/canada/borderdrugs.html, ACC 12/4/13
Special Agent Ramona Sanchez sits at a conference table in the DEA's Phoenix office. Now going on 10 years as the press
information officer here, Sanchez is no stranger to the southwest drug corridor. The DEA veteran worked alongside
Special Agent Jim Burns in Los Angeles where Sanchez did everything from undercover work to financial investigations of money laundering to
the extradition of major cartel members from Colombia to the United States. She has witnessed the shift of smuggling from
the hands of Colombian cartels like those based in Medellin or Cali in the late 1980s to Mexican
transnational criminal organizations like the Sinaloa cartel, Los Zetas, La Familia Michoacana and the
Gulf cartel, now waging war all along the border for control of key smuggling routes.
The Sinaloa cartel, headed by America's most wanted drug lord, Joaqun "Chapo" Guzmn, currently controls the prime drug corridor
in the southwest and is responsible for more than half the illegal drugs trafficked to the U.S., according to the CBP fact sheet. Special Agent
Sanchez says more than 80 percent of the drugs DEA seizes in Arizona are from the Sinaloa cartel.
According to the 2011 National Drug Threat Assessment most drugs are trafficked overland but
the use of private boats and ultra-light aircraft is on the rise. The cartels smuggle drugs through the ports of entry or over
remote, rugged border areas.
"In Mexico you have several 'plazas.' Plazas are the border towns of Mexico on the other side, the key
areas," Sanchez explains. These plazas are Mexican towns at international ports of entry, many of them culturally
and socially tied with their American counterpart, only divided by the border fence: Sasabe, Ariz., and El Ssabe, Mexico;
Lukeville, Ariz., and Sonoyta, Mexico; Nogales, Ariz. and Nogales, Mexico; Douglas, Ariz. and Agua Prieta, Mexico; Naco, Ariz. and Naco, Mexico;
San Luis, Ariz. and San Luis Ro Colorado, Mexico.
In all there are 360 miles of shared border with Mexico. In addition to the "plazas," Sanchez explains, there is the Tohono O'odham
reservation, which represents about 70 miles of shared border. And, like the Akwesasne Mohawk reservation on the northern border, there are
no barriers because it is considered a sovereign nation whose citizens can walk back and forth across the border without any impediment.
Drugs cross the border here in myriad ways. Some go by vehicle through the ports of entry.
Some are smuggled in underground tunnels. Some are carried by humans who pack 20 to 50 pounds of
marijuana on their backs across the Sonoran desert, make a delivery and walk back. Some are more
inventive, like a marijuana bale-hurling catapult discovered in 2011 near Naco, Arizona.
Once on the Arizona side, loads are transported to stash houses in Tucson or Phoenix. Although the majority of narcotics seized by
the Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Department is marijuana, officials say they also see methamphetamine, cocaine and heroin. Photo by Alex
Lancial.
"When you have a distribution cell in Phoenix, obviously the dope from Tucson or Phoenix has to go to U.S. markets across the
country," Sanchez says. "A small portion, as a matter of fact, does stay in Phoenix or Tucson, but Arizona is like
the feeder state that supplies the U.S. markets like Chicago and Atlanta."
Marijuana is the cartel's cash crop, accounting for more than 50 percent of its profits, Sanchez says.
Marijuana is grown cheaply in mass quantities and sold across the United States. As it passes through more hands, the price rises.

AR SMW DEBATE 7


B.) Plan solves narcotrafficking
Staff reporter, Jan 03, 2007 Action plan for better policing, http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-
national/tp-kerala/action-plan-for-better-policing/article1777598.ece , ACC 11/25/13 AR
"All the Assistant Commissioners of Police in the city have been asked to prepare action plans.
This will be formalised in a couple of days," said P. Vijayan, City Police Commissioner.
The action plan will be taken up for discussion at a high-level meeting to be held in Thiruvananthapuram on January 6. The meeting will also
review the crime statistics of the last three years.
The city police had set its agenda for the year to maintain neat and clean police stations, speedy and punctual response
from all police officials, better communication and coordination between the police and different
communities, improving the quality of police service, ensuring "soft speech and firm action" on every assignment, streamlining the police
system, ensuring that genuine complaints are properly attended to, enhancing productivity and performance of personnel, proper
maintenance and utilisation of equipment and utilising all resources to stop drug trafficking.
The accent is on improving infrastructure at police stations. "A proper audit of available
resources will be made. Many systems have become dysfunctional. Steps will be taken to put them back in service,"
the Commissioner said.
With the scope for improving infrastructure remaining limited, the city police are attempting to
rope in more private partnership for implementing many projects. Discussions are on between the police and Kerala Chamber of
Commerce and Industry for installing electronic surveillance at key points across the city. The force has already set up an anti-
harassment cell to check crime against women and children with technical assistance from Idea Cellular
Limited. The special drive against sales and use of narcotic drugs is an important point for the year's agenda.
This is being implemented with active participation of residents associations in the city.
The last meeting of Ernakulam Residents Associations Apex Council had identified this drive as one of the key results area.
This is expected to get broader base with the police increasing its interaction and coordination between different communities.
"The Police Residents Associations Initiative in District Ernakulam (PRIDE) was poorly attended. Currently, PRIDE is very active in
community policing," the Commissioner said.

C.) narcotrafficking spreads outward
La Opinin, News Report, Gardenia Mendoza Aguilar, Translated by Elena Shore Posted: May 20, 2007,
The Cockroach Effect: Narco-Violence Spreads in Mexico,
http://news.newamericamedia.org/news/view_article.html?article_id=f0b0635043da864fb4ab1a5f1e0
83f04, ACC 11/25/13 AR

Editors Note: In what is known as the cockroach effect, the deployment of federal troops to Mexicos
drug trafficking hot spots are only pushing organized crime into other areas of the country.
On Wednesday morning, seven policemen and two businessmen from the city of Cananea in the state of Sonora, in northeast
Mexico, were abducted -- kidnapped without ransom -- by an armed group of some 100 people. Four of the policemen were killed, two were
beaten and the rest remain missing.
On Tuesday, the Attorney General of the Mexican state of Coahuila launched an investigation following the kidnapping of the
director of the states kidnapping and organized crime investigation unit, Enrique Ruiz Arvalo. Ruiz was abducted by four armed men at a
restaurant where he was having dinner in the state capital Saltillo.
National newspaper Milenio reported Wednesday that a severed human head was found near the military barracks in the Mexican
state of Veracruz, one day after the army arrived in the state. The message attached read: We are going to continue, even if federal forces are
here, and included a postscript that said: "Pea Nieto" (Grandson Pea).
According to the newspaper, the message was left hours after four bodyguards of the governor of the state of Mexico, Enrique Pea
Nieto, were massacred by a group of hired assassins on May 10. The note calls into question earlier reports that the hit men had gotten the
wrong target.
Last year, an estimated 2,000 people died in drug trafficking related incidents, and more than 700 people have died so far this year,
according local press reports. The National Commission of Human Rights estimates that this years deaths have reached nearly 1,000.
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The Mexican states with the most drug trafficking, according to the Attorney General, are Guerrero,
Durango, Sinaloa, Michoacn, Baja California, Chihuahua, Nuevo Len and Tamaulipas.
Until the assassination of Mexican governor Enrique Pea Nietos bodyguards, the federal government had not considered Veracruz
as a drug trafficking hot spot even when the government of Veracruz asked the Secretary of State on three occasions to send federal troops in
January, February, and May because of the presence of cells of the Gulf cartel.
Mexican President Felipe Caldern has deployed federal troops to several states known as drug trafficking
hot spots. As a result, organized crime has moved to less closely watched areas, in what is known as the
cockroach effect." Mexico state is one of the areas affected by this new geographic drug trafficking
strategy.
The state of Mexico, which is governed by Pea Nieto and neighbors the Federal District (D.F.),
had not previously been a target of violence, with one exception. Several murders took place in the state to
settle scores between drug traffickers who had moved from Mexico Citys Tepito district to the surrounding
suburbs after the intervention in the capital.
In August, 2006, four people linked to the homicide of a drug dealer were found burned and tortured in the city of Ecatepec in
Mexico state. The genitals and fingers of the three men were cut off and placed in their mouths. The woman was hanged. The grusome murder
became the scandal of the year.
Another state affected by the cockroach effect is Aguascalientes, previously known as the country's most economically
competitive state. The World Bank once named it Mexicos Asian Tiger, comparing it to China for its capacity to attract foreign investments.
However, in past months, Aguascalientes has made headlines in international media for another reason: four policemen were killed
there. Governor Luis Armando Melgar was forced to recognize that there are elements that have been involved in criminal activity.
For his part, the governor of Nayarit, Ney Gonzlez, said he was on alert for the possible
migration of drug traffickers from Sinaloa. Although we havent seen too much of it, he said, we will
be watching the borders.
Meanwhile, the governor of Morelos, Marco Antonio Adame, said that in order to avoid
criminals coming from the state of Guerrero, he has implemented a special operation called Hands
Working for Your Safety, that involves authorities and townspeople along the states border.
Its better to prevent it, he said.

D. drug cartels spread into America
Tyrel Schlote, staff writer, August 13, 2013, Mexican Drug Cartels Continue to Invade America.
http://www.thetrumpet.com/article/10867.30042.0.0/society/drugs/mexican-drug-cartels-continue-to-
invade-america , ACC 11/25/13 AR

Chicago: the windy city. As one of the landmark cities of America, it is known for its deep-dish pizza,
iconic sports teams and unique accents. But theres one other thing Chicago is quickly becoming known for:
Mexican drug cartels.
In Chicago, cartels are becoming so prevalent that officials say its starting to look like Texas. Jack
Riley, head of the Drug Enforcement Administrations Chicago office, warned, People think, The borders 1,700
miles away. This isnt our problem. Well, it is. These days, we operate as if Chicago is on the border.
The city recently named one of Mexicos most notorious drug lords the citys public enemy number one, even
though the man has never set foot inside Chicago.


E.) narcotrafficking threatens homeland security and outweighs
terrorism
AR SMW DEBATE 9

Owens, March 02, 2009 12:00 am , Mexican Drug Cartels Threaten U.S. Homeland Security,
http://www.stltoday.com/news/opinion/editorial/homeland-insecurity-our-view-drug-
wars/article_4f359b3c-8d2f-504d-a609-9bdf4de6ef7b.html ACC 12/2/13 AR
College students soon will pack for the time-honored ritual of spring-break partying under the sunny skies
that hover above postcard vistas of Mexican beaches.
But this year, an ominous cloud of illegal drugs trafficked by Mexican cartels is overshadowing
peaceful, civil life in Mexican towns. Residents and tourists alike are threatened by escalating violence
that is destroying lives on both sides of the international border.
Mexican border cities have become literal battlegrounds for rival drug cartels fighting for
dominance of the drug trade into the United States. Since January, more than 1,000 people in Mexico
including law enforcement officials, elected officials, journalists and innocent bystanders have been killed. Five
hundred of them were in Ciudad Juarez, a city of 1.3 million people separated only by metal fences and concrete
canals from El Paso, Texas.
The rising pace of bloodshed is shocking. Last year, 6,000 Mexicans were slain in drug-related
killings, but it took until April for the 1,000th death to occur.
Americans must not mistakenly dismiss the Mexican drug-related violence as an isolated,
remote threat. The drug trade and the violence associated with it are much bigger threats to people on
U.S. soil than terrorist attacks hatched abroad. The increasingly brazen violence has prompted an intensified
response. Last week alone:
Drug Enforcement Administration arrested 50 people, bringing to 750 the number arrested during a 21-month investigation called
Operation Xcellerator. The operation seized millions of dollars and a huge cache of illegal weapons from the Sinaloa drug cartel. The cartel is
based on Mexico's Pacific coast, but the raids included unlikely venues in Minnesota and suburban Maryland.
Parts of Mexico have become almost ungovernable. Recently, the mayor of Ciudad Juarez sought
refuge and moved to El Paso. The Ciudad Juarez police chief resigned after the cartels killed five of his police
officers and then threatened to kill one every 48 hours until he quit. There has been a vivid stream of media
reports of beheadings, dismembered bodies in steel drums, slaughters of entire families and hits on elected
officials and journalists near their homes.
On the U.S. side of the border, co-conspirators illegally export weapons to the Mexican crime
syndicates. Guns are easier to acquire here than in Mexico, and the profits are huge. The Mexican
cartels use these weapons, many of them assault rifles, to wreak mayhem while supporting operations
in an estimated 195 U.S cities.
The spike in violence is a calculated reaction to stepped-up efforts against the cartels that Mexican
President Felipe Calderon began in late 2006. He made bold strikes against the "narcotraficantes," including
sending more than 45,000 federal troops and agents to cities, many in the north and near the U.S. border. In 2007,
Mexico and the United States signed the Merida Initiative, which funds U.S. law enforcement officers to help train
and assist with Mexican anti-drug efforts.
The cartels now, in effect, are telling the Mexican government it can't get away with that. And
without further commitment from the United States, the cartels may be right. Mexican leaders, in turn,
should relax their worries about national sovereignty. The two nations must learn to trust each other.


AR SMW DEBATE 10

Advantage 2: Border Town Economy

A.) Economy in border towns in decline
JENNIFER MEDINA, March 16, 2011
Economic Downturn Holds Fierce Grip on Border Town,
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/17/us/17elcentro.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0, ACC 11/25/13 AR

For two years, El Centro has struggled with the highest unemployment rate in the country. The
latest official figures put it at 28 percent, an improvement from the peak of 32 percent last summer. At unemployment centers,
often the most bustling places in town, it is something of a competition to talk about how long a job search has lasted.
Eleven months hardly raises an eyebrow. Two years might draw a little sympathy.
The job losses here began as fewer workers were needed to pluck asparagus and lettuce from
the fields. Then the housing boom collapsed, devastating thousands who once had steady construction work. The same two forces have
pummeled other cities around the country. But El Centro has taken a third, crippling hit: with tighter security making lines at the border longer
each day, restaurants and shops that once relied on Mexican tourists are struggling.
Visitors still come from the other side, from the metropolis of Mexicali to the strip malls and small towns that make up the
Imperial Valley, about 100 miles east of San Diego and less than a mile from the border. But there are fewer of them.
Now, many come to collect unemployment checks. After working legally in the United States, they are eligible for the same benefits
as any resident, a situation that some say drives up the unemployment rate. It is impossible to know how much, because California does not
track those figures. But each month, their checks are delivered to relatives or post office boxes near the border.
People dont understand what we learn to live with here, said Sam Couchman, the director of the Imperial County Workforce
Development Office here. Mr. Couchman has spent more than three decades guiding work training programs in the county and said he does
not expect the unemployment rate drop to below 20 percent in the next decade. We have all kinds of up and
downs, but it doesnt send us into a panic. This is the way life is here.
The county has grown over the last decade, but still has fewer than 200,000 residents. And the local economy has long depended on
the other side of the border If Mexicali sneezes, we get pneumonia, people around here like to say. So when tougher security
measures at the border came after threats related to terrorism and Mexicos drug war, businesses here
almost immediately felt the pinch. A decade ago, crossing the border was a 20-minute inconvenience. Now the wait in the morning
can stretch into a two- or three-hour ordeal.
People tell us to be hopeful, but thats pretty hard sometimes, Mr. Aguilar said. These days, he visits the
local unemployment center about once a week, combing through job listings. His wife has a steady income, working at one of the centers
helping people like him try to find jobs. Every night I pray for it to be able to take care of everybody again.



B.) infrastructure is the main barrier to a growing economy
Friday Olokor, staff writer , November 6, 2013, Poor infrastructure cripples economic growth, says
Ezekwesili, http://www.punchng.com/news/poor-infrastructure-cripples-economic-growth-says-
ezekwesili/ , ACC 12/4/13 AR

A former Minister of Education, Dr. Oby Ezekwesili, on Tuesday said poor physical infrastructural
development was the reason for the slow economic growth and development in Nigeria.
Ezekwesili spoke in Abuja during the 6th annual lecture organised by a non-governmental organisation, Lifeline Care Association.
She said the citizens should consistently rise and challenge the government at all levels for a change in policies that were anti-
people.
AR SMW DEBATE 11

While delivering her keynote address entitled, Population planning: Implication for Fiscal Policy, Human Capital and Infrastructural
Development, the former minister said physical infrastructure could increase the countrys economic growth by two per cent.
Take the structure of the Nigeria population, more than 60 per cent are rural dwellers. When you have effective fiscal
policy, it will translate low productivity farming activity into city-type urban related activities, she said.
She noted that urbanisation remained a factor of economic development.
The ex-minister added, But when your population does not have the relevant skills and the tool of
engagement because of lack of provision of infrastructure to enable them to convert their creativity into
production, it becomes a challenge.
Ezekwesili warned that the elites must provide an enabling environment for the growth of the
ordinary people to avert a situation where the rich cannot sleep because the poor are awake.

C.) Plan solves for poverty; conversely not doing the plan increases
poverty
The african commission, Program Infrastructure Development for Africa (PIDA),
http://pages.au.int/infosoc/pages/program-infrastructure-development-africa-pida ACC 11/25/13 AR

Infrastructure plays a key role in economic growth and poverty reduction. Conversely, the lack
of infrastructure affects productivity and raises production and transaction costs, which hinders growth
by reducing the competitiveness of businesses and the ability of governments to pursue economic and
social development policies
The lack of infrastructure in Africa is widely recognized. Deficits of infrastructure have a clear impact on African competitiveness:
African countries, particularly those south of the Sahara, are among the least competitive in the world, and infrastructure appears to be one of
the most important factors holding them back. Deficient infrastructure in todays Africa has been found to sap growth by as much as 2% a year
.This is a continental problem that requires a continental solution.
Many of Africas 54 countries are small, with populations of fewer than 20 million and economies of less than $10 billion. Their
infrastructure systems, like their borders, are reflections of the continents colonial past, with roads, ports, and railroads built for resource
extraction and political control, rather than to bind territories together economically or socially. Because Africas economic geography is
particularly challenging, regional integration is the best, perhaps the only, way for Africa to realize its growth potential, participate effectively in
the global economy, and share the benefits of globalization.
The essential benefit of regional infrastructure is to make possible the formation of large,
competitive markets in place of the present collection of small, isolated, and inefficient ones. Shared
regional infrastructure is the only solution to problems of small scale and adverse location. An important benefit of regional infrastructure is its
effect on trade within Africa. Because, despite robust GDP gains by many countries in recent years, Africa's staggering infrastructure
inefficiencies have been choking integration efforts, stunting growth and sapping national resources, public and private. As regional integration
improves the competitiveness of African producers and brings millions more consumers within their reach, Africa will see a swelling of intra-
and inter-regional trade as a share of all trade. Regional infrastructure also exploits and advances synergies among sectors.
The Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa (PIDA), a Multi sector programme covering four Transport, Energy,
Transboundary water and Telecommunication/ICT is dedicated to facilitating continental integration in Africa through improved regional
infrastructure and is designed to support implementation of the African Union Abuja Treaty and the creation of the African economic
Community,
PIDA is a joint initiative of the African Union Commission (AUC), the New Partnership for Africas Development Planning and Coordination
Agency (NPCA), and the African Development Bank (AfDB). PIDA is grounded in regional and continental master plans and action plans as well
as other relevant work undertaken by the African Union (AU), the regional economic Communities (RECs), the regional and continental
technical agencies (including the lake and river basin organizations (L/RBO) and power pools (PP)), and the concerned countries.
At the XVIIIth Ordinary Session of the African Union (AU) held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on 29-30 January 2012, the AU Heads of State and
Government formally endorsed the Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa (PIDA) through adoption of the Declaration on the
Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa (Doc. EX.CL/702(XX)).

D.) Poverty leads corruption
by Anup Shah, staff writer for global issues.org , September 04, 2011, Corruption,
http://www.globalissues.org/article/590/corruption. ACC 11/26/13 AR
AR SMW DEBATE 12

Corruption is both a major cause and a result of poverty around the world. It occurs at all levels of
society, from local and national governments, civil society, judiciary functions, large and small
businesses, military and other services and so on.
Corruption affects the poorest the most, in rich or poor nations, though all elements of society
are affected in some way as corruption undermines political development, democracy, economic
development, the environment, peoples health and more.
Around the world, the perception of corruption in public places is very high:
World map of the 2010 Corruption Perceptions Index by Transparency International. Blue indicates less perception of corruption,
whereas red indicates higher perception of corruption. Image source
But it isnt just in governments that corruption is found; it can permeate through society.
The issue of corruption is very much inter-related with other issues. At a global level, the international (Washington Consensus-
influenced) economic system that has shaped the current form of globalization in the past decades requires further scrutiny for it has also
created conditions whereby corruption can flourish and exacerbate the conditions of people around the world who already have little say about
their own destiny. At a national level, peoples effective participation and representation in society can be
undermined by corruption, while at local levels, corruption can make day to day lives more painful for all
affected.
A difficult thing to measure or compare, however, is the impact of corruption on poverty versus
the effects of inequalities that are structured into law, such as unequal trade agreements, structural
adjustment policies, so-called free trade agreements and so on. It is easier to see corruption. It is
harder to see these other more formal, even legal forms of corruption. It is easy to assume that these
are not even issues because they are part of the laws and institutions that govern national and
international communities and many of us will be accustomed to itit is how it works, so to speak. Those deeper
aspects are discussed in other parts of this web sites section on trade, economy, & related issues.
That is not to belittle the issue of corruption, however, for its impacts are enormous too.


AR SMW DEBATE 13

Advantage 3: human rights
A.) Hotbed for human trafficking
Sarah Symons. October 5, 2011
A Lesson in Modern Day Slavery - Border Towns
http://www.madebysurvivors.com/blog/lesson-human-trafficking-border-towns/ ACC 12/2/13 AR

india nepal border US Mexico BorderLiving in or near an international border town greatly increases the likelihood of a person
becoming a victim of modern day slavery, for a variety of reasons:
Border towns tend to be a conglomerate of races, cultures, and values. The marginalized and outcast gravitate to these
subcultures when home is not a welcome place. In some cases, such as the border of Myanmar and Thailand, many people living near the
border do not have citizenship in either country, denying them access to certain jobs and social services.
Border towns tend to have higher rates of poverty. (add: and)
Border towns tend to be isolated from other communities and have higher rates of violence and
crime. These factors make it is easy for recruiters to lure people into traveling with them for jobs or an
education in faraway places. The hope that there is something better than the current living situation is hard to pass up. For
example, the Mexican border town of Tijuana has a serious trafficking problem.
"We know there are specific streets where at this very hour (noon) 12- and 13-year old children
are being exhibited like commodities, as objects, being sold on Coahuila street (in the downtown area)," says Federal PAN
deputy Rosi Orozco, a member of the Special Commission for the prevention of human trafficking. Children in this border town are
trafficked both internationally (to the US) and domestically. According to UNICEF, over one thousand
children are sexually exploited annually in Tijuana.
Since border towns are stop-over towns, much like tourist towns, it is also easier to exploit
others undetected. Non-locals do not care about the town or its community welfare. There are not regulars to
establishments that create relationships with the servers, technicians, or girls. There is no one to notice or care about a man, woman, or child
who is being taken advantage of.
The distance, cost of transit, and risk of getting caught will be lessened by trafficking victims directly from border towns, if the
trafficking is between two contiguous countries such as India and Nepal.
Border guards have often been involved in corruption, taking bribes to allow traffickers and
their victims to cross without intervening.
The dynamic of border towns needs to change. Made By Survivors, working with rescue and shelter organizations,
is establishing safety nets near the border of India, Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh for potential victims and for survivors of modern day slavery.
India shares a one thousand mile border with Nepal, across which 15-20 Nepali girls are trafficked every single day.
By providing safe housing (shelter care), employment, education, vocational training and an understanding of human rights, Made
By Survivors provides the citizens in border towns and those brought in to be exploited the tools to remain free forever from the bondage of
slavery. This fall we will be launching a campaign to raise awareness and funds for projects in border areas. Join our mailing list for updates on
this work.



B.) Poverty causes human trafficking
Helen Hammer, 2012, Poverty: The Root Cause of Human Trafficking, http://borgenproject.org/poverty-
the-root-cause-of-human-trafficking/
ACC 11/25/12 AR


AR SMW DEBATE 14

Sitting amid a sea of my peers during a high school assembly, I encountered human trafficking for the first time. I was 17 years old
when the cruel reality of this horror penetrated the walls of my school. At the time, the presenters goal was to spread awareness by appealing
to the emotions of hundreds of young students. Their technique was effective, as I still remember their presentation to this day. Now a college
graduate, and a volunteer for The Borgen Project, I am continually learning that efforts to end human trafficking must also be paired with the
education that a majority of the time extreme poverty is the cause behind this injustice.
Defined by the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress, and Punish Trafficking in Persons, human trafficking is
recruiting, transporting, transferring, harboring or receiving a person through a use of force, coercion
or other means, for the purpose of exploiting them. The injustice can be in the form of forced labor or
sexual exploitation. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime recognizes human trafficking as a crime against
humanity. While this inhumanity involves every country in the world, it is no coincidence that this crime is increasingly
prevalent within developing countries.
The country of Benin is one such example. Located in Western Africa, villages will sell children as a means of survival. Zakpota is a
village with an extensive history of trafficking during pre-colonial times. An organized practice, a community patron will handle the exchange
of a child for approximately $200. The following is one example of forced labor: For three hours daily, Assis attaches weights to his ankles,
dives beneath the oil-polluted waters of Lagos lagoon, then kicks his way back to the surface with bucket after bucket weighed with sand. He
and 60 other Nigerian and Beninese teenagers earn $1 for each 15-seat canoe they load with sand.
The trafficking of children derives from a cultural mindset as well. Communities view children working to be a form of social
educationlearning to work with others, to fend for themselves. Not all families are aware what occurs once their children are sold. In these
cases, it is also a lack of education that perpetuates this crime.
Not only is global poverty the cause of death and suffering, the conditions of poverty foster the
practice of torture, sexual exploitation, and other unimaginable horrors. The Borgen Project realizes that if the
conditions of extreme poverty are properly combated, other forms of suffering that flourish as a result, including human trafficking, will be
reduced.
-Helen Hammer

C.) Human trafficking leads to terrorism
Sarah Anderson, 1/19/12, The Connection Between Human Trafficking and Terrorism,
http://notenoughgood.com/2012/01/human-trafficking-and-terrorism/
ACC 11/25/13 AR



Human trafficking and terrorism are two huge social and political issues which plague our
society with the responsibility to identify and eliminate the root causes. As I stated in my first blog earlier this week,
it is not enough to just educate society, monitor progress and sanction countries who do not fall into compliance with what the U.S. deems an
acceptable level of action in regards to counter-human trafficking efforts. We must look at efforts to activate public policy
change in order to deal with these two conjunctive issues more effectively. Education is helpful but lets
face it education does not effectuate change.
Before I go on I want to communicate to you that I am interested in your thoughts or ideas on these two crucial issues. What are
your unique perspectives on public policy change in regards to human trafficking and terrorism? Perhaps you have ideas or thoughts I have not
considered. I am interested in learning from others with regards to these issues as no one person has all the answers and if we find the
resolution to these two important conflicts it will more than likely be a collaborative effort of many.
I am definitely not the first researcher to believe in the connection between human trafficking
and terrorism. In 2000, a researcher by the name of Christine Dolan conducted a 9 week study throughout Europe in which she
interviewed over 500 local people including children, pimps, police and prostitutes and concluded there is definitively a
connection between human trafficking and terrorism. Her study entitled, Shattered Innocence, Millennium Holocaust
was mentioned in the Spring 2002 Initiative Against Sex Trafficking Report and reported that human trafficking is enabling
international criminals to play into a wider field of international drug trafficking, weapons and arms
dealing, and even piracy, to name a few.
AR SMW DEBATE 15

At the beginning of the Millennium, around the same time when the Taliban was being originally moved out of Afghanistan, there
were multiple abductions of women and children reported in Afghanistan. The Taliban were reportedly abducting women and children and
selling them as sexual slaves, using them as concubines or even collecting them as war booty. When the Taliban was finally moved out of
Afghanistan they left several of the victims behind but then collected several more.
I believe it is imperative that we are able to connect human trafficking and terrorism and create
a Nexus between them in order to obtain greater public policy change. Currently, human trafficking is treated more
as a social issue than as a matter of national security. Albeit there are certain social problems created by human trafficking, it is most definitely
more than a social issue. Trafficking is a political issue as is terrorism and as such it should be treated in the
same manner. Should trafficking be treated as a matter of national security, instead of solely a social issue, public policy could be
changed in a way in which substantial impact could be made.
As an example, lets analyze a case scenario. Women and children are trafficked into the U.S. every day through Mexico and Canada
as well as Florida and other minor points of entry for the purpose of prostitution. Terrorist organizations not only utilize
human trafficking for financial support, they can also align themselves with trafficking groups to obtain a
point of entry into the U.S. Those who are trafficked into the U.S. for the purpose of prostitution could
also potentially be utilized for terrorist activities. Al Qaeda has been successful at setting up terrorist cells within the U.S.
and is also known to use human trafficking, prostitution and other illegal activities to fund their organization. What is to stop them
from using a prostitute or someone closely affiliated to their sex trafficking activities to carry out an
attack within U.S. borders? This is a frightening thought but the U.S. government has already
considered this possibility. Cutting off the funding prostitution provides to terrorist activities would be a
step in the right direction.
I believe major progress can be achieved by changing our own views of prostitution. Many still
view prostitution as a simple vice instead of a major crime and breach of national security. If we change how
we view this industry we can start a major shift in public opinion and perhaps public policy.
It may sound extreme to you but if policy was changed to treat prostitution as a serious offense when certain factors are present
that suggest trafficking, that may have an impact on the sex trade. If forced domestic servitude and forced slavery of any
kind was treated as a breach of national security here in the U.S. we may be able to get a handle on our
own domestic trafficking problem. If trafficking of a U.S. citizen in the international community was
treated as serious as a terrorist threat because of the Nexus between the two, there may be some
decline in that activity. If the U.S. shows the global community that it views trafficking as a contributor
to terrorism perhaps that would persuade more global action. Do you have other suggestions?