“Day of International Friendship” unites Canada, U.S., and Mexico in first-ever multi-national border actions

From Baja California to Quebec, Laredo and peaceful cross-border weekend gatherings challenge fear-based politics with community connection, art, and “radical friendship”

On Saturday, August 16, nearly 50 individuals from Laredo and Nuevo Laredo will join other communities across the U.S.-Mexico and U.S.-Canada borders to host the first coordinated Day of International Friendship. This continent-wide series of peaceful gatherings is a collective response to the current climate of negative misinformation about the safety and vibrancy of border communities. 

In Laredo, the Rio Grande International Study Center (RGISC), together with multiple partners, will co-lead the weekend festivities. The morning will begin with an exchange of yellow roses by Laredo and Nuevo Laredo representatives to symbolize our friendship and solidarity from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. In the evening, we invite the public to “Una Noche de Bohemia” from 7:00 to 10:00 p.m. at 600 Water Street underneath Bridge 2, featuring live music, poetry, and refreshments to celebrate our binational friendships while enjoying the beauty of the Rio Grande.

Mario Flores, RGISC Neighborhood Cultural Organizer, commented, “Being born and raised on the Mexican-American border allowed me to experience and be a part of two cultures that shape my identity. Despite what is being said and the threats we face, we fronterizos know that there is no emergency on the border and that our relationship with our neighbors in Nuevo Laredo will live on.”

Nuevo Laredo artist Funky Gallo agreed. “Nos da mucho gusto ser parte de esta celebración que se está llevando a cabo celebrando la amistad internacional que tenemos entre los dos países. Es algo muy bonito que se celebre este dia y estamos muy agradecidos de ser parte de esta red de organizaciones conmemorando la amistad internacional,” he said.

“Friendship is not weakness; it is strength,” said Rev. John Fanestil, Friends Across Borders co-founder, Rhodes scholar, and author. “We reject the narrative that seeks to turn neighbors into enemies. On August 16, we’ll demonstrate that friendship is the most powerful antidote to fear and division.”

Organized by Friends Across Borders, the synchronized events will take place at 10 cross-border sites, including anchor sites at San Diego and Tijuana; Tucson and Nogales; Laredo and Nuevo Laredo; Washington and British Columbia; Quebec and Vermont. While celebrations will occur along the length of both borders, four locations have emerged as focal points for turnout, visuals, and media coverage: Cross-border demonstrations will bring together artists, faith leaders, immigrant rights advocates, environmental defenders, and everyday people committed to peace, dignity, and human connection. An additional dozen sites across the country are also mobilizing in solidarity.   
Roughly 7–8 million people live in U.S. counties and Mexican municipios that touch the US–Mexico border, and about 25-30 million people at the US-Canada border. 

“We won’t let people peddling fear define our borders,” Fanestil said. “Our communities are not battlegrounds — they’re crossroads of culture, where a new future rooted in dignity and human connection is taking shape.”

For a list of spokespersons throughout North America, please visit the Friends Across Borders Speakers Circle.

The Day of International Friendship comes at a moment when immigration, border militarization, trade disputes, and fear-based rhetoric dominate the 2025 political agenda. Friends Across Borders sees this as an urgent opportunity to reframe the meaning of borders — from places of separation and exclusion to places of human connection and friendship.

About Friends Across Borders

Friends Across Borders is a coalition of individuals, organizations, and elected officials committed to demonstrating the simple truth that the peoples of North America are not enemies, but friends. Together, we are building a movement across the continent linking our common interests. A Day of International Friendship is the coalition’s first collective action, uniting communities along the U.S.–Mexico and U.S.–Canada borders through acts of peace, connection, and radical friendship.