http://www.signonsandiego.com

Cross-border dialogue takes on renewed life


Action-oriented center to benefit the Californias
By Diane Lindquist
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
January 31, 2006

San Diego Dialogue, a public-policy institute at UCSD, marked its re-emergence at a reception last night with the release of a report that quantifies high-value economic linkages in the cross-border region and recommends the creation of a center to spur mutual development.

The nonprofit Dialogue organization, founded in 1991 by then-UC San Diego Chancellor Richard Atkinson and UCSD Extension Dean Mary Walshok, has been relatively quiet since the 2003 death of its executive director, Charles Nathanson.

Under Nathanson's leadership, San Diego Dialogue initiated a study that revealed that most people using the San Ysidro and Otay Mesa ports of entry are frequent legal crossers. The study spurred creation of the fast-pass SENTRI system now used along the U.S.-Mexico border.

Nathanson also organized a series of forums among area leaders that focused on educational and border issues.

Last night's release of a “Borderless Innovationâ€