First National Identity Fair in Mexico

It is estimated that there are between 8 to 10 million people that reside in Mexico City without a birth certificate; an indispensable document required to obtain a health card and access medical care. On January 20th the first “Feria Nacional de la Identidad” (National Identity Fair) was held in Mexico City with the purpose of accelerating the process for citizens of vulnerable groups in obtaining their birth certificates within minutes, a process which normally takes up to 3 months and individuals would have to go to their state of origin to register. Another purpose of this Fair was to recognize the identity of these individuals who do not have birth certificates, otherwise, they are treated as if they do not exist and cannot access services, excluding this population from essential services that are granted to others, ignoring some of their basic human rights. On this day, we assisted several homeless groups in attending the fair, in which a few representatives of each group received their birth certificate on stage and had the opportunity to voice their living conditions to the public. Also, for the very first time, the birth certificates were tailored to the visually impaired, making it available to them in braille. During the fair, there was live traditional music and dances from each state along with their traditional instruments and clothing. It was like having a little taste of every State in Mexico all at once!