Our History

Beyond Borders got its official start in 1993 as a spin-off of the Evangelical Association for the Promotion of Education (EAPE). EAPE was founded by Dr. Tony Campolo, a sociologist and well-known Christian speaker and author widely known for his passionate call for Christians to take seriously Christ's demand that we seek justice for the poor and liberation for the oppressed, and abandon our society's idolatrous love of money.

Under Tony's leadership, EAPE had been working in Haiti since the late '70s, first supporting an orphanage in the north of Haiti and then several schools and literacy training centers in the south. In addition to its work in Haiti, EAPE also supported work in the neighboring Dominican Republic and a variety of ministries for youth and children in inner city Philadelphia and Camden, New Jersey.

In 1991, EAPE established an office in Port-au-Prince and began forming an advisory board there to help guide EAPE's work in the country. The members of this advisory board were well-respected Haitian leaders and several expatriates with decades of experience serving in Haiti. During this same period, Tony and the EAPE board were engaged in a discernment process in which they concluded that the organization's diverse ministries should develop more autonomy from EAPE.

In December 1992, Tony and the EAPE board approved a proposal for the creation of two new organizations to continue its work in Haiti. One organization, based in Haiti, would take over responsibility for EAPE's work within that country and continue to refine and further its mission of promoting education for Haiti's people. The other organization, based in the United States, would take responsibility not only for raising funds for the work in Haiti, but also for amplifying Tony's call to wealthy Christians to leave behind their pursuit of money, power, and status and instead make the Gospel call for justice and reconciliation their ambition.

In the spring of 1993, Beyond Borders was legally constituted as a non-profit organization in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Several key supporters of EAPE's work in Haiti formed its first board, and three former EAPE employees formed its staff. Meanwhile, several members of EAPE's advisory board in Haiti formed the board of directors for the new organization in Haiti, which came to be called Fondasyon Limyè Lavi--The Light for Life Foundation. Beyond Borders and Limyè Lavi would be partners in mission, working together for justice and peace by promoting education in Haiti and challenging privileged Christians outside Haiti to reexamine their priorities and join the struggle for justice for the world's poor and dispossessed.

Both Beyond Borders and Limyè Lavi decided to adopt a nonhierarchical organizational structure. Decisions were made by consensus among the staff and board. Priority was given to creating a working environment that allowed staff members to pursue their individual callings with passion. Although this decision met some initial skepticism, we are more convinced than ever that this was the right decision. We now vigorously promote participatory leadership and more open organizational structures among our partners in Haiti and abroad.

Our work both in Haiti and abroad has grown both in its quality and in its size. Initially our focus in Haiti was on directly funding literacy centers for children and adults. We have worked to improve the quality of education provided in these centers by promoting teacher training and more participatory program management, planning, and evaluation. More recently we have sought to increase our impact by sharing what we have been learning with other institutions and leaders in Haiti. We are providing training and leadership development to a growing number of teachers, literacy instructors, community organizers & church leaders. We are also taking leadership in a national children's rights campaign that seeks the elimination of child slavery and exploitation in Haiti. And most recently, we have begun working to bring understanding across the broken relationship between Haiti and the Dominican Republic.

Beyond Borders also continues to expand its reach among its constituents in the USA, Canada, Europe, and Australia. We are collaborating with a growing number of ministries and organizations that share our mission to promote greater awareness of and commitment to justice and solidarity across economic and cultural divisions.