A region free of violence

By, David Munoz, Regional Communications Manager

Mexico City. World Vision Latin America and the Caribbean recently launched a regional campaign: “A region free of violence for children” which aims to contribute to build a Continent free of violence.

In the midst of a region that has suffered from violence towards children, adolescents and women, either by cultural practices or social injustice, World Vision decides to focus its efforts in the reduction of violence through the different current programs and activities, and further more, to raise awareness amongst the population.

But, how bad is violence? The answer to this can be found in the recent events that have shocked Mexico and its population with the disappearance of 43 students in the southern State of Guerrero abducted by police on order of a local mayor, and are believed to have been turned over to a gang.

Three days ago authorities confirmed that, the students were killed, then their bodies were burned before throwing their ashes into bags and into a deep river. Parents of the college students reacted immediately, some saying the evidence is inconclusive and insisting that their children are alive.

The victims were mostly in their 20’s studying to become teachers at a college in rural Ayotzinapa (State of Guerrero). On September 26, they traveled on buses and vans for a protest about lack of funding for their school. They haven't been seen or heard from since.

Roadblocks, public demonstrations at a national level and a civil society that is demanding the government to show the students “alive”, are just some of the consequences against this horrific scene of violence against a group of students, not the first one in the nation and unfortunately not an isolated case in Latin America.

While this scene certainly has politics issues, it’s the level of violence and the way of dissolving any public demonstration through aggressive actions towards the youth that should not be taking for granted. While Maras (gangs) keep fighting for territory in Central America and killing youth that do not agree to join their gangs, thousands of children are fleeing to the U.S. border but the scenario in Mexican territory is not secure for them, nor for students neither for migrants. In the last six years, 47,000 migrants have been murdered in Mexican territory by the organized crime.

Only in Mexico, 10.7 million of homes, at least one member of the family have been victim of a crime or violence (data source INEGI –National Institute of Statistics, Geography and Informatics, 2014), this represents 40% of the total of Mexican families.

Violence has growth at disproportionate levels affecting mostly the new generations of children and youth in Latin America and causing severe collateral damages into families, communities and countries. But it’s also them who are seeking for a change in their lives and ways to overcome violence before that violence overcomes them.

This is where the regional initiatives from World Vision connect with the youth in a single cause, a region free of violence through specific actions: to transform the paradigm of relationships within a culture of peace, overcome poverty and equipping the new generations to face the challenges that Latin America currently has. It’s only in coordination and an open dialogue with the youth that World Vision can achieve the vision of a peaceful Continent.