In 2007 AWO International initiated together with local partner organisations the prevention programme in Honduras, Guatemala and Mexico. In close cooperation with local youth groups and networks AWO International supports young people in getting organised and joining forces to fight for their rights like, for instance, a better future and so as to conscientise the public and politics for their issues. By promoting young people AWO International pursues the goal to fight violence and gang crimes in that region. In doing so the adolescents’ social environment, like family, school and neighbourhood as well as the political framework are included and taken into consideration.
An essential feature of the project is the national and regional network of the young people. Due to their exchange and visits to the neighbouring countries they witness that there are similar problems and that together they can move a lot of things. “In this context the new project country Nicaragua takes on a role model function”, project coordinator Christiane Schulte explains, “since relations between young people and the governmental security forces like the police are less polarized there. Moreover Nicaragua has an interesting history of preventing youth violence.“
