How can we resolve conflicts and/or work in areas which are suffering from violence?

1. Hernando Roldán is famous in the city of Medellín (the most violent city in the whole of Latin America) for his work in conflict resolution and rebuilding communities destroyed by war and narco-trafficking. You can read his interview with Shine a light in which he explains his techniques by clicking here.
   Contact Mr. Roldán a hrs@ept.net.co
   
   
2. ADEJUC (Alianza para el Desarrollo Juvenil Comunitario, Guatemala) is a project that has 4000 child educators who are trained to become community leaders in a country which is divided along ethnic, linguistic, class and religious lines -- in addition to divisions which came about as a result of the war. During the civil war in Guatemala, this organisation was one of those targeted by the government which made their work difficult. Through this experience, ADEJUC learned that conflicts can be reduced when children work together in such areas as literacy or agricultural training for poor farmers. Contact Mádel Rodríguez <adejucsc@guate.net>
   
   
3. AIACOM (Rio de Janeiro, Brasil) works to end the violence and revenge that are common in the favelas. They use a “ pedagogía de justicia” (“pedgogy of justice.”) in which children learn to listen to each other, to understand their mutual problems and to forgive. AIACOM also offers drama and storytelling workshops to bring children together.
   Contact Frei Mauricio <siccons@uninet.com.br>
   
   
4. Melel Xojobal (San Cristóbal de las Casas, México) works with protestants and catholics who are fighting in the war in the countryside and with different Mayan groups, many of whom are also involved in the conflict. In order to learn respect and tolerance for another cultures and to be able to work with the different communities, potential educators are required to learn at least one Mayan language. It is the children themselves who are given the responsibility of teaching their languages and culture.
   Contact Patricia Figueroa <nichkok@sancristobal.com.mx>
   
   
5. La Fundación ¡Vivan los Niños! works in the most dangerous communities in Medellín by promoting conflict resolution and by training young people to become peacemakers in their own right.
   Contact José López, joselo18@epm.net.co
   
   
6. Jóvenes Hondureños Adelante-Juntos Avancemos (JHA-JA, San Pedro Sula, Honduras) works directly with gangs, especially with those whose members have been deported from the US. By using techniques as diverse as street awareness, the philosophy of the Frankfurt School, and peer education, this project has succeeded in gaining the confidence of some of the most violent gangs in Central America. Through their attempts to decrease the violence of the gangs and drug lords, young Hondurans have been given a different sense of their own identity.
   Contact Ernesto Baladares, <jhajahn@yahoo.com>
   
   
7. Red Sol (Buenos Aires, Argentina) trains school teachers and shelter directors in techniques of conflict resolution. It should be noted that the level of urban violence in Argentina is nearly equal to that in Colombia.
   Contact Cristina Couso <mcouso1@uol.com.ar>
   
   
8. The young people in Taller de Vida (Bogotá, Colombia) are given training in Community Research. They narrate the lives of people in their communities through stories, dance, music, theatre and video. They denounce violations of human rights but also praise those who are working for peace and co-existence. Their research is broadcast monthly on a local TV channel.
   Contact Haidy Duque, taller@colnodo.apc.org