Mexico – Youth Empowerment, Community Mobilization and Crime Prevention: A Project for Mexico

In partnership with the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City, Meridian International Center organized an eleven-day trip for six representatives from the Mexican government to travel to the U.S. for a program designed to supplement recently enacted government policies in Mexico to fight crime. The program included stops in Washington, DC, Detroit, MI, and Chicago, IL, where participants were given the chance to meet with ant-crime, anti-drug, and gang rehabilitation programs; examine youth programs and community development involvement designed to deter and prevent crime; review US community and neighborhood watch programs; and understand how crime can be fought at the community and local levels. Within each city, participants were exposed to different methods of crime-fighting, such as youth crime-prevention through arts programs, or grass-roots organizations designed to mentor and intervene with potential gang members.