Innovation and Resilience to Empower Youth in Times of Crisis

Monterrey, Nuevo León, August 13, 2020.— Fundación Comunidad, in the state of Morelos, has demonstrated how digital transformation and resilience are essential resources when facing crises, as it has done in recent months through the intervention model of its Fondo Jóvenes program.

Over the past 11 years, Comunidad has contributed to the development of communities and youth groups in that state through the Fondo Jóvenes program; however, in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic and in compliance with public health measures, the organization turned to technology as a means to continue its work of building capacity and supporting initiatives by its grassroots organizations.

“The lockdown and the public health measures that we’ve had to adopt haven’t been an obstacle to carrying out the community initiatives that young people have launched in response to this new reality through innovation. On the contrary, it has been an opportunity to take a fresh look at ourselves, rethink our approach, and return to valuable activities that had been lost as we fell into modernism and capitalism,” said Jennifer Arias, program coordinator at Fundación Comunidad.

For more than a decade, Comunidad has successfully implemented the Fondo Jóvenes program, which has reached nearly 14,570 young people in Morelos—with approximately 2,914 benefiting directly and 11,656 indirectly—across 16 municipalities in Morelos.

In this new reality, Comunidad has implemented a strategy in partnership with the Autonomous University of the State of Morelos to address the realities of communities from various perspectives.

While continuing to support ongoing projects, the new working model has also allowed them to recognize that young people have limited access to technological tools and that several grassroots organizations are devising creative strategies to gain access to them.

Some of its most notable projects within the Youth Fund include: CiriÁn + Art = Community, a community development project that has been underway for more than six years in the community of Coatlán del Río to introduce children to science and culture.

One such example is Yankuik Kuikamatilistli, a cultural project that has been active for 10 years in the community of Xoxocotla and seeks to reduce violence and create a space where children and young people can come together through culture.

“We believe it is essential to work with young people because, through their creative work, they offer alternatives and projects to create spaces for gathering and dialogue for the younger generations in their communities, using different approaches and methodologies to engage with the community and carry out interventions.”

“They are agents of change who seek to redefine their understanding of what it means to be young and the ways they can make an impact. They are reviving and creating safe spaces where young people can express themselves in different ways, engage in dialogue, and create together,” says Jennifer Arias.

The community has taken on the challenge of innovating its communication strategies and putting its organizational capabilities to the test, with positive and tangible results in both areas. One example of this is the recent humanitarian aid initiative launched by several grassroots groups to collect food to support vulnerable families during the health crisis.

Likewise, Comunidad has embarked on a process of reinvention with the goal of adapting to the new reality and, in doing so, addressing the challenges that the coronavirus pandemic will leave in its wake. According to the Program Coordinator, this transformation process has provided the foundation with valuable lessons, particularly regarding the use of technology and how experiences are communicated.

Photo credit: ResilienteMX.