COFOA Youth Leaders Organize for Their Future

COFOA youth leaders continue their work to involve young people in solving the problems that affect them most directly – violence and lack of employment. Miriam Cicilia has been hired as a new youth organizer. She will focus her work in El Salvador’s San Vicente Department. Youth leaders are meeting on a monthly basis in Zacatecoluca to learn the skills of organizing. Most recently they helped organize a Health Fair in Las Isletas.

COFOA campaign organizer, Aleida Almendarez, is also gathering student leaders from the University of Central America, National University, Pan America University and the National University of El Salvador to plan events that will educate students and the larger public about the failed War on Drugs and build power to bring about change.

These COFOA leaders are seeking to advance a comprehensive policy for youth safety and employment, with a specific focus on change in policies restricting employment opportunities and investment in intervention strategies. Youth have an unemployment rate twice that of adults, and 30% are not in school or working.

While the government has developed a comprehensive national approach (Plan Seguro) to address violence, it has doubled down on the “mano dura” repression of violence and has been unable and/or unwilling to adequately invest in youth intervention, prevention and development programs. COFOA youth are organizing for a better future. Donate now to join them in this critical work!