SAN JOSÉ, 11 August 2023. With activities that encourage participation and leadership and through the "Think Twice" strategy, young people from Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador shared the challenges they face in their communities, as well as the lessons learned and results of the work they lead to promote the prevention of irregular migration.
 
International Youth Day is commemorated every year on August 12 to draw the attention of the international community to the issues young people face and to help develop their potential as members of today's society. In this context, the network of youth ambassadors of "Think Twice" in Northern Central America played a leading role.
 
In El Salvador, a forum on challenges and opportunities for young people was held at the Llano Largo School in Santa Ana. Moreover, a film forum in the same community and another in Nueva Ilamatepec, in coordination with the Municipality of Santa Ana.
 
In Guatemala, community festivals were held to enhance the life skills and creativity of young people in Quetzaltenango, La Esperanza, San Mateo, Salcajá, San Marcos and Ayutla, and to provide them with tools for making decisions about migration.
 
In Honduras, in coordination with the National Council of Honduran Youth (CONJUVEH), the First University Forum on Youth and Migration, a youth festival, and the Dialogues for Youth were held. These were key activities where youth leaders used dialogue to present their points of view so that they could be considered in the definition of policies.
 
Kevin Cartagena, ambassador of "Piénsalo 2 Veces" in El Salvador, valued the importance of replicating the information: "Not only have I learned things about migration, which is a very current social phenomenon that has had an impact on our region, but also being able to share this knowledge with other people, which can even save their lives, has been a very gratifying experience".
 
In the last year, the "Piénsalo 2 Veces" strategy has reached more than 15,000 young people in Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador. "This communication for development strategy, aimed at young people with a desire to migrate, seeks to strengthen their capacities so that they avoid believing rumors or being victims of deception, while promoting regular migration," said Tatiana Chacón, communications officer for IOM's Western Hemisphere Program (WHP).
 
This initiative is implemented by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) through the Western Hemisphere Program, with funding from the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration (PRM).
 
For more information, please contact Tatiana Chacón at tchacon@iom.int