Ambassador Wayne Celebrates Role of Civil Society during the Mechanism of Dialogue with Civil Society about the Merida Initiative

Ambassador Wayne Celebrates Role of Civil Society during the Mechanism of Dialogue with Civil Society about the Merida Initiative

Mexico City, February 16^th, 2012 – U.S. Ambassador Wayne participated today in the 8th Session of the Mechanism of Dialogue with Civil Society about the Merida Initiative hosted by the Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores (SRE) and the Secretaría de Gobernación (SEGOB).

The event highlighted the impressive results achieved by over 40 Mexican non-governmental organizations that received financial support through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) under the Merida Initiative.  In coordination with the Government of Mexico, in April 2010 USAID launched a grants program for civil society organizations to support Mexican civil society initiatives related to justice and security, human rights, trafficking in persons (TIP), victims’ attention, and social cohesion.  USAID granted almost $2.4 million, with each grant ranging from $20,000-$100,000.  During today’s event, grantees presented their major achievements and lessons learned.

Ambassador Wayne said, “I am very pleased to have been present for this event which recognizes the great work that civil society organizations have realized to improve their communities.  The contribution of civil society organizations in Mexico is very important; they are leaders and agents of social change in their communities. The presentation of their achievements was very heartening.”

Lic. Jorge Alberto Lara Rivera, SEGOB’s Commissioner for Political Development, said, “The authentic solution for security problems is not only in the pursuit of criminals and the transformation of institutions but also in the strengthening of the social fabric.  If there is a Support that flourishes and bears fruit immediately, it is precisely the support we provide to civil society.  SEGOB and the Mexican government are convinced that we can achieve the goals that we as a country have proposed through dialogue with political and social actors.”

The Mexican civil society organizations’ initiatives have benefited over 120,000 persons directly and another 270,000 indirectly through a wide range of projects, including legal and victims assistance, institutional and network strengthening, workshops, technical assistance, advocacy, production of books, manuals, research and diagnostics, community cohesion activities, and awareness campaigns. 

The Dialogue Mechanism has enabled stronger communication with social and academic organizations and specialists about the implementation of Merida Initiative programs, promoting a major interaction between the government and civil society in areas related to the strengthening of institutions, public security and the culture of lawfulness, among others.

Gabina Burciaga, of Crecimiento Humano y Educación para la Paz, A.C., an NGO based in Ciudad Juárez, said, “We institutions of various regions of the country are here, having built spaces of hope.  This gathering that brings us together today demonstrates the contributions we achieve with resources from Pillar IV of the Merida Initiative to build strong, safe, resilient communities.  We bring the richness of our experience from many years of work and commitment, from the generosity of our hearts and the intelligence of our proposals.”

Ambassador Wayne said, “The efforts of the Government of Mexico and those of civil society form a common front to meet with success the challenges that organized crime pose for the country and its citizens.”

USAID recently announced another ambitious series of support initiatives for local Mexican organizations, which can be found on www.grants.gov.

“The Government of the United States is committed to supporting civil society efforts, and together with the Government of Mexico we will continue to look for the best mechanisms to support the strengthening of communities,” Ambassador Wayne noted.