Distracted, as we are, in the partisan grids and concentrated on finding everything bad, suddenly the good news passes us by. This is the case of the Mexican program Knockout don’t throw in the towelcoordinated by Dr. Eunice Rendóndirector of Red VIRAL, which was selected as one of the 10 winners to be promoted by the Scale up project, of the Paris Peace Forum.
Every year the forum recognizes the best international practices in peacebuilding through various topics and invites them to a couple of days of joint reflection in Paris.
Knockout don’t throw in the towel, Eunice tells us, it is a tertiary prevention program that search, through the practice of boxingmethodologies of forgiveness, reconciliation and comprehensive attention to emotions at the individual, family and collective level, to contribute to the reintegration process of people deprived of liberty and at the same time prevent their recidivism once they are released.
Over nine years it has proven to be an effective model: 90% of the participants have left addictions and 100% of them improved their life skills, to relate, their self-esteem and self-confidence. Significant levels of stress and anxiety have also been reduced and the mental and physical health of the participants has improved.
The program is implemented in collaboration between Red VIRAL, the Foundation for Reconciliation chaired in Mexico by Eugenia Vallín and the World Boxing Council by Maurico Sulaimán. Furthermore, during the nine years that it has been implemented, it has had the support of various state governments such as those of the State of Mexico, Morelos and Chihuahua.
The award ceremony took place during the closing ceremony of the forum, a space in which a performance with migrants and a reflection on some of the conclusions of the meeting took place.
Dr. Rendón, coordinator of Knockout don’t throw in the towel He took the opportunity to thank those deprived of liberty, their families and the authorities who have made the program possible during these years. Pablo Almuli Cassigoli, coordinator of special projects at Red VIRAL, and María Eugenia Vallín, president of the ESPERE Foundation in Mexico, also received the recognition.
You will be accompanied, on behalf of Mexico, by the Mexican ambassador to France, Blanca Jimenez Cisneros, and Mariana Campos, director of México Evalúa.
The Paris Peace Forum is of the greatest relevance. Presidents from more than 40 countries have participated in this meeting since its inception. This year, among other personalities, the president of France, Emmanuel Macron, the present of Ghana, the prime minister of the Bahamas, the former prime minister of New Zealand, among others.