Annual report of activities 2011

Annual Report 2011

Table of Contents

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05. Introduction

- A Word About 2011 By Aram Barra - A Team With a Mission - Highlights

11. Work Programs

- Hiv Program - Gender Program - Drug Policy Program - Communication and Institutional Strengthening

66. Financial Statement

- Balance Sheet - Revenues and Expenses

70. Partners and Donors

- Acknowledgements - Donors 2011

A Word About 2011 Introduction 4

Five years after a group of young people came together to create a space through which to participate politically, Espolea today is an established youth organization with a clear mission, an identity and every day with greater capacity for action and response.

During 2011 we opened our first formal office, a creative and innovative work space from where young people engage in local, national, regional and international action. As in past years, we campaigned and raised awareness about subjects surrounding young people such as sexual and reproductive rights, HIV, gender relations and identities and drug policy.

In addition, we launched our first series of publications, Young Vision, with the ideal of providing a space for analysis and discussion of public agenda issues from a youth perspective. With this, we also increase Espolea’s ability to collect policy recommendations, best practices, benchmarking and social experiences that help young decision and public policy makers and to gain a better understanding of the realities of young people.

We ended a busy year and we are ready to begin another year of activities aimed at bringing about social change. We celebrate the achievements, but we think the road towards the world we envision is still a long one. We have taken a first baby step aiming at meaningful participation and are prepared to keep looking for generational exchanges in our fields of action, including our own institution.

We are good to go and ready for more!

Aram Barra Projects Director

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A Team With a Mission Introduction 6

Our team has a strong mission. We seek to empower and engage young people in projects and initiatives that generate knowledge and information that, from a youth perspective, allow us to act as agents of change and promote respect for human rights. We do this through capacity building, advocacy training, visibility of priority issues and the generation of a binding pluralistic and multicultural community.

During 2011, Aram Barra, Brun González, Cecilia García, Daniel Joloy, Francisco Meza, Gabriel Amezcua, Gabriela Gabriel, Lisa Sánchez, Román Becerril, Ruben García, Victoria Lorenzana, Yahir Zavaleta y Yunuén Flores worked tirelessly to build just and inclusive societies in which young people express our views, influence decision-making, fully exercise our rights and meaningfully participate in the transformation of the world in which we live.

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HIV and AIDS Work Programs 10

The 2011 was a year of change for the HIV and AIDS Program. We integrated new people to the team and said goodbye to colleagues who had accompanied us for several years. While we continue to strengthen our work on HIV, we decided to take a little time to recalibrate our compass. Here is a summary of what we did: Positive Youth Network in Latin America One angular project of Espolea’s HIV program is the creation of a network of young people living with HIV in Latin America. This is a friendly and open platform through which to share experiences and information on topics relevant to the different realities these communities live according to geographical, cultural, social and political contexts. It also seeks to promote the development of new leadership, strengthening those existing, and the participation of young people in the forums, consultations, workshops and other activities to be developed.

As a management mechanism, the network of positive youth wants to develop methodological and practical tools that allow the financing of projects from within the same network, based on the detected and exposed needs and initiatives of young people throughout the region.

For 2012, the Positive Youth Network will act upon two main lines: 1) the realization of a regional (Latin America) and Mexican consultation, and 2) the development of a website network that will serve as a virtual space where young men and women share and exchange experiences, information and concerns of what it means to live with HIV in Latin America.

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No Pants, No Problem > February 17, Mexico City “The first Mexican edition of the no pants, no problem party will be held in DF to fundraise for the HIV and AIDS Programme, and to celebrate the fifth anniversary of Espolea� said Anna Bolena Melendez for El Excelsior (http:// bit.ly/K2imZ6) on February 17 on our fundraiser. With over 300 attendees, we took off our pants to dance and have lots of fun, good music, cute panties and prevention messages. In addition to a series of press releases and radio appearances, the event left everyone with such a good aftertaste, that we cannot wait to do a second edition in 2012. This invitation can be found on line. (http://on.fb.me/K2iIiq).

Workshop on HIV and Human Rights > February and July, Mexico City During 2011 we conducted several workshops on human rights for young people living with HIV in conjunction with Positive Attitude and CONTRUSEX, groups who meet regularly at Clinica Condesa in Mexico City. Through these spaces, we realized the great need to expand the understanding of human rights and their relevance at the time to empower young people living with HIV to participate in decisions affecting their lives. During the 2012 we seek to expand activities that emerge from this first experiment in order to broader existing tools in the response to HIV in Mexico from a human rights perspective.

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Meeting of High Level Session on HIV / AIDS > June 8 to 10, UN General Assembly, New York, USA The United Nations General Assembly Special Session on HIV / AIDS is held every five years to review the overall strategy in response to the virus. This year, Espolea was present to assist not only the plenary sessions and working groups but to follow up commitments made by countries after the adoption of the Political Declaration on HIV / AIDS: Intensifying our efforts to eliminate HIV / AIDS (http://bit.ly/lyIvmh).

As part of our main objectives and agenda, our representative Lisa Sanchez (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SvdxaIDoUKU&feature=re lmfu) was responsible for bringing to the table for discussion the issue of the relationship between use, abuse and drug dependence and HIV, especially among young users of injectable drugs such as heroin or speed and non-injecting users of crack and young people who abuse alcohol. During our participation in meetings with the Secretary of Health, Lisa had an intervention where she expressly asked the Secretary to measure the prevalence of HIV among drug users with reliable instruments and based on scientific evidence. She requested comparable questionnaires in the Epidemiological Surveillance System of Addictions (SISVEA) and a first set of interviews in the newly formed New Life Centers.

More specifically, Espolea asked to be taken seriously when applying the National Addiction Survey as organizations working in the area require comparable statistics over time. Thus, Secretary Cordova noted the need to include indicators that measure the level of knowledge about the risks of contracting HIV as a result (direct or indirect) of drug use, knowledge of HIV status of respondents, the use protection methods and the availability of health services for drug users in the next National Addiction Survey.

Parallel to the high-level meeting, our representative Lisa Sรกnchez (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SvdxaIDoUKU&feature=relmfu) played in the video recording of the activist-filmmaker Lisa Russell, which will be screened during the United Nations High-Level Meeting on Youth. In this video, Lisa spoke of the experience of being directly involved in organizing the World Youth Conference, an initiative in the

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International Year of Youth by Mexico, which ended up being a resounding failure with the refusal of authorities to make a real involvement and youth participation in the event. From her participation in this project several reflections broke on the effective participation of young people in initiatives that directly affect them as well as the need to develop a true perspective of youth who can take into account the demands of young people. Read more about our participation in the High Level here: http://bit.ly/J8i5SI. Latin American Dialogue: HIV and The Law > June 26 and 27, Sao Paulo, Brazil Within the Latin American dialogue, which aims to nurture the work of the Global Commission on HIV and the Law, Espolea spoke through his representative Aram Barra (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmIkJ0-GnMI&feature=relmfu) on the importance of including sexual and reproductive health and harm reduction for drug use as a substantial part of the curriculum in the region. He also challenged against representatives of Mexico’s Supreme Court of the Nation on the human rights violations represented by national programs such as “Safe School” and “Safe Backpack”.

This work was of vital international importance as it contributes to work together to HIV-related issues such as drug use and sex-gender identity and strive to eliminate barriers and regulatory barriers that prevent access by young people in the health region. Aram’s full speech can be read here (http://on.fb.me/J8ii8s), and you can see all the discussions held via video (http://bit.ly/KLzmE1).

Cut Up Your Prejudices > September 30, Mexico City With this activity, the HIV program of Espolea sought the twin objectives of ‘cutting’ the prejudices of young Mexicans (http://on.fb.me/ J8ixQV) that passed near our office on Friday September 30th and raise funds for other team activities. To do this, Román Becerril (http:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=mbf_5dztWZ4&feature=relmfu) decided to ask professional stylists to donate their services for several

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hours for people passing-by, while the Espolea team responded doubts and questions about HIV, sexual and reproductive rights, drugs and relationships of gender. You can hear more about the event on Radio Ibero (http://youtu. be/X9jc4qrqpOU) or W Radio (http://youtu.be/CrcLF8-7sXw).

International Day of Palliative Care > October 7, 2011 On the International Day of Palliative Care, we made a blog post that discussed the role of drugs -understood in the broadest sense of the concept- when it comes to the cure of pain. Through a literature review that explains the concept of pain from various perspectives and the implications for people living with HIV, we observed different impacts drug policy has in this discussion. This blog has been one of the most popular we’ve had during the year in our social networks, which speaks to the importance of the issue and the limited existing information available. We created two blog entries that can be found online: Palliative Care? (http://bit.ly/J8iPqV) and International Day of Palliative Care (http://bit.ly/J8iTXO).

VIII Congress of Sexuality > October 20/22, Tuxtla Gutierrez, Chiapas Yahir Zavaleta (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tqkFVBNWTeQ&feature= relmfu) participated at the Eighth Congress of Sexuality (http://femess.org. mx/node/41) with the objective of building capacity of HIV Programme to

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generate social strategies on issues such as homophobia, sexual diversity, gender identity and HIV. Yahir concretely attended three sessions in particular. The first one concerning the way in which the Bible addresses the issue of sexual diversity, given by Juan Carlos Hernandez Meijueiro. Second, the workshop Tools to Promote Policies of Comprehensive Sexuality Education by Armando Diaz. Last, the panel discussion on Transsexualism and The Dilemma of its Character which discussed the differences between a human condition approach versus a disease one. This session showed the different positions when addressing manifestations of gender identity and the derived impacts this has on public health and the stigma and discrimination experienced by transgender people.

5th University Meeting on HIV and AIDS: Detection, Prevention and Care Among Vulnerable Groups >November 14/15, Mexico City The fifth meeting of specialists in medical areas and public health activists (http://on.fb.me/KLAhnO) announced advances, strategies and lines of work at the international level in the response to HIV. With the participation of Yahir Zavaleta (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tqkFVBN WTeQ&feature=relmfu), we learned about new trends extending treatment for people living with HIV. Researcher PhD Carlos del Rio referred particularly to the study HPTN O52 (http://bit.ly/J8jclr), proposing a viable and consistent strategy for allocating antiretroviral treatment (ART) to people who give a reactive screening test for HIV antibodies. This, regardless of the viral count (CD4) current guidelines indicating a person diagnosis under a confirmatory test (Western Blot) with a CD4 between 200 and 300 to begin ART. The new trend will help reduce the rate of new infections, they concluded. The importance and impact of Yahir’s participation in this meeting lies in reporting on trends in treatment and prevention mechanisms, while strengthening arguments on the ongoing debate we have in the HIV program at Espolea.

One Day on Earth > November 30, Mexico City and Puebla As part of an initiative by UNFPA and UNAIDS that called on organizations, citizens, students and documentary filmmakers to capture through short videos a view of human experience in their daily life, Espolea decided to make two videos. The first, portraying the personal experiences of Franco, a young man from Mexico City living with HIV. The second, concerning a young Mexican woman and her perspective

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on what it means to be part of this community in a country struggling with gender based violence and seeking to encourage the participation of young people in decisions directly and indirectly affecting them. Both materials were sent to the United Nations headquarters in New York to be edited and posted on the official website of the project: http://www.onedayonearth.org/ World AIDS Day > December 1, Mexico City and Tijuana As part of World AIDS Day and for a second consecutive year, Espolea organized a public demonstration to commemorate people that were killed by the virus, and the moralistic and criminalizing policies that inhibit an effective response to the pandemic. In collaboration with the Human Rights Commission of Mexico City, Espolea led Cantoya balloons and made a memorial ribbon out of candles. Similarly, Román Becerril (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mbf_5dztWZ4&feature=relmfu) delivered a speech denouncing the cancellation of round 11 of the Global Fund against HIV, Tuberculosis and Malaria, and Yunuén Flores (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xikbz9YAJNU&feature=re lmfu) ran a small workshop on condom use.

In parallel, Yahir Zavaleta (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tqkFVBNWTeQ&feature=relmfu) traveled to Tijuana as part of “Homophobia is OUT” TV show led by DIDESEX. By participating, Yahir visited the “riding” spots of Tijuana city, where he experienced the reality of young injecting drug users, some in the context of migration and some others living with HIV. This experience enabled him to understand the different correlations between HIV and other situations that make a person more vulnerable.

CrowdOutAIDS Moderation - Latin America > October to December, Social Networks As part of strategic planning work of UNAIDS at the global level, the CrowdOutAIDS project required on-line moderators based in the different regions of the world. In the case of Latin America, Aram Barra (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmIkJ0-GnMI&feature=relmfu) and Yahir Zavaleta (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tqkFVBNWTeQ&feature=relmfu) inquired and guided through social networks the main concerns

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of young people with regard to HIV in their communities. After five weeks of discussions, this activity culminated with the participation of Aram at #PCB2011, the 29th session of the Programme Coordinating Board of UNAIDS, where he presented his experience as a moderator. The video presentation can be found at http://bit.ly/IHld9J. The whole experience served Espolea, and in particular its HIV Program, to generate better links with young people from the region who are working to respond to the virus with their peers, and youth-led organizations. The process offered an opportunity to better understand priorities in the region, and offered an opportunity to understand more specifically how civil society participates in strategic planning and political discussion of the UNAIDS. Human Rights Fair 2011 > December 4, Mexico City Espolea participated in the 2011 Human Rights Fair organized by the Human Rights Commission of Mexico City at the Plaza of the Constitution of Mexico City. Armed with an information booth, we shared our work around HIV, gender relations and drug policy, we handed out condoms and explained how to make effective use of birth control. The space allowed us to get in touch with many new people, of which a significant number were interested in becoming volunteers to organize activities and expand our

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work. During 2012, we will be looking forward to expand our participation in similar areas to east across the country.

Training of Service Providers in Prevention Interventions for MSM, SW, IDU and PLWHA > August 25 to October 4, semi-virtual course attendance Under the Project for Strengthening the national strategies for prevention and harm reduction for men who have sex with men (MSM), sex workers (MSM / SW) and injecting drug users funded by the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria, various civil society organizations joined forces with the National Institute of Public Health and Population Fund United Nations to facilitate a series of graduates aimed at professionalizing the efforts of individuals and organizations involved in the global response to HIV. As part of these efforts, and on behalf of Espolea, Lisa Sรกnchez (http://www. youtube.com/watch?v=SvdxaIDoUKU&feature=relmfu) attended the course Training of Service Providers in Prevention Interventions for MSM, SW, IDU and PLWHA during the months of August, September and October of 2011.

Throughout the course, mostly provided virtually, Lisa participated in a series of forums and discussions aimed at improving the understanding of issues of great relevance for HIV prevention such as orientation and sexual diversity, the dynamics of infection, the types of prevention and the design of targeted prevention strategies targeted at communities most affected.

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The main impact of participating in this course is the professional attitude of our members as well as constant updating. In Espolea, we are aware of the need to continue learning and to refresh our ideas from the discussion with our peers. Additionally, Lisa was in constant interaction with health professionals and members of other civil society organizations, which contributed to enriching the views of one another and to generate business cooperation ties that can be used in future. At the end of the program, the National Public Health Institute put out a record of involvement with curricular value.

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Gender Program Work Programs 22

For the second consecutive year, the Gender Program continued to work around issues of equity and equality, prevention of gender violence, masculinities, and sexual and reproductive rights. More importantly, in 2011 we managed to position it as a key program within the organization and gave visibility to the work Espolea does in this area, while continuing efforts to make gender a cross-cutting line in our projects. It was a year of learning and training for the team during which the strategic lines of action were established. A brief of our several achievements follow: • Training of youth and adolescents on the prevention of gender violence and sexual and reproductive rights.

• Participation in feminist forums for dialogue and work where Espolea made visible the need to design effective mechanisms to ensure the inclusion of more young women in areas of debate and decision making.

• New strategic partnerships with youth organizations working to prevent and eradicate various types of gender violence.

• Production of video materials as tools for advocacy and promotion of the rights of women.

• Outreach and partnerships with counterparts in Latin America.

• Participation in various media which became known work of the Gender Program and was able to reach diverse audiences that do not specialize in the issues we address.

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Workshop on Sexual and Reproductive Rights > February 25/27, Hotel Tulip Inn Ritz Mexico City The Leadership Institute Simone de Beauvoir (ILSB) invited the Gender Program of Espolea to participate in a youth network to strengthen access to and exercise of sexual and reproductive rights (SRR): RDfine México (http://www. rdfinemexico.org/). As part of this meeting, lectures and workshops to discuss and reflect on the theme of the event (SRR) were conducted. Thus, Cecilia García (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXUKjUtxYmo) was responsible for facilitating a workshop whose aim was that participants fully understand the difference between sexual and reproductive rights, and their relationship to the issue of legal, safe and free abortion This activity allowed Espolea to present our work to people from other states and associations of the Republic and help participants of the event to answer many questions regarding sexual and reproductive rights, and to identify gaps in the information provided on the subject and the specific needs of each of the participating States of the country.

International Women’s Day > March 8, Mexico City On the 100th commemoration of International Women’s Day, Espolea called on governments, civil organizations and the general public to continue working

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to promote and defend the rights of women and end violence and gender inequality. Specifically, we requested the inclusion of young women in various areas of participation and decision-making, and our recognition as key players to address the issues that affect us, to help developing countries and assist in building fairer and more egalitarian societies.

This call was made through a statement that was published in other venues such as Peace Journalism - Citizenship Express (http://bit.ly/vVXHPz) and the Consortium for Parliamentary Dialogue and Equity (http://www.consorcio.org.mx/site/index.php?option=com_ content&view=article&id=1462:mujeres-jovenes-inmersas-en-dramatica-violencia-social&catid=94:estadisticasindicadores).

Workshop on Dating Violence Within The “Women’s Empowerment” Event > April 1, Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey, Mexico City TEC de Monterrey, through the Leadership Institute Simone de Beauvoir, invited us to participate in the symposium entitled “Women’s Empowerment” in order to discuss and exchange ideas about developments to prevent and eradicate violence against women, and the challenges we still face. The purpose of this activity was that participants fully understand how violence manifests itself in a relationship, the types of violence that exist, and acquire some tools to visualize the problem and develop strategies to prevent and eradicate it. Spaces like this allow us to have a clearer idea of the needs of young Mexicans around the issues that Espolea works on, which helps us to develop and implement projects that actually meet those needs.

Slut Walk > June 12, 2011, Mexico City (Angel of Independence - Chamber of Juarez) On June 12 and under the slogan “No is No”, thousands of women, young girls, mothers, parents, activists, citizens, spoke out against sexual violence. Driven by the global movement Hollaback (against harassment in the streets), the Slut Walk has become an international phenomenon that has been replicated in different countries of Latin America and the world.

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Espolea decided to call the demonstration as part of our work aimed to visualize different types of violence, to prevent and eradicate them. As a claim, this place takes the word “slut”, because it is a concept used to discriminate and stigmatize women who do not “comply” with the established social roles and / or exercise their sexuality. This also served to justify violations of women’s rights and lack of access to justice. The message is clear: “sluts” or not, all women have the right to live free of violence. A report by Grupo Reforma including a fragment of Gabriel Amezcua’s (http://www.youtube. com/watch?v=z5gYTi-__FU&feature=related) speech can be viewed online (http://youtu.be/g2ozEiNgDZI). , KajaNegra videographic TV makes an edition (http://youtu.be/LnrDhzHPGP4) that includes most of the speech.

Workshop on Gender Violence > June 10, New Center Pan American School, Mexico City For the second consecutive year, the New Center Pan American School organized a Cultural Day aimed at high school students. During this event, theater workshops, environmental care and prevention of violence were treated. On behalf of Espolea, Cecilia García (http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=oXUKjUtxYmo), facilitated a workshop on gender violence. The objective of this activity was that the school and students in this school understand what gender violence is and why it is important to prevent it.

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Students concluded the workshop with a clearer idea of what domestic violence is and how it manifests itself. However, we noted participants received all the necessary tools to prevent it in a school context. This was due in part to the debate that was generated after some participants were intolerant to certain matters, as well as time and space allocated for the activity.

Retriving the learnings from these activities is important for Espolea because: a) It allows us to substantiate any plans to younger populations, specifically teenagers and especially when it comes to designing and implementing primary prevention of violence; b) it allows us to test the messages and content of campaigns that seek to make visible and prevent the various types of violence; c) it helps us think of activities suitable for working with adolescents, and d) it opens new opportunities for participation and advocacy.

Workshop on Sexual and Reproductive Rights in a Progressive Agenda of Youth > May 24, National Executive Committee of the PRD, Mexico City As part of the agenda construction plan of the Juventudes de Izquierda (JIZ) of the Democratic Revolution Party (PRD), Espolea contributed with content proposals through the facilitation of a couple of workshops. The first workshop, entitled “Sexual and Reproductive Rights in the construction of a progressive agenda of young people”, consisted of an interactive session where Lisa Sánchez (http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=SvdxaIDoUKU&feature=relmfu) explained the reasons why young people of all platforms should consider the issue as a priority.

“Why must I care?” was the question that started this awareness and training session.

The first part of the presentation was devoted to the definition of SRR as a study subject and public policy item. We then performed a historical review of the evolution of reproductive rights in the world. Once the international debate settled, we proceeded to analyze and discuss the implementation of the concepts in the national context, always from a critical perspective. Thus, we visited major legislative reforms in the country since the sixties and even today. The consolidation of social movements in favor of diversity, respect for the

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rights of women and queer rights was also addressed. Finally Lisa opened a space for discussion where participants could exchange ideas, concepts and their meanings.

To facilitate this workshop was an enriching experience. It provided Espolea with the opportunity to assist in building a progressive agenda for young people from the left, and created an area of opportunity to renew youth leadership and attract more people to the cause. We strengthened partnerships and created synergies between civil society and left political parties by conveying our audience to meet the needs of young people as a common cause.

II International Meeting on Gender Research > August 17/18, Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro, Querétaro The objectives of the meeting were to analyze the progress in building equity and momentum to the mainstreaming of gender studies both in the various institutions present and in public policy, and understand the impact of mainstreaming gender in policies and public programs. Espolea’s participation, through Cecilia García (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXUKjUtxYmo), was an opportunity to learn about the research that has been promoted from the academy, besides presenting the paper: “Participation of young men and women in changing the perception of gender violence”.

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We specifically stressed the role of young people as strategic partners capable of promoting the mainstreaming of gender studies in youth issues, and to raise a new world view that recognizes and respects differences while proposing solutions to this and other types of violence. We also analyzed the implications of erotic-affective relationships established by young people and their relationship to the theme of sexual and reproductive rights.

International Women and Health Meeting > September 13/17, Free University of Brussels, Belgium During the week of activities in this 11th meeting, working sessions and cultural activities providing opportunities for integration of all women in all regions of the world were held. Espolea was a participant in two working sessions: Sexual and Reproductive Rights in Mexico: Challenges to achieving MDG 5 by Cecilia GarcĂ­a (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXUKjUtxYmo) and The Importance of Gender Perspective in Health Public Policy by YunuĂŠn Flores (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xikbz9YAJNU&feature=relmfu).

With Sexual and Reproductive Rights in Mexico: Challenges to achieve MDG 5, Cecilia briefly explained that after the legalization of abortion in Mexico City in 2007, conservative groups in 17 states of Mexico were in favor of the protection of life from the moment of fertilization. Widespread criminalization

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of women who decide to terminate their pregnancy caused many of them to currently be imprisoned in various states across the country. Later, Flores presented The Importance of Gender Perspective in Public Health Policy, through which she revised laws or policies most vulnerable to rapid changes in the world. Yunuen also tackled new forms of interaction of the subject with economic, political, social, cultural and familiar areas.

Furthermore, the Gender Program of Esplolea conducted a series of interviews with young women who attended the meeting to tell us about their work, their experience as advocates for health and women’s rights and the importance of such conferences. These interviews were compiled into a video which can be accessed here (http://youtu.be/N1-_L-CUGU0).

March for the Decriminalization of Abortion in Latin America and the Caribbean > September 28, Monumento a la Madre - Zocalo, Mexico City As Espolea, by continuing our work focused on promoting sexual and reproductive rights of young women and men, this demonstration was of particular relevance. In order to understand the landscape that frames the debate over the decriminalization of abortion and of equity and sexual and reproductive rights in Mexico today, it is of vital importance to observe the perception of political representatives, civil society organizations and Mexico

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City residents. Moreover, we conducted a series of video-interviews through which to contribute to the reference of young people’s role in the subject.

“My participation in the march brought the realization of a form of social activism. Demonstrating involves consensus, organizational skills and a spirit of solidarity for equal rights, particularly the decriminalization of abortion. Being a participant in a march means come to know the actions that civil society in an organized manner or under a scheme of individual participation pursue, in this case regarding gender equity as a form of social justice.”

-- Victoria Lorenzana Our participation in the March and the publicity done through social networks (http://on.fb.me/IniHDL), (specifically Twitter), attracted 9 new followers and our information was replicated 23 times (23 RTs). This work contributes to Espolea’s growth and impact. On the other hand, it gives us new advocacy materials (videos, audio, images), and experiment with different tools to document and disseminate information (interviews were compiled and will be presented on video during 2012 as part of a campaign to promote the rights of young women).

Course “Gender Equity: A Political and Social Vision” > October 8, Committee of the PRI Delegation in Tlalpan, Mexico City In October, the Federal Electoral Institute of Mexico’s Federal District, in collaboration with the City PRI Steering Committee, organized a workshop entitled “Gender Equity: A Social and Political Vision”. Its main purpose was to link the issue of gender and women’s political participation to explain how the exercise of our civil and political rights contributes to gender equality.

As a youth organization that seeks to operate with a gender perspective and performing activities around the theme, we were interested in attending the course to learn how both institutions approach and articulate with political and electoral participation of citizens, specifically

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women. The fact that the youth group of PRI DF was in charge of organizing this event was important because we wanted to determine to what extent these efforts are focused on the youth population of the City or at least the Tlalpan Delegation.

While the contents of this course did not provide information and / or important tools that contribute to the work of Espolea, by what happened in this space and how the issues were addressed we can conclude the following: 1) Some political parties do not understand that compliance with gender quotas does not mean that women will actually be represented or that the feminist and progressive agendas will be promoted and supported. This is because structural changes are required and a change of paradigm for modeling fair and equitable relationship between men and women. This is achieved through continuous training and awareness of congress wo/men, senators and candidates for public office, or the inclusion of people (men and women) who have undergone such training.

2) Some parties or groups within the parties are not interested in providing tools that promote women’s political participation. Instead, they organize events or activities that supposedly address issues on the public agenda, but that only have election purposes.

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3) Training of young women and their inclusion in this type of spaces is scarce, and in some cases nonexistent.

4) Apparently, parties do not have a structured program with clear objectives to promote gender equity through the exercise of civil and political rights.

5) Youth groups of parties operate under the same schemes that their predecessors, which have hindered the approach of these groups with diverse youth populations, especially those living in marginal situations.

This information helps us make recommendations on specific work to be done within political parties, especially in regard to mainstreaming gender and youth in all its agendas.

Workshop: “Mainstreaming Gender in Social Projects� > November 12, Mexico City Espolea conducts constant training of its staff around the issue of gender and provides tools to incorporate this approach in all projects developed and implemented by the organization. For this reason, we conducted a training-workshop whose aim was that participants fully understand 1) what is gender, 2) what are the antecedents of gender studies, and 3) what it means to develop policies, programs and social projects for young people with a gender perspective.

The workshop contributes in principle to the work of Espolea because it gives us the opportunity to collaborate with experts on gender and youth. Similarly, it puts us a step closer to achieving the effective mainstreaming of gender perspective in all our activities. That is, we provide tools to make up the framework that will contribute in achieving this task. It also invites us to question and transform certain ideas, attitudes and behaviors related to traditional gender constructions, which in turn impacts our work and personal life. Finally, the above constitutes an opportunity to become a youth organization specializing in the subject not only of drugs and HIV but also on gender and youth.

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Launch of AtreveteDF > April 1, Mexico City Since its beginning, Espolea has encouraged the participation of young people in initiatives and projects that make concrete policy recommendations and ensure respect for all our rights. On April 1, 2011, AtreveteDF --part of a global movement to eradicate harassment on the streets--launched its website.

Adding to an effort of 12 countries around the world, Espolea helped this initiative by establishing a strategic alliance through which to launch a blog and a youth-led campaign aimed at influencing the transformation of the way we perceive, prevent and eradicate violence. The press release is available online (http://scr.bi/IvumTn).

Regional Forum for the Prevention of Youth Violence and Citizen Security > November 3 / 4, Xi Hotel, Mexico City The forum’s objective was to contribute to the construction of a public policy that contributes to improving the environment and youth, as well as for the generation of inclusive spaces that encourage the respectful exchange of different experiences and perspectives.

With the participation of YunuĂŠn Flores (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v= xikbz9YAJNU&feature=relmfu), participants formed groups of 8 and named

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a spokesperson to answer questions like: What do young people need their government to do to prevent violence? What is the role of families to prevent violence among young people? The group created a series of ideas to create a final document that included: a) The need to create more forums where young people actively involved in planning of prevention of violence could partake; b) Develop appropriate campaigns by the state with targeted population c) Create a national youth committee for the prevention of violence, and d) Work together with governments and civil society to combine work strategies and generate better results.

This forum provided a space to make concrete suggestions. It was announced that this was only the first of a series of forums in various states of the country in the coming months where to discuss and work on a single document to serve as a basis for policy development for the prevention of violence among and toward young people in Mexico.

Urban Sense Party > November 12, Mexico City On November 12, 2011, AtréveteDF organized a party to celebrate life and put an end to harassment and discrimination. As a strategic partner of this organization, Espolea was present to continue supporting the work of this movement and make visible the various manifestations of gender violence. In the event we had the opportunity to distribute some of our publications and information on the topics we work. This has encouraged more people to express their interest in working with us. In 2012, we will continue to support initiatives that promote equity and gender equality, and seek to eliminate violence. The invitation can be viewed online (http://on.fb.me/IvurGN).

Lecture on Sexual and Reproductive Rights, Drugs and Young People > November 29, Preparatory NET (New School Technology), Ixtapaluca Each year the school NET Ixtapaluca organizes a “Sexuality Week” around the World AISA Day. During this week, talks and workshops are conducted with the participation of experts of civil organizations specialized in various subjects and with experience in youth work. For this

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reason, Espolea was invited to lecture on Sexual and Reproductive Rights and their link to HIV prevention. In addition, we added sexual transmitted infections and drug related harm reduction as key relevant issues related to teenage sexuality. The event was attended Cecilia GarcĂ­a (http://www. youtube.com/watch?v=oXUKjUtxYmo) and Brun GonzĂĄlez (http://www. youtube.com/watch?v= CmhI6spI5Q8), who served as speakers.

People who attended the lecture (between 50 and 70) were young people between 17 and 19 years of age. The activity identified areas of collaboration between two of the three program sof Espolea -gender and drug policy programs- who worked together to plan and develop an activity that linked three specific themes: Sexual and reproductive rights, drug use and HIV. Because the young people attending the lecture already had general information about sexual and reproductive rights, the presentation looked deeper into the topic to debate particular human rights and the challenges faced by certain groups of young people to exercise them.

Specifically, Ceci and Brun spoke of the needs of young people living with HIV and the relationship between use of drugs and violation of sexual and reproductive rights.

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Group Reflection: Fostering Civic Education and the Vote of Young People > December 6th, Fuerza Ciudadana, Mexico City In order to identify the causes that could explain the decline in electoral participation, Fuerza Joven was given the task of reflecting through various sessions and determine the perceptions of a representative sample of young people in the Federal District. Sessions focused on citizen participation of young people, especially during electoral processes. As an organization of young people, Espolea was invited to a discussion of these debates, where Cecilia García (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXUKjUtxYmo) attended and helped seek to involve young people in various initiatives and opportunities for participation.

“This activity allowed me to understand more fully what the responsibilities of the Federal District Electoral Institute (IEDF) are -well-organized local elections, especially in regard to the promotion of youth citizenship and civic education. It also served to identify how Espolea may engage and encourage more active participation of youths in the public sphere.”

-- Cecilia García, 26, Mexico Interview “Talk to Them” > November 15, Mexico City In 2011, the media presence of Espolea grew not only in print, but also in radio and television programs. Invitations to participate in such spaces have been the result of our work, but also the strategic alliances we have established with other organizations.

On this occasion, IMER (Instituto Mexicano de la Radio) made a group invitation to Espolea and AtreveteDf to the program “Talk to them” (XEB station, 1220 AM). “Talk to Them” is a bar aimed primarily at a female audience that addresses issues of social, family, couple and doctors, offering alternative solutions, with the help of experts in these fields. Conducted by Marta de la Lama, AtreveteDF and Espolea shared their experiences and talked about work being done around the issue. The interview can be heard here (http://bit.ly/IvuthV).

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NOFM radio interview. Program “DeGUStando” > November 22, Mexico City Under the conduction of Gustavo Pérez, better known as “La Chiva Mayor”, Espolea’s Gender Programme Coordinator, Cecilia García (http://www. youtube.com/watch?v=oXUKjUtxYmo), attended an interview to discuss the work the organization does around three main agendas: HIV, gender and drug policy. The interview can be heard here (http://bit.ly/IvuC4O).

Interview ATNCN MX > December 23, Mexico City ATNCN MX is an organization of and for young people that seeks to generate influence on important issues for Mexico. Since we are interested in generating dialogue between representatives and citizens, civil society organizations and other public or private institutions, the program ATNCN MX / TV has become a key media partner to reach a greater number of participants.

Their space addresses various issues and alternatives around human rights, inclusion, democracy, gender, employment, technology, education and support to vulnerable groups such as older adults, women, children, disabled, unemployed youth, students, migrants , among others. Espolea participated in the special issue of end of year to talk about our work, achievements and experiences.

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Drug Policy and Harm Reduction Work Programs 40

In 2011, Espolea finished defining its agenda for the Drug Policy and Harm Reduction Programme. Based on the raised lines of work since 2009, we expanded our activities, our achievements, our expectations and therefore our to-do list in the context of our three overarching goals: a) the creation and dissemination of scientific information about drugs and young people who use them; b) the study and publication of first-hand information about the governmental system around drugs, and c) the political rapprochement between the local, national and international policy Mexico drug. This is what we did in 2011: Network of Young People and Harm Reduction associated with the use and abuse of drugs (REJRED) The group of people who belong to this network of information and exchange of ideas continued to grow during 2011 to the present day, for a total of 80 members from virtually every corner of Latin America. A total of 190 opportunities for action, participation or other movements invitations were sent during 2011, representing an increase of 63% compared to 2010. More importantly, the network has successfully survived a platform change and shows healthy growth prospects.

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54 Commission on Narcotic Drugs (#CND2011) > March 21/25, Vienna, Austria For the second consecutive year, Espolea attended the Commission on Narcotic Drugs of the UN (CND), a session of the Economic and Social Council that happens once a year and that discusses, followes up and (still-hopeful), amends the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs of 1961, which oversees all psychotropic substances worldwide.

During the 2011 session, Aram Barra’s (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmIkJ0-GnMI&feature=relmfu) participation was a bit more active than last year because his expectations coupled regular working rhythms of the United Nations: a slow rhetoric that is usually ironic and sometimes incomprehensible. On the other hand, he attended with a better understanding of civil society organizations that were present (who, how and in what capacity). The space served, therefore, to refine lines of strategic and coordinated action. The full report of Aram’s participation, including an analysis of the motions presented and approved, can be read in Spanish (http://scr.bi/o0K9d8) and English (http://scr.bi/pF0hFf).

Of particular relevance was the launch of the campaign: The costs of the war on drugs, posing as a side event of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs (# CND2011). In this event, Aram Barra (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmIkJ0-GnMI&feature=relmfu) showed a comparative analysis of drug policy in Latin America, concentrating finally on the case of Mexico as “what not to do in drug policy.” Finally, he stated some of the impacts and consequences that these policies have on the prospects for new generations. A video with the entire speech (http:// youtu.be/dCPcVQ92wKc), by Aram can be viewed online, as well as the presentation used during his exhibition (http://scr.bi/IvuS3U).

Youth and Drugs Pre-Conference > March 31 / April 2, Jounieh, Lebanon The pre-conference brought together young activists on harm reduction from around the world during three days, creating a space for skills development workshops and creative discussion. Participants gained an opportunity to generate networks, connect and share experiences and

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knowledge with their comrades. In this sense, Espolea participated through Brun González (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CmhI6spI5Q8) and Aram Barra (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmIkJ0-GnMI&feature=relmfu) who met the objective of preparing and training in the proper defense of issues affecting young people around drugs, and prepare for their participation in the XXI International Harm Reduction conference and beyond. A full report of the activities carried out in the pre-conference can be found here (http:// scr.bi/IvuTEV).

XXI International Harm Reduction Conference > April 3/7, Beirut, Lebanon Continuing efforts during the nineteenth and twentieth International Harm Reduction Conferences, held in Bangkok, Thailand and Liverpool, United Kingdom, respectively, Espolea actively participated actively in this new edition with more than one activity and with renewed enthusiasm. So, in addition to having been an integral part of the organization of the youth pre-conference, Espolea’s team contributed with speakers and moderators in three main sessions.

The first session was ‘Resources for young people and harm reduction’ where Brun González (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CmhI6spI5Q8) spoke of the risks young people take when adopting risky sexual behaviors and mixing

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with the use or abuse of substances. The second was the plenary on the second day of conference, where Aram Barra (http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=vmIkJ0-GnMI&feature=relmfu) habló del liderazgo de lxs jóvenes en la revolución de la política de drogas. Finalmente, una tercera sesión ocurrió cuando Aram Barra (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmIkJ0GnMI&feature=relmfu) spoke of youth leadership in the drug policy revolution.

Finally, a third meeting moderated by Aram Barra and entitled ‘Youth Drug Policy’ featured Lisa Sánchez (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SvdxaIDo UKU&feature=relmfu) as speaker along with representatives from all over the world.

In this session, Lisa spoke of the need to transcend the harm reduction approach that focuses on traditional injected use of substances, when the Latin American reality shows that the most urgent needs for intervention are concentrated among the user population of non-injecting drugs, particularly young users of crack, alcohol, methamphetamine and other mixtures.

This event was also an opportunity to explore new areas of research, demonstrated by the poster presented on drug policy, deforestation and environmental impact. Finally, the participation of our three representatives broke off new strategic partnerships with organizations within and outside the

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American continent as well as a large number of publications and information sources socialized, that allowed us to deepen our knowledge in other areas.

1 National Congress: History and Practice of Drugs > April 13, National School of Anthropology and History, Mexico City The Congress, mainly intended for students of social anthropology, offered two spaces for Espolea that were occupied by Brun González (http://www.youtube. com/watch?v=CmhI6spI5Q8) and Gabriel Amezcua (http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=z5gYTi-__FU&feature=related), respectively. With the presentations ‘Recontextualizing history: Potential Medical Research of Psychedelic Substances” and “Introduction to Harm Reduction”, Espolea built on its work on traditional use of substances and the importance of psychoactive substances at different moments in the history of civilizations. Also, it made an introduction to harm reduction moving from an intervention strategy to a philosophical concept, elaborating on the importance of expanding the scope of the current application.

The event poster can be downloaded here (http://scr.bi/qidGmz).

International Colloquium on Violence and Youth > March 14/16, Colegio Mexico, Mexico City Espolea was present at this conference though Brun González (http://www. youtube.com/watch?v=CmhI6spI5Q8), who attended two conferences in

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particular: “Violence, Youth and Police” and “Violence Prevention in Latin America: Experiences that Work.” In both areas, Brun acquired knowledge and useful information for the organization and explored new areas of work that caught his attention. In general, the conference served to further strengthen the team and our operational capabilities.

VI International Conference on Youth and Drugs > May 2 / 4, Melbourne, Australia On behalf of Espolea, Aram Barra (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmIkJ0GnMI&feature=relmfu) gave a keynote address at the Sixth International Conference on Youth and Drugs with particular emphasis on the importance of involving young people in decisions that affect their lives. For 40 minutes, Aram tried to convince an audience of 405 people, 80% of whom were over 26 years of age, that young people are not passive recipients of drug policy, but active members of the response to the phenomenon. From prevention and treatment, to the formulation and design of public policy, harm reduction and advocacy for legal change.

The impact of his speech can be seen in the conference report (http://bit.ly/ wK25Ef) itself which referred to in their learning that “young people want to be involved in the response to alcohol and other drugs, we must ensure that

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this takes place in a meaningful way”. In regard to Aram’s speech, the report states that “[t]here are ways to include young people in policy and program design, rather than criminalizing them for using drugs. Aram demonstrated the very important and inspiring work that young people are doing around the world”. The conference identified three main issues on which it is important to continue working in the future: a) involvement of young people in design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of programs and policies, b) the role of social networks and new technologies in the drug response, and c) drug use among young queer (LGBTQ). Aram’s prezi can be viewed online (http://bit.ly/lV7dui).

Workshops: Creating a Youth Movement for Drug Policy Reform > May 10 and 12, Wellington and Auckland, New Zealand The New Zealand Drug Foundation, a civil organization based in Wellington, invited Aram Barra (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmIkJ0GnMI&feature=relmfu) invited Aram Barra from Espolea to facilitate two workshops with the aim of creating a youth movement for drug policy reform in that country. To do this, Aram traveled to New Zealand for a week, to focus on determining the challenges that new generations of Kiwis face to reform the current legislation, and some ways to drive these changes.

Aram’s presentation (http://bit.ly/o3n7xf) caught the attention of universities and media, so during his stay, Aram took the opportunity to talk about Mexican drug policy (95bfm - http://bit.ly/Ivvh6x) and the ideals of change he hopes the new Mexican generations help drive (Media7 TV - http://youtu.be/ZFR1h_uZ5aM). In addition, Espolea made the most our of Aram’s trip to do research on alcohol policy in that country from which research will be published in early 2012.

Workshop on Drug Policy: What Is It and Where to Start? > May 24, the National Executive Committee of the PRD, Mexico City As part of the construction of the work plan of Juventudes de Izquierda (JIZ), the youth movement of the Democratic Revolution Party (PRD), Espolea contributed to the development of a progressive agenda of youth through the facilitation of a couple of workshops.

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The second of these workshops, entitled “Drug Policy: What is it and where to start?” offered an opportunity for young people of the JIZ to discuss with other experts in environment and development. The objective of this session was to deconstruct the concept that young people have about the meaning of “drug policy” and uncover the clichés and taboos that permeate our society regarding the use, abuse and drug dependence.

In order not to de-contextualize the issue, we addresses both national and international developments of the subject, focusing on the ties and influence being exerted from both arenas. When we finished observing the damage, we analyzed the Mexican case, taking into account recent developments and reforms undertaken by all political parties including the PRD. Thus, the debate analyzed the successes and mistakes made by the military institution itself and attempted to understand a problem and propose solutions. At Espolea, we believe that providing effective bargaining tools to our peers is a way to influence the design and implementation of progressive public policies. This also helps to generate informed discussion and promote awareness of the issues that most impact young people.

Summer School: Drugs and Human Rights > July 11/22, Budapest, Hungary Espolea was honored to participate, through Aram Barra, (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmIkJ0-GnMI&feature=relmfu), in the first academic course on drug policy and human rights organized by the Central European University (http://bit.ly/IvvlTE). During the two weeks of the course, Aram developed a more complex understanding of the phenomenon of illicit drugs, identifying the contributions from different academic disciplines that construct on the development of evidence-based policies. This process builds on the discussion and review of data, information and analysis to develop and apply human rights principles to the evaluation of current drug policies.

After reflecting on the development of public policies, Aram focused on advocacy strategies to reform them based on international conventions and respect for the rule of law in the international community. In this way, Espolea acquired greater professionalization to explore alternatives

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to existing policies based on best practices and respect for human rights. A collection of learning can be read online (http://bit.ly/IvvkPz).

Fiesta Santa Playa > Mayo 27, Ciudad de MĂŠxico At a party of about 300 people, we placed tables with informational signs on the percentage of alcohol in the blood on the number of drinks, both for men and women. Along with the percentages based on the weight of the person, we attached information focused on harm reduction. The response was extremely positive. At least 100 people came and commented on information provided. The event promoted a festive and friendly atmosphere by providing free water bottles to attendees. The invitation can be found online (http://on.fb.me/Ivvo1U).

International Day in Memory of Drug Users > July 21, Budapest, Hungary On the International Day in memory of Drug Users, Espolea participated in activities organized by the Hungarian Civil Liberties Union (HCLU) at the Russian embassy in Budapest, Hungary. There, we lit candles and made several speeches to commemorate the lives lost because of the terrible drug policy in that country. Similarly, we took the opportunity to demand a change of strategy in that country to avoid losing more lives. The film produced by HCLU around the demonstration can be seen online (http://youtu.be/8rQamoezt2Y).

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Workshop: “Drug Policy” > August 6, Citizens Movement Party, Mexico City EAs part of efforts to consolidate the National Youth Movement of Convergencia Party (now Citizen’s Movement), Espolea was invited to facilitate a workshop for young drug policy movement members and students of the Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico. This activity involved our representatives Aram Barra (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmIkJ0-GnMI&feature=relmfu) and Lisa Sánchez (http:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=SvdxaIDoUKU&feature=relmfu), who shared their experiences and views with thirty teenagers and young adults for about three hours. The session offered to youth political parties, unlike other workshops we had given in the past, included several new components among which are: 1) A first dynamic to revise terms and identify prejudices, misconceptions and points of dispute; 2) A strategic division of the issues in a national and international levels, exemplifying the progress and setbacks on drugs over the past 50 years, and 3) An invitation to debate which, although in its infancy, several people managed to score an interesting discussion in which we are liberated from the clichés and discuss the real priorities of young people.

The activity also served for Espolea to adapt its language and content to the non-specialist audience referred to. Everyday adolescent boys and girls who are in contact with drugs and require relevant information, scientific and free of dogma. These young people who need to make smart decisions and take care not to fall prey of traditional prohibitionist approaches that only push them into hiding and silence. Breaking taboos, reaching more and more young people. That’s how we intend to contribute to much needed change in drugs policy. The presentation can be viewed online (http://bit.ly/IvvrL9).

Publication: Children, The Forgotten Victims in The Drug War in Mexico > September, Mexico City As part of the Young Vision collection, a space for analysis and discussion of public agenda issues from a youth perspective, Aram Barra (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmIkJ0-GnMI&feature=relmfu) and Daniel Joloy conducted research on available public information on the drug war of Mexico. With the central hypothesis that the impact on human rights has been fatal, Aram and Daniel tell the state of things

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for children in Mexico today. From human rights violations, to the growth in the number of orphans, to the psychological damage caused by conflict and the impacts caused by the security strategy of President Felipe Calderon. The text can be downloaded free of charge in Spanish (http://bit.ly/q0JFZ3)and English (http://bit.ly/IvvwhP).

III Latin American Conference on Drug Policy > September 13/14, Mexico City “Organized by the Collective for an Integrated Policy toward Drugs (Mexico) and Intercambios, Civil Association for the Study and Care of Drug Related Problems (Argentina), the long awaited conference stands as a unique discussion through which to analyze the challenges and opportunities in the region to address the challenges posed by the drug issue” quoted the first Espolea blog post (http://bit.ly/IvvBlw)about the conference.

For two days, the entire Drug Policy Program team of Espolea had the opportunity to share with experts and invited organizations on drug policy in the region. More importantly, we took on the task of concentrating our learning and make them public for the rest of the world to see through a series blog posts, tweets and comments on Facebook. In fact, during the two days, we had 22 new followers, 122 retweets (RTs) and 85 ‘I like’ on Facebook.

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Espolea also used the space to bring together all the young people (http:// on.fb.me/IvvCG6) who participated in the conference and record, on par with the conference, a final message from the young people of Latin America. This video, which can be viewed online (http://youtu.be/xNJnSxPmzfA), to date a total of 6.269 views.

Interview: Drug Policy in PolĂ­tica Cero > September 18, Mexico City Caused by the interest sparkled by the publication of our first Young Vision, and in order to understand what is drug policy and in particular harm reduction and how young Mexicans are applying it to our reality, Aram Barra (http://www. youtube.com/watch?v=vmIkJ0-GnMI&feature=relmfu) gave an interview to Jairo Calixto from Politica Cero. The interview was broadcast into the air by Milenio TV on September 18 with a repeat a week later and can be viewed online (http://youtu.be/fo9MEx2mz7A). For Espolea, this meant a significant advance in the areas of impact of our message and from it, many more young people came to our organization for information or to collaborate with us.

Workshop: Harm Reduction For Party Settings > September 19, Mexico City In order to complement the work that Espolea does around harm reduction in party environments, Brun GonzĂĄlez (http://www.youtube.com/watch? v= CmhI6spI5Q8) built on the research conducted by Tamas Kardos in 2010

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and organized a workshop on the subject with young people. For this reason, Lisa Campbell-Salazar from the Trip! Project in Toronto, Canada, came to Mexico and reviewed with our team and general public, theoretical and methodological lines from which to promote a harm reduction project in Mexico City from a much larger scale. The workshop was attended by 13 young and defined areas of action for 2012.

Conference: Sex, Drugs and Politics > September 20, UPIICSA-National Polytechnic Institute, Mexico City “In order to discuss issues that concern us and generate proposals for the construction of a project that represents us” the Foundation Equipo invited Espolea to give a conference on drug policy and harm reduction. The event, attended by about 50 people, allowed for Aram Barra (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmIkJ0-GnMI&feature=relmfu) to give some ideas for rethinking drug policy and break the preconceptions we have of drugs and people who use them. Together with participants Aram promoted the idea of our organization to work with peers and with public not specialized in the issues. Efforts such as this ensure a generational exchange that Espolea is fostering through thinking ‘outside the box’ and questioning the status quo.

Research: The Impact of The Small Time Trafficking Act in Mexico’s Health System > January / December, Mexico City As part of the analysis and research activities we conduct, Espolea participated in a multidisciplinary research project on the impact of the “Decree amending, supplementing or repealing certain provisions of the General Health Law, Federal Criminal Code and Federal Code of Criminal Procedure, “also known as” Narcomenudeo Act. The objective of this research, conducted in conjunction with other civil society organizations and academic institutions, was to contribute effectively to the understanding of the current laws relating to possession, consumption and trafficking of drugs at retail. After a process of desk research and a botched field study aimed at studying the role of the New Life Center in the new scheme proposed by the Law (study could not be concluded due to lack of cooperation with state authorities), Espolea found it necessary to obtain quantitative information through public information requests via IFAI.

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The impact of this activity, beyond the information gathered and the learning process inherent in all research, included aspects ranging from a better understanding of the legislative reality in the field of addictions to drugs and in-depth understanding of the architecture and operation institutions at all levels. Read the full report of the research on online.

Reform Conference, Drug Policy Alliance > November 2/5, Los Angeles, USA With very moving and inspiring speeches, Lieutenant Governor of California, Gavin Newsom, former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson and director of the Drug Policy Alliance, @EthanNadelmann welcomed over 800 people at the Westin Bonaventure Los Angeles. Many young people met and applauded while Nadelmann said: “This is a movement that brings together those under 25 years of age, those over 60 and those in between, the poor, the rich and the in between, blacks, whites and the between, heterosexuals, homosexuals and the in between, drug users, non-drug users and the in between”.

On behalf of Espolea, Aram Barra (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmIkJ0GnMI&feature=relmfu), Lisa Sánchez (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v= SvdxaIDoUKU&feature=relmfu) and Brun González (http://www.youtube. com/watch?v=CmhI6spI5Q8) divided the conference program amongst

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themselves to report, through blog posts and tweets (http://bit.ly/IvvUwM), all that happened in the largest conference in North America for the reform movement of drug policy. In addition, both Lisa and Aram participated with interventions that addressed the role that young people play in the reform of drug policy in Mexico and in Latin America, respectively. Meanwhile, Brun took the opportunity to strengthen strategic alliances with sister organizations in the region through a meeting specifically organized to this end.

Finally, Aram spoke on behalf of young people in Latin America at a rally in MacArthur Park in Los Angeles, along with personalities such as Javier Sicilia, Dorsey Nunn, Jakada Imani, Julia Negron and Stacia Cosner. The invitation to the event can be found online (http://bit.ly/Kvd31I), as well as an article about the conference at The New York Times (http://nyti.ms/v62xZC).

Workshop: Alternative Policies: How to Respond to The Drug Phenomenon? > November 23, Universidad Michoacana, Morelia, Michoacรกn In collaboration with students from the MA in philosophy from the Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolรกs de Hidalgo, Espolea organized the workshop: Alternative Policies: How to Respond to The Drug Phenomenon? (http://on.fb.me/Ivw1Zo) where Gabriel Amezcua (http://www. youtube.com/watch?v=z5gYTi-__FU&feature=related) sought to explain the philosophy of harm reduction as a base from which to rethink drug policy. The workshop also allowed to rethink strategies for harm reduction for non-injectable drugs and found new methods to explain the phenomenon of drugs to new generations. This workshop will be replicated in 2012 with many other organizations and educational institutions to increase the area of influence and impact of Espolea.

Translation and subtitling of specialized videos > January / December 2011 As part of our efforts to expand and diversify the sources of information and lines of dialogue on drug policy and movements around the use of drugs in different parts of the world, Espolea carried out the translation and subtitling of 17 videos of the Hungarian Civil Liberties Union.

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The themes of these materials include the campaign for the Commission on Narcotic Drugs, Drug Lords International, several innovative approaches to reduce the impacts of injected heroin use in Russia and Eastern Europe, cannabis for medicinal use, and the use of entheogens as MDMA as a therapeutic tool for sensitive cases that conventional medicine has failed to resolve properly.

These actions seek to bring state of the art proposals and activities to a Spanish-speaking public the would otherwise have no access to this information because of a language barrier. Breaking this barrier, Espolea seeks to facilitate and expand the local references, national and regional to make both organizations and individuals involved with these movements for change despite the invisible nature of this information in traditional media. In addition, Espolea signed partnership with HCLU for a series of interviews with political figures and community leaders in Latin America to be published in 2012.

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Communication and Institutional Strengthening Work Programs 58

In addition to the activities in the three Espolea work programs, our organization performs other actions to improve our own work, our communication and youth political participation in general. In this regard, in 2011 we also did the following: Regional Development Forum for Civil Society Organizations > February 18, Memory and Tolerance Museum, Mexico City As part of the development of Espolea, it is necessary to seek funding with other foundations and institutions that can contribute financially to our work.

Espolea is currently focusing on institutional development, where the future diversification of funding we receive for our activities is central. It was therefore of great importance to know other funders and institutions, both domestic and international, to which we can approach for development of a large number of projects of our three different programs. Having the “Guide to the Financial Sustainability of Civil Society Organizations”, which contains information on more than 350 calls for funding, has been useful for the organization.

Australian Youth Affairs Council > May 2/4, Sydney, Australia Taking advantage of Aram Barra’s (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmIk J0-GnMI&feature=relmfu) to Australia (http://youtu.be/vmIkJ0-GnMI), Espolea prompted him to participate in the Australian Youth Council, where he presented the experience of youth organizing in other parts of the world.

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This exchange was of particular interest to the public, who received with open arms the information provided. Moreover, this was particularly helpful for our organization because it generates new institutional partnerships with youth organizations and reviewed the process of political participation of young people in other countries. This learning will be used by Espolea as it has been selected to co-chair the efforts of the Washington, DC YouthForce in 2012.

10 days of activism > July 10, internet As part of the “Conversations for the Future”, Espolea was invited to participate in a virtual forum that challenges the political participation of young people in various topics of global relevance. Aram Barra (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmIkJ0-GnMI&feature=relmfu), on behalf of our organization, published an article entitled Discrimination Free world... That’s where I want to live! (http://bit.ly/pWlZZP), which addresses the many reasons why young people living with HIV, young women, drug users and sex workers are part of many minority groups who suffer discrimination and violence. The article was very well received by the forum who massively spread it through social networks.

Workshop Series: Young People and Political Progressivism > June / August, Mexico City As part of Espolea’s efforts to boost young people’s political participation, Aram Barra (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmIkJ0GnMI&feature=relmfu) facilitated a series of workshops on youth and political progressivism with the support of the Friedrich Ebert Foundation in Mexico and the Foundation Equipo. The workshops were aimed at young people between 16 and 20 years of age and focused on generating a theoretical framework from which to promote political action. Aram addressed the historical characteristics that define social democracy, as well as traditional forms of participation and social protest. Finally, he addressed the role of new technologies and offered ideas for use as a tool for discussion and encourage debate and dialogue. Aram’s presentation can be viewed online (http://bit.ly/Kvdc5u).

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Workshop: Using Video Cameras for Advocacy > September 12, Mexico City As part of an internal requirements to meet our strategic lines of work, Espolea searched for the Hungarian Civil Liberties Union (HCLU) to facilitate a workshop on video advocacy in order to learn the fine art. Since the preparation, production and editing of materials, to the practical use of technical equipment, the workshop was attended by 20 young people from different parts of the region and part of the institutional team of Espolea. The space also worked to strengthen inter-institutional partnerships and explore opportunities for joint action.

Establishment of forums for political dialogue > October / December, Mexico City Mexico today faces a stark reality marked by violence and an uncertain future.

The social crisis, political and economic issues affecting our country has caused, among other things, persecution, criminalization and murder of thousands of people, many of them young. Faced with this national emergency and the approach of a cyclical event (the presidential elections in 2012), Espolea has joined various spaces of political dialogue as the “Generational Dialogue at the National Emergency� or a space coordinated by the Population Fund of the United Nations. Both spaces have been shaped by civil society organizations and representatives of youth at political parties, and sought to establish a

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permanent forum for dialogue in order to define a critical path of action developed and promoted by Mexican youths in an effort to address the reality before referred. Espolea will monitor and participate in similar processes during 2012.

A Look at The Lives of Left Wing Young People in Mexico > Mexico City As part of a larger project which includes brief interviews with young people around the world and their expectations of the future, Espolea was selected to produce two small documentaries about the lives of young people from the left in Mexico. And yourself, how do you live? (http://youtu.be/EFhTsb8CmIo) and What disgusts you? (http://youtu.be/z47DSfOFkds) are a videographic initiative in which 17 young Mexicans answer the following questions: Are you satisfied with your life? For you, what should change? How would you personally like to live in the future? What disgusts you and what you do about it?

This project, in addition to implementing our learning video-advocacy skills, supports the aim of Espolea to document and share the realities of emerging generations.

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63

Balance Sheet (in U.S. dollars) Financial Statement 64

Income 2010

2011

Donations Technical and Community Support Services Unrestricted Contributions In Kind Contributions

64,500.00 6,256.00 4,244.00 5,500.00

71,154.00 6,256.00 2,423.00 935.00

Sub-total

80,500.00

80,768.00

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Balance Sheet (in U.S. dollars) Financial Statement 66

Wages, Benefits and Internships Suonsultant Fees Workshops, Presentations and Activities Publications Office Equipment Statonery and Office Expenses Office Rent Maintenance Administrative Expenses Communication Travel and Per Diems Taxes and Withholdings Gain / Loss in Currency Exchange Sub-Total Balance 67

Expenses 2010

2011

20,001.84 0.00 36,781.91 0.00 0.00 7,457.65 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 12,121.30 3,796.10 341.20 80,500.00 0.00

13,818.00 971.00 8,141.00 968.00 2,372.00 815.00 3,123.00 271.00 570.00 47.88 5,080.00 3,407.00 0.00 39,583.88 41,184.12

Partners and Donors 68

Partners and Donors Intercambios Argentina Transform Youth RISE IDPC CASEDE GYAN Psicotropicus Caritas México CUPIHD UNODC UNAIDS UNFPA CIDE HCLU HRI HRW VIVA RIO Jovenes Positivos DPA

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REJRED INSYDE SSDP CSSDP TRIP Dance Safe Contingente Tuiter Friedrich Ebert Open Society Fuerza Ciudadana GYCA Global Fund RDFINE Mexico CNDHDF Asuntos del sur GUIAS WOLA TNI Accion tecnia social

Volunteers SSDP Colombia Biblioteca cannabica AMECA Vie Fémenine AtreveteDF

Ángel Ramos Daniel Gersherson Enrico Gianfranchi Jesús Robles Maloof Minerva Valenzuela Carlos Ruiz Ruben Diazconti Ruben García Victor Schejtman JR Gabriela Gabriel Francisco Meza Tamas Kardos Abel Pérez Aguilar