Speakers

Santiago Ávila Corrales is a thirty-five-year-old social worker who is the director of Jóvenes contra la Violencia, an organisation that seeks to provide youth with options to escape gang violence in Honduras. Growing up in one of the most violent neighbourhoods in the Honduran capital, Santiago decided to dedicate his life to empowering youth to escape forced recruitment by criminal groups. He achieves this by bringing youth into an organisation that provides tools to resist the call of the powerful gangs that rule much of the country.

Santiago and the network of volunteers that make up JCV are present in many of the communities hardest hit by gangs. There, the group creates safe spaces where at-risk youth can escape the pressures of the streets. The organisation seeks out and supports families at risk of displacement, advocates for laws that protect children and youth. In fact, many of the bills they have advocated for have become law.