Metropolitan Regional Government together with various authorities launches the programme “Leaders for nonviolence”.

With the presence of the RM Governor, Claudio Orrego; the SEREMI Education RM, Flavia Fiabane; the President of Fundación Semilla, Marcelo Trivelli; the Mayor of Quinta Normal, Karina Delfino; the Dean of the Faculty of Health and Social Sciences UDLA, Osvaldo Artaza, and students of the Liceo Guillermo Labarca, the launch of the Programme for the prevention of gender violence in school contexts took place.

The launch, carried out together with the Seed Foundation, took place within the framework of the National Day of School Coexistence. The programme “Líderes y lideresas por la no violencia de género” aims to provide tools to students and education professionals from 500 high schools and colleges, 5000 students and 900 education professionals in the Metropolitan Region.

WAYNA®, a pedagogical tool for coexistence and citizenship, was presented, an example of how conflict can be addressed in a ludic and participatory way, allowing education in emotions, empathy and appreciation of diversity.

On this occasion, young people and authorities were able to put this method into practice, playing with WAYNA® in a giant version and in its usual model.

One of the specific objectives was to show the commitment of the Regional Government, the Regional Council and Fundación Semilla to the prevention of gender-based violence in school contexts. To show support to strengthen educational and youth leadership for non-violence through ludic-participative strategies.

In this regard, the Governor of Santiago, Claudio Orrego, said that: “It is one thing to condemn discrimination, harassment, violence and another thing to invest time and resources in cultivating a new way of relating to each other. I am very happy about this alliance that we are having to playfully learn that feelings and respect are effective ways to combat discrimination and also violence”.

Marcelo Trivelli, President of Fundación Semilla, said: “Coexistence improves people’s wellbeing. This programme has a gender focus, which is one of the major causes of violence, therefore, this initiative considers a long-term contribution, so that today’s students, tomorrow’s adults, carry a culture of non-violence”.

The Mayoress of Quinta Normal, Karina Delfino, said that “for us, it is very important this kind of activities, so we have to thank the Regional Government, for carrying out these activities in high schools and also promote non-violence through a more ludic way”.

The dean of the Faculty of Health and Social Sciences at UDLA, Osvaldo Artaza, who also participated in the event, said he was “happy that the university collaborates in this programme that aims to prevent violence” and that “it is extremely important to link students with the university, as this allows them to broaden their interests and future expectations, in addition to the fact that the programme touches the fibre that prevents violence in schools”.

The WAYNA® tool is based on an innovative and entertaining methodology that encourages participation. In this way, young people are protagonists and drivers of solutions to the problems present in their school contexts. In other words, the coexistence teams are the protagonists of school wellbeing.

The programme is completely free, as this initiative is funded by the Santiago Metropolitan Regional Government, approved by the Metropolitan Regional Council, supported by the Ministry of Education, designed and implemented by Fundación Semilla.