MEXICO AND CENTRAL AMERICA

Over the last decades, PADF has partnered with governments, the private sector, and civil society to support community development in Mexico and Central America. It has a breadth of experience in areas ranging from education and the creation of employment opportunities, to promoting community resilience, fostering citizen security and protecting human rights.

Through local PADF offices or partnerships with experts and organizations, PADF maintains a presence across the region. PADF combines regional approaches with locally led, sustainable initiatives by partnering with national and local governments, civil society organizations, associations, as well as local leaders.

PADF’s work in the region is focused on addressing the region’s greatest challenges including crime, insecurity and violence in rural and urban areas; weakened democratic institutions; unemployment and low economic productivity and high vulnerability to natural disasters and the negative effects of climate change. The combination of these factors and inadequate responses have contributed to high rates of migration throughout the region.

PADF responds to these challenges by applying its regional experience to a localized approach to create safer, more democratic, prosperous, and resilient communities. It does so with a commitment to and focus on the rights of vulnerable populations including migrants, indigenous people, women, LGBTI individuals, persons with disabilities, as well as youth more broadly. PADF’s experience has shown that the inclusion and active participation of these groups that have been historically marginalized in economic, social and civic spaces lead to a more just and equitable society.

While each country within the region has specific needs and challenges, there are common and shared problems facing the region that require a coordinated effort to solve. PADF employs a networked approach that facilitates the sharing of experiences from one country to another, as well as strengthening and contributing to networked approaches to address regional issues in the areas of migration, youth, disaster preparedness and response, among others.