The Costa Rican government seized the opportunity to promote peace on this year’s World Peace Day. 200 people crammed into a packed hall to listen to the Minister and Vice Minister of Peace.

The Interpeace’s Youth Programme that runs across Central America was one of the key topics of discussion. Daniel Matul and Konrad Solis, both local specialists from Interpeace, updated the audience on the programmme, the latest findings and what they should expect next.

“Interpeace’s initiative in Costa Rica, is part of a regional strategy to tackle youth violence with  a 360 degree approach. The prevention strategies coming out of the Costa Rican research will not only be relevant to all those affected by violence here, but crucially, will feed into a holistic prevention strategy for the whole region,” explains Wendy Cuellar, Interpeace Programme Officer. She adds “The Costa Rican Government’s National Violence and Crime Prevention Plan is a clear demonstration of their commitment to lasting peace.”

The Minister of Justice and Peace, Mr. Hernando Paris, and Vice Minister Max Loria Ramirez both reinforced their country’s dedication to peace in their addresses to the audience.

Young leaders joined the discussions and shared the results of the peace and violence prevention projects they are involved in. “ Without the involvement of youth lasting peace is not possible.The discussion that followed on how best to reinforce social cohesion, is a sign of the times,” highlights Wendy. “We have the perfect combination of energized youth and a supportive government as we work with Costa Rican society to tackle the obstacles that stand in the way of eradicating violence. We’ll be presenting our latest research and youth violence prevention proposals in San José, at the end of the year,” Wendy confirms.