The Latin American Network held its annual Focal Points Meeting on October 28-29 in Asunción, Paraguay. The meeting was co-organized by the Auschwitz Institute, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Office of the Ombudsperson of Paraguay, the Stanley Center for Peace and Security and the UN OSAPG.
The event served as an opportunity to continue promoting collaborative efforts between member countries of the Network, reflecting on current challenges, introducing new themes and lines of work, as well as facilitating the continuation of significant projects running since the body’s inception. The meeting additionally allowed for follow-up on the progress and challenges related to the long-term projects carried out within the framework of the Network, as well as initiatives developed at the national level.
The Focal Points Meeting also provided a space for reflection with representatives of Latin American civil society organizations to design joint strategies on training activities, methods for strengthening dialogue and consolidating national debates and positions with international impact, and the prevention of hate speech – which represents a new thematic topic being developed at the regional level.
Eugenia Carbone, Director of the Auschwitz Institute’s Latin American Program and Technical Secretary of the Latin American Network, explains:
As in the past, the annual meeting of Focal Points of the Latin American Network allowed for dialogue and thinking on new strategies for deepening the prevention agenda at the regional level. The group working sessions, incorporation of civil society facilitators committed to the prevention agenda, and the cultural space that was created around a viewing of the film “The Silence of Others,” facilitated moments of connection – both institutional and personal – that inspire us to continue supporting the growth of the Network and confronting the current regional challenges through determination, commitment, and collaboration.