This initiative started in Paraguay in 2000 with the Boys’ and Girls’ Youths after being inspired by Fr. Ludovico Tedeschi. The mission is to build a Paraguay that is clean (in every sense of the word) and free from corruption. It serves Paraguayan youths by promoting social projects in various communities and training leaders.
The organization is guided by the following principles: “To be Paraguayan” calls us to see ourselves as ONE COUNTRY, and setting partisan interests aside. Without supporting any political party or movement, it is space within civil society that promotes the common good through permanent dialogue with all political and social sectors.
The organization is formed by Paraguayan youth, whose only symbol is the national flag, who desire a cleaner Paraguay in every sense of the word.
A well-formed pedagogy moves the youth:
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LOVE for their nation.
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FAITH in our strength. We Can!
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ATTITUDE. Be agents of change and transformation in the face of problems.
About 100,000 youth have participated since 2000.
Projects
Strong patriotism mobilizes them to rally around common objectives. The national soccer team shirt expresses that beyond the diversity that can divide us, “we are all Paraguayan.” We want to break away from all lifeless fragmentations and divisions and learn to work together.
Belief that many of the things that afflict our country, such as corruption, injustice, mediocrity and apathy, have strong cultural roots. The Projects aim to create new habits for citizenship, based on TRUTH, JUSTICE, HONESTY, UNITY, SERVICE, CARE FOR THE ENVIRONMENT, PATRIOTISM.
In the light of the sun
Youth That Moves (JQM) developed a project called “In the light of the sun” in conjunction with the Asunción Municipality, which runs from July to December and has the support of CISNI – Paraguay’s Steering Committee for a National System of Integrity.
This initiative arose from a wish to rescue By-Law 22/96 “In the light of the sun” which establishes the constitutional right whereby citizens can access existing documents in the Asunción Municipality. In order to enact this by-law, the youths investigated the various offices of the Social Sector General Directorate, noting all existing information on grants, opportunities for involvement, sources of employment, educational services, health, etc. The result of this investigation can be found on this website, which brings youth issues “to light.” In this way, they accomplished a civic duty by creating a mechanism to access information in the Asunción Municipality. They also set up an audit of the youth budget for 2003.
“Because with our youthful hands, we welcome the ideal of building a CLEAN GENERATION capable of realizing its dreams, wearing the colours of the national team, raising the flag of truth and showing the power of example through actions that promote a Clean Paraguay in every sense of the word.”
Agreement with the iDeas Foundation in Cordoba (Argentina)
JQM signed a cooperation agreement with the iDeas Foundation in Cordoba (Argentina), with the aim of becoming part of a Solidarity Network of Youth in the Southern Cone (Argentina, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay) to support projects that focus on the creation of values, civic commitment, social responsibility and solidarity projects carried out by teenagers and young people.
iDeas Foundation recognized the creation of the “Small Donations for Civil Society Organizations Programme” as an interesting opportunity to work in Paraguay and joined hands with the World Bank. But it wanted a point of contact in the country so that it could have an even greater impact and this is how, at the recommendation of Avina [Leadership for Sustainable Development in Latin America], it signed an agreement with JQM on 15 March and the “Footsteps Fund” was created, which in addition to receiving World Bank funding, has also been able to obtain other donors in its efforts to become autonomous. “This fund will be open to companies and organizations that want to support youth projects,” the JQM’s Andrés Morassi said.
Some other projects
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Construction of the Vista Alegre neighbourhood in conjunction with the municipality.
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More than 400,000 youth signed up for permanent civil service to promote civilian participation and identifying training.
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Promoting the Dequeni ProjectDequeni in Paraguay’s schools.
For more information and contacts, click here.
Contact: jqmparaguay@gmail.com
Original: Spanish. Translation: S-L Pimentel, South Africa
