How can writing and self-expression decrease violence and strengthen communities?
I was very happy to see that there were many poets in Ciudad Juárez and in Chihuahua. It means that people still have their spirit intact. Poetry is important because it allows people to have a voice and to find imaginative ways of looking at the world. I was glad to meet the poets, and I did workshops to let people know that they have the great power to create words and language. For me, it was really important to see poetry as part of the solution to the violence. I have learned that the arts, including poetry, are vital to deal with communities that have been wracked by violence. Q: What advice would you give to young people who want to build community when surrounded by violence? A: The most important thing young people can do is get skills in whatever passions they have because those skills will help them communicate better with the community. If they’re interested in writing, they should write all of the time and develop the means to get those words out. If they love painting, in
