My name is Nestor Mijangos, I´m 36 years old. I´m working as a field officer at AFSC- Guatemala. I´m a clinical psychologist. I worked for 10 years and for past 3 years I’ve been working through the LPN program giving counselling and using arts as a main tool for catharsis, especially with music. I´m a singer and I believe that music is a powerful strategy to work with childhood and youth in order to promote changes at a personal and community level.
I began to work at AFSC on November 11th, 2013. During these three years I have learned about Peace culture and I have found my true vocation working with youth. My experience has been incredible. I have learned the real situation of urban youth and this has sparked a real commitment. This commitment is to promote real changes in youth at an individual level and at the same time, allow me to promote changes in society. I´m conscious that I´m not a hero, but I feel motivated because in AFSC I found the opportunity to not only change personally, but also, to convince me that simplicity, equality and love can transform realities.
Since early 2016, I worked on the design of a pilot project directed to work with adolescents in conflict with law. I am currently leading a process called “THERE ARE NO BARRIERS FOR ARTIVISM” aiming to strengthen two basic pillars, focusing on active and peaceful attitude of their individuality and the sense of community as a recognition process, appropriation of social values and violence prevention. This project is based on artivism. We actually are promoting urban arts as stilts, painting, graffiti and singing. These activities allow teens to release stress and at the same time with psychological counselling,
We expect to decrease of anxiety and promote peaceful coexistence. The experience is unique since it has allowed me to learn about the reality of adolescents deprived from liberty and to design new strategies in order to support teens and somehow promote human rights and popular education.
I will be always grateful with AFSC Guatemala´s program for allowing me to learn and make me feel part of a big family that works towards social justice and equity.
