MAG, in collaboration with the Ecuador National Police and local partners, recently launched a new digital campaign designed to reach and empower young people across Ecuador amidst rising rates of youth involvement in criminal activities.
The campaign, Choose Peace, Not Violence, aims to redirect teenagers aged 13-18 toward their full potential, emphasising personal choice and positive community engagement. It targets a generation grappling with unprecedented violence; official data shows the homicide rate among young people increased by 640% in 2024, and it is estimated that 60% of criminal gang members in Ecuador are minors.
The 15-second videos – disseminated across social media, as well as played in schools and community centres – feature a national police mascot named Paquito, who delivers crucial messages promoting education, sports, and creative arts as powerful, positive outlets, encouraging children away from violence. They also highlight the importance of finding supportive friends, mentors, and community organisations.
The new campaign was launched at an in-person event in Santo Domingo in October, where more than a thousand children attended to listen.
Since then, the campaign has now been viewed over 250,000 times across the country through Facebook, Instagram, X and TikTok. It is also being amplified across the official Ecuador National Police social media channels, driving the message directly to young people where the majority consume content.
Franz Sáenz Kohls, MAG Country Director in Ecuador, said: "The choices young Ecuadorians make today will define the future of the nation. Gangs offer a destructive path that limits life, education, and freedom. This campaign gives young people the tools to recognise their immense value and the power they hold to choose a brighter future."
This campaign is part of MAG’s wider efforts to provide life-saving guidance to communities affected by conflict and armed violence across the world.
From Gaza to Ukraine, Angola to Sri Lanka, MAG delivers practical safety information to children and adults via social media, television, radio, SMS messages and emergency hotlines, sharing relevant and timely messages to help people better protect themselves from the different threats they face in their own communities.
With digital tools being more universally accessible and available at home, we can also reach people with limited mobility or sight and hearing impairments by using subtitles and spoken word audio.
In every country where MAG is currently working, we remain committed to doing everything we can to help ease suffering and save lives.
