[for Gerson], but from a distance. And I keep fighting. Every-day I fight to find my son.” Maricela Orozco Montalvo

150 000 people have already lost their lives in the brutal Mexican drug war.  Today a ground-breaking project seeks to combine the forces of mothers who lost their children, with technologists from Brigstow Institute (part of the University of Bristol) to bring attention to the mothers’ plight.

As the Mexican Government increasingly militarises its bloody drug war, Anyone’s Child: Families for Safer Drug Control is expanding to Mexico. Come along to explore our new online documentary and hear unheard stories from the front line of the drug war. Discover why families are now uniting internationally to legally regulate the drug trade.

Where: Waterstones, 19-21 Tottenham Court Rd, Fitzrovia, London W1T 1BJ

When: April 19th, 7pm

Speakers include:

Daniel Joloy, Senior Policy Advisor, Amnesty International

Professor Matthew Brown, Professor of Latin American history, University of Bristol

Ewan Cass-Kavanagh, Creative technologist

Jane Slater, Campaign manager, ‘Anyone’s Child: Families for Safer Drug Control’

Jane Slater​ spokesperson for Anyone’s Child​ said:​

“Mexico seems so far away, but these stories from the front-line of the drug war bring it closer to home. This is the first time these stories have been heard outside of Mexico. These people are the victims of a global drug war that both Mexico and the UK support and it’s wonderful that activists in the UK can use their technology to support the mothers’ calls for peace.

What these stories demonstrate is that there is no ‘war on drugs’. It’s ordinary people whose lives are being destroyed by our global drug war. The voices of the impacted families have spoken and our politicians must listen. We need a global approach to challenge the status quo. We must protect families. This project will hasten the end of the drug war and demonstrate why governments, not gangsters should control the drugs market.”

Matthew Brown said:

‘The conflict for control of the drugs trade in Mexico has become increasingly violent in recent years. Anyone’s Child Mexico provides the opportunity to listen to the stories from the front-line, translated into English and placed in their historical and political context. These are emotive stories. If we don’t listen, then we can’t hope to understand what is going on’.

Ewan Cass-Kavanagh said:

“This platform acts as a digital megaphone for the families to share their stories as far and wide as possible, to create empathy and understanding of the horrors of the drug war. We now need policymakers, both in the UK and Mexico to listen and make change a reality, in the hope that some good can come out of these heart wrenching stories.”

​ENDS

Contact:

UK – Jane Slater, 07514 215 836 / 0117 325 0295

UK – Danny Kushlick, Head of External Affairs, 07970 174 747

To speak to family members from Anyone’s Child Campaign call 0117 325 0295

Notes to editor

This project has been funded by Bristol University’s Brigstow Institute as part of a new collaboration looking at using technology for social change.

Connecting a phone line in Mexico with an online interactive documentary we will gather testimony from ordinary families in Mexico.  They will demonstrate to the Mexican government that a drug policy enforced by police and soldiers will only lead to more degradation and death.  And that legal regulation would all but end it.

More about Anyone’s Child: https://anyoneschild.org/

For more about the event:   https://www.eventbrite.com/e/official-launch-event-anyones-child-mexico-tickets-32347934543?aff=erelexpmlt

Read more about how the war on drugs harms children: http://www.countthecosts.org/seven-costs/harming-children-and-young-people