Picture taken from cispes.org
El Salvador is the smallest and most densely populated country of Central America. With an area of 21,040 sq. km, El Salvador’s population is estimated at 6,134,000. Its capital, which is located in the western region, is named San Salvador and is the most populated department. El Salvador borders the Pacific Ocean on the south, and the countries of Guatemala to the west and Honduras to the north and east. The country was rocked by an intense and damaging civil war starting in 1980. This war, which lasted 12 years, left the country damaged both socially and economically.
The end of the fighting in 1992 left the country still profoundly divided, so El Salvador faced a huge amount of criminal activities, especially gang violence, and there remained a great deal of poverty throughout the country. In order to prevent and/or reduce the horrible aftermath of the war, many people and organizations joined together in effortsto put a stop to crime and poverty. As one initiative, a Zone of Peace was created in one of the most damaged and affected department. Usulután was not only deeply affected by the war, but it was also badly hit by Hurricane Mitch (1998) and the 2001 earthquake.
The long battle against poverty and criminal activity goes on: the Zone of Peace has had a long journey in efforts to prevent or reduce these problems, but it has also positively impacted the country as a whole. Moreover, the Zone has also helped to prevent damage suffered from natural disasters.
Usulután has come a long way, facing many obstacles and problems through time but the people who have been working in this Zone of Peace have not given up, proving to be resilient and determined to reach their goal - a community which values nonviolence and has a stable economy. [AM]
Picture taken from lonelyplanet.com Volcan de San Miguel