Rosa Anaya
On Masculinity and Gang Violence in El Salvador
In This Video
Peace and Safety in El Salvador: Rose Anaya’s Story
View Rosa’s full oral history and English and Spanish transcripts at the Georgetown University Library.
Rosa Anaya was born in 1976 in El Salvador where her parents were student leaders. After seeking political asylum in Canada and briefly in the United States, Rosa and her family returned to El Salvador with a strong will to transcend peace and uproot violence through Cultures of Peace. In an attempt to bridge generations together, Rosa got involved with the youth in El Salvador by working in penitentiary centers where she began working for a program called Segundas Oportunidades, or Second Chances, which is an initiative of the Catholic Relief Services. Segundas Oportunidades seeks to eliminate barriers that disadvantaged and excluded youth involved in gangs and the criminal system face. This interview was conducted on the occasion of her receiving the Hillary Rodham Clinton award for advancing women, peace and security. In this interview she focuses greatly on the practice of Cultures of Peace that have transformed individuals, their families, and their community. As an agent of peace, Rosa describes her journey in El Salvador dismantling oppression, toxic masculinity, gang violence, the criminal system, and the power of forgiveness and reconciliation.