The Mexican youth have gone through a lot. We can start recounting events since Summer of ‘68, when the big tragedy of “Tlatelolco” happened. Hundreds of students were murdered under the nose of Mexican President Gustavo Diaz Ordaz. Moreover, we can continue recounting events of different magnitudes until the present day.
Mexicans are tired of being governed by people that aren’t qualified for the job, but just complaining is not going to take them anywhere.
This is how “Gen M” starts. Federico Quinzanos, founder and president of the organization, started with the idea of creating a non-profit organization with the mission to change the Mexican mentality. Instead of just complaining, he wants us to understand that in order for seeing a change in our country we have to start by changing ourselves first.
“Every day that I open social media all I see is the same thing, a Mexican against another Mexican. We have to stop this mentality, the mentality of “fregarse al otro”. The day all Mexicans are united, that will be the day when Mexico will be a first world country,” Quinzanos said.
Quinzanos works at the Office of Foreign Relations for the state of Queretaro. Thanks to his job, he had the opportunity to be a member of the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI). According to CGI official web page, "This initiative convenes global leaders to create and implement innovative solutions to the world’s most pressing challenges." Here was where the idea of creating Gen M was born.
The goal of Gen M is to promote the evolution of the idiosyncrasies of Mexicans through an ethical, humane, progressive and geostrategic agenda and networking inspiring minds, talents and human visions.
The organization started in Queretaro, with the idea of expanding to the rest of the states in Mexico. Nowadays, it has more than 10,000 young leaders from all around the 32 states.
“What we want is to change the mentality of the people, this is why we created these simple rules; always be on time, no more excuses, meet your commitments, no corruption, and no more a Mexican against another Mexican. We are the future of Mexico, in order to create a change we need to change ourselves first,” Quinzanos expressed.
The organization travels around the country creating conferences and workshops for young leaders. Bringing speakers who are leaders from around the world.
Gen M has expanded, and it’s now here at the border in the City of Juarez.
The state representative of the city and the state of Chihuahua is Jorge Nevarez, a young business owner who integrated the state to this organization.
“Thanks to the goals that this organization has, I knew it was something that could help the community of Ciudad Juarez,” Nevarez said. “I tend to give myself permission to experiment with workshops, and when they leave something positive, I want to share what I lived and look for ways to recommend or make the connection with those in need. But with Gen M I knew I had to do what it takes to share it and make it known”
The first appearance of the organization in the city was on October 2015. A group of young leaders juarences, organized a conference with local speakers. Among these were public leaders such as Fernanda Aguilar; the founder and director of Fundacion Carita, an organization created for people with disabilities. Another local speaker was Guillermo Aguila,r the Co-founder and director of JovesMas, an organization created to raise awareness on the youth community for the future of the city.
Since then, Gen M hasn’t stopped. Once a week members of the organization from Juarez meet and educate themselves with lectures that the organization has provided.
On September 28, Quinzanos had a meeting with members of the Civil Society and the Chamber of Commerce of Ciudad Juarez; with the purpose of integrating some strategies of Gen M, and highlighting the benefits of living in the border with the U.S.
In the meeting, they saw the strategy that Quinzanos planned and developed to enhance growth in Queretaro, to position it as a leading state, and ways in which has been implemented in other cities and states in Mexico.
Now Mexicans are waking up from the dream of ignorance and indifference. Millennials have the future of Mexico in their hands, and now they are creating the change.
