translated from Spanish: Innovative Tijuana, a civilian organization’s cry for eradicating violence

In 2009, Tijuana was overtaken by violence. Inegi data show that there were 13,722 violent robberies of which 24% were reported. In the case of the killings, the authorities recorded 1,530 murders that year. The city was classified as “narca” and many Tijuanenses fled violence.
That same year, José Galicot, a Tijuan businessman, learned that all over the country Tijuana was the only city that produced pacemakers. The impact was such that he concluded that they were not only a technological city, but they were spearhead on that issue.
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Amid bullets and violence, Galicot believed that founding an organization “was important in demonstrating what the hands of workers and engineers were doing.”
This is how in 2010 he founded Tijuana Innovadora, a cry of struggle to demonstrate the skills and talents of the Tijuanens, with his own team and with the work of hundreds of volunteers
As a neighbor of San Diego, California, Tijuana became a peak city in the country’s technological development. This added to different projects and four magnificent events promoted by Tijuana Innovadora gave it a different vision for both its inhabitants and for the Americans.
Year after year, Tijuana Innovadora has created projects that are divided into four classifications: Sustainability, Art and Culture; Entrepreneurship; Innovation, and Prevention.
To date, the organization has 12 projects that every day seek to be a tool for the development of Tijuanenses, and every two years a magnificent event with different themes is held for young people to chat with experts of entrepreneurship and Technology.
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In the field of culture, each year he holds an event called “Walk of Fame” that recognizes the talents of the city, in search of children and young people to see examples of work and effort outside of drug trafficking. The organization also holds traveling exhibitions under the name “Art in Industry”.
Data from the organization itself, they estimate that young people in marginalized colonies interrupt their studies in second grade of secondary school. Through the “House of the Tribu” project, they seek that the Tijuanenses choose to start a business rather than insert the world of drug trafficking.
The House of Ideas
Another of the most consolidated projects is the “House of Ideas”, which strives to be a refuge where children can develop their talents.
It is located in the Camino Verde colony, one of the most affected by drug trafficking. It is a library built by the municipal government but which was loaned to Tijuana Innovadora because there was no recourse to support it.
The “House of Ideas” has received more than 5,000 participants in 131 workshops on art and skills building. Francisco Orozco, director of the House of Ideas, details that all children know a drug dealer or a relative or acquaintance who is in jail, so it is important to make him see other options.
Also, they seek children and young people to develop their talents in the art of painting and communication. To date they have given 131 workshops to the young Tijuanes.
Tijuana is the future
In October 2020, the organization will celebrate its tenth anniversary under the slogan “Tijuana is the future”.  Although they have not unveiled the characters who will give talks to young people at the Tijuana Cultural Center, the director, José Galicot promises that the main theme will be the world of technology, and that the future of Tijuana is actually today.
This will be the fifth great event that the organization holds to bring together great figures from the world of technology and entrepreneurship with young Tijuans.
Previously, people like Jimmy Wales, co-founder of Wikipedia, have attended; Biz Stone, co-founder of Twitter; Carlos Slim and Anand Mihandra, philanthropists; Felipe Calderón, former president of Mexico; and Mario Molina, Al Gore and Ada Yonath, Nobel Laureates.
In 2012, the organization bet on its magnificent event to create ties with California companies, in 2014, emphasized the Tijuan migration movement to the state of California, and recognized the work of Mexicans who decided to migrate.
For 2016, it allowed the film, music, video game or theater industries to show their work and contributions to the city. And finally, in 2018, she invited different politicians such as Margarita Zavala and José Antonio Meade, to talk about the importance of a democratic process.
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Original source in Spanish

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