"Building Resilient Communities in Mexico: Civic Responses to Crime and Violence" Briefing Paper Series

This briefing series is a continuation of the project Building Resilient Communities in Mexico: Civic Responses to Crime and Violence, a multiyear effort by the Mexico Institute at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars and the Justice in Mexico Project at the University of San Diego to analyze the obstacles to and opportunities for improving citizen security in Mexico.

The first part of the series is a paper written by Sandra Ley on citizens' political participation in the midst of Mexico's current security crisis. The second piece, by Kimberly Heinle, Cory Molzahn, and David Shirk, discusses the efforts and challenges of the Mexican government and civil society to work together to establish order in Michoacán, a state that has long served as an important production and transit zone for drug traffickers. The third piece, written by Chris Kyle, examines the security situation in Guerrero and proposes possible solutions to the security crisis.

1. Violence and Citizen Participation in Mexico: From the Polls to the Streets - By Sandra Ley

2. Citizen Security in Michoacán - By Kimberly Heinle, Cory Molzahn, and David Shirk

3. Violence and Insecurity in Guerrero - By Chris Kyle

4. How to Reduce Violence in Guerrero - By Víctor Manuel Sánchez Valdés (Available in both English and Spanish)