Youths Rebuild Peace Through Board Games in Quintana Roo

Chetumal — The Quintana Roo Institute for Youth (IQJ), in collaboration with the group Jalapeño Lab, has carried out the Board Games Event "Recreating for Peace," an initiative that places young people at the center of community life by promoting recreation as a human right and as an engine for rebuilding the social fabric.

The event, held at the Yook’ol Kaab Planetarium, was led by the Director General of the IQJ, Alma Alvarado Moo, who emphasized that young people have the right to enjoy recreational activities that strengthen their integral development. "In this sense, that play is recognized not only as a leisure activity, but as a tool for cognitive development," she said.

In this first edition, the IQJ celebrated the signing of the New Agreement for the Well-being and Development of Quintana Roo for the Inclusion of Youth in Peacebuilding Strategies through Recreation with various government institutions and Jalapeño Lab. With this alliance, Quintana Roo becomes a national benchmark in promoting modern forms of recreation that foster creativity, participation, and the reconstruction of the social fabric.

In a firm commitment to this cause, Jalapeño Lab donated 10 modern board games to the state. The association is specialized in contemporary board games and is recognized for its innovation, social vision, and its ability to project Mexican culture through play.

The event also recognized the work of Shadow BG Chetumal, a youth collective that has promoted the diversity of board games in the region and, through its community commitment, has opened spaces for young people to use their free time in a positive and enriching way.

IQJ Director General Alvarado Moo stated that "Recreation is not a luxury, it is a right that provides confidence, creativity, and strengthens peaceful coexistence. With these actions, we strengthen strategies for the reconstruction of the social fabric."

This effort is part of the New Agreement for the Well-being and Development of Quintana Roo, promoted by Governor Mara Lezama Espinosa, which advocates for the inclusion of young people in violence prevention and peacebuilding strategies.

The "Recreating for Peace" event will continue on August 27 starting at 09:00 hours at the Technological Institute of Chetumal and on August 28 starting at 09:00 hours at the Polytechnic University of Bacalar.

The event was attended by the head of the Secretariat for Women in Quintana Roo, Esther Burgos Jiménez, representing Governor Mara Lezama; the Co-founder of Jalapeño Lab, Patricia Arellano; the deputy of the XVIII Legislature of the State Congress, Saulo Aguilar Bernés; the Director General of the Quintana Roo Council of Humanities, Sciences and Technologies, Cristopher Malpica Morales; the representative of the Alliance for Equality, Ashanty Valle Sierra; the Director General of COBAQROO, Jorge Carlos Aguilar Rodríguez; the representative of Shadow B.G Chetumal, Aldair Arceo; as well as youth collectives and civil associations.