In Europe, we often hear Mexico spoken about in terms of tourism, for its archaeological sites or the Caribbean beaches. Sometimes, however, we also hear Mexico spoken about in terms of machismo, earthquakes, corruption, crime, femicides, drug trafficking, and the endless migratory flow that starts from South America and reaches the United States, crossing Mexico from Tapachula to Tijuana in search of better living conditions—the biblical exodus of the people to the promised land. It is difficult to form a precise idea of the complexity of the situation truly experienced in Mexico. Often, images from films by Mexican directors Iñárritu and Cuarón or from some TV series, while accurately representing daily life, are not perceived by us as real events.
To describe Mexico in a few lines is an arduous task; to understand its cultural identity, we must start from its origins, before the arrival of the Spanish Conquistadors who subjugated and enslaved the indigenous populations for 500 years. Over the centuries, the indigenous Mesoamerican culture merged with the European one, giving rise to the mestizos. The social, cultural, and religious consequences that led to the pluralism and diversity of the indigenous and mestizo populations have been evident.
Respecting these cultures, Inter Campus has adapted and initiated projects in various contexts, using the game of football and the Nerazzurri colors as tools to act on different fronts to protect minors living in disadvantaged situations.
But similarly, describing Inter Campus Mexico in a few lines is not easy. We would like to tell the story of the beauty of the Mexican people, of all those individuals who, alongside us, have worked for years, on the field and behind the scenes, with a common goal: to contribute to educating thousands of boys and girls in the positive values of life, to prevent Mexico from being spoken of negatively in the future.
Each year, approximately 300 boys and girls participate in the various projects active in the territory, embarking on a journey together that begins at age 6 and concludes after their thirteenth birthday. Their reference points are about twenty local coaches. This is a cohesive group, itself part of a technical training pathway that has worked together on and off the field for years. There have been many occasions for shared experiences between them and our Italian staff during constant annual visits, such as when everyone together climbed the summit of Nevado de Toluca, at an altitude of almost 5000 meters—a symbolic feat demonstrating the strength of the group. Or the indelible weeks shared over these years in Chiapas with all the Mexican coaches and our Zapatista indigenous friends. A mat as a mattress on the floor or a hammock as a bed, rice and beans. On the more or less beaten dirt fields, in the Highlands or down in the Lacandon Jungle, amidst hundreds of discreet smiles hidden by the paliacate (handkerchief). A sharing of life and methodology with our Zapatista friends, a constant exchange not only of notions but above all of emotions and human values. People fighting for the safeguarding of their rights and their cultural richness on the lands that belong to them.
In this period where the world is changing due to the spread of this virus, we greatly miss all these people with whom we have established a strong bond over the years. Thanks to technology, we try to stay close to them with constant video calls, trusting that one day, as soon as possible, we can return to our normality.
