EL SALVADOR'S NOMINATION FOR INTERNATIONAL WOMEN

UNCLAS SAN SALVADOR 001243 SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPT FOR G/IWI AND WHA/CEN E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KWMN PREL KPAO PHUM ES SUBJECT: EL SALVADOR'S NOMINATION FOR INTERNATIONAL WOMEN OF COURAGE AWARD REF: STATE 99729 ¶1. (U) Embassy San Salvador is pleased to nominate Carmen Cordova for the 2009 Secretary's award for international women of courage, per reftel. 2, (U) Nominee: Maria del Carmen Cordova Mejia ¶3. (SBU) Date of Birth: September 12, 1967 ¶4. (U) Citizenship: Salvadoran ¶5. (U) Title and Institution: Social Worker/Territorial Manager, National Council for Public Safety/Projovenes Program ¶6. (SBU) Contact phone number: 503-7930-1256 ¶7. (SBU) Contact email: ccordova@projovenes.gob.sv ¶8. (U) Justification: Cordova has several years experience working directly with at-risk youth, gang members, community leaders, and authorities in crime prevention programs. She has been working with CNSP/Projovenes for about 3 years. Prior to this, she was an alternate deputy in the Salvadoran Legislative Assembly. Her main strength lies in community organization and the ability to motivate important community leaders and youth for crime prevention activities. As part of the CNSP / Projovenes team, she is responsible for coordinating the work of several project promoters. She has extensive contacts with active gang members, and has obtained their "authorization" to conduct crime prevention activities in high risk neighborhoods. ¶9. (U) Recently, she returned to her car after a meeting in the Corazon de Maria sector of San Salvador to discover that it had been broken into and that her digital camera was missing. She called the police, returned to the community, and spoke directly to the gang leader, who led her to the "store" where the camera was being sold. She then filed an official complaint with the National Civilian Police and got them to increase their patrols in this sector. ¶10. (U) Cordova has been notified of her nomination and would be willing to travel to the United States if requested. BLAU