First Lady of Gomez Palacio uses The Way to Happiness to Transform her City
Being raised with values in Durango, Mexico—a state once ranked one of the top 10 most dangerous places in the world—could be the difference between leading a normal life or becoming a child murderer for $55 a head.
Believing that all violence, crime and drug abuse stem from a lack of fundamental values, Any Mexsen was enthusiastic upon finding The Way to Happiness. As the wife of the Mayor of Gomez Palacio in Durango, she felt it a duty to get the book to her people.
Mexsen began by organizing a presentation in the mayor’s office to 150 teachers and principals and screened The Way to Happiness book on film to the entire staff of the National System for Integral Family Development, of which Mexsen is the local president.
She then organized sponsorship of 10,000 custom-cover booklets for distribution to youth and families across her city.
The rubber met the road when teachers began implementing the program to remarkable results with students.
One 14-year-old girl had been working a job to finance her parents’ drug habit. After studying The Way to Happiness, she told them she wanted to be happy, needed their help and shared with them Precept #1: “Take Care of Yourself.”
“You are not taking care of yourselves,” she told them. “If you do not take care of yourselves, I cannot be happy.” Her parents broke down crying, vowed to quit drugs and kept their promise.
“I am incredibly happy and proud of what I was able to accomplish by applying the precepts in my life,” says the girl.
One boy named Carlitos says that he went from being a daily drug user, one of the worst students in his class and disrespectful to his parents, to quitting drugs, getting good grades and fulfilling his duties at home. “My life is completely changed!” he says.
In the Josefa Dominguez Junior High School 11 eighth graders quit drugs after learning the 21 precepts. Numerous teachers across the city reported that bullying in their schools had also dropped, and teen pregnancies—where they had once been frequent—plummeted to zero.
The Way to Happiness has since been implemented in every school in the city of Gomez Palacio and the program continues to grow, while crime has dropped over 40 percent.
TAKING ACTION
Get The Way to Happiness Public Service Announcements (PSAs) Airing in Your City.
Television stations are often required by government to devote airtime to public service, and they rely on individuals like you to provide them with that content. So let them know about The Way to Happiness award-winning public service announcements (PSAs). These introduce the masses to common sense values that, in their powerful simplicity, can change lives.
To get the PSAs on screens across your area, follow these simple steps:
1) Contact The Way to Happiness Foundation to obtain multiple PSA DVDs.
2) Reach out to each station in your area and ask which staff member handles PSAs.
3) Send the DVD and an explanatory letter to that person, including why you feel he/she should air the PSAs.
4) Follow up and find out if the station playing the PSAs is a go.
5) If the PSAs air, well done! Let us know!
For more information, or if you have any questions, contact us.
DONATE
The Way to Happiness Foundation International works to reverse the moral decay of society by restoring trust and honesty through widespread distribution of the 21 precepts. Donations support production and distribution of The Way to Happiness booklet and curriculum material.
