About us
La Casa Mandarina AC is an itinerant and independent non-profit organization, based in Mexico City, devoted to ending sexual violence - particularly child sexual abuse - through advocacy and ARTivism. Our mission is to advocate and reconnect survivors with their voice, break the silence, heal trauma, revolutionize the system that promotes the culture of rape and create alternatives of social transformation that are intersectional and inclusive.
Our history
Founded in 2000 by Mora Fernández, an artivist, consultant, advocate and survivor of sexual abuse and commercial sexual exploitation in her childhood, La Casa Mandarina AC has worked, nationally and internationally, to create innovative and radical artistic and advocacy projects to defend the rights of children, women, indigenous people, and undocumented immigrants in many different places and diverse populations going from the Mixteca and Maya indigenous people and immigrant areas in rural southern Mexico, to urban Sao Paulo in Brazil and the Latinx community of undocumented immigrants in Queens, New York, to Jerusalem, Palestine, Spain and Denmark.
LCM a strong track record of advocacy, defense and activism has given us a specialized knowledge on sexual violence prevention. We have advised and collaborated with international organizations such as Amnesty International Paraguay and the United Nations (UN); government institutions such as the Mexico City Department of Mobility (SEMOVI), the Department of Tourism, the Tlaxcala State Institute for Women and the New York Department of Health; academic and cultural institutions such as the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), National School of Anthropology and History (ENAH), University of Ciudad Juárez (UACJ), Maryland Institute College of Arts (MICA) and Queens Museum as well as grassroots organizations and feminist groups in Mexico, Palestine, Thailand, Serbia, Afghanistan, Zimbabwe, Argentina, India, Nicaragua, United States, Brazil, Colombia, Peru, Denmark, Spain, among others.
Throughout the years, LCM realized that sexual & domestic violence are the first encounter that children have with oppression and trauma.
In 2014, LCM started the first Sexual Violence Advocacy Program in Mexico City in response to an overwhelming need for services and social awareness on trauma and sexual violence. Over the years, this program spread to the entire country .
Our intervention model is holistic, sustainable and replicable, generated from within the community, and it aims at promoting change in those social norms and beliefs perpetuating oppression, sexual and gender violence by using the arts to create a new culture where survivors are supported instead of shamed.
Our principles
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We believe survivors.
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Anti-oppression, intersectional and inclusive.
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Feminist.
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Shared leadership
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Survivor led.
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Trauma informed.
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Transparency.
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Based on empowerment, resilience, joy and hope.
Mission
Advocate and give voice to victims of sexual and domestic violence through care, awareness and prevention projects that are creative and innovative on an artistic, educational and cultural level. La Casa Mandarina AC is committed to fighting to reduce violence in our communities and to uphold the rights of women and children by breaking the silence, healing trauma and revolutionizing the system that impact victims of gender violence.
Vision
La Casa Mandarina AC wants to end sexual and domestic violence by disrupting rape culture, changing the way society responds to gender violence, reintegrating victims into their communities and modifying public policies towards a transformative justice.
Goals
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Position La Casa Mandarina AC as the expert, pioneer and referent organization on sexual and domestic violence, nationally and internationally, on sexual and domestic violence, especially in the area of child sexual abuse, and for being recognized for its interventions and results.
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Advocate for victims of sexual and domestic violence, families and communities offering holistic care services to heal trauma through innovative techniques. Empower survivors to regain control of their lives.
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Use Artivism to create intersectional and inclusive actions to end rape culture.
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Create awareness through creative, innovative, artistic, educational and cultural strategies and projects that make sexual and domestic violence visible. LCM will generate educational tools for prevention and contribute to social transformation with an anti-oppression, feminist and human rights lenses.
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Develop a new paradigm in the way society responds to sexual and domestic violence and generate an educational, social and cultural impact in short- and long-term. Address this social and health problem that has been forgotten by public policies and silenced by society
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Build healing spaces by giving voice to victims and contribute to sexual and domestic violence prevention in future generations. Promote a culture of consent.
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Legitimize trauma stories without asking evidence from the victims. Build a culture of allies, not bystanders, and a society that supports victims instead of shaming them.
Achievements 2014 - 2021
In 2014 we implemented the first Sexual Violence Advocacy Program in Mexico City.
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We have advocated for more than 150 cases.
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We built a Network of Sexual and Domestic Violence Therapists and we have supported and provided services to more than 1600 victims and their families.
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We have trained more than 4000 people, nationally and internationally, on women and gender issues, trauma, domestic and sexual violence, social justice and oppression.
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We have published two studies of child sexual abuse and trauma in Serbia, Thailand, United States and India.
Projects 2000-2021
From 2000 a 2021, we have designed, managed and implemented the following projects in partnership with grassroots organizations.
BALLET AFTER DARK MEXICO
Mexico
Ballet After Dark Mexico (BADMx) is a one-year free, holistic, trauma-informed dance therapy course for survivors of sexual violence. Heal trauma through dance!
More info here
CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE
Tepoztlán, Mexico
Sex Education and Child Sexual Abuse Prevention pilot project at kinder and elementary schools.
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
Queens, NYC
Sexual and domestic violence prevention project among undocumented immigrant children and women.
NON-VIOLENCE & FINANCIAL INCLUSION
São Paulo, Brazil
A financial inclusion and empowerment project for women and girls at the favelas.
MONUMENT QUILT
Baltimore & Mexico
The Monument Quilt is a collection of 3,000+ quilt squares with stories from survivors of sexual and domestic violence displayed 50 times in 34 different cities of the US and Mexico, including the border. More info here
IMMIGRATION & SEXUAL VIOLENCE
Us & Mexico border
Art-therapy project to heal and prevent sexual violence among shelters of Central American undocumented immigrants.
COMERCIAL SEXUAL EXPLOITATION OF CHILDREN
Mexico City
A project to provide services to girls and teenagers survivors of commercial sexual exploitation and sex trafficking.
HEALTH AND HUMAN RIGHTS
Mixteca mountain range
Oaxaca, Mexico
A health and human rights training program for indigenous women and children from immigrant communities.
I HAVE THE RIGHT
New York
I have the RIGHT... is an international campaign aimed to change the social norms perpetuating sexual violence.
More info here
WOMEN´S RIGHTS
Kabul, Afghanistan.
I have the RIGHT campaign, a public platform for Afghan women and young adults to voice their rights.
CONFLICT RESOLUTION AND PEACE BUILDING
Chiapas, Mexico
A conflict resolution and peace building project with grassroots organizations and local government involved in the Zapatistaindigenous movement.
FINANCIAL INCLUSION
Mexico
A financial inclusion project for women in rural communities living in extreme poverty.
