Due to financial constraints the country programme was closed in December 2010, except for a project with EU-funding that continues until mid 2012. The latter  is implemented by Diakonia and three partner organisations and aims at the participative elaboration of local public policies that have an approach of social inclusion for youth.

Based on the large experience accumulated by partners and Diakonia in El Salvador, the country still remains a part of regional initiatives, financial and/or political. This is also a way of broadening the partnership concept as not necessarily including Diakonia funding, but strategic alliances.

A deeply polarized and violent society

Although the peace agreements were signed in 1992, El Salvador is still a deeply polarized and violent society where economic and political power is concentrated to a small elite. The unequal distribution of economic resources allows poverty and exclusion to persist despite being a middle income country. When the leftist party and former guerrilla FMLN won the presidential elections in 2009, it was the first democratic change of government since the armed conflict and a step forward for democracy which has raised hope for political and social change.

But being one of the most violent countries in the world, a difficult challenge for El Salvador is the accelerating wave of social violence which has its origins in the high levels of poverty, exclusion, weapon culture and the post-conflictive situation, and is intensified by the incapacity of the police and judicial institutions to respond accurately.

The youth are the most exposed and stigmatized group, and many times left with only two options: emigrate or join one of the rival gangs.