Think Equal, Conservación Humana, UNESCO and CONAFE celebrate the Wixárika Route’s inscription on the World Heritage List and launch a new early years’ education book.“El gran viaje de Totu” is a new children’s book inspired by the Spirit of the Wixárika (Huichol) People, intended to strengthen community ties and respect through cultural diversity for children who may or may not be close to Wixaritari pilgrimage sites, and especially for those in situations of human mobility.
The publication by the global social and emotional learning NGO, Think Equal, in collaboration with Conservación Humana and El Hilo de Ariadna, was presented at the SEP Centre in Mexico City, with the support of UNESCO, the National Council for Educational Promotion (CONAFE), and the participation of representatives from the Wixaritari communities.
The launch comes just weeks after the Wixárika Route through Sacred Sites to Wirikuta (Tatehuarí Huajuyé) was officially inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, marking a historic recognition of Mexico’s Indigenous Peoples and one of the country’s most sacred cultural landscapes.
Described as a symbolic gift from the Wixaritari people, “El gran viaje de Totu” is both a celebration of heritage and an invitation to strengthen cultural and educational ties across generations.
The lesson I would like children to learn from ‘El gran viaje de Totu’ is that nature is fundamental to our continued existence as human beings, so we must take care of the springs, the hills, the flora, and the fauna. We must have that empathy for everything around us.
Rosa Wolpert, National Officer of Education of UNESCO Mexico, commented that “through stories, like the one presented today, we can bring children closer to learning about our cultural practices, share their significance in the construction of identity, and strengthen ancestral knowledge and wisdom that are more relevant than ever in the current context.”
While the event celebrates cultural safeguarding, it also highlights how early years social and emotional learning programs can strengthen non-violence, empathy, and respect. In 2023, the Mexican organisation Conservación Humana sought out Think Equal to promote its growing presence in Mexico, and guide the production of El gran viaje de Totu to foster understanding and respect for the Huichol people, and to raise awareness of the cultural heritage they represent in an ongoing context of violence, discrimination, and loss of land rights.
In partnership with CONAFE, state educational ministries and local partners, the NGO has rolled out its evidence-based social and emotional learning programme in Guerrero, Nuevo León, Chiapas, Jalisco, Michoacan, Nayarit, San Luis Potosí, Tamaulipas, Yucatan, Zacatecas, Oaxaca, Veracruz, Chihuahua and Guanajuato, reaching thousands of young children.
Leslee Udwin, Founder and Executive Chair of Think Equal, said: “Mexico has shown extraordinary leadership in embracing this vision. In more than 10 states where Think Equal is being implemented, we are already seeing how early social and emotional learning is breaking cycles of violence and creating stronger, kinder communities. El gran viaje de Totu perfectly symbolises this journey – one that connects cultural heritage, education, health, and the values which it is our duty to safeguard and pass on to future generations.”
Early results show the programme is reducing violence, bullying, and anti-social attitudes and behaviour in schools, while fostering empathy, resilience, and respect among students. By addressing root causes of conflict and exclusion at the earliest stage of life, CONAFE and Think Equal are equipping a new generation with the tools to build safer and more inclusive communities.
