Chess in Prisons Project will be used in Panama

Dr. Gabriel Pinzon, General Manager of Prison System in Panamá and also Chairman of Central American and Dominican Association of General Managers of Prisons, GM Darcy Lima, Chairman of FIDE Social Projects Commission, José Carrilo Pujol, President of Panama Chess Federation, Erik Fernandez, Zone 2.3 President, and members of Justice System of Panama had a meeting at the Justice Ministry's offices in Panamá City on 7/5/2015. It was discussed to implement the “Chess for Freedom” Project in Panama as it was done in El Salvador in 2014. The first steps that were agreed between the authorities from Panama’s Justice System and FIDE Social Projects Commission is to provide training (on prison project and create multipliers on the second semester of 2015. The project is set to start in two big Penitentiaries, one in Panama City (capital of Panama) and the other in the interior of Panama. Dr. Gabriel Pinzon was very enthusiastic with the success obtained in El Salvador and suggested that after the complete implementation in Panama the FIDE Social Projects Commission could proceed in other Central American countries since he is Chairman of the Central America Association of General Managers of Prisons.

SPC core meeting on Panamá City on 09 may 2015

On May 9, 2015, the Social Projects Commission Core meeting was held in Panamá City, Panamá. There were present the Chairman GM Darcy Lima, Secretary IA Erik Hernandez, Councilor David Jarret, Councilor Jose Carrilo Pujol and also attending the meeting were Continental President IA Jorge Vega and Alan Carrera, former President of Panama Chess Federation.

1 - Welcome by the Chairman GM Darcy Lima

Chairman GM Darcy Lima welcomed the participants and thanked everybody´s effort to be in our meeting and specially IA Jorge Vega America Continental President.

2 - Welcome by the President of Panama Chess

Panama Chess Federation President Dr. Jose Carrilo Pujol welcomed the other members from SPC commission and the others attendants. He thanked that Panama City was chosen for this important meeting and also thanked FIDE for the Chess in Prison Project soon to be a success in his country.

3 - Report of the President on activities of SPC since Tromso

In this item of the agenda the Chairman explained what has been happening since the last meeting that occurred in Tromso last September. After speaking about the development of the programs and how will be the presentation on next September in Abu Dhabi, he briefed about the new members of SPC to the Core meeting.

4 - Report of the Meeting in Barbados Development Commission

It was a good idea from FIDE that Chairman of one Commission that has similar subjects with other commission was invited to the Core meeting. So we went to Barbados to take part as an observer on the Development Commission meeting.

There both Commissions - DEV and SPC agreed on whenever they start a program in a country they should look for cooperation. If they felt the country has a need any projects that the other commission already has should have a communication between them. Also they might supply the same resource (material resource or human resource) for projects from the two commissions saving money that can be applied elsewhere.

5 - Report Chess in Prison 1 year in El Salvador

After approximately one year after first visit and the meeting with the Minister of Government and the President of El Salvador Chess Federation Efrain Segura, the Project in the biggest Prison complex of El Salvador called Apanteos is a huge success. An interesting fact is that the prisoners on the very first tournament were so fond of chess that we had 100 players on the Prison tournament. 

As a reward the six best ones were allowed (with a special organization) to play in a regular Open (San Salvador Open) valid for Elo FIDE. There will be a second tournament in the Complex of Apanteos Prison on May 27. In the very beginning of May there were already 120 players registered on this tournament.

6 - Meetings in Panamá regarding implementation Chess in Prison

Dr. Gabriel Pinzon, General Manager of Prison System in Panamá and also Chairman of Central American and Dominican Association of General Managers of Prisons, GM Darcy Lima, Chairman of FIDE Social Projects Commission, José Carrilo Pujol, President of Panama Chess Federation, Erik Fernandez, Zone 2.3 President, and members of Justice System of Panama had on 7/5/2015 a meeting at the offices of Justice Ministry in Panamá City. It was discussed to implement the “Chess for Freedom” Project in Panama as was done in El Salvador in 2014. The first steps that was agreed between the authorities from Panama’s Justice System and FIDE Social Projects Commission is to provide training on prison project and multipliers on the second semester of 2015. The project is set to start in two big Penitentiaries, one in Panama City (capital of Panama) and the other in the interior of Panama. Dr Gabriel Pinzon was very enthusiastic on the success obtained in El Salvador and suggested that after the complete implementation in Panama the FIDE Social Projects Commission could proceed on the others Central American countries since he is Chairman of the Central America Association of General Managers of Prisons

7 - Chess in Peace – Interaction 6 of April

Councilor David Jarrett explained the Chess Peace Project and how some changes in the structure of that organization would us make some adaptations to work more closely with them. We did an event following their wish to do an event in a ring called 6 of April, day for the Peace. But it is very little and is called a more dynamic work by them so we can do more and chess can be more powerful in the Peace and Sport issue.

8 - Research done in Chess related to specific cultures as a way to enter in our society and help minorities (Pomeran and Maori cases)

The culture is one of the fundamentals that sustains a society/community. Many of these cultures are a mix of peoples that migrated to other places or even countries. One of the cultures in Brazil is the Pomeran culture that began in 1850 from the Pomerania (a region of Austro-Hungarian empire) and brought its peculiarities, habits and cultural and social relationships. The particular work depictures Pomeran culture and its relationships with chess elements. It is shown also how this subject became a film based on Maori people and their difficulties to enter in society and how chess could help them

9 - Research done in Rehabilitation on people less than 18 years old with law problems

This paper describes the developed actions with minors with law problems and are in prisons of Espírito Santo State/Brazil for rehabilitation through the practice of Chess. The Chess game was used as an element to develop the cognitive, social and cultural features of the minors. The teenagers practice in chess game workshops metaphors comparisons of the game and personal and social relationships. The results show a satisfactory appropriation (absorption/ input) of chess game by these minors, as a facilitator element of the rehabilitation process. In Abu Dhabi at our meeting there will be a presentation about this.

10 - Research done Using LIBRA (A Brazilian language of deaf people) to social inclusion through chess

Social inclusion has been one of the most significant improvements/progresses of our times and the language is one of the universal forms to communicate. LIBRAS is one the most useful tools to include the deaf into society. This work proposes a method to teach chess through the usage of LIBRAS for deaf.

11 – Methodology to teach Chess and help people with Down Syndrome, Asperger Syndrome, Autism etc... is developed and finalized

The Methodology was presented in Tromso and now it is fully written and will be distributed among the members and published on SPC webpage and SPC facebook.

12 – Projects Proposals that were addressed to SPC

We had some projects addressed to the commission from America and Africa Continents. After analysis, they were approved and was discussed in the commission how we can interact better with Asia, Europe and Oceania in order to have some good projects there. Was established a communication plan to insert this regions on the Social development program.