PROYECTO AUTODEFENSA VECINDARIA (PAV)
Community Defense · Organization · Protection
“The Macuahuitl of the People.”
OVERVIEW
Proyecto Autodefensa Vecindaria (PAV) is the frontline of Semillas Arizona — the organized response of the barrio when our people need protection, support, discipline, or defense.
PAV is not policing.
PAV is not surveillance.
PAV is not punishment.
PAV is community defense — the people protecting each other through organization, preparation, and collective courage.
Security culture, de-escalation, and safety practices are important tools inside PAV’s work, but they do not define it.
PAV is much broader: it is the organized muscle of a conscious barrio.
VISION:
An Arizona where the people protect their own neighborhoods,
where organization replaces fear,
and defense becomes an act of love for our barrios.
A community where:
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Families are prepared, not afraid
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Neighbors respond together, not alone
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Workers, parents, and youth know their rights and how to use them
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Collective protection makes police dependence unnecessary
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Discipline and communication create real safety
We envision barrios that stand strong, organized, and unafraid.
MISSION:
PAV defends our community and our barrio.
It is the offensive strategy of an organized people —
the movement when it activates,
the muscle that responds,
the fire that asks no permission.
We build neighborhood committees, strengthen community communication networks, support families during crisis, teach practical skills for safety and de-escalation, and mobilize disciplined direct action.
We prepare to defend ourselves with strategy, clarity, and collective heart.
PAV is our Macuahuitl —
the obsidian that cuts injustice,
clears the path,
and keeps the barrio’s fire alive.
WHAT WE DO
1. Neighborhood Committees (Comités del Barrio)
Small, trained groups that stay connected, informed, and ready to respond to community needs.
2. Community Watch & Communication Networks
Systems that allow neighbors to share information, coordinate support, and protect one another.
3. Know Your Rights + Crisis Roleplay Trainings
Hands-on preparation for situations involving ICE, police encounters, workplace intimidation, scams, or other threats.
4. Crisis Response & Mutual Protection
Organized support for families facing:
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Detention
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Raids
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Harassment
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Violence
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Wage theft
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Threats
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Urgent emergencies
5. Direct Action & Community Mobilization
Disciplined collective responses: marches, presence, alerts, and strategic interventions when harm occurs.
6. De-escalation & Safety Practices (Integrated into All PAV Work)
PAV teaches communities how to:
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Calm tense situations
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Navigate conflict without police
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Set boundaries and expectations
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Protect vulnerable family members
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Respond with clarity instead of panic
These tools support PAV — but do not define it.
PAV is the full structure of community defense.
7. Family Safety & Preparedness Planning
Helping families create plans for emergencies, crises, and unexpected threats.
WHY PAV MATTERS
Because no institution has ever kept us truly safe.
Because the barrio has always relied on each other.
Because preparation replaces fear.
Because protection is a collective responsibility.
PAV ensures that:
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Families are never alone in crisis
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The barrio can mobilize with discipline and unity
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Safety is created by us
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Fear turns into strategy
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Our communities are protected by their own power
This is how we turn survival into strength and organization into liberation.
PAV VALUES
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We protect us
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Fear dissolves with preparation
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Discipline is care
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Community before institutions
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Safety is collective
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Defense is love for the barrio
JOIN PAV
To join Proyecto Autodefensa Vecindaria
text/call us at 4804591627
or email us
Victoria@semillasaz.org Laura@semillasaz.org Joelcornejo@semillasaz.org
