To address an unprecedented and inherited violence epidemic, the Mexican government is promoting a new security paradigm based on local policies to prevent violence, provide transitional justice, build a culture of peace and catalyse well-being. Hence, the National Strategy for Peace and Security 2018-2022 represents a turning point from past punitive practices, shifting its focus to address the root causes of violence. Challenges are paramount, but preliminary analyses foresee encouraging signs, demonstrating that policies can be formulated in new ways. Experiences from Mexico show how solidarity, altruism and mutual aid are major assets to organizing prosocial governance and building resilience to crisis.