Using audiovisual storytelling to promote social cohesion and combat discrimination against displaced Venezuelans in Colombia

This Lives in Dignity Grant Facility-funded media integration project (August 2022 - October 2024) in Colombia, implemented by the Faculty of Communications and Philology of the University of Antioquia and Casa de las Estrategias Foundation, addressed the significant challenges displaced Venezuelans face in social and cultural integration due to scarce or stigmatizing representation in Colombian media, which perpetuated prejudices and xenophobic attitudes limiting opportunities for social cohesion. The "Cities Without Borders" initiative developed a groundbreaking audiovisual strategy leveraging the power of communications to humanize migration experiences and counter discriminatory narratives by producing a seven-chapter documentary series capturing twenty life stories of Venezuelans who made significant contributions to Colombian communities across six cities: Apartadó, Barranquilla, Bogotá, Cali, Cúcuta, and Medellín. Key achievements included conducting comprehensive context analysis using Design Thinking methodologies, implementing rights-based approaches and ethical criteria for working with vulnerable populations, ensuring cultural, ethnic, and gender diversity representation, developing pedagogical activity sheets with educational exercises for schools and community settings, establishing broadcast agreements with regional and national television channels, and demonstrating measurable impact through significant YouTube engagement (933% view growth) and high audience satisfaction (94.6% positive ratings). The project's strength lay in combining academic rigor with creative storytelling, providing unprecedented positive representation of displaced Venezuelans in Colombian media while creating sustainable tools for ongoing community dialogue and learning that extended impact beyond entertainment to foster meaningful social cohesion.