PhD Student and Research Associate at CCSE, University of the West of Scotland, Greis Cifuentes, has launched a Street Library program called Libros a la Calle in Ibagué, Colombia.
The program seeks to facilitate the social cohesion and the appropriation of public spaces. It is the first time that a program of this nature is created in the city.
Greis is a founding member and leader of a citizen group called Por Ibagué that promotes the sense of belonging to the city through culture. Libros a la Calle is one of the initiatives, and is based on trust, free take, and return of books. 30 libraries will be installed in public parks around the city, which have been financed by private companies and individuals. Until today there are 6 books donation points around the city and more than 500 books have been donated. This project has caused a positive impact in the city, since it has not only guarantee access to culture as a right, expand the cultural offer, but also promote coexistence, contributing to the formation and development of the individual and the society, in a city where people read less than 3 books per year.
Besides her academic work and citizen activism, Greis has recently accept a new position as General Coordinator at the Fundación Nacional Batuta in Colombia. Batuta is a non-profit organisation created in 1991, with the purpose of contributing to the improvement of the quality of life, the construction of social fabric, the generation of spaces for reconciliation and coexistence of children, adolescents and youth of Colombia who have been victims of the armed conflict or, who live in extreme poverty. Through a quality musical education, focused on the collective practice, from a perspective of social inclusion, rights and cultural diversity, it has been possible to guarantee them the access of arts and its benefits. Currently Batuta’s serves more than 40,000 young people per year in all departments of the country. Her work is fully aligned with her thesis topic the role of arts and culture in the Colombian peace-building process.
Thanks to her participation in radio programs as Punto de Encuentro Tolima (97.5 FM) in Caracol Radio, being a columnist for a newspaper El Olfato, and member of the editorial committee of the Observatory of Peace and Human Rights of the Universidad Tolima, she has being invited to different conferences, and has managed to put the value and importance of arts and culture on the public agenda, being able to discussed issues that were not openly discussed before.
This blog was written by Greis Cifuentes, Greis is a doctoral researcher at CCSE, UWS.
Interviews:
CulturaTV: shorturl.at/blRV2
Caracol Radio: shorturl.at/lzNT7
Punto de Encuentro: shorturl.at/owxFK
Por Ibagué: shorturl.at/qrstB
Nuevo día: shorturl.at/diyDY
El Olfato: https://www.elolfato.com/greis-cifuentes
For more information: www.poribague.com I Instragram: @PorIbague I Facebook: Por Ibagué
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