In its commitment to improving the condition of refugees and migrants, the District Administration signed a memorandum of understanding with UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees), through which it will receive technical assistance from this UN agency on international protection issues for those arriving from or transiting through Venezuela and other countries.
“We signed the memorandum of understanding with UNHCR to promote respect for the human rights of refugees and migrants and to work in a coordinated manner for their protection,” said the mayor of Medellín, Federico Gutiérrez Zuluaga.
This collaboration includes aspects such as the prevention of internal displacement; consolidation of institutional capacities to identify, give visibility to, and follow up on situations of forced displacement; and migratory regularization, among others.
With the project “Integrate yourself in the Territories”, the city was selected by the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation to implement projects that benefit the migrant and refugee population living in the capital of Antioquia.
The donation amounts to $4.75 billion so that the District Administration can implement initiatives to break down the barriers that prevent people in conditions of human mobility from accessing employment, education, socio-cultural integration, entrepreneurship, among other services.
With the funds granted, the proposal will be implemented in eight municipalities for 20 months (until November 30, 2024). The resources will be used for job training, entrepreneurship, legal guidance, psychosocial care, prevention of sexual violence in minors, among others.
The eight prioritized communities are: Popular, Manrique, Aranjuez, Robledo, Villa Hermosa, San Javier, Belén and San Antonio de Prado, as a result of the characterization carried out by the District and international cooperation. These areas have the highest concentration of migrant population, with limited access to basic services and institutional supply.
Attention will focus on health, education, job training, job offers, prevention of gender violence, sexual violence in children and adolescents, legal and psychological counseling, and citizen participation and integration.
Similarly, it seeks to decentralize the offer through the Mobile Classroom of the School for Inclusion, a strategy that will train 720 migrants and refugees in labor and citizenship skills, of which it is planned to support 240 in the search for employment and accompany 480 in strengthening their enterprises.
“For us, as a District, it is important to create strategies that offer adequate attention. For this reason, we are grateful for the allocation of resources made by the Hilton Foundation for the District. These resources will be represented in more benefits to this population. We will be providing more opportunities to make their stay in the city much more welcoming,” said the Secretary of Social Inclusion, Family and Human Rights, Isabel Cristina Cadavid Álvarez.
On the other hand, the resources derived from the donation will be destined to the prevention and attention of sexual violence in minors through the project “The magic of playing is to heal”, which offers integral and humanized attention through play and games. It is estimated to impact around 1,120 children and 280 fathers, mothers and/or caregivers.
In order to guarantee effective access to these services, eight new territorial professionals were added who will follow up on individual cases that cannot be referred immediately, either due to legal or personal issues, in order to provide the respective support and comprehensive care.
This donation is one of the international cooperation milestones with the greatest local impact in recent years, improving the quality of life of migrants and refugees.
“It is a pleasure to announce that the Hilton Foundation has granted $1 million to Medellín for a project that will promote the integration of vulnerable communities in eight communities. We chose the city for its openness and willingness to support the migrant population and their host communities, and we are confident that this project will benefit hundreds of families with their social, economic and cultural integration,” said Marcela González, program officer for the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation’s refugee initiative.
During this four-year period, the Mayor’s Office of Medellín has benefited more than 113,508 people through strategies such as housing assistance, the 123 migrant module, the opening of the Intégrate center – in coordination with international cooperation – located in the Los Ángeles neighborhood (Calle 59 # 45-53) and the creation of a public policy.
In 2022, the Global Fund of Cities for Migration awarded an award to the District, thanks to the housing assistance initiative, which has benefited more than 2,900 people in conditions of human mobility, guaranteeing them access to a roof over their heads, food and cleaning supplies.
“Currently, I am one of the beneficiaries of the Intégrate Center, they have helped us in the area of entrepreneurship, Intégrate’s services have helped me to promote my audiovisual production company,” said Francisco Fernández, a Venezuelan migrant.
One of the biggest challenges is to ensure that this public has access to formal employment, because until 2022, according to the Second National Report on Inclusive Employment, 92% had informal jobs. Thus, the administration highlights the importance of the articulation with the School for Inclusion and Livelihoods, where counseling, training and courses are offered for future employment.
“We were able to attract the attention and interest of the foundation to continue supporting the work with citizens in vulnerable situations. Thanks to this international cooperation alliance, which is materialized with the donation of one million dollars, we can move forward in the social and economic development of our territory”, expressed the director of ACI Medellín, Juan Camilo Mergesh.
Medellin, as a recipient city, strengthens the comprehensive care of people in conditions of human mobility, in order to ensure a territory of opportunities for all.
Medellin will be recognized by the “Inter-American Award for Innovation in Effective Public Management”, an initiative of the Department for Effective Public Management (DGPE) of the OAS, whose main objective is to encourage, systematize and promote innovations in public management that are being carried out in the region; with the purpose of contributing to public institutions in the Americas to be increasingly transparent, effective and have mechanisms for citizen participation.
Two strategies of the Mayor’s Office of Medellin will be honored with honorable mentions: the “Suppliers School” in the Innovation in Open Government Category and “Being Able at Home” in the Innovation in Social Inclusion Category.
The certificates will be awarded this April 27 in Denver, Colorado (USA), where the OAS will organize the event “Summit of the Cities of the Americas / Plenary Session: Digital Tools: Improving City Revenues and Public Service Delivery”.
The Suppliers School strategy of the Mayor’s Office of Medellin receives this recognition among 17 innovative experiences pre-selected from a total of 48 applications from nine countries, including Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Mexico, Peru and Dominican Republic.
“With the Suppliers School we have trained more than 12,000 suppliers interested in participating in the selection processes with the Mayor’s Office of Medellín. Since 2016 we went from five proponents per process to a record of ten proponents per selection process in this 2022,” expressed the Secretary of Supplies and Services, Karen Delgado Manjarrés.
Since 2020 and to date, the Suppliers School has trained these people in topics and regulatory concepts of public procurement, transparency, management of contracting platforms such as Secop I and Secop II, among others. These sessions have been conducted virtually and in person to offer greater opportunities for companies and entrepreneurs to contract with the State.
Through the virtual trainings, which were implemented as a result of the pandemic, the Suppliers School has expanded nationwide, reaching different regions of the country. Entities such as the Mayor’s Office of Cali and the Mayor’s Office of Curití (Santander), as well as the Éxito Group, among others, have connected to the trainings to learn about these topics, as well as about the District’s contracting model, which is a reference in the country.
“The Supplier School trainings have been very good, because they teach us how to submit bids to the District of Medellín and to all entities in general. They promote transparency because they allow us to participate in open competition with other participants in the calls for bids. We can see that there is transparency and that there is a way to win a bid”, said Julio Humberto Ruiz Vélez, one of the attendees at the Suppliers School.
Meanwhile, the Ser Capaz en Casa project was recognized for being a strategy that promotes access to rights, the elimination of barriers and the reduction of inequalities for people in vulnerable situations, in an inclusive and equitable manner, with the objective of positively transforming their living conditions.
During the four-year period, Ser Capaz en Casa has served more than 3,700 users. In addition, it promotes, from an educational and biopsychosocial approach, the strengthening of individual and family capacities through support from areas such as physiotherapy, speech therapy, occupational therapy, nutrition, nursing, oral hygiene, dentistry, social work, psychology and pedagogy, reaching the users’ places of residence and bringing the institutional presence to them.
The care process carries out actions at the individual, family, community and social levels, through the identification of needs and the activation of routes to guarantee rights, contributing significantly to the quality of life and the elimination of barriers for people with disabilities, their families and caregivers, through interdisciplinary work and bringing the supply of services in the 16 districts and the five townships of the District.
“Ser Capaz en Casa has helped me a lot with their rehabilitation service. They have helped me to know my rights, to keep them in mind because I did not know them. They have taught me exercises with which I have improved my disability condition and the economic support I also receive thanks to them,” said Aicardo de Jesús Escobar Quintero, beneficiary of the Ser Capaz en Casa project of the Disability Team.
Applying for international awards is an effective strategy for positioning the city of Medellín in the global market as a model of successful public management. The Agency for Cooperation and Investment of Medellin and the Metropolitan Area (ACI Medellin) has used this strategy to highlight innovative policies and projects that have been implemented in the city and have had a positive impact on the quality of life of citizens.
The international awards allow Medellín to gain global recognition and improve its image abroad. In addition, the awards can serve as a tool to attract foreign investment, tourism, and other resources that contribute to the economic and social development of the city.
ACI Medellín has been very active in nominating the city for different international awards, such as the Lee Kuan Yew World City Prize in Singapore, the Global Smart Cities Award in Barcelona, and the Dubai International Best Practices Award, among others. These awards recognize cities that have implemented innovative policies and projects in areas such as sustainability, innovation, social inclusion, security, among others, and allow Medellin to stand out as a leading city in public management in Latin America and the world.
The Parques del Río Norte project, one of the most important projects within the Medellín Futuro Development Plan, will receive international cooperation for its execution. The C40 Cities (Climate Leadership Group) and the GIZ (German Society for International Cooperation) have set their eyes on this project because they consider it an urban reference that will not only improve people’s quality of life, but will also contribute to the sustainability and conservation of the environment.
Parques del Río Norte will change the face of the communities of Popular and Santa Cruz and will benefit more than 390,000 people.
The international alliance was sealed with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Mayor Daniel Quintero Calle and representatives of C40 and GIZ. The agreement will allow for technical support for the entire project and support Medellín in obtaining economic resources for its financing.
“Our Development Plan bets on a different vision and Medellín, the one of the future, which is an exercise of resistance to the processes that led us to become the city of no future. This space will not only create 300,000 square meters of green spaces, it will be a meeting place to finally put an end to all wars, to recognize ourselves again as brothers and to concentrate all of us united hand in hand in moving Medellín forward,” said Mayor Daniel Quintero Calle.
The C40 Cities (Climate Leadership Group) and the GIZ (German Society for International Cooperation) have their eyes on the project for its contribution to environmental conservation. The international alliance was sealed with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the District of Medellín, C40 and GIZ.
This agreement is possible thanks to the Cities Financing Facility (CFF), a program funded by the governments of Germany, the United Kingdom and France, and jointly implemented by C40 and GIZ. In April 2021, the call was opened to support cities in Africa, Asia and Latin America to mobilize funding for climate change mitigation and adaptation projects. As well as Medellin, Rio de Janeiro and Salvador (Brazil), Lima (Peru) and Bogota were other beneficiary cities.
“Medellín is a clear example of how cities are leading at the regional level an inclusive and innovative response to the climate emergency and the other crises we have had to live through during these years such as the Covid-19 pandemic. This is evidenced by the city’s key role as a regional representative in the working group of mayors for a green and just recovery,” said Cristina Argudo, interim deputy regional director for Latin America at C40.
This collaboration will have some important working points such as support in the technical development and technological evaluation of the project; the creation of business models and financing structures; and support for accessing international resources. In addition, there will be an exchange of lessons learned with other cities in the world regarding the challenges in terms of infrastructure to face climate change.
Currently, for the execution of Parques del Río Norte, the District is making progress in the land management (43%) and environmental management (14%) required for the first phase of the project, which will allow the construction of 70,000 square meters of public space. The physical work is expected to begin in the first days of 2023 and will include the adaptation of green areas, the construction of bike paths, the installation of urban planning and the construction of pedestrian walkways. An investment of more than $62.7 billion is planned for this first stage.
“Parques del Río Norte will be a work that will bring opportunities, quality of life and development to those who live in that area. We are finalizing design details to put out to contract the first polygon of this first stage, which will be approximately 26,000 square meters. Receiving the trust of such important and qualified international actors shows us that we are doing things right and that we are on the right path to make Medellín an Eco-city”, added the Secretary of Physical Infrastructure, Natalia Urrego Arias.
Parques del Río Norte will benefit more than 390,000 people and will transform communes 1 (Popular) and 2 (Santa Cruz), which make up one of the most densely populated sectors in Latin America. There, the current rate of public space per inhabitant is 1.5 square meters, far from the 15 square meters recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO).
Thanks to a city application made by INDER Medellín with the Agency for Cooperation and Investment of Medellin and the Metropolitan Area – ACI Medellín, 13 athletes from the capital of Antioquia will travel to South Korea to represent the country in the Son Heung Min International Youth Football Tournament. The event receives its name in honor of the prestigious Tottenham Hotspur player from England who supports the event through his football academy.
The event, which will take place in Chuncheon, South Korea, is sponsored by the prestigious Tottenham footballer, Son Heung Min
“In Medellín we continue betting on sports as tools for social transformation. We’re letting the city know that 13 children are going to South Korea to fulfill a dream. This delegation shows Medellín that we can transform the realities of the young people in our Comunas (districts), who are often exposed to other realities, but today, we can say that we have the proper conditions to offer them a better future”, said the director of INDER Medellín, Cristian Sánchez.
The kids were selected after several months of training and scouting work with more than 40 players, among users of INDER Medellín, sports clubs in the city and the Antioquia discipline league. They are all children from different districts of the city, Bello and Itagüí, and the coaching staff is headed by Diego Toro, a former professional football player.
The athletes’ selection process included psychotechnical tests and a medical examination to identify the weight, height and muscle mass profile, as well as their strength, speed and coordination capabilities.
“As a coach, you’ll always want to get to know new cultures, a different kind of football, so for me it’s a nice experience, just like for the boys. For many of them, this will be the first time they get on a plane, and just that is part of our innovation. We have to go to represent our city and our country in the best way possible”, said the technical director, Diego Toro.
Teams from six countries were invited to the event. The team from Medellín is the only representative of Colombia. There, they will meet athletes from South Korea, China, Mongolia, Russia, and Vietnam.
“For me, this trip represents the dedication, effort and attitude that I have always put into football. It represents the love of my parents knowing that football is my passion, taking me to practice, taking me to different clubs and playing in championships”, commented Samuel Geovo Murillo, one of the team players
The tournament is an 8-a-side football tournament for under-12 athletes and will take place from June 8th to June 12th at the Son Heung Min Sports Park in Chuncheon, South Korea. The purpose of the friendly category contest is to generate bonds of friendship between the participating teams.
“Resistir hasta el final” (resistance until the end) is the name of the song written by Eunice Vergara brave, strong and fighting woman, who, despite having lived in the midst of the armed conflict in Cauca, continues to believe in and bet on building peace. Because of this, her song has become the theme song of the Memoria Sonora para La Paz (Sound Memory for Peace) Tour.
“I feel very deeply. Seeing how things can truly be accomplished when we put in our best efforts. What I find most important is that these songs will reach the hearts of many people and will travel the whole country,” said Eunice Vergara.
With a suitcase full of dreams and a recording team, we arrived at the north of the Cauca department, to record songs, poems, testimonies, and reflections from many artists and organizations. This material became a document of resistance and dignity, which contributes to building peace and harmony, and confirms once again that music is a tool for social change.
The tour allowed artists from the municipalities of Suárez and Buenos Aires, Cauca, to come together for the musical, artistic and cultural creation, and performances of their communities. We collected demonstrations, expressions, feelings and practices of children, teenagers, women, and men who peacefully confront the violence that affects the territory. This process is the possibility of continuing to consolidate a legacy for the country in terms of art and culture for peace.
“At Fundación PLAN we are convinced of the power of art and culture in peace building, not just to stop the war, but to remind society the importance of not repeating our violence; it is also a mechanism that tells our country’s history. Art is the greatest form of resistance, and the most important form of resistance in a conflict such as what has been lived in Colombia, every bullet fired in our country had a song, a poem, or a work of art in parallel” said Gustavo Quintero, Vice-President of Fundación PLAN.
For this process we’re working with César López, ambassador of Fundación PLAN, a musician from Bogota and an artist committed to building peace. “Hope will always be alive. I invite you to follow us on this path and together we can heal all wounds and build a better country”, concludes César López.
This May 11 at 3:00 pm we will start the Memoria Sonora Tour in the Casa de la Memoria Museum located at Cl. 51 # 36 – 66, where there will also be an exchange of experiences with groups from Comuna 13, will be an afternoon full of music and great stories of peace building from art and culture.
This process is promoted from EmpoderArte por la Paz, a project implemented by Fundación PLAN in partnership with National Forum for Colombia-South West Chapter and Otra Escuela Corporation, financed by the Swedish Agency for International Cooperation for Development, SAICD.
In Medellín, the Software Valley’s strategy also reaches the youngest parts of society. Nearly 370 children at the Lusitania Buen Comienzo kindergarten, located in the San Cristóbal district of the city’s rural zone, children receive education with high standards of innovation that facilitates their learning.
“This kindergarten is just as good, if not better than any other kindergarten,” says Susana Zapata, mother of María José Yepes, a child who benefits from this modality, achieved thanks to international cooperation with the affiliate of the U.S. foundation United Way in Colombia.
Susana Zapata, mother of María José Yepes, one of the 370 children served by the Buen Comienzo Lusitania Kindergarten.
This educational scenario, which is part of the comprehensive offer for early childhood of the Mayor’s Office of Medellin through the Special Administrative Unit Buen Comienzo, not only has an infrastructure that is physically and aesthetically created to promote learning environments for children, but also contemplates pedagogy and the use of technology as stimulants for the development of 21st century skills, such as critical thinking, problem solving and collaborative work.
The kindergarten, which began operating in 2018 under the operation of Comfama, began a process in 2019 to implement innovative techniques and become a benchmark for good practices in early childhood. Thus, United Way Colombia, a foundation recognized for its work in education in the country, decided to support the kindergarten to turn it into a demonstration center.
What is a demonstration center?
It’s not a made-up concept, it’s an experience that has been worked on in other contexts around the world. Medellin referred to the United Way Center of Excellence in Early Education in Miami, which has already come a long way and adapted these methodologies to the needs of the children benefiting from the kindergarten, as well as those of the educational agents interested in innovating their early childhood care practices with technology.
“We’ve been fortunate enough to be accompanied by this wonderful team that has nurtured me a lot in 21st century competencies, in pedagogical experiences and the STEAM Squad. Thankfully, they’ve innovated a lot, they’ve brought a lot of technology, and materials to introduce innovative and quality educational experiences,” says María Janet Arango, an educational agent at the kindergarten.
Facial recognition equipment, electronic circuits, 3D pencils and printers, cameras, voice recorders, among others, are some of the technological elements and pedagogical materials used by the children in the company of the educational agents. “We are equipped with very good material, technological material that the children did not have access to. Other kindergartens don’t have access to these materials. The children analyze and present their ideas, they answer more complex questions, and we can see that their early childhood is being strengthened, they take this knowledge to their homes so the families can also contribute from their points of view.”, said María Janet.
The kindergarten has developed strategies to bring families closer, taking into account co-responsibility as the most important educational agent in the learning process. This is why the kindergarten includes families in different activities and talks, as Cindy Ramirez, educational agent, explains: “We’ve involved the parents so that they know about the work we’ve been doing with the children and that they are also part of this process. Some parents have asked us how we have ensured that the tools are used properly or to tell us that they are proud that the kindergarten includes the use of technological tools.
Susana Zapata, one of the parents, said “the relationship between families and the kindergarten is good thanks to the communication between them. I had the opportunity to really see what the children learn at school with the demonstration center, and it’s very nice because the children learn that technology is not only used for games but also as a means of learning, very responsibly. It’s inspiring to see how the children are learning here.”.
An expanding model for the city
On the road to becoming a Software Valley, Medellín has developed programs and projects to take advantage of the territory’s potential and diversify the city’s economy in areas associated with the digital economy and the Fourth Industrial Revolution. In this journey, the city has understood that to truly achieve a change in mentality, long-term actions are required that permeate the future of society, in this case early childhood.
In this regard, the director of the Special Administrative Unit Buen Comienzo, Hugo Diaz says: “this commitment in the kindergarten is directly linked and related to our purpose of city: Software Valley. This is one of the examples that technological transformation is fundamental in all city scenarios and, therefore, today our children enjoy this center, and we hope that this commitment can continue to be implemented in other kindergartens in the city because in Medellín Futuro children are also part of the transformation“.
After three years of learning at the Buen Comienzo Lusitania Kindergarten, the Mayor’s Office of Medellín, in partnership with United Way Colombia, plans to expand the model so that children in every district of the city have access to learning based on technology and innovation, thus creating a demonstrative network for early childhood in the city. Although it is an ambitious projection, the formative and inspiring practices that have been achieved in the education of children in Lusitania will serve as a pilot for this expansion to become a reality.
María Nazaret and Jesús Enrique don’t know eachother personally, but they both have something in common: they have been beneffitted by the Barcelona Solidaria program; the former as a homeless person, and the latter as a farmer in the Santa Elena township. They are part of the 13 programs and projects of our city that, since 2020, have recieves about 1,1 million euros from international cooperation.
Jesús Enrique is one of the 25 food producers of the Rutas de Siembra project that seeks to strengthen plot productivity, promote the circular economy and provide associative, community, business and environmental support.
25 farmers from Santa Elena benefit from the cooperation with Barcelona for production, marketing and environmental awareness in food cultivation.
His farm is located near the Arví Metrocable station, a route well known by thousands of tourists that each weekend, come to this township to experience nature at its finest. “Don Jesus’s Farm” as known by most of his neighbors, is filled with color, thanks to all the fruit and vegetables sowed there. Tomatos of all shapes, colors and sizes, lettuce, rosemary kale and cabbage are just some of the products grown by this kind and friendly man.
“The Rutas de Siembra project has helped us with marketing, they’ve provided training sessions on selling, focused on tourism and agriculture, to attend the community’s needs and produce cleanly and organically” says Jesús when reffering to this project that has access to more than 500 million pesos in cooperation resources managed by the NGO “Antioqueños Unidos in Catalonia for Colombia” and executed by Comfenalco.
For Maryori Londoño, Township manager of Medellín, “From the Management we’ve helped with guarantees as well as with the achievement and accompaniment of the producers that this project has helped. Through Rutas de Siembra, it has been possible to train and educate 25 producers located around the Comfenalco Hotel and its surrounding area, and in this process they’ve also been provided with the creation of access routes to commercialize their products in the Arví market and with the hotel also buying their products”.
María Nazaret, is part of another project benefitted from cooperation with Barcelona. She is a homeless woman that, alongside of her dog, Lulo, who she considers her child, lives paralel to the Medellín River in the Minorista sector of the city. Each weekend, they’re visited by workers for the Surgir Corporation, that provide them with toiletry kits, as well as with information and education regarding personal care and wellbeing, to reduce damaged caused by drug consumption; but most improtantly, they provide them with a space where they can be heard.
The Barcelona ABD foundation and the Surgir Corporation, with the support of the MAyor’s office of Medellín, has retaken the Listening Centers project, to strengthen the work focused on harm reduction from drug consumption through practices that can help the homeless to take awareness of their health.
Walking through the are surrounding the river, where hundreds of people affected by homelessness live, is now a task being accompanied by the international community, who consider that a homeless person is an important part of society are therefore, we must work towards their wellbeing, understand the path that led them to where they are and, most importantly, dignify their day to day lives.
More than 500 homeless inhabitants of Medellin have been accompanied by professionals that are helping them mitigate damage caused by drug consumption.
For Jonathan Ballesteros, director of Local and International Relations of the ACI Medellin “During the validity of the Medellin Futuro Development Plan, the ACI Medellin in alliance with other secretariats and entities of the local government have managed and supported 13 projects that have a direct impact on social and rural development strategies; these projects add up to 1.1 million euros and it is a clear sign that Medellín is one of the great centers of international cooperation in Latin America”.
Since 2006, Medellín has addep up 1,8 million euros in cooperation with Barcelona, with projects focused on culture, urban planning, infants, youth and women, among others.
This shows clear evidence that the relationship between Medellin and Barcelona is passing through one of its best moments, thanks to alliances for development, managed by the private and local sectors and reaching some of the most vulnerable populations.
Medellín received international recognition for its work in cultural democratization, the improvement and adaptation of cultural facilities as learning spaces open to all citizens. This plan is shown in the CATUL network project that includes the Culture Houses Network, Theaters, Articulated Life Units and Sound Production Laboratories.
The capital of Antioquia is one of the three winners, along with Santos (Brazil) and Torres Vedras (Portugal), within a group of 50 cities from four continents.
The delivery took place within the framework of the 16th AICE International Congress, virtually and with the assistance of the organizers of the AICE Network award, juries, mayors, delegates from the other winning cities and the more than 500 cities that make up the association.
The award-winning project, CATUL network, impacts an average of 400,000 people each year.
The secretary of Citizen Culture, Álvaro Narváez, was present at the ceremony, he highlighted: “The Culture Houses Network receives more than 400,000 people a year to make an exchange between the State, the community and artists. We are recognized for being innovative through social, educational and cultural transformation of a Medellín that continues to move through culture towards it way to the future ”.
The award was announced in October of last year and constitutes an achievement, thanks to the application made by the Agency for Cooperation and Investment of Medellín and the Metropolitan Area – ACI Medellín and the Secretariat of Citizen Culture.
For the executive director of ACI Medellín, Eleonora Betancur: “this AICE award grants global recognition in inclusion and democratization of culture, thanks to the work done with the CATUL network. Today, thanks to the Medellín Futuro Development Plan, our city presents itself to the world as a city where culture and the arts are consolidated as an open, diverse, critical, dynamic ecosystem committed to the transformation of Medellín ”.
The recognition is delivered within the framework of the 16th International Congress of AICE, led by the President Delegate of the AICE, Commissioner for Education of the Barcelona City Council.
This recognition highlights good government practices in access and participation the community, with greater relevance in vulnerable populations, in order to promote their participation in the cultural scene, either as a spectator or as active members of the different artistic, social and cultural groups. Likewise, it highlights the way in which the city’s people appropriate spaces to impact the real needs of the social and cultural environment, in order to improve it.
Touring downtown Medellin has become an inevitable to-do on the agenda of tourists, investors, diplomats and citizens of the world who want to perceive the scents, colors and flavors of Medellín at its best. For this reason, after almost a year of closure for theaters and spaces for cultural socialization due to the pandemic, some of them are preparing to reopen their doors to the public, preserving all biosafety protocols.
The SOS Centro strategy and Caminá pal Centro, prepare their first activities and tours in March and April in order to turn some sectors of this city commune into transformation centers through theatrical and musical performances in the open air or in closed spaces, with limited capacity.
The different sellers and unique characters from the city’s downtown are intended to be the protagonists of this exercise that brings people from all the city’s and world’s corners to Medellín’s downtown for cultural walks and appropriating public space.
These initiatives stem from the Alianza para el Centro, a network working alongside institutions such as the University of Antioquia, the Pablo Tobón Uribe Theater, Comfama, Banco de la República, Corpocentro, the Mayor’s Office of Medellín and Casa Centro Cultura, among others, whose task consists of recovering downtown spaces that were once epicenters for prostitution, drugs, crime and abandonment in order to invite all citizens to walk its streets without fear.
The city’s downtown still has many social, economic and environmental challenges, but it also has a journey that shows transformation, life and hope not only for the city but also for positioning itself as an internationally chosen destination.
The Network of Culture Houses, Theaters, UVA and Sound Production Labs (CATUL Network) of the Citizen Culture Secretariat of the Mayor’s Office of Medellín, in alliance with Comfenalco Antioquia, was chosen as one of the three winning projects for the 2020 Educating Cities Award for Best Practices in the Inclusion and the Democratization of Culture, by the Association for Educating Cities (IAEC), which Medellín has been part of since 2004.
Medellín is one of the three winning cities, along with Santos from Brazil and Torres Vedras in Portugal, within a group of 50 cities in 4 continents. The recognition is given by the International Association of Educating Cities (IAEC).
This recognition exalts good government practices in access and citizen participation, with greater relevance in vulnerable populations in the cultural scene, through inclusive, democratic and healthy coexistence processes, in addition to the promotion of cultural diversity as development axes.
The application, made by the Agency for Cooperation and Investment of Medellín and the Metropolitan Area – ACI Medellín, and the Secretariat of Citizen Culture, achieved the recognition of the project Red CATUL by “giving value to the importance of a network of territorial articulation that achieves greater democratization of cultural facilities as learning spaces open to all citizens”.
In this sense, Eleonora Betancur González, executive director of ACI Medellín, says: “It fills us with joy to know that the International Association of Educating Cities – AICE, recognizes our city for its inclusion and democratization of culture. This allows us to visualize the path we’ve gone through, both in this international network and in our history where Red CATUL has played a relevant role in the social and community fabric; demonstrating how Medellín lives its culture”
The CATUL network, which is integrated by 14 physical equipment and 20 cultural processes throughout Medellín and its districts, impacts an average of 400,000 people each year, and weaves meaningful networks between different local, inter-territorial and institutional actors, on the basis of the recognition of others as a space for training and the circulation of knowledge and experience, which energize cultural processes with a community basis, through strategic lines such as training, community cultural management, promotion of creation, memory and territory, exchange and dialogue, and communications.
The award ceremony will be held during the 16th IAEC International Congress in March 2021.
Álvaro Narváez, undersecretary of Art and Culture of Medellín, says that: “the CATUL Network is an example of how innovation allows cultural management processes to be developed through the understanding of each territory’s particularities, where formation in diverse knowledge, creation, memory, and dialogues, strengthen and build new imaginaries. This recognition for the project and for the city, fills us with much joy and invites us to continue to bet more and more on culture and education as transformative axes of our society”.
Medellín received the Music Cities Awards international recognition for its support to local musicians and artists during the pandemic with the Medellín Me Cuida Route. The city stood out among 842 nominations and was on the shortlist with two other American initiatives: Black Fret and Music Export Memphis.
The city was exalted by the Medellín Me Cuida Route, in the third category: Best city initiative to directly support musicians.
This award highlights an initiative that brought hope, art and culture to the neighborhoods and hamlets of Medellín during the confinement, as a contribution to economic, social and cultural dynamization. A distinction that exalts the implementation of direct support policies to musicians.
In this way, Medellín establishes itself as a musical city by being part of the UNESCO Network of Creative Music Cities.
The Medellín Me Cuida Route was an itinerant stage designed to economically reactivate the artistic and cultural sector of the city, and whose protagonists were the winners of the Call for Art and Culture Incentives in the line of the Cultural Agenda.
There were 16 tours, 80 neighborhoods and hamlets receiving art and culture, 16 musical groups benefited, 109 artists, more than 150 kilometers traveled. It also highlights the ethnic, cultural and gender diversity of these routes, since out of the 16 groups, six were Afro-Colombian, four were led by women and eight groups were winners for the first time in the Call for Art and Culture Incentives of the Cultural Agenda.
“We are happy and thankful towards all those who have made it possible for Medellín to obtain this honor, this distinction. We are sure that our caravans will continue to reach the whole city, every commune and every hamlet, and we will continue to work to not stop and continue supporting all those who are part of the arts and culture sector”, said the Secretary of Citizen Culture, Lina Gaviria.
The award was presented by Music Cities Events during a live ceremony. In addition to the statuette, five free tickets were received for a future event of choice and three years of free subscription to the Community of Musical Cities.
The application was supported by the Agency for Cooperation and Investment of Medellín and the Metropolitan Area – ACI Medellín.
(Singapore, September 23, 2020) – As continued resilient recovery remains a priority in cities around the world, the global community represented by Resilient Cities Network came together virtually. The organization introduced the new members of its Board of Directors and Global Steering Committee. With cities still battling the unprecedented global pandemic and the compound risks of climate change and social inequity the agenda discussed by the core executive team as well as the Network alumni community was particularly relevant, reviewing and discussing the strategic direction of the Network for 2021-2023.
During the meeting, Lauren Sorkin, Executive Director of the Network, presented Daniel Stander, Private Sector Representative to the United Nations, Naina Batra, Chairwoman and CEO, Asian Venture Philanthropy Network (AVPN), Sylvester Turner, Mayor of Houston, and Sameh Wahba, Global Director of Urban, Disaster Risk Management, Resilience, and Land Global Practice, World Bank as new appointees for the Board of Directors. Also, the network’s Global Steering Committee was confirmed. It will be headed by co-chairs Belfast, represented by Grainia Long, Commissioner for Resilience, and Christchurch, represented by Mike Gillooly, Chief Resilience Officer, and comprised of Buenos Aires, Salvador, Pune, Cape Town, Kigali, Rotterdam, San Francisco, and Houston.
“The reach, achievements, and vision of the Resilient Cities Network are impressive. Speaking on behalf of the Board of Directors, I can say that we feel deeply inspired by the commitment of the organization to support the critical needs of vulnerable communities by implementing projects that address multiple shocks and stresses and are improving the lives of people.” Sylvester Turner, Chair of the Board of Directors and Mayor of Houston.
Resilient Cities Network co-creates urban solutions to address complex and interrelated urban challenges, so that cities and communities thrive. The Network will focus on three priorities to be delivered through programs of collective action with member cities during the next two years through a holistic resilience approach. It continues to pursue a resilient recovery to reinforce equity, to promote private-public partnerships, and foster stronger local economies. Also, cities need to be prepared to further build climate resilience, not only to protect citizens from water-related challenges but also to strengthen the capacity of communities to cope with the effects of climate change. The third priority is the promotion of circular economies through indigenous and technological solutions to rapidly and sensibly enhance waste management and food systems.
“Now more than ever building city resilience makes sense. Working with cities to create prosperous, equitable, and safe urban environments while prioritizing access to healthcare for vulnerable populations is a key driver for us. We are committed to growing the practice of urban resilience across the globe in a way that it accrues social, economic, and political capital, making our cities thrive. At this point, we feel proud of the refreshed visual identity and of our new website and logo, which better represent the values and commitment of the Network.” Grainia Long, co-chair of the Global Steering Committee, Commissioner for Resilience, Belfast.
Empowered by the knowledge and expertise of resilience practitioners and governments, the Network is activating projects to deliver local benefits and collective impact that benefit over 220 million citizens around the globe, 50 million of them living under vulnerable conditions.
As a city-led Network, the organization works together with Chief Resilience Officers, mobilizing communities, city governments, urban practitioners, and partners in the pursuit of safe and equitable urban societies. “We are grateful to both the Board of Directors and the Global Steering Committee for their active engagement, advice, and commitment. Working with them, we feel empowered to build on the valuable legacy from which Resilient Cities Network emerges. We have in our hands a promising opportunity to enhance the quality of life, improve access to infrastructure, and build a healthier and more sustainable future for all.” said Lauren N. Sorkin, Executive Director.
About Resilient Cities Network
Resilient Cities Network is a global city-led nonprofit organization that brings together knowledge, practice, partnerships, and funding to empower cities to help them build a safe, equitable and sustainable future for all. The Network integrates the combined effort of urban practitioners, city governments, and communities in a collective, comprehensive, and well-coordinated call-to-action to deliver urban impact-driven resilience solutions. For more information visit, www.resilientcitiesnetwork.org.
Medellín joins the invitation of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) to launch the “Green Cities” initiative that will seek to integrate agriculture, forestry, fisheries and sustainable food systems in urban and peri-urban contexts.
This initiative is led by FAO, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
Medellín joins the invitation of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) to launch the “Green Cities” initiative that will seek to integrate agriculture, forestry, fisheries and sustainable food systems in urban and peri-urban contexts.
The virtual event was attended by the Mayor of Medellín, Daniel Quintero, who along with Mayor Bill de Blasio of New York, Giuseppe Sala of Milan, Wen Guohui of Guangzhou, Lucsonne Janvier of Port-au-Prince, among others, discussed the importance of improving people’s well-being by increasing the availability and access to products and services provided by green spaces and sustainable food systems.
The focus of action is on integrating agriculture, forestry, fisheries and sustainable food systems in urban and peri-urban contexts.
In his speech, Mayor Quintero stressed the importance of building a better, more sustainable, resilient, green and just society, seeing technology as a catalyst for change. Additional, he mentioned that Medellín is becoming an ecocity “with more and better green spaces, with safe and friendly housing, with efficient waste management systems, with agricultural models that improve the productivity of hamlets, and with smart urban equipment, capable of regulating energy costs and water, and their emissions of polluting gases”.
This plan will improve the livelihoods and well-being of urban and peri-urban populations in at least 100 cities around the world over the next three years, although 1,000 cities are expected to join by 2030.
Para Eleonora Betancur, directora ejecutiva de la ACI Medellín, “la invitación que nos hace las Naciones Unidas a través de
For Eleonora Betancur, Executive Director of ACI Medellín, “the invitation that the United Nations makes through the FAO to participate in this initiative, shows the importance that the city has in the eyes of the world in issues of sustainability and green cities. At ACI Medellín we continue to believe that much of the development of the city is thanks to cooperative actions with agencies that allow promoting projects and attracting international resources to improve the quality of life of citizens”.
Informative Context
The world is becoming an increasingly urbanized place. Currently, 55% of the world’s population resides in urban areas and by 2050 the urban population is expected to increase to 68%, mainly in low-income countries. Cities already consume almost 80% of the total energy produced in the world and consume up to 70% of the food supply. To address these challenges, cities are called upon to play a more active role in contributing to the efforts of national governments to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
For this reason, it is necessary to rethink how to plan urban and peri-urban areas so that cities become greener, more resilient and regenerative. In response to this need, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) launches the “Green Cities” initiative, which builds on the Organization’s experience in integrating agriculture, forestry, fisheries and sustainable food systems in urban and peri-urban contexts.
Thanks to international cooperation resources, the Mayor’s Office of Medellín increases its institutional capacity to address and prevent violence against women, in order to reduce the impact of confinement due to the coronavirus pandemic.
This will strengthen the Women’s Agency (Agencia Mujer) and build a model for psycho-legal care.
“These resources, achieved through international cooperation with the IDB, will allow us to strengthen institutional response capacity towards violence against women and its increase during the pandemic, in addition towards actions to prevent such violence and promote shared, non-violent masculinities”, explained the Women’s Secretary, Juliana Martínez Londoño.
Technical cooperation resources will be implemented in four consultancies with recognized civil society organizations, which will focus on strengthening the Women’s Agency to decongest attention, given the increase in violence during the pandemic, the standardization of the psycho-legal care mechanism model, the promotion of shared and non-violent masculinities through the implementation of a strategy for community education of shared masculinities and in the construction of a pedagogical proposal on masculinities for gender equity, addressed to servitors of the Mayor’s Office of Medellín.
Promotion of non-violent masculinities will be made, due to the increase of cases of violence against women during the pandemic.
Between March 20th and July 19th, 2,138 incidents of violence against women were recorded, mainly physical, with 1,183 complaints, followed by psychological violence with 291, sexual violence with 105, socio-political violence with 78 cases and economic violence with one case.
Women are mostly targeted by their partners with 782 cases, followed by ex-partners with 379. In this order, it is followed by other relatives with 169 records, children with 101records, strangers with 55, neighbors with 70 and parents (father or mother) with 40. The contingency generates specific impacts in the lives of women, which increases inequalities and violence against them. For this reason, a gender approach is fundamental in the prevention and comprehensive care of violence.
The three mechanical ventilators developed by the InnspiraMED initiative, intended for the care of critical patients affected by Covid-19, received the authorization of the National Institute of Drug and Food Surveillance (Invima) to conduct clinical trials on 15 patients in three hospitals and clinics in Medellín.
Following evaluations by Invima, the three prototype mechanical ventilators that are part of the InnspiraMED initiative were authorized to start clinical trials in humans.
“Invima, keeping in mind that this is an issue of national interest and of health public policy, as a Regulatory Agency, welcomes these national initiatives, and continues to be attentive to prioritise and contribute to the evolution of the procedures, while maintaining sanitary rigour, and safeguarding the individual and collective health of Colombians”, said the control entity in a statement this Thursday, July 16, in which they issued the following concept:
After analyzing and evaluating the related information, through the cases 20201120008 dated June 30, 2020 and 20201120029 dated July 13, 2020, the Specialized Room of Medical Devices and In Vitro Diagnostic Reagents, the development of Phase I of the protocol is approved “Performance evaluation of a standard mechanical ventilator model to meet ventilatory assistance needs during the health crisis due to infection with SARS-COV-2 COVID-19” of the INNSPIRAMED innitiative.
InnspiraMED is an initiative that carries out interdisciplinary and collaborative work coordinated by the Mayor’s Office of Medellín, through Ruta N and that has the funding of Postobón with a contribution of $ 9,000 million pesos and the IBD Lab. The ventilators were produced by three research and development teams (Universidad de Antioquia, Industrias Médicas Sampedro and EIA University ), each consisting of engineers, intensivists and pulmonologists, among others. Likewise, HACEB and Auteco Mobility lead the production of the devices.
An initiative articulated by the City of Medellín, through Ruta N, which has funding from Postobón and IBD Lab.
“We are going to give everything that is in our hands to fight until the last moment so that no Colombian lacks a ventilator, a specialist and an intensive care bed, if so needed. I want to thank the whole team that has been fighting this battle and continues to do so,” said Medellín Mayor, Daniel Quintero.
According to Invima, clinical trials will be conducted in two phases in order to confirm safe and reliable ventilation in patients. The first phase will be carried out with a small group of patients and, after an evaluation by the regulatory entity, the second phase will be entered with a larger group of patients.
Once these two evaluation stages are completed, they will be distributed to different regions of the country; this has been drawn up with the support of the National Government. It should be noted that the devices are in the process of industrialization while these tests are provided.
“Today, the InnspiraMED initiative takes a step forward in its purpose of providing the country with mechanical ventilators, needed for the care of the health emergency caused by the COVID-19 Coronavirus. Since the beginning, we have focused on maintaining scientific rigor so that the three equiptments we have designed are safe and very reliable, while we advance in their production and distribution, so that they can be used at the right time”, explained the manager of the InnspiraMED initiative, Gabriel Sanchez.
The institutions in which human trials will take place are the San Vicente Hospital Foundation, the Las Americas Clinic and the UPB University Clinic.
We must note that the initiative trained, under the clinical simulation model, more than 350 health professionals from the Aburrá Valley and other regions of the country in the management of the equipment, the correct use of personal protection elements, technical skills for advanced airway management in patients with respiratory distress caused by Covid-19 and the use of ventilators, among other topics. In addition, engineers who accompany and support the technical support of the intensive care units of health institutions were trained.
“InnspiraMED seeks to protect the lives of Colombians, through the articulation between Universities, Enterprises and the State. We are certainly very pleased to see how innovation becomes a key factor in addressing this emergency. This initiative involves more than 100 people from different disciplines who have demonstrated an incredible commitment, based on that purpose we set out to save lives,” said the executive director of Ruta N, Juan Andrés Vásquez.
The mayor of Medellín, Daniel Quintero Calle, participated in the press conference for the launch of the Agenda for a green and just recovery, promoted by the prestigious city network C40. This document outlines bold steps to achieve an equitable and sustainable recovery subsequent to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The agenda includes specific measures that are already being taken in many cities around the world and should become the “new normal”, for the cities that wish to contain and be better prepared for future pandemics, resolve systematic injustice and maintain global warming under the 1,5 °C goal set by the Paris Agreement.
Mayor Quintero’s intervention was oriented towards the current strategy of Medellín for the creation of Jobs in industries associated with the digital revolution and businesses that promote environmental sustainability. Moreover, he highlighted the strategy to train people in science, technology and innovation with an emphasis in women, youth and senior citizens, to guarantee equity in the access to the labor market.
“Among the main challenges that the pandemic leaves us is to strengthen our voices and make it clear that our ambition is not to return to “normality”, but to build a better, more sustainable, more resilient and just society from the recovery from the COVID-19 crisis” the mayor told reporters and world leaders at the press conference.
The C40 mayors, all in all, request governments and leaders of the world “to guarantee that all the funds for economic recovery and stimulus packages promote a just and sustainable transition”. In their call to end all public investment in fossil fuels, C40 mayors are unequivocal: “Countries must seize this moment to decisively abandon investments in high-carbon, fossil-fuel-intensive industries and increase their investments in a low-carbon future”.
Informative context:
This document is led by 11 mayors from around the world that form the Global Mayors COVID-19 Recovery Task Force: Freetown, Hong Kong, Lisbon, Melbourne, Milan, Montreal, New Orleans, Rotterdam, Seattle, Seoul and Medellín. Additionally, it counts with the support of entrepreneurs, young environmental activists and unions. This Agenda includes both specific actions, which are already being carried out in many cities around the world, as well as strong calls to national governments, central banks and international financial institutions to carry out a just and ecological recovery.
The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development was launched in 2015 to end poverty and set the world on a path of peace, prosperity and opportunity for all on a healthy planet. The 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) demand nothing short of a transformation of the financial, economic and political systems that govern our societies today to guarantee the human rights of all.
They require immense political will and ambitious action by all stakeholders. But, as Member States recognized at the SDGs Summit held last September, global efforts to date have been insufficient to deliver the change we need, jeopardizing the Agenda’s promise to current and future generations.
The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2020brings together the latest data to show us that, before the COVID-19 pandemic, progress remained uneven and we were not on track to meet the Goals by 2030. Some gains were visible: the share of children and youth out of school had fallen; the incidence of many communicable diseases was in decline; access to safely managed drinking water had improved; and women’s representation in leadership roles was increasing. At the same time, the number of people suffering from food insecurity was on the rise, the natural environment continued to deteriorate at an alarming rate, and dramatic levels of inequality persisted in all regions. Change was still not happening at the speed or scale required.
Now, due to COVID-19, an unprecedented health, economic and social crisis is threatening lives and livelihoods, making the achievement of Goals even more challenging. As of the beginning of June, the death toll had surpassed 400,000 and was continuing to climb, with almost no country spared. Health systems in many countries have been driven to the brink of collapse. The livelihood of half the global workforce has been severely affected. More than 1.6 billion students are out of school and tens of millions of people are being pushed back into extreme poverty and hunger, erasing the modest progress made in recent years.
Although the Novel Coronavirus affects every person and community, it does not do so equally. Instead, it has exposed and exacerbated existing inequalities and injustices. In advanced economies, fatality rates have been highest among marginalized groups. In developing countries, the most vulnerable – including those employed in the informal economy, older people, children, persons with disabilities, indigenous people, migrants and refugees – risk being hit even harder. Across the globe, young people are being disproportionately affected, particularly in the world of work. Women and girls are facing new barriers and new threats, ranging from a shadow pandemic of violence to additional burdens of unpaid care work.
Far from undermining the case for the SDGs, the root causes and uneven impacts of COVID-19 demonstrate precisely why we need the 2030 Agenda, the Paris Agreement on Climate Change and the Addis Ababa Action Agenda, and underscore the urgency of their implementation. I have therefore consistently called for a coordinated and comprehensive international response and recovery effort, based on sound data and science and guided by the Sustainable Development Goals.
Health systems must be urgently strengthened in countries that are at greatest risk, with increased capacity for testing, tracing and treatment. Universal access to treatments and vaccines, when they become available, is essential. A large-scale multilateral response is needed to ensure that developing countries have the resources they need to protect households and businesses. Recovery packages must facilitate the shift to a low-carbon, climate-resilient economy and support universal access to quality public services. And leadership and support are needed to ensure statistical organizations have the tools and resources to facilitate timely and smart decision-making. To guide and support these actions, the United Nations system has mobilized at all levels, leveraging the recent reforms of the United Nations development system.
At the start of this Decade of Action to deliver the SDGs, I call for renewed ambition, mobilization, leadership and collective action, not just to beat COVID-19 but to recover better, together – winning the race against climate change, decisively tackling poverty and inequality, truly empowering all women and girls and creating more inclusive and equitable societies everywhere.
In Medellín, we believe that education is the avenue to overcome the inequality gaps, the engine for social transformation and territorial development. Betting on education is the opportunity to move forward as a society and build a better city. Facing this challenge, the city’s educational system has been strengthened by reinforcing the achievements we have had, reaffirming the commitment to ensure quality and educational relevance, and promoting learning opportunities.
Postsecondary education is one of the main focuses of the Medellín Mayor’s Office in its strategy to close gaps and create economic and social development, as well as to have solid foundations for the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
As a result, the current administration has placed a special emphasis on postsecondary education as a generator of economic and social development, based on the training of citizens who are able to face the global challenges and those of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
This is achieved with the conviction of overcoming social gaps and driving young people away from violence and poverty. These figures are evident, when analyzing the results of access to higher education. The city average in 2016 was 43.6%, and the goal for the end of 2019 is to be able to achieve 52.7%.
When analyzing the Multidimensional Quality of Life Index, figures show that in those neighborhoods with the lowest rate of access to higher education, the most complex situations such as insecurity, informality, difficulty in entering the labor market, income generation and family violence, also converge.
The bet on strengthening postsecondary education is the challenge to achieve integral security, so the most vulnerable people have the possibility of improving their living conditions and those of their families. This is done by generating income, accessing decent jobs with qualified profiles, contributing to social mobilization and reducing inequality in the city.
Every young person who has access to education is acquiring skills to have a positive impact on their environment. We are taking away space from illegality as an alternative, and promoting tools that will allow them to overcome poverty.
52% of scholarship and grant beneficiaries are women.
Scholarships for the Fourth Industrial Revolution
The Project of Scholarships for Technologies of the Medellín Mayor’s Office has the objective of increasing coverage and access to higher education by offering relevant technological programs, in the “comunas,” where the access rate is below average.
During this four-year term, we have delivered 36,793 opportunities for access to education, in scholarships and grants, with an investment of COP 536,000 million. The Instituto Tecnológico Metropolitano (ITM), Pascual Bravo, the Colegio Mayor de Antioquia, the Tecnológico de Antioquia and the Politécnico Jaime Isaza Cadavid, are institutions of the Municipality of Medellín. They all joined forces and have offered 41 programs to support the project.
Medellín Bilingüe
One of the great challenges of our citizens is learning and mastering a second language, preferably English. The objective is achieving a better job placement and being suitable for work in national and multinational companies.
In view of this need, the Medellín Mayor’s Office implemented the “Medellín Bilingüe” (Bilingual Medellín) strategy. This is a foreign language training program that seeks to teach a second language in an joyful and interactive way.
To optimize and innovate the teaching and learning processes of English, Medellín Bilingüe has developed projects and programs with the necessary components for children, youth and adults, to expand their knowledge as part of a global society.
One of these initiatives is the “Territorio Bilingüe” (Bilingual Territory), a strategy of the Secretariat of Education. This project seeks to train citizens of the “comunas” and townships of Medellín, with the purpose of improving their profile. At the same time, it will allow for citizens to be inserted in the communication processes of a city as Medellín, known today in the world as the cradle of international events and host of the first Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution in Latin America. The program is an opportunity for the working population whose courses are taught in the Social Development Centers (CDS for its acronym in Spanish) and in the Medellín Public Library Network.
Beyond job training
Being able to successfully pursue a technical or professional career is what was required for many years to obtain a degree. Today there are other fundamental skills in the workplace. These requirements are the so-called soft skills, associated with the personality and nature of the individual. These soft skills include among others leadership, adaptability and attitude towards life.
Soft skills teaching with experimental creative workshops, socio-affective skills and vocational guidance has been achieved as part of the training programs for work and life projects taught to young people during the last years of high school. As a result, it has given them more complete training related to their personal and professional development.
Medellín, a Learning City
by Unesco
In February 2019, Medellín reported the lowest dropout rate in the last 14 years: the city went from 3.4% to 2.9% in three years (2016-2018). This is the result of the implementation of programs such as:
“Buen Comienzo” (Good Start), in which the city benefited 82,650 children with actions to improve their integral development and quality of life. An achievement for their future, of their families and the entire city.
“En el colegio contamos con vos” (In School, We Count on You), a strategy that managed to get 7,648 students to return to school. “This was one of the hardest hits we gave to criminal structures,” says the Medellín Mayor, Federico Gutiérrez.
“Escuelas Entorno Protector” (Protective School Environment), in which we delivered tools to 229 educational institutions to promote good living, the construction of citizenry and the exercise of human, sexual and reproductive rights among 291,000 students.
As a result of the implementation of these good practices, Medellín was selected as one of the 10 Learning Cities in the world by Unesco, during 2019. Also, in 2017, the city was chosen as the first Learning City in Colombia. This recognition is also aimed at the great commitment of the municipal administration, which currently allocates between 35% and 37% of its resources to education.
Therefore, and to reaffirm Medellín’s commitment to the development of education, during October 1 to 3, 2019, the IV International Conference on Learning Cities was held in Medellín. In this event, government officials, city representatives and education experts gathered to identify, exchange and discuss effective lifelong learning policies and practices that lead to the achievement of inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable cities.
With an initial investment of more than $ 300,000,000, Acámica consolidates its educational offer in Colombia with agile and highly certified innovative methodologies.
“We chose Medellín because we consider it a central hub of innovation and technology in Latin America. The industries and talent of the future are being developed here, and that is why it is essential to deepen in the training in software development, artificial intelligence and data science” Tomás Escobar, CEO and co-founder of Acámica said.
Acamica will open spaces for more than 1,000 students in Medellín between 2019 and 2020.
Under the collaborative economy model, which at the same time proposes an immersive learning experience in real workspaces, the first in-person courses in Full Stack Web Development, UXU I Design and Data Science will take place in the facilities of leading IT companies such as Globant.
Acámica
It is a short-careers academy focused on training digital talent with an innovative methodology enhanced with its tools and a key differentiator: the association with leading companies such as Globant, IBM, Aerolab and Mercado Libre to create and certify the programs.
The Argentinian technology academy is one of the most important in Latin America and it will offer its online classes since the beginning of 2019 in Medellín. Their arrival in the city is part of a global expansion plan, which aims to train 10,000 professionals in technology in Latin America by the year 2020.
After a busy day filled with exchanges and the participation of 650 attendees in the IV International Conference of Learning Cities UNESCO 2019, several challenges became evident in the implementation of practices that benefit the entire population, especially those at a disadvantage such as at-risk youth, immigrants, the elderly, the digitally excluded population and people with disabilities.
The Medellín Manifesto is a result of the IV International Conference on Learning Cities 2019 which seeks to promote inclusion as a primary principle of learning.
Therefore, the Medellín Manifesto was adopted to overcome these challenges and work for population inclusion, and a fund was created under the multi-donor financing modality to support lifelong learning programs in cities of all continents. This strategy will be applied from 2019 to 2021 to strengthen the Network, create knowledge, and develop learning policies and instruments which allow the creation of capacities that will reach the population effectively.
The biggest challenge of the cities around the world is to define how lifelong learning policies and practices should contribute to the inclusion of the most vulnerable populations
Medellín, a success story
During the event, 10 cities received the 2019 Learning City Award in recognition of their best practices for the quality of education and the creation of lifelong learning opportunities: Aswan (Egypt), Chengdu (People’s Republic of China), Heraklion (Greece), Ibadan (Nigeria), Medellín (Colombia), Melitopol (Ukraine), Petaling Jaya (Malaysia), Santiago (Mexico), Seodaemun-gu (Republic of Korea) and Sonderborg (Denmark).
The UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning (UIL) and the Medellín Mayor’s Office jointly organized the conference.
Medellín is an international benchmark and its Green Corridors project earned it the C40 Bloomberg Philanthropies Award, an international award granted to seven cities for demonstrating its leadership in climate action.
This award was presented during the C40 Mayors World Summit held in Copenhagen (Denmark), between October 9 and 12.
“It is our pleasure to award these seven cities for their formidable work on reducing pollutant emissions, cleaning the air, and protecting people’s health. Their efforts will help drive more climate change actions around the world” said the Chairman of the C40 Board, special envoy of the United Nations Secretary-General for Climate Action and former mayor of New York, Michael R. Bloomberg.
The capital of Antioquia stood out of 26 finalists who presented impressive initiatives in the fight against climate change at the local level.
The C40 Bloomberg Philanthropies awarded the project in The Resilient Future We Want category.
“Medellín is committed to this change, and we greatly value your vote of confidence. This recognition reaffirms our promise to move towards the construction of a sustainable, inclusive, equitable city with opportunities for everyone,” said the mayor of Medellín, Federico Gutiérrez Zuluaga.
C40 Cities connects 94 of the world’s largest cities to undertake bold climate action and leads the way towards a healthier and more sustainable future. It represents more than 700 million citizens and a quarter of the global economy.
The mayors of the C40 cities pledge to meet the most ambitious objectives of the Paris Agreement at the local level, as well as to clean the air. The current president is the mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo. The three times mayor of New York, Michael R. Bloomberg, is the Chairman of the Board.
Bloomberg Philanthropies works in 480 cities in more than 120 countries around the world. The organization focuses on five key areas: arts, education, environment, government innovation, and public health.
About Green Corridors
The Green Corridors of Medellín is a project which includes the planting of trees, shrubs, palms, and covers in an environmental network that connects streams, hills, parks, and roads. It is part of the strategy A Greener Medellín for You, which consolidates an ecological system consisting of 18 road axes, 12 stream basins and the Nutibara, El Volador, and La Asomadera hills. This project estimates to reduce up to two degrees Celsius the ambient temperature, also to decrease the effect of heat islands, to capture particulate material and improve the air quality, among others.
This award contributes to the international positioning of Medellín and its best practices.
The mayor of Medellín, Federico Gutiérrez, receiving the award.
Cork and Medellín sign a MOU to strengthen the exchange of initiatives in education and improve cooperation on learning issues. Both cities belong to the UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities
On October 2, the mayor of Medellín Federico Gutiérrez Zuluaga and the mayor of Cork Lord Mayor Councillor John Sheehan signed a memorandum of understanding to promote collaboration as members of the UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities to share best practices in lifelong education, adult education, continuing education, literacy, and non-basic education formal.
Both cities undertake to implement the policies of UNESCO’s Learning Cities set forth in the Beijin Declaration (2013) for the creation of Learning Cities and the promotion of inclusion, prosperity and sustainability; the Manifesto of Mexico City (2015) for the construction of Sustainable Learning Cities; and the Fundamental Characteristics of Learning Cities , which provide a complete list with the measures to improve and measure the progress of learning cities and recognize the progress made by member cities; and the Cork Call to Action (2017) to implement lifelong learning strategies in Learning Cities.
Cork has committed to an action plan to consolidate initiatives as a lifelong-learning city based on political leadership and recognition of the potential of urban and rural communities
Cork and Medellin commit to promoting inclusive learning from elementary to higher education, promote learning in families and communities, facilitate learning in the workplace, expand the use of new technologies, improve quality and excellence of learning, and fostering a lifelong learning culture.
Cork and Medellín are committed to meeting the Sustainable Development Goals, SDG 4 and SDG 11, to promote equitable, inclusive, green and healthy living environments
This memorandum of understanding entered into force upon the signature of both leaders and will last for three years.
On February 20, the meeting of Learning Cities: Challenges and Opportunities for Colombia was held at 8:00 a.m. in the Teacher’s Innovation Center, MOVA.
The event was led by the mayor of Medellín, Federico Gutiérrez Zuluaga and Raúl Valdés Cotera, program manager of the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning and coordinator of the Network of Learning Cities.
During the event, José Octavio Cardona, mayor of Manizales; Constance Alarcón, vice minister of Preschool, Primary and High School Education; and Rodrigo Pardo, editorial director of Semana magazine, held a dialogue on the country’s regional educational policies and its contribution to strengthening Learning Cities.
The event is part of the activities prior to the meeting of UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities which will take place in Medellín from October 1 to 3.
The Medellín Mayor’s Office leads programs such as Buen Comienzo [Good Start], La inclusión es con vos [Inclusion is with you], Formando Talentos [Training Talents], Escuela Entorno Protector [Schools as Protective Environments], En el Colegio Contamos con vos [We Count on you at School], Teacher’s Innovation Center – MOVA – and Scholarships for access to higher education. They are at the service of citizens and ratify the administration’s commitment to providing enough tools for the formation of citizens throughout their lives.
Being part of the Rainbow Cities Latin American Network is a sign of the Antioquian capital’s interest and commitment to the elimination of discrimination and to achieving an inclusive and friendly territory for the LGBTI population, and safety for women and girls.
If there is something that Jhon Jairo Gómez feels for the Medellín Mayor’s office, it is gratitude. He, who his friends know as Jota, has been a beneficiary, for more than five years, of different programs that gave him psychological support and attention. This support has helped him to accept himself as he is and to rebuild his life, as he was the victim of intra-urban displacement and other scourges, such as abuse and sexual violence.
The Centro para la Diversidad Sexual e Identidades de Género – Center for Sexual Diversity and Gender Identities is like home for him, where he feels happy, welcomed and respected. “Here, they helped me find meaning in my life. I began to paint. I exhibited my works and I have grown a lot as a human being,” he says.
Medellín is the 22nd city in the world to enter the UN Women “Safe Cities” program. It is the third in Latin America and the first in Colombia..
Like him, other gay men, lesbians and transsexuals have received differential and integral attention in the Center. This space, open to all types of public, was created based on the LGBTI public policy that protects their rights and demonstrates Medellín’s commitment to combat discrimination, homophobia and psychological and physical violence.
To move forward in that sense, through the Agency for Cooperation and Investment of Medellín and the Metropolitan Area, the opportunity to build strategies with other cities around sexual diversity and gender identity was identified. It was then when, in 2016, Mexico City, Buenos Aires, Rosario, Montevideo, São Paulo, Bogotá and Medellín created the Rainbow Cities Latin American Network.
“Being in the Network means being a city that is friendly with diversity and exchanging knowledge and experiences to enrich the programs and actions we have for this population,” explains Paulina Suárez, Secretary for Social Inclusion.
ACI Medellín has accompanied and managed the visits of UN Women to learn how the city advances in providing security for women and girls.
Achievements of an Inclusive Territory
Today, Medellín has a strategic plan for its LGTBI public policy, with a 10-year projection, which seeks to improve the living conditions of these populations with services such as psychosocial support, legal advice and labor intermediation, as well as promoting actions that transform the social imaginaries about them:
The city works with an intersectional approach, that is, recognizing differences to provide each person attention that fits their situation.
Sensitization actions in private companies to put aside prejudices and provide job opportunities to these people; health days, and academic and cultural agendas on topics of interest, both for them and for the rest of the population.
Coordinated initiatives with the Secretariats of Health, Culture, Women, Private Sector, Economic Development, Communications and other institutions such as Fauds (Family and Friends United for Sexual and Gender Diversity) and Egocity to achieve actions that guarantee inclusion and protection of rights for LGBTI people.
Since 2012, more than 500 people have received psychosocial and LGBTI legal advice at the Center for Sexual and Gender Identity Diversity.
51 processes for ID registry and change of name for the transsexual population and more than 60 training workshops.
More than 50,000 people of all genders and identities participated in the Marcha
del Amor -March of Love, held on July 1, 2018.
Safe Spaces for Women and Girls
The compliments, lascivious glances, whistles and other sounds that women often receive in public spaces in Medellín generatefeelings in them, such as insecurity, fear, anger or displeasure, which makes them become more prepared and distrustful when they go on public transport, they walk down the street or when they visit spaces such as parks or outdoor gyms.
Aware of this situation, the Women’s Secretariat, with the accompaniment and management of ACI Medellín, managed to get the city into the Global Program of Safe Cities for Women and Girls of UN Women in 2015, an initiative to make visible and act in the face of harassment and sexual and gender violence in public spaces.
“Everything we did in Manrique was with the participation of women and girls. It was they who built the messages,” says Valeria Molina, Secretary for Women, who explains that they chose this Comuna to begin the program with, because it is the second with the largest number of men compared to the rest of the city. Also, of the 15 neighborhoods that make it up, 58% are considered vulnerables.
The implementation of the project has had these stages
2015
Exploratory study on security and gender violence in Comuna 3, Manrique.
2016
Construction of the logical framework on the perception of sexual harassment and violence against women and girls in public spaces.
2017 - 2018
Pilot test roll out with four components:
See: visualization of information through messages expressed in murals, bus stickers and educational material.
Understand:work with prioritized public members, women and girls, police, teachers, merchants and transporters.
Transform: field trips and conversations with citizens to generate awareness and changes facing this problem.
Manage: institutional articulation with other actors such as the secretariats of Security, Education
and Culture, Inder Medellín (Sports and Recreation),
the Metro and Corporación Con-Vivamos.
Secretariat for Women, Valeria Molina Gómez.
“Everything we did in Manrique was with the participation of women and girls. It was they who built the messages,” says Valeria Molina, Secretary for Women, who explains that they chose this Comuna to begin the program with, because it is the second with the largest number of men compared to the rest of the city. Also, of the 15 neighborhoods that make it up, 58% are considered vulnerables.
After this experience, the Secretariat is working on the construction of a second baseline for three other comunas in the city, where it will identify aspects such as forms of sexual harassment, generated feelings and effects, frequency with which women suffer some form of harassment, places where there is more incidents and the general perception regarding violence and sexual harassment.
Medellín has been part of the UN’s Global Program of Safe Cities and Safe Public Spaces for Women and Girls since 2015.
Medellín, with the guidelines of UN Women, has gone further. It has innovated and has become a benchmark in other parts of the world for its commitment and for being able to reach places such as public transport to build a safe territory for women and girls.
Visiting the Fiesta del Libro – Book Festival – and attending a talk by authors; enrolling a child in the program of comprehensive childhood care Buen Comienzo; taking advantage of the benefits of information and communications technologies in a public library; or attending concerts or film shows in the Unidades de Vida Articulada UVA – Articulated Life Units – are some of the advantages of Learning Cities, a distinction that UNESCO awarded to Medellín on 2017 for promoting and ensuring inclusive, equitable, and quality education, promoting long life learning opportunities.
Having the opportunity to learn in parks, educational centers, libraries, museums, government programs and cultural events is a benefit of living in a territory that vibrates with knowledge.
By fulfilling the commitment to provide equity in education, the city is implementing Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 4 and 11, making it a great achievement to integrate a vision that transcends schools and includes other public spaces of the city, available for people to enjoy and take advantage of.
“What UNESCO does is to recognize these good practices,” says the Secretary of Education, Luis Guillermo Patiño, who testifies to the benefits of being a participant in this achievement. He says this while walking through yet another of the spaces generated for the enjoyment of city residents: The Feria del Libro y la Cultura (The Book and Culture Festival), an annual event that takes place in the Botanical Gardens and that gathers a wide cultural program in the northern area of the city.
“ACI Medellín has been very important for the city, because it has acted as an articulating ally between Medellín, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Presidency of Colombia and UNESCO. It has helped us to weave these relationships, to show these networks abroad and to showcase the city to the world as one having quality education.” Luis Guillermo Patiño, Secretary of Education of Medellín.
Beyond Classrooms
Education in Medellín includes more than 400,000 students from public and private institutions and connects inhabitants of all ages through programs created to provide coverage to the population of all conditions and possibilities.
Buen Comienzo, En el Colegio Contamos con Vos, Escuela Entorno Protector and Alianzas con Vos are a few of the most outstanding programs, in addition to other alternatives such as schools for inclusion, youth clubs and higher education scholarships, Sapiensa, which are articulated with other secretariats and public and private institutions in order to generate significant environments.
Being a member of the Global Network of Learning Cities of UNESCO-GNLC-, to which only 14 Latin American countries belong, assures Medellín has access to benefits such as the transfer of knowledge with other cities in the world, the promotion of public education policies and provision skills and instruments for the stimulation of education.
The commitment of the community to maintain its participation in this select group is also fundamental. Its purpose is to achieve the dream of improving the quality of life of the inhabitants through the enjoyment of learning.
An educational possibility for every moment of life
Good Start
Children from gestation to 5 years
Serves children from gestation to five years of age, as well as pregnant and lactating mothers in vulnerable conditions, in the 16 communes and 5 townships of Medellín. It benefited more than 89,000 people in 2017.
Inclusion is with you
Children with learning difficulties
Guarantees the right to education, which goes beyond the allocation of the school quota, to access to education, enrollment and adaptation to the educational institution.
Forming Talents
Youth population
Prepares young people to develop their talents through activities that allow them to deepen their passions. The Medellín Mayor’s Office, in conjunction with Comfama, are the leading entities. In 2018, more than 1,754 places have been opened for job training courses.
Alliances with You, School Protective, Complementary Education and At School we Count on You
Children and young people
Alliances with You: strategic alliances involving universities, businesses and private schools that are committed to improving the quality of education in Medellín.
School Protective: supports educational institutions in the prevention of situations, such as school harassment, teenage pregnancy, sexual abuse, suicidal behavior, consumption of psychoactive substances and the use of minors by criminal groups. This program benefited 291,444 students from public schools in 2017.
Complementary Education: spaces for students to make creative use of their free time in areas such as science and technology, culture, environment, sports, citizenship training and bilingualism.
At School we Count on You: entails travel through the communes of the city in search of out of school children to introduce families to the school offer in order for their children to study. In 2017, the program identified 1,919 students who had dropped out of school and reintegrated them into the education system.
Teacher Innovation Center -Mova-, Sapiencia
Young people and adults
Mova, Teacher Innovation Center: trains teachers in teaching and learning methodologies in their areas of knowledge.
Sapiencia: manages public resources for the comprehensive education of citizens in higher education. This agency awarded 10,000 scholarships for technological programs related to the cluster sector of the city.
Digital Education Course
Senior adults
Training process in basic skills to develop in the digital world, improve the quality of life and promote access to technology.
Every morning, Mr. Mario Pimienta finds motivation to get up early. He takes care of his cilantro, paprika, lettuce, chard and radish plants with the same devotion as he cares for his grandchildren or his family. It is a daily and patient ritual: planting, watering, scattering the soil and checking if his crops are ready to be shared at the table. He has reached sixty years of marriage, raised five children and is now retired from his work life. He makes his urban kitchen garden a reason to learn, eat healthy and enjoy a personal therapy to which he dedicates time and desire.
“It is a very pleasant experience, because I know I eat well, with vegetables without contaminants and with the joy of knowing that they are the result of my own effort,” explains Don Mario. Of all that he has sown in the twelve baskets of his backyard, he affirms, amid smiles, that he does not like radishes and that he would like to plant onions, his favorite.
Huertas con Vos also provides advice and technical support to crops that are the result of a personal or family effort. Thus, the Municipal Administration supplies the experience and the necessary human team to bring knowledge to the territories.
Mario Pimienta and his urban garden in the Comuna 9 of Medellín, Buenos Aires.
This dream of having a piece of the farm within his house, in the east of Medellín, was born the day he heard from the voice of his neighbors that the Medellín Mayor’s Office had a program to grow vegetables at home for everyday consumption.
He was encouraged, attended the theoretical and practical workshops, and finally received the tool kit consisting of a rake, watering can, plastic bag, fertilizer and seeds.
This is how Huertas con Vos (Urban and Rural Kitchen Gardens with you) operates. It is a program of the Municipal Administration that guarantees the consumption of healthy, varied, sufficient and planned products. For the Secretary of Social Inclusion, Paulina Suárez Roldán, “this initiative improves food security conditions, achieves savings per family and per month close to COP$70,000, strengthens family relationships and builds a social fabric.”
These orchards, rather than generators of sufficient and healthy food, are infrastructure, economic development, agricultural support, education, health, social work and an incentive to explore new and diverse gastronomic preparations.
Sustainable and Productive Indoors
To be part of Huertas con Vos, you need the availability of at least 10 square meters of the terrace, patio or green area in the urban area and 100 square meters in the rural area. You must also fill out a document in current calls, attend workshops where participants learn everything from how to plant to how to enrich meals and accompany the process of growth, as well as, to harvest and care for plants with biocompounds and biopreparations.
Esteban Gallego Restrepo, director of Food Security of the Medellín Mayor’s Office, explains that “this project is sustainable, has indicators and provides people with skills so they can appropriate and continue with their gardens over time.”
When the family harvest is so productive that it exceeds 50 kilograms, generated surpluses can be used for marketing and sale. With this Alianza por el Buen Vivir (Alliance for Good Living), the two most vulnerable links in the production chain are supported: family farmers and the final consumer, by improving sales conditions, for the former, and offering the latter, a quality product at a very good price.
This local experience has been advised by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), so hat income is generated with agroproductive models and the results are visible to the world, in order to find the best international partners in its execution.
This is an associative, democratic and solidary model that makes it possible, for example, for family members to sell 14 tons of Creole potatoes every month to school restaurants in the city.
In this fashion, we work from Medellín, in conjunction with other programs, to meet the nutritional needs of the most vulnerable, eradicate extreme hunger and malnutrition, and facilitate access to nutritious and sufficient food throughout the year.
Mayor Federico Gutiérrez shares about the importance of citizen participation, the city’s social transformation and hosting the upcoming WCS Mayors Forum 2019 in Medellin.
Medellín becomes a worldwide example of best practices on education issues with the lowest dropout rate in its history reaching 2.9%. This is a result of policies and programs which seek to train citizens throughout their life cycle.
This is the lowest dropout rate in Medellín’s history. Medellín, the first Colombian city to join the UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities, will host the Network’s world meeting in 2019.
14 years ago, the capital of Antioquia started a transformation process in which education has been fundamental to achieve social changes. The work and the combination of efforts have reduced the school desertion, one of the biggest problems of the educative system, in 29% during this period. The greatest results were reached during the last two years through programs like: En el colegio contamos con vos, ¡y con tu voz! [We count on you and your voice at school!] which has brought back 5,165 children and young people to the classrooms.
These programs join other best practices such as Buen Comienzo, Sapiencia, the Software Nursery, and the recently inaugurated Teacher Innovation Center – MOVA -, among others. All of them have made Medellín a world leader in educational issues, thus guaranteeing its entry to the UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities, and to be chosen to host the Network’s global meeting for the first time in South America in 2019.
In November, Medellín will have a new space for healthy indoor entertainment with 100 trampolines and a wide range of activities for children, young people, and adults. In a 2,900 mt2 area, the park has a capacity for more than 400 people per hour and will generate 35 direct jobs.
Under the concept of healthy entertainment for all ages, the first indoor trampoline park arrives in Medellín with an innovative and fun model seeking to differentiate itself from the available offer in the city.
This is the second opening in Colombia within the framework of a Regional expansion plan of the U.S. based company which includes cities such as Panama, Dominican Republic, Chile, and Uruguay. Their investment totaled 2 million dollars and will generate 35 direct jobs.
“This park fits the strategic proposal of INDER which aims at promoting sports, recreation, and physical activities in different spaces. The Olympic trampolines will help future young promises of the Team Medellín to practice gymnastics” affirmed Andrés Felipe López Vergara, INDER’s chief city-events officer.
Thus far, the city has received a total amount of USD 249.9 million between new investments and reinvestments. 22 new companies have settled in Medellín and eight more have reinvested. Therefore, 2,945 jobs in the infrastructure, real estate, food and industry 4.0 sectors are estimated. ACI Medellín supported the opening and settling process of the Summit Trampoline Park in the city.
