Abstract

20 years ago, Medellín was one of the most dangerous cities in the world. Until the turn of the millennium the struggles about Pablo Escobar's successor continued, but from 2002 Medellín began to change and the city started to invest heavily in infrastructure and public education. Today the “City of Eternal Spring” is one of the most innovative metropolises in the world. An essential part in this transformation process are community-based initiatives aiming to fight poverty in the city ́s poorest neighbourhoods. One impressive project of urban change is the densely populated Moravia district, once Medellín's municipal rubbish dump with an open-air mountain of trash surrounded by a large shantytown, whose residents used to live in almost absolute poverty. The open garbage dump was operating from 1977 to 1984 and the people living around the trash used everything they found in the garbage and became experts in recycling, built their homes with the material and made anything possible to get an income out of the trash. Due to Colombia’s armed conflict more and more refugees arrived in Moravia, located right next to the city center. Moravia is known for its strong community spirit and the positive attitude of its people. Plenty of local community-run projects have transformed Moravia into a model urban centre, with the mound of trash turned into a garden-covered hillside that nowadays represents a landmark of social and urban transformation of Medellín.

On this tour meet personally local leaders of Moravia that provide you with unique insider information about the barrio, its people, and history. Explore the area guided by locals and experience first-hand the impressive transformation of the sector, meet and interact with the locals, and listen to their unique stories of the recent history.

Support directly a community-based project of Moravia and help them to fulfill their dreams of a better life.