'The Art of Resilience', a series to inspire change.

A documentary series with community initiatives from various corners of Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), which are transforming their territories and turning it into a region of global solutions, is rolling on the Internet to inspire change. It is The Art of Resilience, a collection of stories of hidden heroes whose work is helping to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), to which the countries of the world committed in 2015 to eradicate poverty and save the planet.

The art of resilience, which is part of the initiative 'Por tODoS: El Cambio Posible', shows that LAC is a multiethnic, multicultural region, full of solutions and creativity and innovation, with enormous capacities to face problems in the midst of climate risks, security difficulties and social and political polarizations.

CAF -development bank of Latin America and the Caribbean-, the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the social innovation platform Detonante launched the first stories of the series in 2024. In partnership with the Resilient Foundation, production was handled by the WaterBear Network, the leading open platform for environmental and social films.

Resilience is not just another word in the title of the series; it is a working philosophy that aims to show that it is possible to build a future where we can all progress and withstand impacts. It is like bending and not breaking. Resilience "allows us to look to the future with hope. It's not just about resisting impact, but about growing, flourishing and thriving after that impact. It is a narrative that propels us forward," explained María López, founder and director of Detonante.

"It is essential to make visible the global solutions that are born in our region: the Latin American and Caribbean faces, ideas, achievements and projects that often go unnoticed. We want to show the world that LAC is a solution region, that change is possible when we act collectively and each one of us can make a difference," said Sergio Diaz Granados, CAF's executive president.

The project began with a call for 700 proposals for projects to be made visible. In the first season, the series takes viewers on a journey through Mexico, Colombia, Chile, Barbados, Ecuador and Jamaica, to meet communities that work with innovation and adaptation to critical circumstances and are examples of strength to face global challenges directly.

One chapter shows the work of Isla Urbana, a project that, through rainwater capture technology, brings potable water to remote communities in Mexico where there is no water service.

Another is dedicated to Nashira, a collective of Colombian women who work in an ecovillage in the Cauca Valley region, where they develop their talents by working the land and living in community. In their work, they do not use herbicides or fertilizers that are not organic.

In a third chapter, the protagonist is a young Chilean woman who, through the Tremendas platform, makes visible stories of girls and young women who work for gender equality, and interact to empower and share their stories. With her project, she promotes gender education through schools to mobilize new generations of women.

The development of each episode featured artists who contributed music, culture and art to create an emotional connection with the audience, and show the transformative power of art and culture in our societies along with life stories.

"As UNDP, we are confident that this initiative will bring us one step closer to the common goals that unite us as a society and will help drive inclusive, resilient and sustainable development in Latin America and the Caribbean, leaving no one behind," said Michelle Muschett, UNDP Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean.

"We want to inspire others to see the strength that lies in our communities and how, through collaboration and creativity, we can build a more inclusive and sustainable future. Each initiative we present is a testament that change is possible and that together we can make a difference," said Maria Lopez.

In her concept, topics such as the SDGs should be addressed with different narratives and content that excite, entertain, inspire and, in the end, generate reflections. "Latin America is a potential region for the world in terms of biodiversity, social innovation, culture and creativity, and we are convinced that it is time to put the spotlight on it so that it becomes a global priority," added López.

The idea is to bring the contents of the SDGs down to earth so that any ordinary citizen can understand them and take ownership of them to apply them in their daily lives. And the best way to do this is through the stories of those who put them into practice.

The series can be viewed on the WaterBear.com platform.

Tremendous leader of girls

The daughter of a doctor and a journalist, Julieta Martinez is a 21-year-old Chilean who became a youth icon and a channel for girls and young women to be heard.

In 2018, at the age of 15, she created the Tremendas platform, where they exchange life experiences and ideas that seek to transform the world from everyday life.

Tremendas was chosen as one of the stories in the series The Art of Resilience for her work to defend gender freedom, and to ensure that girls and young women are taken into account in global decisions.

"My concern was how to connect those talents that I am passionate about and that can help from the school, the commune (neighborhood), the country and the world, and realize that we do not have to be superheroines to generate a positive impact from science, art, mathematics," explained Julieta Martinez about the emergence of Tremendas, which today has a network of 1,700 volunteers, with presence in 18 countries in LAC and other regions, and has established itself as a transformative movement and promoter of inclusive societies.

Its website: https://tremendas.org/