Introducing myself and my journal: Labo Voices

Rocio Lopez

Labo Voices

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Tags:

• Colombia
• community development
• Conflict resolution
• Human Rights
• Introduction
• multimedia
• social justice

About Me:
I have, over six years, experience working in educational communication projects for social development, human rights, conflict resolution and public health. Along my professional career I have always tried to combine my three main passions: education, audiovisualS and community development.
Currently, I am creating a nonprofit organization in Colombia called “Laboratorio Público”, with the propose of developing powerful social projects aimed to help children and youth through education and communication. The last four years, I worked with Fundación Imaginario and Citurna Producciones, a nonprofit organization and an independent production company. Most of the projects were co-financed by international organizations (Unicef, IOM, UNICEF among others) and government institutions.
My interest in human rights, community development, education and justice began in 1997, when I started my studies in Social Communication and Journalism. There I found a way of contributing to my country’s development through communication process. I got my undergraduate degree with an important recognition “Mención de Honor al Graduado de Excelencia”, after being part of “Lista del Decano” along the last three years of studies.
In 2003, I did post-graduate studies in film and video production in Barcelona where I lived until 2005, working also with an important production company there. I returned to my country after realizing that nothing motivated me more than helping and contributing to Colombia’s development. During 2007 and 2008, I worked as Creative Director in two short term consultancies for the National Strategy for Reproductive Health (UNFPA, 2007) and for Child Health (BASICS for Child Care/ USAID project, 2008) in East Timor.
My relationship with Timor Leste continues until now. I have been working as an independent consultant serving with the United Nations Population Fund. I work, from my home country, as a Technical Assistant for the episode scriptwriting of the radio soap-opera Domin Familia, one of the (activities) STRATEGIES for the implementation of the National Behavior Change Communication Strategy of Reproductive Health issues.
In 2008 and 2009, I won two grants from the Colombian Minister of Culture to develop television workshops aimed to children living in conflict areas. The projects were “Para Verte Mejor” and “Aprendiendo Haciendo”, both were developed in Rincón del Mar and San Onofre regions. Since then (that time), I have been working with Corporación Maríamulata, a local NGO in Rincón del Mar, developing together educational communication projects for their children.
I am also starting new collaborative relations with two other communities in Bogotá at Ciudad Bolívar and in Guatemala. Both collaborative projects are being developed on behalf of Laboratorio Público.
I am also producing a documentary called El Ciclo/The Cycle, that closely follows the lives of characters linked to the cocaine business to show the vicious cycle created by the polemic "war on drugs" started more than 30 years ago.

My Passions:
Movies, nature, community development, children education

My Challenges:
Being a good citizen

My Vision for the Future:
A world full of love, peace, reconciliation and no competence between one and another.

My Areas of Expertise:
Communication, Peace and Reconciliation, Gender equality, Audiovisual and ICTs