Hostility towards outsiders is often a reaction to fear. El Libro Viajero (the Traveling Book) launched in Colombia in 2020. This initiative combats the negative impacts of xenophobia on Venezuelan migrants.

Shaping Perceptions of Venezuelan Migrants

According to the latest data, 7.1 million Venezuelans are scattered around the world due to political and economic unrest. Xenophobia has become a growing concern in most places where they end up. This concern is what inspired El Libro Viajero – a campaign for human rights and dignity. The campaign seeks to educate about the experience of Venezuelan migrants in order to create more welcoming and inclusive communities. The stories included in El Libro Viajero convey the unmatched courage, resilience and hope for a better future of migrant and refugee children. The book serves to humanize the difficulties they have faced.

I migrated after seeing the situation in which we were living in Venezuela. Now that I’m here I have fought day and night for a better future for my daughter and my family.

Benibetza Labarra, El Libro Viajero

Like Benibetza Labarra, hundreds of migrants have an opportunity to share their stories in the form of letters and drawings. Their writing is full of hope for the future. This opportunity to narrate their experiences serves as a way to share migrants’ stories, while highlighting the barriers they encounter in these new places, including xenophobia and discrimination.

Bridging Cultures Through Letters of Solidarity

The book also shows the kindness and empathy of the Colombian people. Many have warmly opened their arms to newcomers, as exhibited through letters in which Colombians express their solidarity with those who had no choice but to adapt to a new country and culture.

A second edition of the book was published in December of 2020. It contains 21 handwritten letters from Venezuelan migrants, 8 letters of response from Colombian welcomers, and 9 examples of back-and-forth correspondence between Venezuelan migrants and Colombian community members. The book contains beautiful illustrations throughout. The “virtual” book acts as a living diary of migrant experiences, under constant reconstruction as new entries are made. El Libro Viajero also collects migrant narratives for their podcast available on Spotify.

The Libro Viajero initiative was led by El Derecho a No Obedecer, a project of Corporación Otraparte. It received support from Fundación PLAN in Colombia, Education Cannot Wait (the UN’s global fund for education) and humanitarian assistance from the government of Germany.