Admirable:
Community Cleanup in Comuna 13. Is it enough?
At the heart of Comuna 13, a non-government group has organized a thorough cleanup. A sign of maturity in the once wicked sector?
By Kaveh Paymayesh
“Neatness and cleanliness is not a function of how rich or poor you are but that of mentality and principle.”
On Saturday the 28th of April, an extensive cleanup was organized thanks to the efforts of an NGO.
The signs of maturity are there; Comuna 13 is no longer characterized by neglect and despair, but rather by pride and stewardship.
Is it enough though? Has the sector got what it takes to regulate their wider challenges?
A Thorough Clean-up - 28/04/22
It appears that everywhere you look these days, there are signs of regional pride. Had you entered Comuna 13 last Saturday, the lack of usual activity may have caught you off guard.
No, it’s not that the sector’s best days are behind them.
Conversely, the once isolated community is showing signs of self-esteem. In the heart of Las Independencies, tours were paused in favour of a vigorous clean-up. The event was organized and conducted by members of the community.
Starting at 9 am and lasting the course of the day, there weren’t many stones left unturned in this act of dignity. Greenspaces, platforms and unwanted graffiti were all given special attention.
Involved in the clean-up were all those who had benefited from the economic growth of the sector. This includes locals, businesses, artists and general inhabitants.
Struggling to find the resources
If there is something to infer from this particular story or that of the comuna in general, it’s that the power of community is inestimable.
After all, it’s through community that the district, once known as the world’s deadliest place, has transformed into the economic, cultural and touristic nexus that we all recognize today.
Yet, there are still significant challenges with which the community must contend. The chief of which is the inadequacy of resources.
According to an article by El Colombiano, some of Comuna 13’s most artistic icons are in jeopardy. The elements are slowly but surely damaging them.
Good art may be timeless, but that doesn’t make it immune to the passage of time…
Comuna 13 is characterized by its eclectic mix of art. Unfortunately, of the over 30 different murals scattered throughout, 17 are in a critical state.
Look between the lines and you’ll find that some of the street art is conspicuously covered in white paint. No, this isn’t part of an edgy design but rather the community’s way of highlighting problematic areas.
This isn’t only a matter of pride. These murals form an integral part of the graffiti tours. If allowed to deteriorate too much, they could impact the sector’s chief tourist attraction. They are the bread and butter of Comuna 13’s tourism. All subsequent cash flow is largely dependent on them being in place.
With over 600 people depending on this inflow of tourism, as either merchants, guides or artists, the impact would be cascading and devastating.
Community again at the forefront of solutions
For the first time ever, the sector launched a 5-day fundraiser to acquire the economic resources necessary for restoration. Once more, this involved all different stakeholders of the community. Despite raising an impressive sum of $1,500 USD, it falls short of the $5,000 needed for each mural.
If there are 17 murals in need of ‘urgent’ attention then approximately $85,000 is required.
What is the response moving forward?
In classic fashion, the comuna is again looking inwards in search of its solutions. The plan is to collect funds from the various economic activities that take place in the sector. This includes bars and graffiti tours – both of which have benefitted from tourism over the last 8 years.
As stated by one local, the comuna averages around 1,000 daily visitors during weekdays. On weekends this can shoot up to 7,000 daily visitors!
Furthermore, in the face of this threat, residents have sniffed out another opportunity; one that again involves the participation of local talent back into the community.
If able to raise the necessary funds, the commune will employ local talent to restore and “develop” the damaged murals. This would be in keeping with the style of Comuna 13, where local stories are given their place in the form of art. By allowing locals to restore the murals – they too will have the opportunity to share their stories.
A show of competency
What we are seeing with all these actions is a display of competency. The stakes are high for this touristic hotspot and everybody involved knows it.
Comuna 13 as a touristic concept is fairly new. Exponential growth in recent years ushered in a race for space. More and more corners of the commune are being divided and cropped by informal vendors, without much consideration for the bigger picture.
As a township, space has always been a limited resource. There are over 194,000 inhabitants in San Javier. Throw in a booming tourism scene and that resource becomes even more strained.
There are multiple stakeholders involved and not all of them want to see the entirety of San Javier give way for business.
The question now: how to strike a balance between the economic prosperity of the commune whilst respecting the space, intimacy and integrity of its residents?
It’s a conundrum that I believe the locals, as a community, will be able to resolve.
Whilst we’re on the topic…
For anybody interested in touring Comuna 13, I would highly recommend Comuna 13 Tours.
Why?
- They’re rated as one of the top five tours in Medellin (TripAdvisor).
- Received a Certification of Excellence for 6 consecutive years (TripAdvisor)
- Comuna 13 Tours have been in the game for eight years. They were the first company to provide tours in English.
- Reasonable pricing – $90,000 COP/ $22.5 USD.
- Hosted thousands of international visitors from all around the world. If you’d like to gauge their customer feedback, then here’s a link.
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