This session will show how social issues, civic technologies, and on-site activities can converge and create new ways of civic engagement to raise awareness and empower people through campaign and activism tools. In this interactive workshop based on experiences from change agents in Colombia, Mexico, and Argentina, participants will have the opportunity to explore different perspectives, strategies, and tech tools to mobilize citizens so they can transform their interaction with democracy.
This session is curated in partnership with Movalizatorio.
Institutional and Partnerships Director, Movilizatorio
Mariana Diaz Kraus es una mujer colombiana, emprendedora social, madre, aogada, politóloga, socia y directora institucional y de alianzas estratégicas en Movilizatorio, un laboratorio de transformación e innovación social que promueve la participación ciudadana para una mejor sociedad. Las principales áreas en las que ella ha trabajado son en responsabilidad social empresarial, cooperación internacional y análisis sociopolítico y legal para la formulación de proyectos o políticas públicas en construcción de paz, desarrollo, resolución de conflictos, justicia transicional, desmovilización, desarme y reintegración. Se formó en la Universidad de los Andes como abogada y politóloga, cuenta con un máster en Ciencia Política, una especialización en Relaciones Internacionales y Negociación, y un máster en Law and Diplomacy de The Fletcher School.
Partner - Project and Strategy Director, Movilizatorio
Lina is the Project Director of Movilizatorio and leads the processes of research and methodological development of the organization. Her passion for innovation and social impact has led her work on the design and evaluation of public policies at the Colombian Family Welfare Institute, the Department for Social Prosperity, the Victims Unit and the Economic Development Secretariat of Bogotá. She has also worked on research and monitoring projects in United Nations Agencies such as OCHA and UNICEF. In addition, Lina has worked on the creation of communication and training strategies for rural communities in Colombia and ethnic groups in Myanmar, Mesoamerica and Indonesia.
Throughout her 9 years of professional career, Lina has participated in different processes of research and project management for the construction of peace and well-being of families in extreme poverty, ethnic groups, children and adolescents and victims of the armed conflict in Colombia. Taking creativity as a transversal axis in her projects, Lina has encouraged the creation of spaces for innovation within the public sector and the creation of tools to measure, evaluate and promote the exchange of knowledge and best practices.
At Movilizatorio, Lina has worked on the design of projects, the development of the Avispero platform and the creation of creative content, research documents, workshops and strategies for social mobilization with partners such as Purpose, the Corona Foundation, the Rockefeller Foundation, the Inter-American Development Bank and the Swedish Cooperation Agency. Lina holds a Master's Degree in Public Administration from Columbia University (2017), a double undergraduate degree in Anthropology and Political Science (2009), and a Specialization in Economics from Universidad de los Andes (2015). She is fluent in English and Spanish.
Juliana Uribe Villegas is Founder and CEO of Movilizatorio, a civic innovation lab advancing collective action. She leads cross-disciplinary teams and large-scale partnerships that innovate, build capacities, and bring together movements of movements to drive peace and democratic, social, and climate action in today’s hyperconnected world, mobilizing over 180,000 changemakers, reaching millions globally and contributing to more than 40 public policy outcomes across the Latin America region.
Her work focuses on building leadership capacity, adaptive organizations, and high-performing teams capable of navigating complexity, uncertainty, and rapid change. Juliana is an Economist and holds a Master in Public Administration from Harvard University (Mason Fellow) and is an Ashoka, Skoll and Acumen Fellow.
Latin America Lead, International Resource for Impact and Storytelling
Graciela is a journalist who has been exploring multiple ways to tell stories to foster social justice. She has a specialization in gender and local development and a master’s degree in communication and culture from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro. Graciela is based in Brazil and is proud of being a pioneer woman in the field of Internet and digital rights in the country.
From 2013 to 2021, as a Senior Program Officer with the Ford Foundation, Graciela developed strategies and programs in the areas of Technology and Society, Creativity and Freedom of Expression, and Civic Engagement and Governance, crosscutting gender and race perspectives. Her work has contributed to consolidating the field of digital rights in Brazil and to bolster the independent investigative journalism ecosystem. She has also worked to strengthen collaboration between arts and culture initiatives with social justice and socio-environmental organizations.
Founding Director, International Resource for Impact and Storytelling
Cara Mertes is an award-winning independent media field builder, Executive Producer and funder who has deployed millions of dollars into the independent media field internationally. She believes in artists as leaders and stories as essential to social progress. Cara founded IRIS (International Resource for Impact & Storytelling) as a donor collaborative focused on integrating creative storytelling and narrative shift strategies into social justice efforts (www.storyforimpact.io). As JustFilms Director at the Ford Foundation, she piloted a film and narrative grantmaking strategy which was integrated across all program areas and offices. As Director of the Sundance Institute Documentary Program, she ran the documentary fund and the signature documentary labs. Prior to this, Cara served as Executive Producer of the PBS documentary series POV. She is a graduate of Vassar College (BA), Hunter College (MA), the Whitney Independent Study Program and the OPM Harvard Business School program.
