Comic books have a way of drawing the reader in. But what if you could bring these graphics to life, bringing hope and opportunity to communities across the world?
American Arts Incubator ExchangeAlumni and social activist Ram Devineni, who is the creator of the augmented reality social-activist comic book Priya’s Shakti, is drawing on different forms of media to inspire and connect young women in Bogotá, Columbia.
The program is one of Ram’s numerous projects funded by the U.S. Department of State’s Citizen Diplomacy Action Fund (CDAF), which supports public service projects that draw on the skills, knowledge, and network of U.S. ExchangeAlumni.
A three-time CDAF recipient, Ram and his team have organized a series of workshops to bring together girls and women to connect with local artists and explore potential career paths. By igniting their creativity through art, Ram hopes to empower participants, who often come from poorer areas within the city and who are accustomed to seeing limited job opportunities that recreate cycles of poverty.
The workshop has not only encouraged the girls to embrace their artistic side, but also opened up a world of possibilities to explore future career paths, alternative economies, and lifestyles that they might not have previously known. Ram believes art creates connection, and he hopes to empower the participants to take control of their lives and share their stories.
“I felt it was very important to show that there are other ways to look at your future,” Ram said. By working with local artists who make their living off of their art, “the participants get to meet people from different economic strata in Colombia, and they can see how other people live in different parts of the city.”
During the workshop, the girls were exposed to various art forms, including comic books and murals, while getting to visit different art installments like SOFI and ArtBo. Here, they had the chance to speak with established and professional artists, who have made careers out of art.
The workshops not only had a positive impact on the younger girls, showing them what else is possible; but also provided opportunities for their parents to be involved, which has only further transformed the communities in which they live.
Aside from this CDAF-funded project, Ram has led a number of similar workshops abroad to empower young artists that relate to “Interactive Comic Books and Storytelling.” One of his most prominent projects was a comic book that follows the story of Priya, India’s first female superhero and rape survivor, whose experience, he hopes, will empower young women and girls across the world.
LikePriya’s story, which Ram created to touch on the hard reality of gender-based violence, this program in Bogatá aims to address gender inequality and to help to inspire the next generation of girls and boys to combat it.
At the end of the workshop, the girls were given a copy of the comic book, KAIA: awakening in the deep, about the mystical embodiment of Natalia Ponce de León, who turns a tragedy into a national movement to tackle gender-based violence and change perceptions of women in Colombia.
When asked what Ram believes to be his impact, he said that giving the girls the opportunity to see what possibilities are out there and to have them truly feel that they are not alone and that people do care about them is his greatest hope.
“I look at the girls and I see them engaging with our comic book characters, and I can see that they see something similar to what they’ve gone through – it gives them hope.”
Congratulations on your most recent project, Ram!