Note: Single-source report; awaiting corroboration.
Lima has experienced significant internal migration and, more recently, arrivals from across the region, including over 1.5 million Venezuelan refugees and migrants living in Peru, many in the capital. This demographic shift has influenced neighborhoods, markets, schools, and workplaces, creating a changing social fabric that does not always lead to mutual understanding.
In response, the Youth for Peace: UNESCO Intercultural Leadership Programme supports an initiative called Dignity Weave, led by young leader José Alberto León Méndez. This project uses short documentary storytelling and facilitated dialogues to create spaces where migration experiences can be shared and discussed.
Dignity Weave produces a series of short films portraying everyday coexistence between Peruvians and Venezuelans. Each documentary is paired with community workshops where participants reflect together and propose collaborative “micro-actions” to strengthen neighborhood relationships.
One documentary follows Astrid Flores, a Venezuelan dentist who arrived in Peru with limited resources but gradually rebuilt her personal and professional life. The film highlights how she formed relationships with patients marked by care and attention, noting that some appreciated being asked about their well-being beyond dental treatment.
The project adopts a narrative approach based on UNESCO’s intercultural dialogue methodologies, using storytelling to foster empathy and recognition. It emphasizes moments of collaboration and everyday encounters that contribute to a shared sense of belonging.