Call for Narratives

Urban landscapes across Latin America are continuously shaped by entrenched social, economic, political, ecological, and technological inequities that often place residents in vulnerable conditions. Living in vulnerability involves navigating structural challenges and cultivating resilience. However, the expressions and daily practices of vulnerable populations often remain hidden from the public eye.  

 

This repository seeks to amplify these experiences by collecting and sharing the stories of vulnerable populations within Latin America’s urban territories through an open platform. Researchers, community members, practitioners, activist, artist, policy makers or any other seeking to understand vulnerable populations, are invited to submit narratives and anecdotes that capture how individuals and communities confront and live with their vulnerabilities.

 

Stories should address the experiences of vulnerable individuals or groups and may be written in a free format of no more than 500 words. Submissions are accepted in English, Spanish, or Portuguese. The following questions may guide the storytelling:

 

1. Which vulnerable population is represented (e.g., children, women, older adults, Indigenous communities, people with disabilities, LGBTIQA+, migrants, economically disadvantaged)?

2. Do participants recognize themselves as vulnerable?

3. How do they experience urban vulnerabilities? 

4. How do they cope with daily challenges?

5. How has the experience of vulnerability changed over the past decade?

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All submissions will be available on this website. While the perspective is flexible, we suggest writing from the researcher’s viewpoint, though co-authoring with participants is encouraged.

 

With this collection, we aim to empower participants by shedding light upon the complexities behind the lived experiences of intersectional vulnerabilities allowing for a better understanding of what it means to be vulnerable in Latin America. ​​

 

To prompt discussion, a selection of stories will also be discussed at the 2025 RGS-IBG Conference.

The authors of the selected stories will be asked if they would like to present their piece in person or in a pr ​.