{{Short description|Colombian writer and cultural activist}} {{family name hatnote|Vidal|Romero|lang=Spanish}} {{Infobox person | name = Velia Vidal | native_name = | image = Velia Vidal R.jpg | caption = Vidal in 2021 | birth_name = Velia Vidal Romero | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1982|11|05|df=yes}} | birth_place = Bahía Solano, Colombia | death_date = | death_place = | death_cause = | occupation = Writer, cultural activist | known_for = }}
'''Velia Vidal Romero''' (born 5 November 1982) is a Colombian activist, writer, reading promoter, and cultural manager. She is the director of the Motete cultural educational corporation and creator of the FLECHO (Chocó Reading and Writing Festival).
==Biography== Vidal studied Social Communication Sciences at the University of Antioquia, specializing in Social Management at the Superior School of Administration.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.elheraldo.co/mujer-e-igualdad/velia-vidal-inspirar-y-promover-la-inclusion-es-mi-mision-en-el-mundo-962017|title="Inspirar y promover la inclusión es mi misión en el mundo": Velia Vidal|accessdate=2023-01-06|website=EL HERALDO|language=es}}</ref>
Vidal has worked in public administration on environmental and cultural issues. She was director of the Fernando Botero Library Park of the Corregimiento de San Cristóbal.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://tocastereo.com/noticias/cultura/3167-en-choco-la-cultura-siempre-termina-siendo-lo-menos-relevante-velia-vidal-romero.html|title=En Chocó, la cultura siempre termina siendo lo menos relevante": Velia Vidal Romero|accessdate=2023-01-06|archive-date=2023-01-06|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230106111527/https://tocastereo.com/noticias/cultura/3167-en-choco-la-cultura-siempre-termina-siendo-lo-menos-relevante-velia-vidal-romero.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> She was a television presenter and communicator in the Medellín mayor's office. She is a columnist in Cambio magazine<ref>{{cite web|url=https://cambiocolombia.com/articulo/pais/yo-tambien-soy-una-mujer-velia-vidal|title=Yo también soy una mujer: Velia Vidal {{!}} Cambio Colombia|accessdate=2023-01-06|language=es}}</ref> and a researcher of the "Tributaries" project, a joint initiative with the British Museum.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.com/mundo/noticias-america-latina-63843151 |title="Acá llegó primero la poesía que el Estado": la gesta de Velia Vidal por enseñar a leer en uno de los lugares más pobres de Colombia |publisher=BBC News Mundo |language=es}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|publisher=Chocó 7 días|url=https://choco7dias.com/la-escritora-chocoana-velia-vidal-entre-las-100-mujeres-mas-influyentes-del-mundo/|title=La escritora chocoana Velia Vidal, entre las 100 mujeres más influyentes del mundo|date=2022-12-07|accessdate=2023-01-06|language=es-CO}}</ref>
Vidal founded Motete, a community project that promotes reading and literacy in the Chocó Department.<ref>{{cite web|last=Lizarazo|first=María Paula|url=https://www.elespectador.com/educacion/motete-cinco-anos-cambiando-la-forma-de-leer-en-el-choco/|title=Motete: cinco años cambiando la forma de leer en el Chocó|date=2021-12-29|accessdate=2023-01-06|website=El Espectador|language=es}}</ref> Motete is a cultural corporation that promotes the development of critical thinking through activities that seek to vindicate the Chocoana culture, located in the Chocó sector in Colombia.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.eltiempo.com/cultura/musica-y-libros/velia-vidal-la-nueva-sangre-de-la-literatura-colombiana-649259|title="Les dije que yo era negra, pero que ellos eran unos brutos"}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://diariodepaz.com/2017/10/10/motete/|title=Alimentar al Chocó con comida para el alma. La historia de Motete y la promoción de lectura en Quibdó}}</ref> This initiative helps some 1,500 families and promotes reading through reading clubs with children and adolescents in five poor neighborhoods.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://noticiascol.com/|title=Un lugar sin librerías: ¿Cómo se lee en la ciudad más pobre de Colombia?|accessdate=2023-01-06|language=es}}</ref>
Since 2018, Vidal has organized the FLECHO (Chocó Reading and Writing Festival) annually, in which more than 10,000 people participate.<ref>{{cite web|publisher=Infobae|url=https://www.infobae.com/america/colombia/2021/03/09/flecho-la-fiesta-de-la-lectura-y-la-escritura-del-choco-llenara-de-cultura-el-pacifico-colombiano/|title=FLECHO, La Fiesta de la Lectura y la Escritura del Chocó llenará de cultura el Pacífico colombiano|accessdate=2023-01-06|language=es-ES}}</ref> Her work as an activist against inequality and racism has been recognized internationally.<ref>{{cite web|publisher=Las2orillas|url=https://www.las2orillas.co/aceptar-que-somos-un-pais-racista-es-el-comienzo-del-cambio/|title="Aceptar que somos un país racista es el comienzo del cambio." - Las2orillas.co|date=2022-06-18|accessdate=2023-01-06|language=es}}</ref>
== Bibliography == * 2021: ''Aguas de estuario'' <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.pulzo.com/opinion/resena-aguas-estuario-velia-mares-PP1057265|title=Velia Mares: somos agua, mar y río.}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rtve.es/play/audios/hora-america-en-radio-5/hora-america-radio-5-velia-vidal-feria-del-libro-madrid/6106598/|title=Velia Vidal en la Feria del Libro de Madrid|accessdate=2023-01-06|date=2021-09-23|website=RTVE.es|language=es}}</ref>
==Awards and recognition== In 2022, Vidal was listed as one of the BBC 100 Women.<ref>{{cite web|last=Isaza|first=Daniela R. Gómez|url=https://www.elcolombiano.com/cultura/colombiana-velia-vidal-entre-las-100-mujeres-mas-influyentes-del-mundo-segun-bbc-CJ19547731|title=Velia Vidal Romero, la única colombiana entre las 100 mujeres más influyentes del mundo según la BBC|date=2022-12-06|accessdate=2023-01-06|language=es}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|publisher=Semana|url=https://www.semana.com/politica/articulo/escritora-y-promotora-cultural-chocoana-entre-las-100-mujeres-mas-influyentes-del-mundo-segun-la-bbc/202242/|title=Escritora y promotora cultural chocoana, entre las 100 mujeres más influyentes del mundo, según la BBC|date=2022-12-06|accessdate=2023-01-06|language=es}}</ref>
== References == {{Reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vidal, Velia}} Category:1982 births Category:Living people Category:People from Chocó Department Category:21st-century Colombian women writers Category:Colombian women activists