By Mariana Kozodij 

Originally published in Infobae.

The organization that connects changemakers to create a positive social impact launched a contest focused on a timely issue: migration and its effect on youth.

(Courtesy of Ticmas) - Marianny Pacheco Rivero, Migration Leader at Ashoka Southern Cone with one of the winning writers.

“What happens when young people write about migration from their own voices?” is one of the key questions posed by Ashoka Cono Sur in the sixth edition of the Esther Kolonsky – Ashoka 2024 contest, which received 800 stories from youth aged 12 to 20 across Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay.

“Migration has existed since the beginning of time. Currently, there are more than 280 million international migrants — around 3.5% of the global population. It is a fundamentally human phenomenon that has occurred throughout history. People have left their home countries and moved in search of better opportunities, safety, freedom, and a more prosperous life, among many other reasons,” Ashoka explains in the prologue of the book, affirming that migration is a theme that deeply resonates with many changemakers.

Horizons in Motion is a book featuring 24 stories that “challenge stereotypes, shed light on struggles, and propose new ways of inhabiting the world.” The book centers on the idea that “telling migration stories is talking about transformation and reinvention — about creating a home in a new place that allows you to be who you are, freely and without fear.”

Ticmas spoke with Marianny Pacheco Rivero, Migration Leader at Ashoka Cono Sur, and with one of the winning writers and changemakers, Alexander Emilio Ticlia Reyes, author of the story “The Opportunity to Migrate or Migrating for Opportunity.”

The Absence of Pain

(Courtesy of Ticmas) - Marianny Pacheco Rivero

Leaving: Sadness? Fear? Challenge? Opportunity? A range of emotions and diverse realities fill the stories in the sixth edition of the contest organized by Ashoka Cono Sur. “Ashoka,” a Sanskrit word, means “the active absence of sorrow or pain.”

“At Ashoka, we believe that everyone is a changemaker. In every space we inhabit, we can add value and contribute. From that perspective, migrants — like myself, I’m Venezuelan — are also changemakers. We can contribute value, support, and help foster spaces of opportunity and growth in the communities that welcome us,” reflected Marianny Pacheco Rivero.

She added, “What we seek to do at Ashoka, and through Hola América in particular, is to highlight the opportunities and all the positive aspects that migration can bring — despite the fact that it also comes with pain, challenges, and complexity.”

“Hola América started about five years ago, and we’ve developed various initiatives to provide support and visibility, and to promote a shift in narratives — to tell a different kind of story,” explained the Migration Leader, emphasizing their efforts to connect changemakers through networking, tools, mentorship, and even funding opportunities.

Alexander's Story and His Award-Winning Piece

(Courtesy of Ticmas) Alexander Emilio Ticlia Reyes, a law student at the University of Di Tella.

“Many members of my family come from countries bordering Argentina. Although I was born and raised here, this topic is very personal to me. Thinking about how my parents had to migrate at the age of 19 to an unknown country, starting from scratch, and building their home — while also creating opportunities for others — has had a big impact on me,” shared Alexander Emilio Ticlia Reyes, who has been developing leadership skills for several years and is currently studying law at the University of Di Tella.

In addition to being an emerging writer, Alexander considers himself a changemaker in Mendoza:
“I come from a working-class neighborhood, and from a young age — maybe during my early teens — I started running educational initiatives, offering English, math, and language workshops to friends and neighbors. I had the opportunity to attend an English institute, so I wanted to share that.”

On the story included in the anthology, Alexander explained:

“The story is about an 18-year-old young man who, in the midst of war in his country, has to decide whether to leave his home, family, and friends to start from scratch and plant seeds in places where others saw no potential. I'm really proud that my story was selected. It allowed me to share not only my experience, but also that of many other young people — from this country and beyond. In fact, like my protagonist, I also had to migrate — moving from Mendoza to study here in Buenos Aires.”

Having written for the first time for this contest, Alexander encouraged other young people to “dare to share their ideas on paper or on a computer — to take all the words stored in our minds and express them through a poem, a story, an article, or even a video. What motivated me was the chance to test my skills and step outside my comfort zone.”

“Let’s be changemakers and multiply every opportunity that life presents us,” emphasized Alexander, who was also selected for Ashoka’s Tribu 24 project — which identifies and connects young people representing each region of Argentina “to inspire and mobilize youth in their provinces, transforming their environments for the greater good.”

You can read the article in Spanish, originally published on Infobae.