SOCARRÁS, HISTORIAS HECHAS A MANO
SOCARRÁS
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#SDGAction57675
Description
Juan Pablo Socarrás is a designer and social manager with more than 16 years of experience leading projects focused on transformation and social impact with artisanal communities: indigenous, Afro-descendant, and traditional communities across Latin America, through the artisanal design of clothing and home decoration pieces.
As a consultant, he has supported national and international organizations in designing and implementing projects focused on strengthening creative, reflective, and innovative processes (both technical and material), business models and business plans, the development of entrepreneurial skills, commercial strategy, and personal and family development. These projects aim to promote the economic and productive autonomy of artisanal communities, gender equity, and responsible consumption and production.
Extended Well-Being Principle: This principle forms the philosophical foundation of Juan Pablo Socarrás’s working methodology, through his social action initiative called Historias Hechas a Mano (Handmade Stories).
Well-being: This is a complex and plural concept, generally related to “life satisfaction” or “quality of life.” For Historias Hechas a Mano, well-being encompasses five categories that guide action:
• The Being: Acquisition and exercise of valuable traits, skills, and abilities, as well as awareness of self-care, community care, and environmental responsibility.
• Valuing Knowledge: “[…] Handicrafts are more than just technique and raw materials. The cultural context of a craft cannot be reproduced, and removing a craft from its culture objectifies it. It is crucial to remember that the production of handicrafts is not mechanical: each product is unique and unrepeatable, emerging from the artisan's mind as an expression of their creativity and representing a unique cultural identity and inventiveness.” (from Colombia, A. 2005).
• The Having: Economic autonomy for artisans, conscious use of finite materials, awareness of environmental impact, and the commitment to ensure rational use, aiming for the regeneration of natural raw materials for handicrafts.
• Relationships: Social and community connections, as well as connections with the environment. Strengthening networks of trust and care (social and environmental).
• Resilience: Adaptation to change. The combination of these five categories seeks to extend well-being to people (artisan communities, clients, partners) and the environment.
This extension of well-being is summarized in the commitment to the transition toward sustainability, with reference to the concept of Fritjof Capra: “Sustainability consists of designing human communities in such a way that their economic style, physical structures, and technology do not interfere with the inherent capacity of nature to generate and sustain life on the planet.”
Based on the Extended Well-Being Principle and the categories (Being - Valuing Knowledge - Having - Relationships - Resilience) that drive the processes of Historias Hechas a Mano, they are made objective through the developed methodology:
1. Participatory Diagnosis
This aims to understand and identify the needs, strengths, and challenges of the artisan community. This process includes:
• Interviews and community workshops: To listen directly to artisans and local leaders, identifying their priorities and expectations.
• Actor mapping: Identifying organizations, institutions, and allies that can support the project.
• Context and social risk analysis: Studying the economic, social, cultural, and environmental conditions influencing the artisanal activity. This diagnosis is collaborative, ensuring that artisans are active participants in the process and that their knowledge is valued.
2. Joint Project Design
Based on the diagnosis, the project is designed in collaboration with the community. This includes:
• Defining objectives: Establishing clear and realistic goals aligned with the artisans' needs.
• Participatory planning: Involving artisans in the creation of strategies and activities, ensuring the project is culturally relevant.
• Role assignment: Defining clear responsibilities for each actor involved, including artisans, local organizations, and external entities.
3. Capacity Strengthening
A key component is training and strengthening the artisans' skills. This includes:
• Personal and family development
• Product idea development: Improving artisanal techniques, material use, and product quality.
• Business skills development: Business model and plan development, finance, resource access, commercial strategy, organizational development.
• Innovation and design: Technological development, marketing training, and social media.
4. Creating Networks and Strategic Alliances:
• Connecting artisans with local, national, and international markets: Through fairs, digital platforms, and collaborations with businesses.
• Working with public and private institutions: To access financing, certifications, or support programs.
• Promoting collaboration among artisan communities: Encouraging the exchange of knowledge and experiences.
5. Implementation and Support
• Technical follow-up: Ensuring that activities are carried out as planned and addressing issues promptly.
• Mentoring and advisory: Supporting artisans in applying what they've learned and in decision-making.
• Feedback spaces: Holding periodic meetings to listen to the community and adjust the project based on their needs.
6. Monitoring and Evaluation
To measure the impact of the project and ensure continuous improvement, monitoring and evaluation systems are implemented. This includes:
• Impact indicators: Measuring economic results (income increase), social results (community strengthening), and cultural results (tradition preservation).
• Participatory evaluations: Involving artisans in the evaluation of the project, ensuring their perspectives are considered.
• Learning and adjustments: Using the results to improve strategies and replicate good practices in other contexts.
The projects carried out through Historias Hechas a Mano are implemented through the collaboration of four key actors:
1. Juan Pablo Socarrás’s team.
2. Project funding companies.
3. The social operator of the project, which since 2020 has been the Corporación Mundial de la Mujer Colombia.
4. Community leaders.
The goal is to ensure that the initiatives are inclusive, respectful of cultural traditions, and maintain the stability of communities and their networks, while also being effective in terms of economic and social development. The coordination mechanisms combine participatory governance that allows for dialogue and the definition of objectives and priorities (where the voice and needs of the communities prevail as key decision-making actors), collaboration platforms, and strategies adapted to the specific needs of the artisan communities involved.
These are also integrated into:
• Training spaces, accompanied by strategies for the commercialization of the products.
• Creative workshops on remanufacturing/upcycling from waste, transforming it into new products with added value.
• Sewing workshops.
• New technologies for the commercialization of products.
Inter-institutional Coordination: The projects of Historias Hechas a Mano require collaboration and coordination with multiple actors. Coordination between these institutions is of vital importance to avoid the duplication of efforts and ensure that resources reach the communities efficiently. This is achieved through formal agreements, working groups, and shared information systems.
Monitoring and evaluation systems: These systems allow for measuring the achievement of the project’s objectives in economic, social, environmental, and cultural terms. This not only ensures transparency and accountability but also provides valuable information to adjust strategies and ensure the benefit of the artisan communities.
For over 16 years, Juan Pablo Socarrás has positioned himself not only as a designer but also as a social leader who seeks to promote widespread well-being through the co-creation of products and community training across Latin America. Throughout his career as an expert consultant, he has supported international organizations such as the IDB, USAID, Women Together, FUPAD, the World Corporation of Women Colombia, among others, in the design, construction, and implementation of projects focused on economic and productive empowerment, which promote the sustainable development of communities, gender equity, and poverty reduction. As a leader of social projects, his success is reflected in the creation of social value, the empowerment of communities, and by giving a voice to each artisan, indigenous person, displaced individual, and Afro-descendant, with which life stories and traditions are shared to raise awareness, educate, and initiate conversations that lead to transformations at all levels of society. He has been recognized by multiple organizations, including the Women Together Award as Designer for Development awarded by the United Nations, the Cromos Award for Best Brand Runway, the Infashion magazine Award as the most preferred designer by the Colombian public, the Award as Global Leader of Woman for Economic LATAM, the honoris causa recognition at Arturo Tejada University as a designer in its 60th anniversary, and the Organization with the Power of Change Toward Gender Equity Award given by She is Global Forum, among others.
FUPAD, BID, MINTIC, WOMEN TOGETHER, PROPAÍS, PNUD, OIM, CMMC, PROCOLOMBIA, SAMSUNG, COCA COLA COMPANY, GRAN TIERRA ENERGY, CERREJÓN, FUNDE, FUNDACIÓN CARDIOINFANTIL, SCHWARZKOPF & HENKEL, INEXMODA, MINTIC, COLTABACO, MUSEO IXCHEL DE TRAJE INDÍGENA, GRUPO ÉXITO.
SDGS & Targets
Goal 5
Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
5.1
End all forms of discrimination against all women and girls everywhere
5.1.1
Whether or not legal frameworks are in place to promote, enforce and monitor equality and non‑discrimination on the basis of sex
5.2
5.2.1
Proportion of ever-partnered women and girls aged 15 years and older subjected to physical, sexual or psychological violence by a current or former intimate partner in the previous 12 months, by form of violence and by age
5.2.2
Proportion of women and girls aged 15 years and older subjected to sexual violence by persons other than an intimate partner in the previous 12 months, by age and place of occurrence
5.3
5.3.1
Proportion of women aged 20-24 years who were married or in a union before age 15 and before age 18
5.3.2
Proportion of girls and women aged 15-49 years who have undergone female genital mutilation/cutting, by age
5.4
Recognize and value unpaid care and domestic work through the provision of public services, infrastructure and social protection policies and the promotion of shared responsibility within the household and the family as nationally appropriate
5.4.1
Proportion of time spent on unpaid domestic and care work, by sex, age and location
5.5
Ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision-making in political, economic and public life
5.5.1
Proportion of seats held by women in (a) national parliaments and (b) local governments
5.5.2
Proportion of women in managerial positions
5.6
Ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights as agreed in accordance with the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development and the Beijing Platform for Action and the outcome documents of their review conferences
5.6.1
Proportion of women aged 15-49 years who make their own informed decisions regarding sexual relations, contraceptive use and reproductive health care
5.6.2
Number of countries with laws and regulations that guarantee full and equal access to women and men aged 15 years and older to sexual and reproductive health care, information and education
5.a
Undertake reforms to give women equal rights to economic resources, as well as access to ownership and control over land and other forms of property, financial services, inheritance and natural resources, in accordance with national laws
5.a.1
(a) Proportion of total agricultural population with ownership or secure rights over agricultural land, by sex; and (b) share of women among owners or rights-bearers of agricultural land, by type of tenure
5.a.2
Proportion of countries where the legal framework (including customary law) guarantees women’s equal rights to land ownership and/or control
5.b
5.b.1
Proportion of individuals who own a mobile telephone, by sex
5.c
Adopt and strengthen sound policies and enforceable legislation for the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls at all levels
5.c.1
Proportion of countries with systems to track and make public allocations for gender equality and women’s empowerment
Goal 8
Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all
8.1
8.1.1
Annual growth rate of real GDP per capita
8.2
Achieve higher levels of economic productivity through diversification, technological upgrading and innovation, including through a focus on high-value added and labour-intensive sectors
8.2.1
Annual growth rate of real GDP per employed person
8.3
Promote development-oriented policies that support productive activities, decent job creation, entrepreneurship, creativity and innovation, and encourage the formalization and growth of micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises, including through access to financial services
8.3.1
Proportion of informal employment in total employment, by sector and sex
8.4
Improve progressively, through 2030, global resource efficiency in consumption and production and endeavour to decouple economic growth from environmental degradation, in accordance with the 10-Year Framework of Programmes on Sustainable Consumption and Production, with developed countries taking the lead
8.4.1
Material footprint, material footprint per capita, and material footprint per GDP
8.4.2
Domestic material consumption, domestic material consumption per capita, and domestic material consumption per GDP
8.5
8.5.1
Average hourly earnings of female and male employees, by occupation, age and persons with disabilities
8.5.2
Unemployment rate, by sex, age and persons with disabilities
8.6
8.6.1
Proportion of youth (aged 15-24 years) not in education, employment or training
8.7
Take immediate and effective measures to eradicate forced labour, end modern slavery and human trafficking and secure the prohibition and elimination of the worst forms of child labour, including recruitment and use of child soldiers, and by 2025 end child labour in all its forms
8.7.1
Proportion and number of children aged 5‑17 years engaged in child labour, by sex and age
8.8
Protect labour rights and promote safe and secure working environments for all workers, including migrant workers, in particular women migrants, and those in precarious employment
8.8.1
Fatal and non-fatal occupational injuries per 100,000 workers, by sex and migrant status
8.8.2
Level of national compliance with labour rights (freedom of association and collective bargaining) based on International Labour Organization (ILO) textual sources and national legislation, by sex and migrant status
8.9
By 2030, devise and implement policies to promote sustainable tourism that creates jobs and promotes local culture and products
8.9.1
Tourism direct GDP as a proportion of total GDP and in growth rate
8.10
Strengthen the capacity of domestic financial institutions to encourage and expand access to banking, insurance and financial services for all
8.10.1
(a) Number of commercial bank branches per 100,000 adults and (b) number of automated teller machines (ATMs) per 100,000 adults
8.10.2
Proportion of adults (15 years and older) with an account at a bank or other financial institution or with a mobile-money-service provider
8.a
8.a.1
Aid for Trade commitments and disbursements
8.b
By 2020, develop and operationalize a global strategy for youth employment and implement the Global Jobs Pact of the International Labour Organization
8.b.1
Existence of a developed and operationalized national strategy for youth employment, as a distinct strategy or as part of a national employment strategy
Goal 12
Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
12.1
Implement the 10-Year Framework of Programmes on Sustainable Consumption and Production Patterns, all countries taking action, with developed countries taking the lead, taking into account the development and capabilities of developing countries
12.1.1
Number of countries developing, adopting or implementing policy instruments aimed at supporting the shift to sustainable consumption and production
12.2
By 2030, achieve the sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources
12.2.1
Material footprint, material footprint per capita, and material footprint per GDP
12.2.2
Domestic material consumption, domestic material consumption per capita, and domestic material consumption per GDP
12.3
By 2030, halve per capita global food waste at the retail and consumer levels and reduce food losses along production and supply chains, including post-harvest losses
12.3.1
(a) Food loss index and (b) food waste index
12.4
By 2020, achieve the environmentally sound management of chemicals and all wastes throughout their life cycle, in accordance with agreed international frameworks, and significantly reduce their release to air, water and soil in order to minimize their adverse impacts on human health and the environment
12.4.1
12.4.2
(a) Hazardous waste generated per capita; and (b) proportion of hazardous waste treated, by type of treatment
12.5
By 2030, substantially reduce waste generation through prevention, reduction, recycling and reuse
12.5.1
National recycling rate, tons of material recycled
12.6
Encourage companies, especially large and transnational companies, to adopt sustainable practices and to integrate sustainability information into their reporting cycle
12.6.1
12.7
Promote public procurement practices that are sustainable, in accordance with national policies and priorities
12.7.1
Number of countries implementing sustainable public procurement policies and action plans
12.8
By 2030, ensure that people everywhere have the relevant information and awareness for sustainable development and lifestyles in harmony with nature
12.8.1
Extent to which (i) global citizenship education and (ii) education for sustainable development are mainstreamed in (a) national education policies; (b) curricula; (c) teacher education; and (d) student assessment
12.a
Support developing countries to strengthen their scientific and technological capacity to move towards more sustainable patterns of consumption and production
12.a.1
Installed renewable energy-generating capacity in developing and developed countries (in watts per capita)
12.b
Develop and implement tools to monitor sustainable development impacts for sustainable tourism that creates jobs and promotes local culture and products
12.b.1
Implementation of standard accounting tools to monitor the economic and environmental aspects of tourism sustainability
12.c
Rationalize inefficient fossil-fuel subsidies that encourage wasteful consumption by removing market distortions, in accordance with national circumstances, including by restructuring taxation and phasing out those harmful subsidies, where they exist, to reflect their environmental impacts, taking fully into account the specific needs and conditions of developing countries and minimizing the possible adverse impacts on their development in a manner that protects the poor and the affected communities
12.c.1
Amount of fossil-fuel subsidies (production and consumption) per unit of GDP
Goal 17
Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development
17.1
Strengthen domestic resource mobilization, including through international support to developing countries, to improve domestic capacity for tax and other revenue collection
17.1.1
17.1.2
17.2
Developed countries to implement fully their official development assistance commitments, including the commitment by many developed countries to achieve the target of 0.7 per cent of ODA/GNI to developing countries and 0.15 to 0.20 per cent of ODA/GNI to least developed countries; ODA providers are encouraged to consider setting a target to provide at least 0.20 per cent of ODA/GNI to least developed countries
17.2.1
17.3
Mobilize additional financial resources for developing countries from multiple sources
17.3.1
Additional financial resources mobilized for developing countries from multiple sources
17.3.2
17.4
Assist developing countries in attaining long-term debt sustainability through coordinated policies aimed at fostering debt financing, debt relief and debt restructuring, as appropriate, and address the external debt of highly indebted poor countries to reduce debt distress
17.4.1
17.5
Adopt and implement investment promotion regimes for least developed countries
17.5.1
Number of countries that adopt and implement investment promotion regimes for developing countries, including the least developed countries
17.6
Enhance North-South, South-South and triangular regional and international cooperation on and access to science, technology and innovation and enhance knowledge sharing on mutually agreed terms, including through improved coordination among existing mechanisms, in particular at the United Nations level, and through a global technology facilitation mechanism
17.6.1
Fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 inhabitants, by speed
17.7
Promote the development, transfer, dissemination and diffusion of environmentally sound technologies to developing countries on favourable terms, including on concessional and preferential terms, as mutually agreed
17.7.1
Total amount of funding for developing countries to promote the development, transfer, dissemination and diffusion of environmentally sound technologies
17.8
Fully operationalize the technology bank and science, technology and innovation capacity-building mechanism for least developed countries by 2017 and enhance the use of enabling technology, in particular information and communications technology
17.8.1
17.9
Enhance international support for implementing effective and targeted capacity-building in developing countries to support national plans to implement all the Sustainable Development Goals, including through North-South, South-South and triangular cooperation
17.9.1
Dollar value of financial and technical assistance (including through North-South, South‑South and triangular cooperation) committed to developing countries
17.10
Promote a universal, rules-based, open, non-discriminatory and equitable multilateral trading system under the World Trade Organization, including through the conclusion of negotiations under its Doha Development Agenda
17.10.1
17.11
Significantly increase the exports of developing countries, in particular with a view to doubling the least developed countries’ share of global exports by 2020
17.11.1
Developing countries’ and least developed countries’ share of global exports
17.12
Realize timely implementation of duty-free and quota-free market access on a lasting basis for all least developed countries, consistent with World Trade Organization decisions, including by ensuring that preferential rules of origin applicable to imports from least developed countries are transparent and simple, and contribute to facilitating market access
17.12.1
Weighted average tariffs faced by developing countries, least developed countries and small island developing States
17.13
Enhance global macroeconomic stability, including through policy coordination and policy coherence
17.13.1
17.14
Enhance policy coherence for sustainable development
17.14.1
17.15
Respect each country’s policy space and leadership to establish and implement policies for poverty eradication and sustainable development
17.15.1
17.16
Enhance the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development, complemented by multi-stakeholder partnerships that mobilize and share knowledge, expertise, technology and financial resources, to support the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals in all countries, in particular developing countries
17.16.1
Number of countries reporting progress in multi-stakeholder development effectiveness monitoring frameworks that support the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals
17.17
Encourage and promote effective public, public-private and civil society partnerships, building on the experience and resourcing strategies of partnerships
17.17.1
Amount in United States dollars committed to public-private partnerships for infrastructure
17.18
By 2020, enhance capacity-building support to developing countries, including for least developed countries and small island developing States, to increase significantly the availability of high-quality, timely and reliable data disaggregated by income, gender, age, race, ethnicity, migratory status, disability, geographic location and other characteristics relevant in national contexts
17.18.1
Statistical capacity indicators
17.18.2
17.18.3
Number of countries with a national statistical plan that is fully funded and under implementation, by source of funding
17.19
By 2030, build on existing initiatives to develop measurements of progress on sustainable development that complement gross domestic product, and support statistical capacity-building in developing countries
17.19.1
17.19.2
Proportion of countries that (a) have conducted at least one population and housing census in the last 10 years; and (b) have achieved 100 per cent birth registration and 80 per cent death registration
SDG 14 targets covered
| Name | Description |
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Deliverables & Timeline
HISTORIAS HECHAS A MANO I: Colombia 6 ethnic groups. 6 techniques. Over 100 hours of training. 67 women. 32 brands created. Magdalena Collection. Fashion + Home. 10 departments.
HISTORIAS HECHAS A MANO II: 3 countries. 3 communities. 8 months of training. 157 hours of workshops. 122 women impacted. 5 entrepreneurs and 6 workshops. 6 artisanal techniques. 2 collections. 80 kilos of PET for filling, representing 2,4
HILOS DE LA TIERRA: As of today, we are impacting more than 170 people. 17 communities.
LATAM CIRCULAR ECONOMY: 357 people impacted in 2022. 149 people impacted in 2023. 147 people impacted in 2024.
Resources mobilized
Partnership Progress
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Entity
Region
- Latin America and the Caribbean
Geographical coverage
Other beneficiaries
More than 15,000 people across over 12 countries in Latin America, with the main beneficiaries being indigenous and traditional communities, afro-descendants, single mothers, migrants, conflict displaced individuals, vulnerable communities, young entrepreneurs, as well as large and medium-sized businesses. Fashion students and entrepreneurs from various sectors. Consumers who value handcrafted products, with a strong historical legacy, and who favor traditional goods that today represent the new luxury.
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Contact Information
JUAN PABLO SOCARRÁS, FOUNDER & DESIGNER SOCARRÁS