Colombia, not Columbia

http://nextstarfish.com/?p=9550

https://youtu.be/6YcK05z--n8

A transformation took place in the mid 90s that changed the behaviour of drivers and pedestrians in Bogotá. The newly elected independent mayor Antanas Mockus choose some unorthodox solutions to tackle social problems. Employing 420 mime artists to replace traffic police was one of many ground breaking initiatives.

Mockus recognized that there were significant differences between what the law said, and what people did, which wouldn’t be fixed simply by creating new laws. He realised that ‘the rules’ governing society were partly due to the regulations and threat of punishment, but mostly due to what people had come to view as normal. Litter was thrown on the streets because it was deemed morally acceptable. People committed crimes because they believed they would not be punished for them.

Imposing ridicule instead of fines being less costly and less time consuming. within two months the city streets had changed. Reducing highway law breaking and careless driving, pedestrians started to obey traffic signals and stopped jaywalking, later cycling become more integrated within highway planning. Ultimate aim was to heal the city and become more considerate towards fellow Rolos. This social experiment was later used in other Colombian cities and other Latin countries with success.

Today street artists at road junctions (mostly jugglers touting for money) are a distant reminder of what Colombians witnessed in awe back in their troubled times.