Where and how we work
The Colombian peace process can be considered an emblematic example of how dialogue and negotiations can contribute to resolving even long-lasting violent conflicts.
In the context of the peace agreement with the FARC guerrillas, Germany was explicitly requested to provide assistance in dealing with the violent past and the recognition of the rights of victims.
In Colombia, we support partners – who are often very well-trained – with the design of dialogue spaces and cooperation between state institutions and civil society. We, for instance, support the Unidad de Victimas, an entity responsible for assisting the victims of conflict, in working more efficiently and involving civil society. Furthermore, we also assist civil society organisations in documenting cases and presenting them to special courts or the Truth Commission.
The peace process in Colombia faces major challenges: The peace agreement’s complex implementation process is steadily but slowly proceeding, not least because a robust political consensus is lacking. Those institutions newly created under the peace agreement continue to fight for recognition and adequate funding. At the same time, new and old armed groups are seeking to gain control over lucrative illicit economies (coca production, gold mining). As a result, violence against local peace activists and human rights defenders is on the rise.
Our work makes a lasting contribution to the implementation of goals 5 (gender equality) and 16 (peace, justice and strong institutions) of the Agenda 2030 as well as to the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1325/2000 on the participation of women in peace, security and crisis management
Objective
The goal of the ProPaz project is the participatory and efficient implementation of peace policies at national, regional and local level in the departments of Caquetá, Meta and Norte de Santander.
This will be supported with the following five themes:
• Regional Peacebuilding
• Criminal Justice and Historical Truth
• Victim Reparation and Land Restitution
• Search for Disappeared Persons
• Strengthening the Capacities of Local Governments and Civil Society Organisations for Local and Region-al Peacebuilding (together with the European Union)
Some facts and figures
• The participation of almost 6,000 people in more than 70 advisory processes that promote the participation of victims and other population groups in political processes and dialogues.
• Local civil society and institutional actors implement methods of violence prevention, benefitting up to 10,000 people in 5 communities of Norte de Santanders.
• Support the transitional justice system in dealing with 15,000 cases of conflict-related sexual violence and 7,000 cases of missing persons.
• In Meta and Norte de Santander, 10,500 young people and their teachers discuss memory work topics in class.
• 550,000 victims of the armed conflict benefit from more efficient state services (psychosocial support, more conscientious implementation of judgments to return stolen land, more efficient implementation of local victim compensation plans)
With art against violence!
In response to a new wave of violence that emerged in 2014 in Cúcuta, Norte de Santander, the young rapper "Pepe" founded the collective 5ta con 5ta. He himself comes from a poorer part of the city and has been working with young people for a long time. "In poorer neighbourhoods, music is the real education", says the head of the 5ta con 5ta crew. For him, it was music that led him to question himself, to sharpen his analytical skills and to write.
The aim of this collective - which now includes 17 permanent employees - is to support promising young leaders to initiate processes of social change in their districts or regions. To this end, the collective organizes cultural activities in public spaces and school workshops, mostly working with children and youth from marginalized districts. Using artistic forms of expression such as rap, graffiti, break dance, video and theatre, they work with youth and children on various topics : the reappraisal of the armed conflict, local integration processes or the education and protection of young people and children. This is done, for example, by discussing issues such as the forcible recruitment by illegal actors, drug consumption, pregnancy of minors or increasing migration from Vene-zuela.
In this way, young people learn both to express their emotions, to come to terms with their past artistically and ways to contribute to peaceful coexistence.
The collective has facilitated and accompanied campaigns for sexual education, against violence against women and for dialogue between police and graffiti sprayers.
Furthermore, 5a con 5a also organises a hip-hop festival, with more than 1,500 youth from all over the region participating each year.