AC-Colombia Today

Coexistence and Reconciliation: a social management experience in Riohacha, Puerto Boyacá, Granada, San Martín, Puerto Gaitán y Villavicencio”  2008-2009

In spite the important achievements regarding the reintegration of the demobilized, in the last four years in Colombia  there are important challenges, at different levels, for the State and the receiving communities.

One of the main challenges is found in the asymmetry, on behalf of governmental and non-governmental institutions, of the attention of and attention to social issues in the receiving communities and the population involved in the processes of reintegration. This situation is reflected firstly by the low credibility that the initiatives for coexistence, reconciliation, peace and social development for the host community and the reintegrated population and their families, have in these communities. Also, the asymmetry is reflected on the generation of hostile environments as a result of inadequate processes of forgiveness and reconciliation. Finally, the recipient communities and the reintegrated population sense an increase in the inequity in dealing with social demands.

To address this issue, Corporación Acción Ciudadana Colombia subscribed inter institutional agreement with the European Union and Alta Consejería para la Reinserción to execute the “Supporting program to receiving communities to facilitate the reintegration and reconciliation process in uprooted communities” Agreement REH/2006/018-444. It is to take place in the municipalities of Puerto Boyacá (Boyacá) and Puerto Gaitán (Meta), Villavicencio, Granada, San Martín and in La Guajira.

General objective

To strengthen citizens' participation, coexistence and social reconciliation bonds between the vulnerable receiving communities and the reintegrated population and their families, through the development of a model of social management that includes gender perspective, and impacts the effectiveness and coverage of institutional, governmental and non-governmental actions for the attention and treatment of social problems affecting these groups”.

Specifically, the project is directed towards:

1. Promoting consultation and incidence, of both men and women and the receiving community and the reintegrated population, in the definition and execution of actions for the attention of their needs through projects of political and community deliberation focused on generating confidence in State institutions.

2. Developing citizen's skills in men and women in receiving communities and the population in process of reintegration and their families, to facilitate the construction of networks that contribute to the construction of social networks.

3. Sensitizing the population of the municipalities on coexistence and human rights through activities of community communication with the purpose of making sustainable the processes of coexistence and social reconciliation.

Components

1. Institutional and social consultation
2. Local social participative diagnosis, with gender perspective
3. Participative construction of the Proyecto Ciudadano
4. Implementation of Proyecto Ciudadano and Socialization of the experience
5. Visualization of the project from community communication

Project documents
Diagnosis

- Local social participative diagnosis in the Municipality of Riohacha (Guajira)
- Local social participative diagnosis in the Municipality of Puerto Boyacá (Boyacá)
- Local social participative diagnosis in the Municipality of Villavicencio (Meta)
- Local social participative diagnosis in the Municipality of San Martín (Meta)
- Local social participative diagnosis in the Municipality of Granada (Meta)
- Local social participative diagnosis in the Municipality of Puerto Gaitán (Meta)

Public deliberation regarding community problems.

1. Citizen's proposals for the strengthening of integration, coexistence and community leadership for self-management in the community of district Villas de Granada in the municipality of Granada.
2. Community proposals to deal with the problems of access to the attention points and the poor quality of health services in the district of Nuevo Horizonte and Villa Campo Alegre in the municipality of Riohacha.
3. Citizen's proposals to overcome the limitations of physical and economic resources and promote the organization and communitarian development in the district of 11 de Noviembre.