in order not to return to war, a look from the perspective of territory

8/17/2019 In order not to return to war, a look from the perspective of territory

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3/20Para no volver a la guerra, una mirada desde el territorio3

PHOO: Wilson Cont



2016 Federación Internacional de Prensa de losPueblos FIPUCalle 47#81-47 Medellín- Colombia6033448

Director:

David Alejandro oro Ramírez

Research Director:

Juan Carlos Restrepo Vélez

Research Coordinator:

Melissa Franco Ossa

Methodological Consultant:

Johan Steven Londoño amayo

Researchers:

Gustavo Enrique Mestre CubillosLady Johana Cubillos SánchezConstanza Melissa Méndez OrtegaJuan Pablo Ramírez ÁlvarezAna Milena Ortíz GonzálezDiomedes Díaz

Diego Fernando Bonilla OrjuelaVíctor Manuel Gómez MorenoJosé Luis Valencia RamosAndrés Felipe Angarita Meneses

Cover Photo:

Wilson Contreras, La Chicamocha Films

Diagramming and Design:

Leonardo angarie Aguirre

Style Correction:

Alexánder González oro

Editorial:

FIPU Federación Internacional de Prensa de losPueblos.



I am always excited to find young people engagedwith social causes, with dreams o change, willingto understand what is taking place in our country,next to humble people. It is the case o a collecti- ve led by Alejandro oro, who is part o Fundaciónpara una Nueva Vida, Funuvida.

Te research conducted about expectations regar-ding post-conflict in the communities o 18 muni-cipalities o the country is a remarkable contribu-tion to the construction o peace, and is on the wayo filling the emptiness existing in the country.

We are on the verge o signing an agreement to putan end to the conflict with the FARC, but the pre-paration or the post-conflict stage is small withinthe State, within civil society, and also within theFARC.

During the conversations that I have held in the lastmonths with the government and the FARC, I havebeen able to perceive that the State does not know very well the way the FARC operates within the Co-lombian territory, its relations with the population,the type o social organizations they have promo-ted, and at the same time, the FARC is not amilia-rized with the internal structure o the State, withthe local capacities to achieve peace, or with thecondition o the municipalities o the zones heavily

affected by war. Tere is no great clarity about theexpectations o population.

Tis emptiness starts to be filled with the researchefforts led by the Ministry o Internal Affairs or bythe Office o the High Commissioner or Peace, andalso by centers o independent thinking, and this is

where the research led by Alejandro oro plays a

vital role.

Tis work has a very interesting perspective. In asignificant group o interviews, people are questio-ned about their trust level in the negotiations andtheir demands or the post-conflict stage. It is con-firmed that a remarkable doubt persist in popula-tion, since there is not ull certainty that the conversations will successully come to an end.

But in contrast to said uncertainty, there is ull cla-rity about the changes that peace would bring insocial and political lie. Tere is, in that sense, aprecise statement o demands. In the recommenda-tions derived rom this research there is a set o thedemands o population or the Colombian State.

Tere are very urgent necessities regarding employ-ment, inrastructure, substitution o illicit crops, at-tention to victims, ownership o rural property, andin the search or reconciliation. Tese are elemen-

tary things that many people have said, but sounddifferent when they are said during a meeting withcommunities, during hundreds o interviews.

Te title that the introduction o this research workhas looks to the uture and has remarkable stren-gth: IN ORDER NO O REURN O WAR! I tspeaks about something beyond peace itsel, aboutcreating conditions so that nobody alls into thetemptation o restarting the armed conflict, aboutaddressing the original causes o conrontation,

about hope.

Bogota, February 2016

Filling EmpinessBy León Valencia

Director o Foundation peace andreconciliation, columnist o Sema-na Magazin, member o the historic

memory group, writer and politicalanalistic.


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Te six zones, object o this researchwork, have the ollowing characteristics:

Active presence o the guerrilla o the

FARC-EP and ELN. Tese 6 analy-sis zones comprehend a total o 10 re-gions and 18 municipalities (see map). All the municipalities chosen or the de-

velopment o this research work are ree-rred in the map elaborated by the NationalDepartment o Statistics (DANE, 2015),mentioned as municipalities with high in-

cidence o multidimensional poverty, inte-grating zones o high concentrated poverty(see map). Tese municipalities were decla-red at the beginning o 2015 as “post-con-flict municipality” by the Organization othe United Nations that identified 125, ac-cording to Fabrizio Hochschild, coordina-

tor o the system o the UN in Colombia.

Te criteria or establishing priorities werebased on: “an analysis o the municipalitieswith higher priority in relation to the presen-ce o the FARC-EP, armed incursions withthe participation o the FARC- EP, develo-pment and poverty, human necessities andlocal capacities” (Reconciliation Colombia,

2015). Furthermore, the same municipa-lities are part o a set o priorities o 281“post-conflict municipalities”, elaborated bythe Foundation Peace and Reconciliationconsidering indicators o presence o illegaleconomies, poverty, absence o the State andlimitations in their ways o communication.

Te establishment o priorities had the sco-

pe o identiying how many and which mu-nicipalities present an extreme risk level, ora high risk, or a middle risk o experiencingnew violence afer the demobilization anddisarmament o this guerrilla groups (Foun-dation Peace and Reconciliation, 2015).

Where was his researchwork conduced?

VicimizaciónEscaso conrol

erriorial

Exclusión socialy pobreza

Condicionesesraégicas y



Map of the municipalities set as priorities in this research

METATOLIMA-Chaparral

-Planadas

HUILA-Colombia

GUAVIARE-San José

del Guaviare

- Calamar CAQUETÁ-San Vicente

del Caguán

PUTUMAYO-La Hormiga

-Orito

NARIÑO-Tumaco

CAUCA-Argelia

ANTIOQUIA-Ituango

-Briceño

BOLÍVAR-Cantagallo

-Morales

-La Macarena

NORTE DESANTANDER-Convencion

-El Carmen

-El tarra



Te Qantu Project, International Support Planor the No Repetition o the Armed Conflict inColombia, is an investigative effort, led by Funu-

vida (Fundación para Una Nueva Vida), with thepurpose o acknowledging the different actorsthat may trigger a new armed conflict in Colom-bia, afer the subscription o a peace agreementbetween the FARC EP and the Colombian Go-

vernment, in Havana (Cuba).

Te research work included the ollowing mo-ments:

Bibliographic search: pObtaining anacademic and theoretical support about the ar-med conflict in Colombia, and its structural cau-ses.

Field Work: Knowing the dynamics andparticularities o each territory, institutional

conditions and o the inrastructure in 18 o themost affected municipalities by the armed con-flict in the country; urthermore, knowing the is-sues, opinions and perceptions o the populationthrough participatory gatherings and surveysconducted in the same municipalities.

Sysemaizaion and analysis: the in-ormation collected in the field work was studiedin accordance with the analysis variables, and de-

veloped in the research report.

In that sense, as every investigative process, theQantu Project has an important theoretical andconceptual basis that allows moving orward inthe recognition o the different particularities othe conflict.

Te first bibliographic moment had two diffe-rent stages: Historical background and concep-tual reerences. Te stage o the construction ohistorical background o the origin and consoli-dation o the armed conflict in Colombia requi-red a remarkable effort o bibliographic researchabout the documents in the press and thosescientific publications that worked as state o theart about the most important landmarks o thearmed conrontation in Colombia since the 60’s

and up to date. Te construction o the concep-tual reerences comprehended the constructionprocess o a conceptual ramework, in whichthere were research efforts about the differentcategories, concepts and definitions that rom atheoretical perspective allowed progressing inthe recognition o the main particularities o thephenomenon under research.

During this stage, important sources o inorma-

tion were consulted such as the Network o Pu-blic Libraries o Medellin, the virtual catalogueso the libraries rom the universities o Antio-quia, o Medellin, Nacional, Eafit, UPB and SanBuenaventura, veriying central concepts suchas: Political Violence, Domestic Conflict, ArmedConflict, Guerrilla in Colombia, Peace Processesand Negotiations.

With the inor-mation gatheredduring this bi-b l i o g r a p h i ctracking, itwas possibleto identiy au-thors such as:María eresa

How was his researchwork conduced?



Uribe, Daniel Pecaut, Alredo Molano and Ma-ría E Wills, among other important researchersthat ocus a significant part o their academicproduction on the study o the phenome-non o the armed conflict in Colombia,rom its different perspectives and

variables. One o the most interes-ting elements was the concepto the “triggering actors othe conflict”, researchingabout those situationsor problems affecting theterritory that allowed theemergence and consolidation othe conflict.

Te concept o “triggering actors othe conflict” allowed the construction oanalytical variables or the understanding othe different characteristics that would allow theemergence and consolidation o the armed con-flict in the territories. Te three analytical varia-bles used in the investigation stage o the QantuProject make reerence to: Social Conditions andInstalled Capacity, Potentials and Economic Si-tuation and Public Order.

Te second moment o the research work makesreerence to the field work and the collection oempirical inormation during the months o No-

vember and December 2015, in which the com-munities o the municipalities studied were un-damental actors. Tis moment comprehended

two different stages: the elec-tion o the municipalities

set as priorities andthe visit to the te-

rritories.

Te first stage,identiicationand electiono the muni-cipalities, was

the result o an

analysis process inwhich the ollowing

variables were

contemplated:

Te scarce territorial control by the State, the victimization that the population has undergonedue to violent actions derived rom armed con-flict, the social exclusion, the poverty and thegeostrategic importance o the territory.

In total, 18 municipalities were selected dividedinto six zones, located in the different regions othe country and gathered in departments. Teanalysis zones and the municipalities comprisingthem are: Antioquia and Bolívar: Briceño, Ituan-go, Cantagallo and Morales; Cauca and Nariño:Argelia and umaco; North o Huila and Southo olima: Colombia, Chaparral and Planadas;Meta and Guaviare: La Macarena, San José delGuaviare and Calamar; Caquetá and Putumayo:


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among them: personal des-cription, problems affectingthe municipality, percep-tions regarding the processo natural i-

zation o ormer comba-tants, main risk actors re-garding the implementationo the peace agreements andchallenges in the scenarioo post-agreement. Te res-ponses o the community inthe surveys were the basis or the development othis research work.

In this line o thought, with the inormationcollected, its systematization and analysis star-ted that allow establishing the ollowing compo-nents: characterization o each one o the muni-cipalities in accordance with their geographicaland demographic conditions; and in relation tothe presence o illegal armed actors within the te-rritory and the risk o victimization threateningthe inhabitants. Later an analysis was developed

about the installed capacity and the risk actors, a reerence to theactors present inthe territory andtheir positions re-garding the peacedialogues, expres-sed in a map oreach municipality.And last, some municipal programs and projectswere mentioned linked to the development plans

2012-2015 and the government plans o the elec-ted mayors or the term 2016-2019 and presentedas actions oriented to the construction o peace.



Favorable and UnfavorableAspecs of he Sysems in he

Municipaliies

Regarding the avorable or unavorableaspects that individuals surveyed con-cerning the installed capacity in their

territory, it becomes evident a remar-kable discontent, especially concer-ning the health system and the accessroads. Regarding the last element, it isgeneralized the demand o the inhabi-tants claiming an improvement o theaccess roads and the connection withthe rural zones, undamental require-ment to provide dynamism the eco-

nomy o the territories. On the otherhand, only the leisure and sports sys-tem presents a higher avorable level.

Favorabilit

Unfavorable

Health

Access roads

Aqueduct

Justice administration

Educative

Recreation and sports



In the identification o the problemsin the territories, it becomes evidenthow the variables considered by theQantu Project are o vital importancein the daily lie o the surveyed indi-

viduals, and the problem that exhibitsthe highest percentage is Abandon-ment by the State with 80%, while theproblem with the lowest importan-ce is Insecurity with 62%, that in anycase represents a high percentage.

Imporance of heProblems in

he Terriory

Percenage of paricipans

State neglect

Work

Productive projects

Low income

Armed groups

Commerce



Finally the surveyed individuals set aspriorities the topics in which the Gover-nment should increase support to mini-mize the possibility o generating a newarmed conflict, indicating that even i it

is important to carry out an integral investment, addressing or strengtheningthe installed capacity and the institu-tions, and it is necessary to make moreemphasis in the improvement o theeducational system and the generationo labor training and capacity building,improving the capacity or the genera-tion o income o ormer combatants

and victims.

Acions o Avoid aNew Armed Conflic

Percenage of paricipans



As a final result o the work with surveyed indivi-

duals and the ocus groups conducted during terri-torial gatherings or the construction o peace, theollowing proposals were considered to reduce therisk actors that may trigger a new armed conflict:

Infrasrucure for Peace: Es ne-cesaria una mayor inversión en la transormaciónde las vías de acceso a los municipios y sus veredas,con lo cual se aprovecharán las potencialidadesagrícolas y turísticas de las regiones, convirtiendoa éstas en territorios competitivos. De igual orma,se requiere la construcción de hospitales equipadoscon un sistema eficiente de atención a la población,mejorando no sólo las condiciones en inraestruc-tura sino también contratando proesionales, ase-gurando el derecho de los ciudadanos al acceso ala salud. It is necessary a higher investment in thetransormation o the access ways to the munici-palities and their paths, to harness the agriculturaland tourist potential o the regions, turning theminto competitive territories. Likewise, it is requi-

red the construction o hospitals equipped with anefficient system o attention to the population, im-proving not only the conditions o inrastructurebut also hiring proessionals, ensuring the right ocitizens to the access to health.

Inclusive and Compeiive

Academic Offer: Improving the inrastruc-ture o rural academic acilities, o elementary andsecondary education within the territories. Likewi-se, broadening the national offer o higher educa-

tion, creating acilities or access to it within theterritories, including people with low resources,improving in such manner the competitiveness othe municipalities and their inhabitants.

Subsiuion of Illici Crops:Building a national program that links the armersin a process o substitution o illicit crops, offeringthe necessary conditions o security or their parti-

cipation. Tis program must ensure the economic

sustainability o the amilies abandoning the illicitcrops, not only financing the productive projectsreplacing such illicit crops, but also providing eco-nomic support until they are sustainable, genera-ting also commercialization channels ensuring theair purchase o legal products.

Employmen for Peace: It is ne-cessary to move towards the improvement o localindustry, granting fiscal benefits to the compa-nies that hire victims and ormer combatants, in-centivizing the employment among this popula-tion. It is important that with the support o theState and international cooperation, it is possibleto create new companies o social and commu-nity orientation in the most affected zones by theconflict, whereby victims and ormer combatantsmay be the owners and receive sufficient trainingto guarantee the sustainability o said activity.

Enrepreneurship and Family

Producive Unis: Te low income level o

the communities is one o the main problems othe most affected municipalities by the conflict. Itis important to develop an inter-institutional effortor the creation o a training program and the crea-tion o amily productive units that allow ensuringincome to population, allocating resources thatmake easible entrepreneur initiatives and com-mercialization channels to ensure the sale o pro-

duction.

Srenghening of Law Enfor-

cemen and he Work wih Commu-niies: Law Enorcement bodies must guaranteethe ull dismantling o the illegal armed structuresin the municipalities, avoiding them to take controlo the territory and develop their illegal activities.Tereore, it is necessary to strengthen in quanti-ty and quality the Law Enorcement bodies to bepresent where the demobilized ronts have influen-

CONCLUSIONS ANDRECOMMENDATIONS



ce or presence, as well as solve the corruption andinvolvement with illegal groups, and dedicate towork with communities to raise trust levels.

Aenion o Vicims and he

Consrucion of Peace: It is undamentalto move towards the construction o attention andprevention routes to avoid human rights violationwithin the territories, bring dynamism to propo-sals ocused on reconciliation processes, and buil-ding and implementing studies o peace in schoolsand educational institutions, under the principleso participation and dialogue.

Demobilizaion and Reinser-ion of Former Combaans: Achievingthe ull dismantling o illegal organizations, pro-gressing in the processes o processing and natura-lization o ormer combatants ensuring their rightto health, education, housing and work.

Consrucion of he Reconci-

liaion Processes: Te existing complex re-lation within the territory between all the armedactors and civil society, require the constructiono recognition, truth and reconciliation processesthat allow a better coexistence between these ac-tors. In that sense, it is important to move towardsthe construction o the participatory scenarios orthe construction o a historical memory.

Decenralizaion and Tenan-

cy of Propert in a Rural Zone:Te ormalization o the tenancy o land in a ruralzone is necessary to strengthen the developmento those regions. Most o the municipalities set aspriorities during the research work are characteri-zed or having large zones that are part o protec-tion areas named as Natural National Parks (Ca-tatumbo Barí, Las Hermosas, Nudo de Paramillo,Páramo de Sumapaz, among others), and zoneso orest reservations legally declared, which de-mands to start a process o substraction o someareas that cannot be awarded today, generating anequilibrium between small producers and the pro-tection o those zones o environmental importan-ce or the country.

Efforts must be ocused in granting the property opieces o land to reduce the inequality between lar-ge and small agricultural producers, or the accessto resources rom support programs o the Gover-nment in zones o arming influence, areas o ruraldevelopment and areas whose ownership has been

granted to arocolombian communities. Further-more, it is necessary to protect those who occupyempty pieces o lands rom the expel they suffer asa consequence o violence in those zones.

Finally, it is recommended to institutional actorsthat represent the State at a national, regional, andlocal level, especially ostering entities, regionalgovernment offices, and mayoralties (regardingstructuring and development o their governmentprograms: development plans), and to social or-

ganizations and companies (in the developmento their sustainability model or o social responsi-bility), taking into account the conclusions o thisresearch work to delimitate the strategic ocus oits management o the implementation stage con-cerning the agreements and in the process or theconstruction o peace within the territories. Eachone o the problems to be addressed must have amodel o specific intervention and must not be ge-neralized in all the territories, since it must obeyto the particularities herein reerred and the social,economic, cultural and political characteristics ineach case.

Definitions must be built under a philosophy o in-ter-institutional participation, in which each actordoes what they have to do, without usurping therole o the others, but guaranteeing coherence andalignment, and as a consequence, a real impact inthe construction o peace and contribution to theachievement o the strategic goals o each actor.

Funuvida can join the institutions, social organi-zations and companies or the definition o theirparticular strategic ocuses, in accordance withtheir mission statement and strategic orienta-tion, and in the design o the corresponding in-tervention models.


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Allies:

BrasilChile

Colombia

Colombia

Perú

in order not to return to war, a look from the perspective of territory

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