tackling the colombia conflict

26 March 2010

SPIRIT Peacebuilding Initiative 2010

Lagos Business School|Building Bridges Team Elizabeth Uchealor|Okey Uzoechina|Emeka Ogbannu|Ifeanyi Ajaebili

PROJECT PROPOSAL

A COMPLEMENTARY DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR

TACKLING THE COLOMBIA CONFLICT

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CONTENTS

Project Summary 3

I. Approach & Proposed Activities 4

II. Project Impact & Coherence: The “How?” 6

III. Project Themes & Justification 8

IV. Building Local Connections & Enabling Local Ownership 9

V. Building & Expanding Existing Partnerships 10

VI. Mitigation of Project Risks 11

VII. Work Plan 12

VIII. Actionability: Working the Plan 16

Appendix I: Initial Project Team Composition 20

Appendix II: Required Initial Project Tools and Facilities 22

Appendix III: Map of Colombia 23

Building Bridges: Our Motivation 24

Meet the Team 25

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PROJECT SUMMARY

a. The project, A Complementary Development Strategy for Tackling Colombia’s

FARC Conflict, seeks to cultivate incentives for peace. It prioritizes the

development of the rural community in Colombia through encouraging active

involvement of the youth and other peace constituencies. Key components of

the project include capacity building and peace education.

b. The project explores the reinforcing link between ending conflict and

promoting human security and development. It adopts a grassroots, bottom-

up approach in finding a robust complement to the Uribe government’s

heavy focus on militaristic engagement of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of

Colombia (FARC).

c. The project is constructed around four mutually reinforcing strategies:

Local ownership. It seeks to empower the youth and other vulnerable

groups to identify and solve their own problems.

Coherence and coordination. It relies on collaboration and partnership

with local networks and other institutions with similar objectives while

being sensitive to the objectives of the state.

Sustainable human development. It seeks to establish enduring

structures that are responsive to the needs of the individual.

Local context and local dynamics. It proceeds from informed and

genuine efforts to understand the roots of the conflict and what works

for Colombia and Colombians.

d. The ultimate goal of the project is to promote human security (freedom from

fear and freedom from want) and human development (enlarging people’s

choices and enhancing capabilities, access to knowledge, and participation in

decisions affecting their lives) in order to create conditions that predispose

peoples and communities to lasting peace.

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I. APPROACH AND PROPOSED ACTIVITIES

a. An in-depth study of the development of the Colombian conflict in the past 48

years reveals that there can be no single-formula solution for a lasting peace.

From a purely analytic point of view, one can today identify multiple layers

of causality, different actors—both state and non-state—often with

overlapping or competing agendas, and a broad spectrum of stakeholders in

peacebuilding. Not surprisingly, this complex milieu has engendered only

partial success in efforts at building peace.

b. There is therefore no doubt that crafting and implementing a coherent

solution to the conflict will involve not only doing different things, but also

doing things differently and, most importantly, doing the right things. The

approach of this project is therefore hinged on capacity building and peace

education not as ends in themselves, but as essential elements of the equation

for lasting peace, stability and development in the troubled Latin American

state.

c. The project will bring together young people from urban and rural areas

selected according to need into programmatic “clusters” namely, capacity

building (and entrepreneurship) and peace education. The structure and

operations of the clusters will be flexible enough and participatory to require

minimal supervision and encourage bottom-up problem solving, sharing

ideas and transferring skills and knowledge.

d. Emphasis is also placed on sustainability and possible expansion of the

project using locally available human capital and strategic partnerships. The

overall approach will ensure a knock-on effect on poverty reduction,

employment and literacy in the long run.

e. Activities to be carried out under the project are flexibly categorized into the

following:

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Short term

Needs assessment (desk research, field research and focus groups)

Establishment of a core project management team and an open-door

coordination centre at a location approved by state authorities

Recruitment of participants/volunteers and identification of partner

local groups, civil society organizations (CSOs) and school authorities

Review of project approach and activities by matching local input in

order to enable local priority setting and ownership

Medium term

Selection and training of trainers including integration of trainers into

project management team

Outreach and creating awareness to promote buy-in and local support

Pilot rollout phase: capacity building (entrepreneurship) and peace

education (culture of peace)

Marketing the project to potential sponsors; building upon and

expanding existing partnerships

Monitoring of project activities, evaluation of impact vis-à-vis project

objectives, and review of approach and strategies if necessary (M,E&R)

Long term

Possible expansion of the project to other regions with demonstrated

success of pilot scheme, including expansion of project team

Enhancing and strengthening local capacity and networks to promote

efficiency and sustainability

Exit strategy and progressive transfer of project management to locals

M,E&R and decommissioning of external project management team

The proposed activities, the timeline, stakeholders and responsibility matrix are

detailed in the Work Plan on pages 12 to 15 below.

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II. PROJECT IMPACT AND COHERENCE: THE “HOW?”

a. Operationalising the link between conflict and underdevelopment. The

correlation of a high risk of conflict with underdevelopment supports the

reverse logic that development retards conflict. Based on this premise, the

project prioritizes development as a check to conflict and insecurity. For

strategic deployment of resources and maximum impact (cost-benefit), the

needs assessment will identify and categorize geographical areas most

affected by the conflict and underdevelopment (colour-coded red) as priority

areas for project rollout, areas less so affected (colour-coded yellow) as

regions for possible expansion, and areas not so affected (colour-coded green)

protected and promoted as free zones to stem possible conflict spillage.

b. Sustainable leadership development and support to peace constituencies.

The training of trainers (ToT) targets to leverage on already existing networks

including CSOs, local groups and other individuals already involved in

peacebuilding. Integrated into the project management team, development of

local capacity at this level will ensure that the project does not wither away

when the first line of external support is withdrawn. This approach will also

ensure that the project can be replicated in other regions of the country whilst

taking into consideration local variations and needs. The demonstration effect

of project success will create the confidence and momentum for the state and

development partners to explore means of expanding the project to cover the

whole country.

c. Rechanneling and maximizing human capital. The project will engage the

youth in peacebuilding and development activities. Poor and unemployed

youth in Colombia form a ready-made pool of recruits and foot soldiers for

guerrilla forces, other armed groups, drug cartels and criminal gangs. Since

most of these recruits are from rural areas where there is minimal government

presence, the youth team in each “cluster” will ideally comprise 70% rural

dwellers and 30% urban dwellers. This will provide an alternative creative

channel for the youth thereby leaching away a veritable source of manpower

for non-state armed groups and criminal gangs. More so, active involvement

of the youth in peace and development (including local priority setting) will

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make them partake in and own the process, and therefore become committed

to protecting both the process and the outcome.

d. Creating employment and reducing poverty. During the rollout phase,

participants and other volunteers will be trained for semi-skilled labour to

make them employable in industry such as housing and construction, small

scale agricultural and extension services (organic farming for instance),

sanitation, waste management and recycling, and provision of public goods

such as roads and water pipelines. The entrepreneurship limb of the project

will include a support structure to identify potential employers of labour in

both the public and private sectors, negotiate favourable terms for the

participants, and provide continuing support. Secured employment will curb

youth restiveness and economic migration and also translate to income for the

youth to support themselves and their families. With some direction and

guidance, semi-skilled labour and proven source of income, participants will

have improved access to microcredit lines for small businesses.

e. Promoting a culture of peace. Any robust strategy for addressing the long-

drawn Colombian conflict must also engage children and young persons. The

peace education component of the project will therefore involve collaboration

with primary and secondary school authorities. The formal and informal

education of children and young persons—universally acknowledged as the

formative stages of human development—need to be reoriented towards

peaceful alternatives to resolving conflict. Therefore, where this has not been

done, it is recommended that schools’ curricula be reviewed to include some

hours of peace education, and hands-on collaborative problem solving per

week. The objective of this component is to promote a culture of peace,

tolerance, civic responsibility and good neighbourliness. Road shows and

other cost-effective outreach programmes (in local languages) will be

launched to promote awareness. Nomination of peace ambassadors and other

forms of recognition for result-oriented participants and volunteers will be

used to positively reinforce this aspect.

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III. PROJECT THEMES AND JUSTIFICATION

a. Capacity building. This is the primary theme. Main activities of the project

include enhancing the capacity of CSOs to deliver development-targeted

project outcomes, ToT, skills acquisition and entrepreneurial training for

young participants. Focus on this theme is based on the proven belief that

people know best what they need the most and know what to do to make

their lives better; what people need is empowerment (in terms of skills and

resources) to meet their needs and direction on how to do best what they

want to do. This theme ties into the ultimate goal of the project which is to

promote human security (freedom from fear and freedom from want) and

human development (enlarging people’s choices and enhancing capabilities,

access to knowledge, and participation in decisions affecting their lives) in

order to create conditions that engender lasting peace.

b. Educational and Cultural Opportunities. This is a secondary theme. Peace

education (promoting a culture of peace) will entail a robust information

management and dissemination system which will cover activities such as

civic education in schools, role plays and drama, public peace announcement

in local languages, and road shows in strategic locations. Though the benefits

of this theme may not be easy to demonstrate in the short term, promoting a

culture of peace will emphasize conflict prevention over costly and remedial

conflict resolution; expand options for dialogue and participatory conflict

resolution in order to manage discontent and prevent violence; and positively

transform societal relationships and build enduring structures that will make

the society resilient in the face of the threat of future conflict.

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IV. BUILDING LOCAL CONNECTIONS AND ENABLING LOCAL OWNERSHIP

The project will leverage on already existing local structures and networks rather

than creating new ones. The principle of the whole being greater than the sum of its

parts works only in the case of a coherent and well coordinated whole. Local

connections and local ownership will be enabled by the following means:

a. Seeking approval from state authorities on administrative and logistics issues

such as the location of the open-door coordination centre in order to build

trust and confidence. The government will participate in delimiting priority

zones for the project rollout so as to ensure coherence with state initiatives.

b. Cultivating local knowledge by using focus groups and interviews in needs

assessment, and promoting local participation by using the “cluster” system

in project implementation.

c. Emphasizing strong local content (including the management team) and local

priority setting. Locals in the management and training teams will participate

in selecting projects, participants and volunteers.

d. Review of project approach and activities in the short term by matching local

input in order to enable local priority setting and ownership. M,E&R will also

involve locals and outputs will be submitted to state authorities as a show of

good faith and for follow up.

e. Leveraging and building on existing structures such as local groups and

youth centres, and forming partnerships with CSOs. Emphasis will be on

strengthening linkages and collaboration in order to maximize locally

available human capital and resources.

f. Raising awareness about the project and outreach especially in rural areas to

promote public acceptance and legitimization, buy-in and participation.

g. Strengthening local capacity to deliver on project goals and ensure

sustainability with progressive transfer of project management to locals

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V. BUILDING AND EXPANDING EXISTING PARTNERSHIPS

In the medium and the long term, the project will evolve a communications and

public relations strategy to expand existing partnerships beyond (but not excluding)

local groups and networks. This will be achieved by the following means:

a. Selling the project objectives and its benefits to potential sponsors including

the government of Colombia, the United Nations (UN), the Organization of

American States (OAS), Latin American Integration Association (ALADI),

international non-governmental organizations (INGOs), development

partners, experts and think-tanks interested in building peace in the country.

b. Proposing expansion of the project to all the priority zones and other regions

of the country with the success of the pilot scheme. The demonstration effect

of success will make potential partners confident in the effectiveness of the

project approach and strategies, and the capacity of the project management

team to deliver on the objectives.

c. The project management team will learn from and tap into the expertise and

core competencies of INGOs, experts and think-tanks. In the spirit of capacity

building, consideration should also be given to local members of the

management team going on internships or attachments to institutes such as

the Columbia University Centre for International Conflict Resolution,

Columbia Business School, and the UN Department of Political Affairs (DPA).

d. The basis of the internship (three to six months) is to transfer robust analytic

competence and complex project management skills to locals so as to ensure

sustainability. Beneficiaries of the internship are expected to return to

Colombia upon completion to assist with expanding the project.

e. In acknowledgement of their support to the project, periodic financial

statements will be made available UN DPA, OAS, ALADI and other

participating partners. Partners or their nominees will also be involved in

periodic Monitoring, Evaluation and Review (M,E&R).

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VI. MITIGATION OF PROJECT RISKS

As the project unfolds, potential risks and threats to the overall objective will be

exposed. Pre-emptory risk mitigation techniques include:

a. Security of the project management team, project tools and infrastructure. The

security services of the government of Colombia will provide security. The

project will not rely on any private or informal security arrangement in order

to forestall possible friction.

b. Some communities might express aversion to long government presence. The

project will therefore adopt a policy of open engagement with communities

through their leaders and local team members in order to clarify the objectives

and benefits of the project.

c. The government may not be fully committed to the project to the extent

expected. Access to security reports and other essential logistics may also be

restricted; approval of outreach programmes may be denied. In this case, the

project will rely on alternative but acceptable sources and means to facilitate

its operations whilst communicating progress to state authorities.

d. The Colombian government may want to take over control or management of

the project. In this case, a participatory role would be negotiated with them

and their role in project success acknowledged to the electorate. In no case

should exclusive management of the project be ceded to the government since

this would defeat the purpose of the project as a complement to government

initiative and a means of empowering the people.

e. Financial resources may be limited or may dry up. To forestall this, a scaled-

back contingency project plan and alternative budget estimate will be

developed in the short term. The contingency plan will focus on using locally

available resources and available budget to achieve project results while

counterbalancing costs with schedule, benefits and expectations.

VII. WORK PLAN

The project is envisaged in three clearly marked but not rigidly compartmentalized phases allowing for evaluation and review. The

planned activities, stakeholders, responsibility, required tools, timeline and budget are highlighted below.

Phase 1: short term

Activity Stakeholders Responsibility Required tools Timeline Budget

Needs assessment

Colombian state

authorities, local focus

groups, Building Bridges

team, SPIRIT team,

experts on Colombia,

development partners

Building Bridges team

and experts on Colombia

Laptop computers,

internet connection,

phone connections,

transport vehicles,

hotel accommodation in

selected areas in

Colombia

October 2010 to

November 2010

Awaiting input from

experts

Establishment of project

management team

(including approval of

stipends) and open-door

coordination centre

Colombian state

authorities, Building

Bridges team, SPIRIT

team, experts on

Colombia, development

partners

Building Bridges team

and experts on Colombia

Office space, office

furniture, supplies and

equipment

December 2010 Awaiting input from

experts

Recruitment of

participants/volunteers

Project management

team, experts on

Colombia, local groups

Project management

team, experts on

Colombia

Recruitment adverts,

handbills and public

announcements,

January 2011 to

March 2011

Awaiting input from

experts

and identification of local

partners

and CSOs, volunteers conducting interviews

Review of project

approach and activities

by matching local input

Project team, experts on

Colombia, local focus

groups and CSOs,

Colombian state

authorities


Colombia

Conducting interviews

and questionnaires,

publishing report

March 2011 Awaiting input from

experts

Phase 2: medium term


Selection and training of

trainers (including

integration of trainers

into project team)


Colombia, selected

trainers, local focus

groups and CSOs


Colombia

Recruitment adverts,

handbills and public

announcements, training

modules, rooms and

facility, conducting

interviews

April 2011 to

September 2011

Awaiting input from

experts

Outreach and awareness

to promote buy-in

Colombian youth and

volunteers, Colombian

state authorities, project

team, experts on


groups and CSOs,



Colombia, local groups

and CSOs

Handbills and public

announcements,

producing radio jingles in

local languages,

organizing road shows

with public-address

mounted vehicles

April 2011 to

October 2012

Awaiting input from

experts

Pilot rollout: capacity

building and peace

education

Colombian youth and


state authorities, private

enterprises and labour

union, school authorities,

project team, experts on


Colombia

Local television shows,

radio jingles, workshop

with private enterprises,

MSME operators, and

labour unions, developed

curricula for schools, role

October 2011 to

October 2012

Awaiting input from

experts


groups and CSOs,


plays, annual awards of

recognition

Marketing the project &

building partnerships

Colombian state

authorities, development

partners, INGOs and

think/tanks, project

team, experts on


groups and CSOs


Colombia

Developed

communications and

public relations strategy,

laptop computers,

internet connection,

phone connections,

meetings with

development partners,

transport vehicles

October 2011 to

October 2012

Awaiting input from

experts

Monitoring, evaluation

and review

Colombian state


partners, project team,

experts on Colombia,

local focus groups and

CSOs


Colombia


and questionnaires,

focus groups, publishing

reports and financial

accounts

August 2012 to

October 2012

Awaiting input from

experts

Phase 3: long term


Expanded rollout of

project to other selected

regions, including

expansion of project

team

Colombian youth and


state authorities,

Ministry of Labour,

private enterprises and

labour union, school

authorities, project

team, local focus groups

Project team

Local television shows,

radio jingles, workshop

with private enterprises,

MSME operators, and

labour unions, developed

curricula for schools, role

plays, annual awards of

recognition, recruitment

November 2012 to

September 2013, with a

view to extension and

sustainability beyond the

project life

Awaiting input from

experts

and CSOs, development

partners

adverts and references,

conducting interviews

Enhancing and

strengthening local

capacity and networks,

including internships and

management training

Project team, selected

interns, receiving

institutions, participating

private enterprises, local

focus groups and CSOs,


Project team in

collaboration with

receiving institutions

MoUs with receiving

institutions and

participating private

enterprises, training

modules, laptop

computers, internet

connection

November 2012 to

September 2013

Awaiting input from

experts

Progressive transfer of

project management to

locals

Colombian state



trainees and interns to

be integrated into

project team, local focus

groups and CSOs

Expanded project team

Documents and

equipment to be

transferred

January 2013 to

September 2013

Awaiting input from

experts

Monitoring, evaluation

and review and

decommissioning of

external project team

Colombian state



local focus groups and

CSOs

Expanded project team


and questionnaires,

focus groups, publishing

final report and financial

accounts

July 2013 to

September 2013

Awaiting input from

experts

Total budget Not to exceed USD 3

million

VIII. ACTIONABILITY: WORKING THE PLAN

a. The project team will be composed of 10 to 15 members drawn from across

experts on Colombia, the government, civil society organisations, local

communities and the youth, school teachers, student bodies, Building Bridges

team and SPIRIT Initiative nominees. The suggested composition of the team

is detailed in Appendix I below. In consideration of the enormous task on the

project team and to ensure that the project is actionable, the project team will

be divided into different units taking into consideration cross-cutting skills

and knowledge, with intra-team linkages and room for continuous exchange.

The simplified structure of units below is favoured:

Strategy and coordination

Administration and finance

Training and education

Information and communications

Publicity and Outreach

Logistics and protocol

b. An open-door coordination centre will be established in a community to be

strategically determined on the bases of need, accessibility, and government

approval. Facilities for the open-door coordination centre and required project

tools are detailed in Appendix II below. Ideally, it should be located in a

region which has been affected by the conflict and drugs trade: western Meta

or western Antioquia departments. These departments were FARC’s

stronghold for decades before the government offensive forced the

withdrawal of FARC. Consideration should however be given to telephone

and internet communications infrastructure, access roads and proximity to

government institutions.

c. Importantly, the project seeks to evolve a model of engagement that will bring

together CSOs and local groups working in different areas, with a view to

pool their resources, expertise and knowledge of the situation, build their

capacity to deliver on the project objectives, as well as strengthen and support

them to carry on their own projects. Similar but geographically more

widespread effort is being made in West Africa by the Open Society Initiative

for West Africa (OSIWA). Existing and credible youth centres or CSOs whose

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objectives are compatible with the project may benefit from the facilities of the

open-door coordination centre in the spirit of building local capacity and

sustainability.

d. The core project team members will be based in the community where the

open-door coordination centre is located, with extensive field visits. Experts

on the project team during phases 1 and 2 need only be in Colombia as and

when their input and guidance is needed. Although integration of the project

team into the community is encouraged, consideration should be given to

security conditions when choosing the location of their living quarters.

Ideally, team members should live and operate in clusters of 2 to 5 persons

with cross-cutting skills and knowledge. However, the living conditions of

team members should not be widely above that of the average community

dweller. This will make it possible for the community to identify with the

protect team and feel the impact of the project.

e. Initial funding for the project particularly for the procurement of required

project tools and facilities (Appendix II) will be sourced from development

partners. To ensure sustainability of efforts, human capital will be drawn

from experts and volunteers some of whom may pledge to engage pro bono;

stipends for the project team and volunteers should be graded in line with

locally applicable rates and standards; and representatives of the government

and participating partners (Appendix I) will receive honorarium from the

sponsoring institutions. Project activities may be prioritized and scaled up or

down depending on available budget and commitment (see: Mitigation of

Project Risks, page 11, paragraph e.). To promote sustainability of activities

beyond the initial project period, locally available resources will be relied on;

and expected income from the community internet café will be ploughed back

into the project.

Training of Trainers (ToT) Model

This aspect of the project is emphasized because it has a direct bearing on the overall

project impact: it is central to capacity building and is an actionable way of enabling

local ownership and promoting sustainability. The aim of ToT is to equip selected

trainers with the skills, knowledge and ability to facilitate the training of other local

participants. The trainees will champion and share the vision of the project with

their communities, thereby promoting understanding and buy-in. The multiplier

effect is represented in the pyramid below.

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a. Although a top-down model, the ToT will also encourage bottom-up learning

on local knowledge and circumstances from trainers to the project training

team, and horizontal learning among trainers. Trainers will be integrated into

the project management team at the end of the training. Depending on the

knowledge management strategy, external support from the ministry of

labour, the private sector and development partners and the attenuating

conditions on the ground, this aspect of the project has the potential to

transfer skills and knowledge from the project training team to trainers and

then to subsequent trainees on the ratio of 5:20:80 with one training session.

b. The training will be a platform to introduce what the project is all about and

the training objectives. It will also serve as a means of re-orientating people’s

minds towards peaceful and harmonious coexistence.

c. The training will focus on the following themes:

Basic business skills required in running and sustaining a micro-business

How to grow a business using micro-credit scheme

Locally relevant vocational skills with low capital requirement, market

demand and high potential for self sustenance

Project team

Trainers

Trainees

Local people to become

certified trainers

A pool of trainees to

assist with project

rollout and expansion

Project officers + skilled

vocational workers

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Community life skills: pooling together resources and skills to help build

projects which would be beneficial to all

Amicable dispute resolution skills: negotiation, mediation, traditional

dispute resolution and faith-based dispute resolution

Role plays demonstrating the importance of building a peaceful society

Strategies for civic education for the youth and school children

d. In the skills development training, trainers will be grouped into teams of the

same vocational interest; this is to enable trainers acquire and imbibe team

skills. At the end of the vocational training, trainers will choose projects which

they would execute individually to demonstrate what they have learnt. Each

team would also identify and complete a project in the community to be

approved and monitored by the project team, making the trainers’ team

socially responsible.

e. At the end of their project, each trainers’ team will make a formal exhibition

to showcase what they have achieved. The project team will ensure that some

community representatives and project stakeholders will be present. The

exhibition may also include local drama, songs and poetry, and peace

conference. The project team in conjunction with the private sector and local

micro-finance banks will select promising trainers in the skills acquisition

programme with a view to absorbing them and extending credit for their

start-ups.

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APPENDICES

Appendix I: Initial Project Team Composition

Composition Project unit(s) Qualification & skills Responsibility

Experts on

Colombia

Strategy and

coordination;

training and

education

Proven expertise on peace and

security in Latin America and

knowledge of the conflict in

Colombia; may be drawn from

the academia, civil society,

development agencies, the

private sector, government;

preferably of Colombian or

Latin American origin

To be engaged from time

to time (phases I & II) as

and when the need arises;

to guide, advice and

prepare the project team

for full rollout (phase III)

Building Bridges

team and SPIRIT

Initiative

nominees

Strategy and

coordination;

administration

and finance

Selected on the basis of

actionability of the project

proposal and operations; in-

depth knowledge of the

conflict and ongoing initiatives

to address it; nominees to be

fluent in both English and

Spanish languages; at least 2

years experience in project

management

Responsible for overall

project coherence and

success; to manage

recruitment of team

members and prepare

ToR; to provide

coordination, direction

and supervision (M,E&R)

to other units and

stakeholders

2 government

representatives

Logistics and

protocol;

publicity and

outreach

Currently working with the

Colombian government;

extensive knowledge of the

conflict, initiatives to address

it, and local circumstances;

familiar with Bogota circles;

preferably under 45 years of

age; fluent in both English and

Spanish languages

Advisory: makes sure the

project team’s activities

complements government

actions; to assist in

delimiting priority zones

for the pilot project; to

provide logistics to enable

project implementation

2 community

representatives

Publicity and

outreach;

logistics and

protocol

Extensive involvement in the

life of the communities and

well respected by them; able

to leverage on social networks

and local groups that may

contribute positively to the

project outcomes; 25-35 years

of age; fluent in English and

Spanish

To ensure and maintain

communication with all

stakeholders; to promote

community buy-in and

acceptance of the project;

to participate in selecting

priority community

projects

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2 civil society

representatives

Publicity and

outreach;

training and

education;

logistics and

protocol

Currently working with a local

CSO engaged in development,

poverty alleviation and

entrepreneurship; extensive

knowledge of the conflict,

initiatives to address it, and

local circumstances; able to

leverage on CSO networks

that may contribute positively

to the project outcomes;

fluent in English and Spanish;

conflict resolution skills will be

added advantage

To assist in identifying

credible local groups and

building strong

partnerships by leveraging

on existing structures; to

advice on the needs of the

people and how the

project may fill in those

needs; to promote

community buy-in and

acceptance of the project;

communicate with other

stakeholders

2 young

administrators to

be drawn from

volunteers

Administration

and finance;

information and

communications

Students/graduates living in

rural areas; experience or

proven ability in office

management; fair knowledge

of the conflict; information

and communications

technology skills (internet,

databases, MS office tools);

20-30 years of age; fluent in

both English and Spanish

Responsible for day-to-day

running of the open-door

coordination centre; to

enhance communications

between and among

project units; to produce

progress and financial

reports, correspondences

and other documents; to

arrange meetings when

necessary

Trainers (ToT)

Training and

education;

publicity and

outreach

Knowledge of the conflict in

Colombia and desire to

contribute to addressing it;

willing to work in any part of

Colombia in the long term;

may be drawn from the

academia (school teachers),

civil society, volunteers, the

private sector; 25-35 years of


Spanish languages; preferably

of Colombian or Latin

American origin

To train others in order to

promote project impact,

sustainability and

expansion; responsible for

designing and delivering

civic education in schools;

to be involved in peace

campaigns, road shows

and other outreach

programmes to promote

project objectives

2 representatives

of development

partners

Publicity and

outreach

Currently working with a

participating development

partner; extensive knowledge

of the conflict and

international development

practices; experience in

project management;

preferably under 45 years of


Spanish languages

To advise the project team

on fundraising and

expanding existing

partnership; to participate

in overseeing community

projects (M,E&R); report

progress to participating

partners

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Appendix II: Required Initial Project Tools and Facilities

Key Items Quantity Estimated cost

Fenced office space (for open-door

coordination centre) with the following:

lot that can take up to 6 vehicles

1 reception area and waiting room

4 offices

2 meeting/training rooms

2 rest rooms

1 store room

Office furniture

1 Awaiting input from experts

Annex facility for community internet café/

internet training room 1 Awaiting input from experts

Projector & screen, chalkboards, flipcharts 1 each Awaiting input from experts

Desktop and laptop computers 4 + 4 Awaiting input from experts

Vehicle-mounted public address systems to

be rented only when needed 3 Awaiting input from experts

Office/satellite phones and supplies 3 Awaiting input from experts

Integrated printer, scanner, copier 1 Awaiting input from experts

Off road vehicles/mobile workstations 2 Awaiting input from experts

VSAT for internet services 1 Awaiting input from experts

Remuneration/honorarium/stipends for

project team members and volunteers Awaiting input from experts

Total cost Not to exceed USD 1 million

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Appendix III: Map of Colombia

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BUILDING BRIDGES: OUR MOTIVATION

Conflict is inevitable, yet the way we choose to respond to conflict makes a huge

difference in the outcome. Some people see the end of conflict merely as opportunity

to shift the balance of power in a new era which may be founded on the tenets and

failings of the old era. Others see it more deeply as opportunity to positively

transform societal relationships and to build robust and enduring structures that will

make post-conflict societies resilient in the face of the threat of future conflict.

Acknowledging the efforts of the Colombian government and the international

community in finding lasting peace and kick-starting development in Colombia, the

next step becomes how to support and supplement these efforts in order to make the

desired impact in the lives of the people. This project, A Complementary Development

Strategy for Tackling Colombia’s FARC Conflict, is about the how.

Peace and development must be hinged on security. However, the Colombian

government’s Democratic Security and Defence Policy is not a panacea for conflict and

underdevelopment, but offers a systematic way to address the multifarious

challenges that beset the country. It is aptly directed to address generic

manifestations and drivers of conflict thereby bringing about de-escalation of

tension, but does little to decipher the less visible dynamics and matrix of relations

that underline the conflict and the development side of the coin. The ultimate test

therefore lies in applying the Policy in a way that would be flexible and reflective of

the needs of the individual. This project envisages a meeting point between the top-

down Policy and a bottom-up problem solving approach.

We see beyond geographical borders in injecting business, problem solving and

policy making skills into the peacebuilding process in Colombia. We believe in

building bridges of partnership and collaboration across borders and across groups

and institutions. We realize that although regional context might differ, the

Colombian conflict holds out significant lessons for African countries in conflict, and

can also learn from the experience and efforts at peacebuilding in parts of Africa.

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MEET THE TEAM

Elizabeth Uchealor (nee Dominic) was born on 6 November in Adamawa State,

Nigeria. She graduated from secondary school with 7 distinctions and gained

admission into the Federal University of Technology, Yola in 1999 to study Chemical

Engineering. Elizabeth graduated with a 3.79 CGPA in her class of 49 students in

2005. During her National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) year, she participated in a

de-worming programme which was aimed at the primary school pupils in rural

communities in in Pategi, Kwara state. Even as a Chemistry teacher, she also

enlightened her pupils on the importance and the power of education, and grew the

notoriously low class attendance to over 50%. After completing the NYSC in 2007,

Elizabeth ventured into a start-up telecoms engineering service company. She was

part of a management team that grew the company from 5 employees to 50

employees in one year. While pursuing her MBA, she offers voluntary consulting

services to Small and Medium Entrepreneurs (SMEs) run by African women, under

the auspices of the Entrepreneur Development Service of Pan-African University.

Elizabeth is happily married to Flowers Uchealor and lives with her husband in

Lagos, Nigeria.

Okey Uzoechina is a lawyer called to the Nigerian Bar in November 2005. After his

national service year, he joined DCON Consulting, an Abuja-based law and dispute

resolution consulting firm, where he became the Programme Officer, Access to

Justice in 2007. He also served as Intake Specialist for Settlement House, an open-

door dispute resolution centre. In July 2007, Okey was awarded the runner-up prize

in a competition organized for young lawyers by the Dispute Resolution Section of

the International Bar Association (IBA). Under the auspices of the IBA, he was

enrolled on the International Practice Diploma Programme of the College of Law of

England and Wales, and has completed the International Arbitration Law and the

Human Rights Law and Practice modules. In September 2007, he was admitted to

the CSDG-ECOWAS Studentships and Mentoring Programme at King’s College

London (KCL) where he obtained a Master’s degree in Conflict Security and

Development. The concluding phase of the CSDG-ECOWAS saw Okey as a support

staff attached to the ECOWAS Commission, Abuja where he has worked with the

Conflict Prevention Unit and the Security Division. Okey’s research interests include

conflict prevention, security governance, human rights and international

humanitarian law.

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Emeka Ogbannu was born on 8 June 1979 in Enugu, Nigeria. He finished his

secondary education from University Secondary School Enugu in 1996 as the best

graduating student with seven distinctions. He is a graduate of Geological Sciences

from Nnmadi Azikiwe University, Awka. Emeka’s primary assignment for the

NYSC was as a Mathematics teacher for the senior classes in Eleme Secondary

School in 2002. During the year, the school recorded a 95% success rate in General

Mathematics at the external examination. As part of the community development

service as a Youth Corps member, he carried out a survey in some parts of the Niger

Delta and proposed solutions on improving healthcare and education targeted at

assuaging the sufferings of the people. After NYSC, Emeka joined his family

business of safety and security consultancy and rose to become the Executive

Director of Operations. He served as resource person in several safety and security

seminars. In September 2008, Emeka gained admission into the MBA programme of

Lagos Business School. He exhibits conflict resolution skills and has severally

mediated political tensions in his class. The positive outcomes have been gratifying

and made him reflect on his strengths in conflict resolution and interpersonal skills.

Ifeanyi Ajaebili was born on 7 February 1979 in Enugu, Nigeria. An Industrial

Physics graduate of Federal University of Technology Owerri, Ifeanyi demonstrated

leadership potential from his university days. As Financial Secretary of the

university’s student body, he initiated the publication of statement of accounts.

During his National Youth Service in 2005, Ifeanyi trained over 120 high school

students as HIV/AIDS peer educators under the UNICEF Peer Education Training

Scheme. Ifeanyi is currently an MBA student of Lagos Business School. In 2009, he

led a team of five that executed a company-wide business process optimization for

Laplace Technologies, a Lagos-based telecoms engineering service firm. He has also

worked as Intake Trainee Specialist for Settlement House, an open-door dispute

resolution centre under the management of DCON Consulting (2006-2007). With a

bias for structure and organisation, Ifeanyi sees himself first, as a business leader

who believes that people should be empowered to create wealth for themselves and

for their community; and secondly, as a political leader who is will be committed to

improving the lot of his people by giving them a voice in issue that affect them. He

loves to read and sing in his leisure time.