Country Strategy for Colombia
2013 -2018
Approved, May 2013
Forum Syd | Katarinavägen 20 | Box 15407 | SE-104 65 Stockholm | Sweden | tel: +46(0)8 506 370 00 | fax: +46(0)8 506 370 99 | www.forumsyd.org
/Colombia Strategy 2013 - 2018
LIST OF CONTENT
Country Strategy .............................................................................................................................................1
2013 -2018 .....................................................................................................................................................1
Contents ..........................................................................................................................................................2
List of abbreviations .......................................................................................................................................3
Foreword .........................................................................................................................................................4
Executive summary of the Country Context Analysis and the Country Strategy .......................................5
1. Past experience in country ........................................................................................................................6
1.1. Number of years of operation, thematic areas, geographic focus, partners and target groups ..............................6
1.2 Mayor results ................................................................................................................................................7
1.3 Main lessons learnt ........................................................................................................................................8
2. Conclusions of the Country Context Analysis ...........................................................................................9
2.1 Democracy and Human Rights .......................................................................................................................9
2.1.1. Poverty, vulnerable groups and discriminatory structures ...............................................................................9
2.1.2. Good governance, social accountability and corruption............................................................................... 12
2.1.3. Civil Society............................................................................................................................................ 13
2.2 Sustainable Use of Natural Resources.......................................................................................................... 14
2.3 Gender ...................................................................................................................................................... 17
3. Country Strategy 2013-2018 ................................................................................................................ 18
3.1 Choice of thematic area .............................................................................................................................. 18
3.2 Description of intervention ........................................................................................................................... 21
3.2.1 LFA format .............................................................................................................................................. 21
3.2.2 Specify potential geographic area(s) of intervention, target group(s) and potential actual or future partner(s) at
different levels. ................................................................................................................................................ 22
3.2.3 Future partners: Selection Criteria for Strategic Partners and Allies .............................................................. 22
3.2.4 Describe your methodical approach to the thematic area ............................................................................. 23
3.2.5 What would be Forum Syd's added value to the development of these specific thematic areas ....................... 25
3.2.6 Risk analysis and management ................................................................................................................. 26
3.3 Fundraising ................................................................................................................................................ 28
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LIST OF ABBREVIATION
AOPs
APM/UXO
AUC
Colombia)
CAY
CC
CP
CSO
HR
ELN
EPL
ESCER
EU
FARC-EP
GB
GDP
IACHR
ICC
IDPs
IHL
IHRS
ILO
LGBTI
NGO
OHCHR
ONIC
PODEC
SIDA
UNDP
UNHCR
UNHCHR
UNUS
UNV
TJR and GnR
UPR
ZRC
Annual Operating Plans
Anti-Personnel Mines/Unexploded Ordnance
Autodefensas Unidas de Colombia (United Self-Defence Forces of
Children, adolescents and youth
Colombian Constitutional Court
Constitución Política (Political Constitution)
Civil Society Organizations
Human Rights
Ejército de Liberación Nacional (National Liberation Army)
Ejército Popular de Liberación (Popular Liberation Army)
Economic, social, cultural and environmental rights.
European Union
Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia – Ejército del
Pueblo (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia - People's
Army)
Government Board
Gross Domestic Product
Inter-American Commission on Human Rights
International Criminal Court
Internally displaced person
International Humanitarian Law
Inter-American Human Rights System
International Labour Organization
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex people
Non-Governmental Organization
Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
Organización Nacional Indígena de Colombia (National Indigenous
Organization of Colombia)
Plataforma de Organizaciones de Desarrollo Europeas en
Colombia (Platform of European Development Organizations in
Colombia)
Swedish International Development Agency
United Nations Development Program
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
United Nations Universal System
United Nations Volunteers
Truth, Justice, Reparation and Guarantee of Non-Recurrence
Universal Periodic Review
Zonas de Reserva Campesina (Rural Farmer Reserve Zones)
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Foreword
Forum Syd‟s Country Strategy for Colombia 2013-2018 was developed in a participative manner by the
Colombia office team and with consultation to partners, allies and CSO1. These stakeholders of the
international cooperation took part on analyses about the Colombian context, the identification of their
main problems and the diagnosis of their capacity and competence.
The Country Strategy is a programmatic and political reference seeking to establish Forum Syd´s action
and expected impacts in Colombia in connection with Forum Syd‟s global commitment to work for
democracy and Human Rights. It also clarifies the operation forms in the country and defines the actions
that may be developed and the kind of relationship that may be established with allies and partners in a
more precise way. The strategy opens a path to develop Forum Syd‟s contribution and added value in
regards to the strengthening of CSO and social, economic, political, cultural changes in Colombia.
The programmatic orientation provided by the Country Strategy also determines the redefinition of the
operational structure of the office, allowing a stronger relationship with the other country offices of
Forum Syd and more decisive action in order to improve the organization‟s work standards. It contributes
to the building of “One Forum Syd”.
This strategy is the result of more than six months of collective work and efforts, dedication and
reflection of many. It is aimed to be a thoughtful and critical exercise, to project a coherent and
responsible action. The attempt to approach it in a participatory way required the capabilities of the whole
team in Colombia and the support from Sweden. It meant more time and a greater methodological effort,
but the experience was certainly rewarding and meaningful.
It would not have been possible to finish this process without the active participation of our counterparts,
partners and allies. We would like to express our thanks to them. Thank you!
1Approximately
30 CSOs of the regional and national levels participated in this consultation, including human rights NGOs, social organizations
who work towards the prevention of the recruitment of girls and boys, women's organizations, Afro-Colombian, indigenous and peasant
organizations, as well as allies and partners of the international community.
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Executive summary of the Country Context Analysis and the
Country Strategy
Two cross-cutting problems are identified in the Colombian context: Firstly, the differences between the
guarantees of the formal country (according to the Constitution and the law) and the real country (the real
social, political, economic and cultural conditions of Colombians) and, secondly, the continuity of the
armed conflict2. As a result, for decades these problems have caused a social, humanitarian and
institutional crisis which primarily affects the guarantee of rights, the construction of democracy,
manifested through the systematic violation of human rights and International Humanitarian Law (IHL)
that mainly affects the civil population. The corruption and precarious processes of distribution of land
and wealth add to the armed conflict thus creating a regular context of crisis, a country with deep-set
inequality, widespread violence and marked impunity. At the same time, Colombia is a country with a
high and stable economic growth index and a political constitution that guarantees rights, which
establishes a contradictory situation that oscillates between those two realities.
A third central element is the Colombian economic policy. Over the last two decades it has sought the
country‟s integration in the globalization of the market and reorganization of international production, by
opening up its trade and market and attracting foreign capital mainly focused on the exploitation of
natural resources. As a result, this development model has intensified conflicts related to the country‟s
mentioned structural problems that reinforce the marginalization and exclusion of certain groups.
The convergence of these three central problems leads to the exclusion of an important segment of the
Colombian population from all the decision-making processes and the access to social and economic
resources, and they become the main victims of the armed conflict. Indigenous, Afro-Colombians and
rural farmer men and women have been the protagonists of the humanitarian crisis, poverty and political
exclusion. None the less, the organization and empowerment of these marginalized groups in order to
demand their rights, become mechanisms of democratization of Colombian society.
In its 2013-2018 country strategy, Forum Syd Colombia has decided to prioritize the strengthening of
grass roots organizations as a contribution to the improvement of democracy, through awareness-raising
and by demanding the rights of historically marginalized and excluded communities. Complementary to
this, together with partners and allies, it will aim for indigenous, Afro-Colombian and rural farmer men
and women to promote a sustainable use of natural resources and equality between men and women, as
central contributions for change. To achieve the impact, it seeks to raise the capacity of marginalized
sectors to demand their rights; to help men and women of marginalized sectors to produce proposals of
development that promote the sustainable use of natural resources; and to contribute to the internal
democratization process of the grass roots organizations through the implementation of equitable gender
practices that promote fair gender relations in society.
The three thematic areas of Forum Syd´s global mission and vision will be implemented according to the
specific features of the Colombian context. Thus, in regards to democracy and human rights, special
attention will be given to victims' rights to Truth, Justice, Reparation and Guarantee of Non-Recurrence
(TJR and GnR), access to justice, democracy, citizen´s oversight and peace-building. In environment and
climate change, the strategy will focus on: alternative territorial development both rural and urban, the
effects of the development model and the sustainable use of natural resources, with a rights and gender
approach. Finally, the gender issue will be addressed through women's rights, reporting and increasing the
visibility of gender-based violence and the strengthening of gender approach in the CSO.
2
Colombia has experienced an internal armed conflict for 50 years and its rationale, actors and intensity has been transformed over time. The origin of this
conflict relates to violence between the traditional liberal and conservative political parties and the struggle for land.
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The theory of change that supports this five-year strategic proposal is to make a technical, political and
methodological contribution as added value, so that the marginalized sectors of Colombia can contribute
to the consolidation of democracy in the country, peace-building processes and sustainable development
with gender equality through their active and qualified popular participation. Methodologically, together
with partners and allies, Forum Syd will promote the strengthening and accompaniment of advocacy,
opinion generation, funding and organizational capacity building processes.
1. Past experience in country
1.1. Number of years of operation, thematic areas, geographic focus,
partners and target groups
Forum Syd’s operation in Colombia started in 2001 through the “Peace and Participation Programme”,
strengthening the United Nations presence in Colombia. Its fourth phase is currently being implemented
under the name “Democracy, Peace and Participation Programme”, strengthening human rights
monitoring through the UNHCHR. In 2009, Forum Syd’s work in Colombia grew to include the
administration of FOS-Colombia, the Fund for Colombian Civil Society, initiated by the Swedish
embassy in Colombia and currently also supported by the Norwegian Embassy. Finally, in 2012, Forum
Syd together with two partner organizations started the implementation of an EU-funded project named:
“Fortalecimiento de procesos participativos de comunidades étnicas y campesinas y promoción de la
ciudadanía activa, para la gestión y protección medioambiental del territorio como aporte a las agendas
de desarrollo rural de los Departamentos de Santander, Norte de Santander y Tolima y contribución a la
construcción de paz desde lo local” (Strengthening of the participatory processes of ethnic and rural
farmer communities and promotion of active citizenship for environmental management and protection of
the territory as a contribution to the rural development agendas of the departments of Santander, Norte de
Santander and Tolima, and as a contribution to local peace-building).
The “Democracy, Peace and Participation Programme” and FOS-Colombia are aligned with and form
part of the Swedish cooperation policy with Colombia 2009-2013,3 while the EU-project is based on the
strategy and guidelines of the European Union on Human Rights4. All three are in line with Forum Syd’s
general vision and mission, achieving important results and complementing each other in this sense.
However, it is still necessary to create a defined strategy to integrate these forms of action, each of which
is described below.
The main objective of the “Peace and Participation Programme” has been to strengthen the field presence
of UNHCHR and UNHCR (between 2001 and 2009) and, as from 2007, of UNHCHR, through the
deployment of Swedish UNVs, for the protection of Internal Displaced People (IDP) and observation of
the human rights and IHL situation in Colombia, the main target group being the victims of the armed
conflict. The programme support is mainly conducted via Forum Syd to the UNV program, while a
smaller part has been executed directly in Colombia to support projects of community-based
organizations and local CSO in the geographic focus areas of the UNVs. The two kinds of support have
complemented each other successfully. During the last three years a strategy to improve the application of
a gender perspective in the observation work of the UNVs has also been implemented. Coordinated
advocacy actions have been carried out, mainly with the Swedish CSO present in Colombia and those
belonging to the Colombia Group5, and more recently through the Platform of European Development
Estrategia de la cooperación para el desarrollo con Colombia [Cooperation Strategy for Development with Colombia], January 2009 – December 2013.
The Council Resolution of 1998 on Indigenous Peoples within the Framework of the Development Cooperation of the Community and Member States.
5 Samordnare för Colombiagruppen i Sverige, CIvis, Diakonía, SweFOR, Forum Syd, LWF.
3
4
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Organizations in Colombia (PODEC), to raise awareness of the situation in Colombia and strengthen the
support of Colombian CSO initiatives on a Swedish and European level.
Through the UNV presence, the geographic focus areas during the last five years have covered 16 of the
32 Colombian departments.6 Through the micro-project support, municipalities and/or communities of
Arauca, Santander, Putumayo, Cundinamarca, Nariño, Valle del Cauca and especially Huila and Caquetá
were focussed on.
FOS-Colombia is a cooperation mechanism owned by the Swedish and Norwegian embassies and is
based on their cooperation strategies with Colombia. The general objective is to strengthen Colombian
CSO in their actions and initiatives for an inclusive democracy, the defence of the human rights and
peace-building. The expected results are to strengthen the capacity of CSO to contribute to building peace
and a negotiated solution to the internal armed conflict; strengthen the capacity of CSO to demand the
rights of victims and the internally displaced population and influence public policy; and strengthen the
initiatives of CSO to improve democratic processes and strengthen representative and participatory
citizen´s oversight of public institutions.
44 CSO have been supported through the fund. 37 of them have been selected through open calls for
proposals for the implementation of long term projects (one to three years), another 7 short term projects
(one to six months) were supported in the period between the call of proposals because of their high
impact, all of them working in the three thematic areas. . As an administrative organization, Forum Syd is
in charge of the selection process, assistance, follow-up, quality control and organizational capacity
building of the supported organizations and their proposals. The supported CSO cover everything from
community based ethnic and farmer organizations and women‟s organizations to professional human
rights NGOs in Bogotá. 16 of the supported organizations are based in the following five regions: the
Atlantic coast region, Antioquia, Valle del Cauca, Cauca, Caquetá and the Magdalena Medio region. The
other 28 supported organizations work from Bogotá but together cover 26 of the 32 Colombian
departments.
The EU-funded project seeks to promote actions, develop strategies and strengthen the capacities of
farmer and indigenous communities. This enables their effective participation within different regional
and national spheres of decision-making among actors based on qualified input. It seeks to increase the
recognition of these communities as key actors in the construction and development of their territories
and to strengthen their role as right-holders participating from a bottom-up perspective in peace-building
and generating conditions for a sustainable development. The four main thematic areas are oriented
towards environmental protection, defence of the right to life and the territory, organizational
strengthening and community/territorial action and rural farmer reserve areas (ZRC). It focuses on the
departments of Tolima, Norte de Santander and Santander and is being implemented in association with
two Colombian human rights’ organizations.
1.2 Mayor results
Given that the EU-project only started in 2012, the main outcomes of Forum Syd’s7 work have been
achieved through the “Democracy, Peace and Participation” Programme and through the funding and
implementation of strategies of FOS-Colombia. On a general level, complementarity between the
different support mechanisms has been achieved. The mayor results are described below:
 Strengthened field presence of the UN agencies has had an impact on their operation on a national
level. In the case of UNHCR the capacity to provide assistance and protection to IDPs, In the case of
Arauca, Atlántico, Bolívar, Caquetá, Cauca, Córdoba, Cundinamarca, Huila, Nariño, Norte de Santander, Putumayo, Risaralda, Santander, Sucre, Tolima and
Valle del Cauca.
7 Consult: Programme Narrative Report: Democracy, Peace and Participation 2010-2012; and the Annual Narrative Report 2011 of FOS COLOMBIA –
Colombian Civil Society Fund for Peace, Democracy and Human Rights – Annual Narrative Report 2011.
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






UNHCHR, the observation mission was improved and recommendations to the Colombian
government concerning the human rights situation were given. The presence of Forum Syd supported
UNVs as UNHCHR volunteers in regions highly affected by the armed conflict is critically important
for the protection and strengthening of the IDPs and for the identification of cases and trends of
violence perpetrated by armed actors. This, in order to highlight the situation of the civil population
and to demand the protection of the communities by the State.
CSO supported by Forum Syd have driven networks, created synergies and initiated partnerships. It
has increased the impact of their work and obtained greater recognition, in issues such as peace
building, victims’ rights and development of democratic governance, from the State, the international
cooperation and the Colombian society.
Forum Syd‟s support mechanisms have contributed to gain access and increase the visibility of
remote areas with little presence of international cooperation and high levels of conflict, reaching out
to communities with whom it would have been difficult to work with otherwise. They also help to
consolidate Forum Syd’s role as a partner organization facilitating bridge-building between
organizations beyond the mere financial support.
Through micro-projects and projects Forum Syd has contributed to strengthen local CSO in regions
highly affected by armed conflict. These locally and regionally based projects have obtained the
following achievements: (i) Knowledge qualification of rural communities, women and local leaders
on legal procedures to claim their rights, particularly regarding gender issues; (ii) Inclusion of the
gender perspective in local development plans of municipalities, as well as a more equal participation
between men and women in decision making spheres; (iii) Contribution to greater recognition and
legitimacy of the CSO at the local and national level; and (iv) Improvement of internal control
mechanisms within the organizations.
Forum Syd‟s efforts in regards to the mainstreaming of gender has led to the inclusion and
strengthening of the gender perspective within supported CSO, through capacity building and
awareness-raising, and qualification of the observation work of UNHCHR through technical support
to the UNVs for the implementation of a differential approach with gender perspective, enhancing the
focus on tools to identify and disclose information about cases of gender-based violence included in
the UNHCHR´s annual report.
The women‟s organizations supported by Forum Syd have consolidated a more effective participation
in the social movement for peace and in the formulation of proposals and advocacy for the definition
of the peace agenda in Colombia
Agreements and changes have been achieved in instances of advocacy with partners and allies,
particularly with Swedish organizations in Colombia and cooperation actors who are members of
PODEC. This has helped to coordinate and harmonize efforts to position issues regarding human
rights and the implementation of the development model on the public agenda.
Regarding victims‟ rights, the CSO supported by Forum Syd have made proposals for the formulation
and regulation of Law 1448 of 2011 (Law of Victims and Land Restitution); they are familiar with
the applicable legal framework, they have made progress to reconstruct the historical memory, in
legal representation, psycho-social support and the enforcement of their rights and the follow-up of
related public policies.
1.3 Main lessons learnt
Organizational strengthening
The organization and coordination with allies and partners, including organizations' networks and
platforms and the United Nations System, increases the impact of Forum Syd's work.
Capacity building has to be based on the interests and needs of the CSO and, in order to allow more
effective time for this strengthening, the administrative and financial procedures have to be simplified. It
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is necessary to strengthen the analytical capacity of the CSO in coordination with the strengthening of
their administrative capacities.
Implementation of the gender approach
The gender approach requires strategies of capacity strengthening of partners and allies to achieve greater
levels of ownership; its application has specific expressions related to the organization, partner or ally. .
In the case of development cooperation agencies and the United Nations system high-level partnerships
are necessary to enable the effective inclusion of gender issues in their work. In the case of many grass
roots organizations it requires a review of their discourses, priorities and work to relate the gender
approach to their central objectives.
Advocacy
In order to achieve a greater advocacy impact it is necessary to have a specific strategy. The most
important issues of interest and needs of the CSO, in regards to advocacy, will be identified and linked to
global advocacy agendas, and Forum Syd being a Swedish organisation also to a Swedish advocacy
agenda. To achieve this, an agreed agenda of prioritized issues needs to be built. Advocacy and political
dialogue will be directed at influential social actors of different levels, including civil society
organizations and the media. The advocacy strategy has to include legislative follow-up and a PME
system in order to measure the impact of actions in the country. Coordination between Forum Syd´s
offices around the world will be an advantage in order to link the national advocacy agenda to global
agendas.
Sustainability
Forum Syd promotes the development of strategic plans in the CSO including proper PME systems,
because this allows the organizations to establish long term strategies and actions. It is also necessary to
have flexible structures and different thematic areas in order to diversify funding sources and enhance
sustainability.
2. Conclusions of the Country Context Analysis
2.1 Democracy and Human Rights
2.1.1. Poverty, vulnerable groups and discriminatory structures
Colombia has been characterized by historical moments of political instability, embedded in complex
contexts of social conflict. For the last 50 years, it has been immersed in a cycle of violence, exclusion
and social, political and economic discrimination. This constantly reoccurs because of three factors: i)
National social and armed conflict; ii) A greatly unequal system of economic development and iii) A
State with difficulties in guaranteeing the rights and freedoms of men and women. These three factors
create an unequal society that produces excessive levels of inequality, marginalization and rights
violations. The communities most affected by this situation are those that because of their ethnicity, class
or gender have been discriminated by the country's social, political, economic and cultural structure.
The social and armed conflict has had devastating effects, leaving to date a total of 5 million victims 8, 3.7
million internal displaced people9 (5.5 million according to the figures of nongovernmental
8
Cifras oficiales de víctimas del conflicto armado [Official statistics of the armed conflict], Departamento para la Prosperidad Social [Department for Social
Prosperity]- http://www.colombiaenaccion.gov.co/victimas/?p=1026
http://www.acnur.org/t3/fileadmin/scripts/doc.php?file=t3/fileadmin/Documentos/RefugiadosAmericas/Colombi
a/Situacion_Colombia_-_Panorama_regional_-_2011
9
9UNHCR.
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organizations10). According to the latest Colombian Attorney General's Office report, 51.906 people have
been victims of the paramilitary groups, 25.757 killings, 1.916 kidnappings perpetrated by illegal armed
groups11,2,445 victims of extrajudicial killings/executions perpetrated by members of the armed forces
and police12 and 61,604 forcibly disappeared people13, as well as other serious human rights violations
and documented infractions of IHL. A high percentage of the victims of the conflict are women, AfroColombians and indigenous population. For example, the indigenous population has been one of the most
affected by forced displacement, confinement and land seizure, which, according to the Special
Rapporteur of the UN about indigenous people, creates an unacceptable situation that puts the ethnic and
cultural survival of these people in grave danger14.
According to a report made in 2013 by human rights organizations platforms for the Universal Periodic
Review (UPR)15, indigenous people and people of African descent continue to be victims of attacks
perpetrated by different actors in the armed conflict, who put pressure on their land because of its wealth
of natural resources and geostrategic nature. The main effect has been forced displacement which
disproportionately affects the indigenous people and people of African descent compared to the rest of the
population. According to the report, this is due to several cross-cutting factors, identified by the
Constitutional Court (Ruling 005/09), such as structural exclusion, the pressure generated by mining and
agricultural projects and the deficient legal protection of their collective land. The National Organization
of Indigenous People in Colombia (ONIC) reports that between January and June 2012, 24 cases of mass
displacement of indigenous communities occurred, representing a total of 8,845 indigenous people
displaced as a result of combats between the armed forces and insurgent armed groups, violent actions by
paramilitary groups, National Army bombings, the presence of Anti-Personnel Mines/Unexploded
Ordnance (APM/UXO) and accidents caused by them, restrictions on free movement, stigmatization and
armed invasions. According to the IACHR, 30% of the population of African descent suffers from the
effects of displacement and 96.4% of displaced Afro-Colombians live in poverty.16
The ancestral lands of indigenous people, Afro-Colombians and rural farmers have been seriously
threatened by constant militarization, armed confrontations and the development of megaprojects on their
land, also worsening their socio-economic situation. The decrease in the availability of farming land,
crop-spraying and general pollution created by the growing exploitation of natural resources and land
affect the crops and so increase their vulnerability in terms of food security. 70% of indigenous children
suffer from chronic malnutrition and between January and July 2012 the ONIC reported the death of 15
children due to lack of medical care or related to food security problems. The Afro-Colombian population
lives in extreme poverty: the basic needs of 80% of the population are not met and the child and maternal
mortality rates are twice as high as the national rates. The situation is also dramatic in terms of education:
the illiteracy rate increases to 17.9% for the Afro-Colombian population and to 14.4% for the indigenous
population, while the national average is 6.3%.17
Women, children and young people are also the victims of the serious effects of the conflict, mainly those
that belong to impoverished sectors. Among the main harmful effects on women, are cases of sexual
“Desplazamiento creciente y crisis humanitaria [Growing Displacement and Humanitarian Crisis]” Report, Consultoría para los Derechos Humanos y el
Desplazamiento-CODHES [Consultancy for Human Rights and Displacement].
10
11
Informe de la fiscalía general de la nación. Unidad de Fiscalias poara la Justicia y la Paz. http://www.fiscalia.gov.co:8080/justiciapaz/Index.htm
Colombia, deuda con la humanidad 2: 23 años de Falsos Positivos [Colombia, Humanitarian Debt 2: 23 Years of 'False Positives'], Banco de Datos de
Derechos Humanos y Violencia Política [Human Rights and Political Violence Information Bank], Cinep/PPP, coordinator Javier Giraldo Moreno, S.J., p.7,
October 31, 2011.
13 OACNUDH- http://www.semana.com/nacion/onu-57200-desaparecidos-colombia-tres-ultimas-decadas/157252-3.aspx
12
http://www.observatoriopoliticasocial.org/images/PDF/Biblioteca/biblioteca_2010/ONU_docs/Informes_relatores/Indi
genas/2004_colombia_indigenas.pdf
14
Situación de derechos humanos y derecho humanitario en Colombia 2008-2012. Informe para el Examen Periodico Universal de Colombia, Mayo 2013.
Asamblea Permanente de la Sociedad Civil por la Paz, Alianza, Plataforma Colombiana Derechos Humanos, Demoracia y Desarrollo, Mesa de Trabajo Mujer y
Conflicto Armado y Coordinación Colombia, Europa – Estados Unidos.
16 http://www.askonline.ch/fileadmin/user_upload/documents/Thema_Menschenrechte/Berichte_Organisationen/informe_ddhh_2008-2013.pdf
17 Ibid.
15
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abuse (16,916 cases reported in 2011), domestic violence (69,713 cases reported in 2010), gendermotivated homicides (130 homicides reported in 2011), and sexual exploitation18. Children are one of the
groups most affected by APM/UXO and by involvement in the armed conflict, according to the report of
the Secretary-General of the United Nations Security Council on children and armed conflict in
Colombia, which shows that children are involved in armed conflict in at least 23 of the 32
departments19of the country. This data shows the systematic violations that affect these populations.
The intense situation of humanitarian crisis experienced by the civil population adds to the precarious
socio-economic conditions that increase the vulnerability of the above-mentioned sector. This situation
indicates that the Colombian State's efforts to try to resolve these problems have been insufficient,
suggesting the survival of discriminatory prejudices about class, ethnicity and gender. Without a doubt,
these are resounding examples of an unequal society, making Colombia one of the most unequal countries
in Latin America, despite being considered a medium income economy country.
10% of the wealthiest population receives half of the GDP, while the poorest 10% barely receives 0.6 of
the GDP, out of a population of 44 million inhabitants. There are around 20 million poor people in
Colombia, and more than 7 million people living in extreme poverty20 or destitution21. The income
concentration index (Gini coefficient)22 in Colombia is 0.56, one of the highest in the world23. On the
other hand, the land ownership concentration is also one of the highest in the world. The Gini index of
owners for 2009 rose to 0.87 and the land ownership concentration to 0.86. The determining factors of
this situation have been the concentration of ownership, forced displacement and dispossession of land
(between 4.5 and 6 million hectares (45.000Km2 – 60.000 km2) in the last 20 years of national
conflict)24.
Similarly, the fulfilment of rights to food, health and education confirms the situation of poverty that a
large segment of citizens finds themself in: According to the UPR, 42.7% of homes are in a situation of
food insecurity, the figure for the rural population is 57.5% and for people of African descent it is
56.4%25. The right to health is sustained in an insurance system that according to a ruling of the
Constitutional Court affects the effective enjoyment of the right. This translates into "increased morbidity
and mortality from contagious diseases; low vaccination coverage; poor quality and restricted medicines;
an increase in barriers and costs for citizens of access health services and information"26.
The right to education is restricted by different factors. According to the report drawn up by the
Ombudsman's Office27 in 2011, there is a lack of teaching centres, teaching material and technological
development. Furthermore, it shows that the infrastructure does not have the capacity to attend to the
existing demand. Finally, the right to work is seriously affected by the high unemployment rates. In 2011,
for example, the total national employed population was 20 million people, the unemployed population
2.4 million people and the inactive population 12.8 million people28. Many analysts, however, argue that
Ibid.
Coalición contra vinculación de NNAJ al conflicto armado en Colombia [Coalition against the Involvement of Children, Adolescents and Young People in
Armed Conflict in Colombia], Putchipú Magazine, December 2012, p. 2.
20 Extreme poverty defined by a family's income establishes that a family with an income of less than two dollars a day is living in poverty and that a family with an
income of less than a dollar a day is living in extreme poverty.
21 MESEP - DANE [National Administrative Department of Statistics] cf. www.dane.gov.co.
22 cf. http://datos.bancomundial.org/indicador/SI.POV.GINI.
23 To be able to compare the Colombian situation, the following examples of countries where Forum Syd works are cited. Cambodia 0.37; Serbia 0.27 and
Tanzania 0.37, and others where there is armed conflict: The West Bank and Gaza 0.35.
24 UNDP "National Human Development Report 2012 "Rural Colombia: Reasons for Hope", Executive Summary.
25 Informe de la situación de Derechos Humanos en Colombia 2008-2012 Plataformas y organizaciones internacionales [Report on the Situation of Human
Rights in Colombia 2008-2012, International Platforms and Organizations], p. 11, Article 51.
26 Informe de la situación de Derechos Humanos en Colombia 2008-2012 Plataformas y organizaciones internacionales [Report on the Situation of Human
Rights in Colombia 2008-2012, International Platforms and Organizations], p. 11, Article 53.
27 According the Report of the Ombudsman's Office on the Human Right to Education, Defensoría Delegada para la Dirección del Seguimiento, Evaluación y
Monitoreo de las Políticas Públicas [Delegated Ombudsman for the Management of Follow-Up, Evaluation and Monitoring of Public Policy], ProSeDHer, 2011.
28 http://www.dinero.com/actualidad/economia/articulo/desempleo-colombia-durante-2011-108/143760
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these figures could be higher as they do not take into account the under-registration of people in
temporary jobs or who carry out informal work activities.
2.1.2. Good governance, social accountability and corruption
The Colombian political regime has historically been exclusive and the prevailing power structures have
been permeated by individual interests linked to illegal economies and local and transnational economic
groups. This is added to very high levels of impunity, corruption and manipulation of the public
administration. Despite the country having made progress in regulatory and institutional development to
guarantee the Constitutional State, in practice, the democracy, the model of political participation and
institutions contradict the national reality. From this analysis, three contradictions of the Colombian
democratic, political system are identified: i) The systematic violation of rights compared to a robust
rights guaranteeing regulatory framework ii) Public institutions that guarantee the rights of the Colombian
population but are coerced by individual interests; iii) A limited and exclusive system of representation
and participation compared to the official appearance of a strong democratic regime.
The first contradiction is shown, for example, in the government of Juan Manual Santos. During this
government the Law 1448 of 2011 (also known as the Victims and Land Restitution Law) was
promulgated, acknowledging the rights of victims to the truth, justice and reparation, and requiring the
state to restore the land that was seized off them. The law is an effective progress in the protection of the
rights of the civil population affected by armed conflict. None the less, its effective implementation has
faced two major obstacles: a) absence of security guarantees for the victims when they present their
claims to institutions and attacks on victims leaders by non-demobilized paramilitary structures (for
example the Anti-restitution Army) and b) difficulties for the legal registry of the land to the victims due
to the legalization of the land grabbing29.
Regarding the second contradiction, it is analysed that over the last ten years, the Colombian constitution
of 1991 has been developed through different laws with the aim to guarantee the rights it recognizes.
However, some of these laws have resulted in a limitation of rights. A clear example was the issue of the
Law of Justice and Peace in 2005, which established different benefits for demobilized paramilitaries,
limiting the access to justice of the victims of paramilitaries and not recognising their rights to truth,
justice and reparations. This and other laws were promulgated by members of the Colombian congress,
during the government of former president Álvaro Uribe Vélez, who are currently being investigated and
convicted for their links to paramilitary groups. Up to 2010, 102 congressmen had been involved in
judicial processes because of links to illegal armed groups and connected crimes. Of these, 25 were
sentenced to prison. Recently, the intend to reform the military jurisdiction that was discussed during
2012, did not recognize that human rights violations committed by members of the military forces must
be judge by an ordinary court or ad hoc tribunals, as established in international regulations on human
rights and IHL.
In recent years, local, regional and national decision-making positions and institutions have been invaded
by illegal interests linked to drugs and arms trafficking, land dispossession and laundering of assets.
These illegal networks have taken advantage of a coerced political system and corruptible public
institutions in order to achieve their objectives. Part of their agenda has been the appropriation of public
money that is vital for the communities.
In Colombia there are difficulties related to the representative democracy as well as to the participative
democracy which illustrate the third contradiction. In regards to the representative democracy, the
Colombian Constitution of 1991 has regulated the system of electing officials for public positions, but
29
According to the Informe de la situación de Derechos Humanos en Colombia 2008-2012 Plataformas y organizaciones internacionales [Report on the
Situation of Human Rights in Colombia 2008-2012, International Platforms and Organizations] p.19 – 23.
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there are huge distances between this electoral system and the real and effective representation of the
population that is largely excluded and victimized, in decisions and processes that concern them.
Elections are held on a regular basis, none the less when analysed in depth broad sectors of the population
are not adequately represented; for example women are 51% of the population of Colombia but only 12%
of the popularly elected positions are occupied by women.
In relation to the participative democracy the Constitution of 1991 created a National Citizen
Participation System which establishes citizen participation spaces, mainly in the design and follow-up of
public policy. This System operates at local, regional and national levels through mechanism to allow
citizens to make an oversight on public management, efficiency of public officials and the guarantee of
rights. The participation focuses on three types of stages which seek to include the community needs into
the public policies, plans, programs and projects according to thematic, demographic and territorial 30
specificities. Local and municipal governments have the authority, resources and responsibility to
implement the Participation System, but face different obstacles, for example, lack of information and
knowledge of citizens about the public policy and its management, corruption, patronage system and
insufficient confidence in the institutions. Social and economic exclusion has a negative impact on the
levels of participation of the marginalized people. In some municipalities, where there is a high presence
of illegal armed actors, coercion is also an issue that limits the participation31. As a result the design of the
participation system is broad and democratic but its implementation does not guarantee the inclusion of
the whole population.
2.1.3. Civil Society
Diversity is the main feature of Colombian civil society. This diversity corresponds to its size, coverage,
work approaches, geography, political aims and sectors that come together. Far from being a place where
people live together in harmony, there are countless opposing interests at its heart and very dissimilar
projects circulate among them. According to the data of the Colombian Confederation of NGOs, it is
estimated that by 2001 there were more than 135,599 associations and organizations in Colombia32. The
CSO generally share their role as an agent for social power that acts in two ways: as a communication and
dialogue channel between the State and the common citizen, and as a platform where citizens unite to
express their general concerns and interests as protagonists of development, peace and democracy. This
outstanding feature allows for a broad spectrum of associative sectors of different nature to be included in
civil society, such as political parties, citizen movements, the media, women's, indigenous, rural farmer
and youth organizations, private companies and organized economic sectors, trade unions, churches,
community boards and NGOs.
The Colombian Constitution of 1991 defined a precise regulation for the role of civil society in dialogue
with the State and the opening of opportunities for citizen participation in the design and implementation
of public policies. This enabled a clearer process of defining the role and scope of civil society. However,
the persistence of the armed conflict in Colombia for more than 50 years has also definitively shaped the
nature of civil society, determining issues, agendas and work styles. A characteristic example of this
situation has been the strategic role played by civil society organizations, such as the Catholic Church,
peace NGOs, women's and human rights organizations, economic guilds and intellectuals, regarding the
condemnation of war and the demand for peace from a varied spectrum of political positions. Without a
doubt, the issue of peace has been a shared reference of unity and visibility over the last 20 years by the
different sectors and actors of Colombian civil society.
These three stages are divided as follows: a) thematic: culture, environment, health, education, security, etc., b) demographic: women, youth, children, ethnic
groups, disabled, elderly, LGBTI sectors, etc., and; c) territorial: national, departmental, municipal and local planning levels.
31 Velásquez, Fabio y Gonzales, Esperanza (2003) “¿Qué ha pasado con la participación ciudadana en Colombia?” Fundación Corona.
32 Villar, Rodrigo (2001) “Tercer Sector en Colombia, Evaluación, dimensión y tendencias” [The Third Sector in Colombia, Evaluation, Dimension and Trends],
Colombian Confederation of NGOs, p. 91.
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More than a decade ago, CSOs in Colombia made the qualitative leap to work in networks, platforms and
local, regional, national and even hemispheric and global alliances. The achievements in impact and
mobilization have been very significant. However, their capacity to influence and to act for social change
has been significantly reduced since 2002 due to a strategy that consists of disabling spheres of
dialogue33, carried out by the administration of former president Álvaro Uribe Vélez and deepened by the
current government. Additionally to this, the context for the CSO's actions, especially human rights
defenders and victims support organizations, is one of marked hostility. There continues to be large
sectors of society and the State that are suspicious of these organizations and see them as a threat. They
are perceived as a hindrance or as undue dissension and conflict generators regarding the State's actions.
The CSO face serious difficulties in the current context, however, the most worrying issue is the degree of
stigmatization, persecution and scapegoating of some CSO. Colombia holds one of the highest records of
attacks against human rights defenders34. The cases of forced displacement and exile of social leaders that
had to abandon their country to save their lifes are just as worrying. The scapegoating of the work of
human rights defenders by some State sectors and opinion leaders provoke generalized reactions of
disinterest in the defenders' situation, increasing the rejection and stigmatization of their work. In many
cases pressure from public or private investment projects (transnational companies and local economic
monopolies), illegal armed groups, mafias or corrupt agents try to coerce community and social
organizations in order to keep their power and business and maintain the social control.
Other serious issues are sustainability and stability of the CSO, as they have been affected by the recent
global economic crisis and changes in international cooperation guidelines and priorities. Many social
organizations have established costly infrastructures and lost their focus, sometimes, regarding work with
vulnerable sectors of society. In some cases, as a result of the scattering, organizational weaknesses and
breaking up of civil society (both endogenous and provoked by the social control strategies applied
against the social movements and organizations), the social agenda of human rights and peace has been
taken over by non-governmental organizations, which also depend on international cooperation funds.
Besides this the patronage system, corrupts and privatizes the participation. The consequence of the above
described scenarios is a significant dependency on external support, bureaucratization and disputes over
resources that reduce the capacity for change and sustainability of the social agenda in Colombia.
In spite of such adverse scenarios, social organizations and movements persist with their work for human
rights, peace and the search for negotiated ways out of the conflict. For some years, organized
expressions of the rural movement and the indigenous movement have been formulating autonomous and
significant agendas and proposals for peace, development and defence of the territory that currently
encourage social mobilization, through platforms and networks such as the Marcha Patriotica (Patriotic
March) and the Congreso de los Pueblos (Congress of the Peoples).
2.2 Sustainable Use of Natural Resources
There are different factors that are affecting the use of natural resources in a sustainable way in Colombia.
Firstly, the economic development strategy in Colombia has encouraged the use of highly polluting
technology, production methods based on the inefficient use of natural resources, technological
backwardness and low productivity, among others. This has led to the accelerated increase in sewage, gas
emissions and the generation of highly toxic waste, and in general, high levels of pollution and
The double-message strategy is striking, attacking UNS organizations fundamental in the follow-up of the human rights situation in Colombia (UNOHCHR), but
at the same time requesting support. Other aspects define a framework of positioning and consolidation of the human rights defence agenda for CSOs in
Colombia, when it is less complex.
34 "The 2011 Annual Report of the Somos Defensores programme published on March 5 last year, reported assaults against 239 defenders, as well as the
murder of 49 leaders and forced disappearance of 6 of them in 2011." From January to March 2012, 64 human rights defenders in Colombia were threatened
and/or assaulted, 13 were murdered and two women were sexually assaulted to weaken their leadership. At: http://www.somosdefensores.org/. Last reviewed on
August 30, 2012.
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inappropriate use of natural resources. For example, the progressive implementation of oil palm
monoculture projects generates a negative social and environmental impact, such as decreasing water
production, altering soil structure and composition, altering the abundance and composition of species of
flora and fauna, and loss of the basis of sustenance for the local population, which results in the
displacement of Afro-Colombian, indigenous and rural farmer communities that live in these areas35.
Colombia has also implemented the extractive development model, based on mining and oil and gas
exploitation and power generation, with strong foreign investments. In recent years, the pressure of
mining activity on reserve zones, protected areas and collective ownership lands of ethnic groups is a
factor of increasing concern. Just in 2009, 42% of foreign investment in Colombia was made by mining
companies36, while the oil sector has signed 37 explorations, drilling and technical assessment contracts
with multinational companies37.
Secondly, the armed conflict and illegal activities also generate conflicts related to the use of natural
resources, for example, the accumulation of land is intimately related to the phenomenon of forced
displacement and resource exploitation plays a prominent role in causing this displacement and the
disputes over land and territorial ownership, worsening the violence and therefore generating social
conflict over its productive use38. On the other hand, from 2010 to 2011 coca cultivation resulted in the
deforestation of 23,000 hectares, out of which, 60% corresponds to primary rainforest with high
complexity, biodiversity and richness39. Likewise, this year, 3.4 million cubic metres of wood will be
extracted, out of which 1.5 million correspond to unauthorized trade, meaning that 40% to 42% of the
wood produced by Colombia is illegal40.
Finally, Colombia is the world‟s third most vulnerable country and faces a high risk from climate change
impacts. According to the United Nations Development Programme 41, the majority of women and men of
marginalized population of many rural communities, live where water shortages and land instability are
already a reality, increased floods during the “Ola Invernal” or “seasonal rains” have been occurring in
the last 10 years whereas other regions face continuous threats of droughts, affecting key human
settlements and economic activities.
To face this complex context and factors, Colombian authorities made an institutional and legal
reorganization. Different regulations for the use of natural resources, such as water, earth, gases, land and
climate change mitigation and adaptation were issued42.The participation of community in protecting the
environment and indigenous, rural farmers‟ communities and Afro-Colombian territories were also
regulated. This way the direct link between environmental management and territorial organization was
acknowledged and the collective ownership lands of ethnic and rural farmer communities were
regulated43. These regulations highlight the fundamental role of these communities in protecting the
Instituto de investigación de recursos biológicos Alexander Von Humboldt [Alexander von Humboldt Biological Resources Research Institute], Boletín No. 21
ISSN - 0123-7896, 2000.
36 Ibid.
37 La fiebre minera se apoderó de Colombia. Maria Teresa Ronderos. Revista Semana. http://www.semana.com/nacion/articulo/la-fiebre-minera-apoderocolombia/246055-3
38 Report of the Representative of the Secretary General on internally displaced persons submitted in accordance with Commission resolution 1999/47,
Addendum. Profiles in displacement: follow-up mission to Colombia, E/CN.4/2000/83/Add.1, 11 January 2000.
39 Colombia Coca Cultivation Survey 2011. United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). pp. 18 and 19, June 2012.
40 Pacto Intersectorial por la madera legal en Colombia [Inter-Sectoral Pact for Legal Wood in Colombia], Proyecto Bosques FLEGT. p. 3, 2010.
41 United Nations Development Programme. Mainstreaming of climate change in Colombia.Screening for risks and opportunity. 2010.
42 Colombia joined the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), ratified the Kyoto Protocol and developed activities in the
framework of Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Action (NAMA).
43 The Forest Reserves are areas of land that because of their wealth of vegetation and strategic importance for the environment were marked out and officially
declared as such by the Colombian State through Law 2 of 1959. Nationally, they represent approximately 45% of the land area, overlapping with other legally
affected land divisions such as the areas protected by the National Park and Ethnic Group Territories System. Almost 69.8% of the indigenous reserves and
72.4% of the collective ownership lands of black communities are in forest reserve areas. In: Caracterización de las zonas forestales, Proyecto Tierras y
Patrimonio de la Población Desplazada de la Agencia Presidencial para la Acción Social y la Cooperación Internacional [Characterization of Forest Areas, Land
and Patrimony of the Displaced Population Project of the Presidential Agency for Social Action and International Cooperation - Acción Social], pp. 27 and 28,
2009.
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environment, which are mostly settled in rural, bio-diverse and geostrategic areas, where the country's
main water, genetic, power and mining resources are located.
However, the regulation development by the Colombian authorities has shown that there is a lack of
control over the productive activities that pose most risks for the environment. Additional to this,
according to several reports44 Colombian laws and authorities, enable special exceptions for foreign
investment, to protect the interests of economic sectors or groups that have invested large amounts of
money in promoting these activities. For example, the mining industry is benefited with tax deductions
and financial privileges.
According to numerous researches45, there appears to be a conflict between the drive to make Colombia a
mining country and land restitution; the communities that wish to return are at the same time the most
vulnerable to a second wave of displacement due to the exploitation of natural resources, agribusiness and
large-scale infrastructure projects on their land. At the same time, threats to biodiversity, the supply,
control and use of drinking water reserves, food security and large changes in the traditional models of
local production (agriculture, fishing, handicrafts, etc.) are evident. Other concerns about mining industry
include: i) the generation of enclave economies; ii) the indiscriminate issuing of mining permits and
licences with an adverse effect on ecological ecosystems and environmentally protected areas, iii) the use
of ground for mining that is suitable for farming, which becomes a form of pressure and land grabbing.
Furthermore, climate variation and change combined with mining may reduce the future availability of
water.
Regarding socio-environmental effects of the extractive model, it is the ethnic and rural farmer
communities that have recently been the protagonists of social struggles in Colombia associated with oil
drilling and coal and gold mining. Between 2001 and 2011, 274 collective social actions regarding oil
drilling and coal and gold mining were recorded, substantially increasing between 2005 and 200846. This
increase does not mean that conflict associated with mining is new. The ethnic and rural farmer
communities, who have been the most affected by this type of project up to now, are able to make visible
the negative effects of this development model on their lives, communities and land.
It is noticeable that a worrying pattern has emerged when there are social protest and resistance to mining.
Similar to that, as it has been identified in other countries,47 corporations often seek to divide
communities. The UN Rapporteur on the situation of human rights and fundamental freedoms of
Indigenous Peoples, James Anaya, identified this pattern as one repeated globally: „(Corporations have)
fuelled conflicts between Indigenous Peoples and the State and extractive industry corporations, as well
as causing divisions within the Indigenous communities themselves48.
In the upcoming years, the development of different collective and social mobilization actions demanding
their rights to water, food, housing, land and territory as well as a transformation of the relationship with
nature, will be one of the central themes for understanding the environmental defence processes and the
sustainable use of natural resources, not just in Colombia, but throughout the region of Latin America.
44
GONZALEZ
Camilo.
La
renta
minera
en
la
locomotora
del
plan
de
desarrollo.
INDEPAZ
http://www.setianworks.net/indepazHome/attachments/580_Renta%20minera%20Colombia%202011.pdf
Bogotá,
2011,
p.
43.
Giving It Away: The Consequences of an Unsustainable Mining Policy in Colombia Report. ABColombia, CAFOD, Christian Aid, Oxfam GB, SCIAF and
Trocaire. http://www.christianaid.org.uk/images/giving-it-away-colombia-mining-report.pdf
46 Informe especial: Minería, conflictos sociales y violaciones a los Derechos Humanos en Colombia [Special Report: Mining, Social Conflict and Violations of
Human Rights in Colombia], CINEP/Programa por la Paz, p.10, October 2012.
47 UN Report to the Human Rights Council Twenty-first session, Human rights bodies and mechanisms, August 2012, Follow-up report on indigenous peoples
and the right to participate in decision-making, with a focus on extractive industries page 7. The Rapporteur is discussing environmental degradation and impacts
on culture and unfulfilled promises of development by corporations.
48 UN Special Rapporteur James Anya, Report to the Human Rights Council 21st session, August 2012, Follow-up report on indigenous peoples and the right to
participate in decision-making, with a focus on extractive industries, page 7
45
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2.3 Gender
Colombia has a situation of political, economic, social and cultural exclusion of women that overlaps with
other problems of the country already mentioned. It is important to take into account elements such as
inequality, the gap between the formal and real situation of the country and the armed conflict when
analysing the situation of women. As well as the women's situation, other relevant variables arise, such as
ethnicity (mainly Afro-Colombians and indigenous people), being urban or rural residents, access to
education and work and income, which determine the level of exclusion of women in Colombia. The
intersectionality that arises means that women are affected differentially by the armed conflict, generating
new dimensions of subordination and the system of patriarchal violence. Furthermore, different forms of
daily and domestic violence persist, which further restrict the participation of women in all aspects of
society.
In Colombia, the exclusion of women is supported by two systems of oppression: a) the sex-gender
system, which through culture has naturalized the relations of inequality and power between men and
women, determining the role of women in society as a useful instrument at the service of others, and, b)
the development model which has driven women to exploitation and the undervaluing of their work, both
productive and reproductive. A sexist and patriarchal culture is maintained which permeates social,
economic, political and cultural relations and that survives in spite of public policy that seeks to promote
women's rights. Most women lack the resources and tools for political and social participation as well as
opportunities for self-recognition and empowerment. In addition to this, women continue to be the main
care takers and those who carry out domestic chores. When they do participate in a productive system
they are subjected to the triple workload and different forms of violence against women that are
naturalized.
There are high rates of physical, sexual, psychological, patrimonial and emotional violence against
women49, which add to the differential effects of armed conflict on women, with unique forms of
victimization from sexual assault or as survivors of massacres, disappearances, murders, forced
displacement, etc. This structural violence and violence from armed conflict accumulates in the case of
women who live in rural sectors or have undergone forced displacement to the cities, generating a higher
degree of violation of their rights and impunity50. It is also women who have survived and have continued
to claim justice and rebuild the social and community tissue, which leads to new cases of violence against
them as leaders and human rights defenders.
Aside from the physical, sexual and psychological violence, in Colombia, there are important forms of
violence related to the development model and to the deficiencies of State institutions. Regarding the
development model, among others there are some examples: i) the fact that women in spite of their
productive and reproductive work in rural communities do not normally own land; ii) the social changes
produced by external investment in power and mining industries have increased prevalence of sexually
transmitted infections among women in regions with enclave economies; iii) women are affected
differentially by the effects of climate change and are the main developers of strategies for the sustainable
use of natural resources. Regarding the deficiencies of the institutions and the State, women face
important obstacles to access justice and the fulfilment of their rights: public officials' unwillingness or
ignorance of women´s human rights, the absence of specific guidelines to guarantee women's rights with
a differential approach or insufficient allocation of resources to policies that could assist women.
Regarding the participation and political representation of women, there is progress in official terms, but
in reality the changes take time. There are two main examples in regards to this situation. The first one
Some examples are: In 2009, 93,682 cases of domestic violence were reported to the National Institute of Forensic Medicine, the main victims were women
(88.6% of the cases) and 84% of sex crimes are committed against women and children. Casa de la Mujer. La violencia contra las mujeres en Colombia
[Violence Against Women in Colombia] At: www.casmujer.org. Last reviewed on August 27, 2012.
50 UNDP "National Human Development Report 2012 "Rural Colombia: Reasons for Hope". Executive Summary, p. 23.
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relates to the political representation and the creation of the so-called "Quota Law" (Law 581 of 2000),
due to the action of women's organizations and different female politicians, in order to guarantee women
a minimum of 30% of the State decision-making positions that are of free appointment and stipulates
mechanisms of participation in political parties and electoral processes.The law has allowed more women
to be included in electoral lists for parliament, however women are still far from obtaining that level of
participation in official areas of the State in the Colombian congress elected for the 2010-2014 period
less than 20% of those elected were women) and it hasn´t positioned the awareness of the interests and
rights of women.51
The second example is related to the participation of women in peace building and peace negotiation.
Many women's organizations consider that UN Resolution 1325 is one of many mechanisms to participate
in the construction of peace, none the less most of them prefer actions with a stronger emphasis in peace
building from the local and regional territories. Multiple peace initiatives emerged between the years
2000 and 2010, among them several women initiatives, who mobilized against war and in favor of peace.
Three national processes of articulation of women stand out: the Iniciativa de Mujeres por la Paz (IMP),
the Red Nacional de Mujeres and the Ruta Pacífica de las Mujeres; there are also different regional
initiatives that focus on issues such as mediation and solution of local and regional conflicts, historic
memory and overcoming the psychological and physical pain caused by war. These social processes of
women have their own proposals and agendas of transformation of the country towards peace, but they
have not had a strong participation in peace negotiation processes. An example of this is that there were
no women as leading delegates of the Government at the negotiating table installed by the Government
and the FARC-EP in October 2013 in Cuba.
There are also obstacles for the participation of women in social and popular organizations. There is a
clear lack of political motivation to guarantee and promote autonomous, organizational processes of
women or their participation in mass and widespread decision-making structures. The gap in regards to
gender equality continues to be large, given that the power structures of the CSO reflect criteria and
prejudices against the capacity of women, especially in community-based mixed organizations and those
located in marginal areas. At the same time there is a marked growth of women's and youth organizations
that seek a voice and direct action, which pursue the transformation of patriarchal systems of exclusion
and thought systems that are insensitive to gender, age or generation differences.
3. Country Strategy 2013-2018
3.1 Choice of thematic area
Forum Syd in Colombia will focus its work on Forum Syd‟s three Global thematic areas: a) Democracy
and Human Rights, b) Sustainable use of Natural Resources and c) Gender Equality.
These three thematic areas, according to the context analysis and past experiences, will have the
following prioritization in Colombia:
a. Democracy and Human Rights.
Although the most evident problem in Colombia is the social and armed conflict that has gone on for
more than fifty years, this conflict is the combined result of three underlying problems: i) Socioeconomic inequality, ii) The crisis of democracy and the justice system and iii) The weakness of active
citizen participation in democratization processes. The combination of these problems has affected the
democracy building process and the guarantee of human rights, mainly in marginalized and discriminated
sectors. Therefore, promoting the social organization of excluded and impoverished sectors, so that they
raise their awareness and are able to demand their rights, will contribute to a fairer and more democratic
51
cf. www.pazconmujeres.org.co.
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society. From a bottom-up approach a link between the community level to the regional and national level
will be achieved for a higher impact in the promotion of rights.
The following aspects need to be worked on in order to contribute to change these problems that affect
democracy and human rights in Colombia:
The Rights of Victims to the Truth, Justice, Comprehensive Reparation and Guarantees of NonRecurrence: The victims of serious human rights violations which are a result of the armed conflict have
mainly come from the most impoverished and marginalized sectors in rural and urban communities.
Colombia will not be able to make progress in appropriate processes to end the conflict if the victims are
not recognized and do not receive social, economic, moral and psychological reparation. Forum Syd in
Colombia will work to strengthen and assist the victims and victims´ organizations at a local, regional and
national level in their processes of demanding rights, taking advantage of the new regulatory framework
that seeks to protect their rights, including Law 1448, known as Victims and Land Restitution Law, Law
1424 of 2010 of transitional justice, the legal framework for peace and some rulings of the CC such as T025 of 2005.
Access to Justice: The weakness of the justice system, corruption and impunity in Colombia have
increased distrust of the institutions and their capacity to respond, provoking the recurrence of violence
and weakening the state of law. Forum Syd Colombia will contribute to marginalized sectors' access to
justice, promoting processes of training on rights, existent protection mechanisms and national and
international enforcement institutions such as the ICC, IHRS and the United Nations System, as well as
the support and promotion of campaigns driven by CSO to fight against impunity.
Democracy and Citizen´ Oversight: In the existing democratic regime, the Colombian Constitution is
based on citizen participation. However, in practice, the political exclusion of some sectors, the privilege
of interests of groups with economic power in the institutional design and the patronage system as an
institution of political representation remain. These elements deepen the crisis in the democratic system.
Forum Syd in Colombia will contribute to build opportunities for autonomous participation and decisionmaking by the excluded sectors at a local and regional level, for the consolidation of a bottom-up
democracy; the active participation of these sectors in the design and supervision of public policy and the
promotion of synergies and coordination of the CSO for the strengthening of democratic advocacy
towards local, regional, national and international authorities.
Peace-Building: The possibility of a political and negotiated agreement to end the armed conflict in
Colombia implies the promotion of strong participation of different sectors in the construction of agendas
that will enable the transformation of the structural causes that led to the conflict. Forum Syd in Colombia
will support the participation of different sectors of the CSO in different peace-building scenarios
according to their proposals and agendas, especially marginalized populations, locally, regionally and
nationally. Special attention to the participation of women will be promoted, seeking the application of
Resolution 1325 of the United Nations Security Council.
b. Sustainable Use of Natural Resources
There are several reasons that generate an unsustainable use of natural resources in Colombia, among
them the implementation of an economic strategy which bases its growth mainly on activities that make
an inappropriate and indiscriminate use of the natural resources (for example: mining, oil and gas
industries, agribusiness and monoculture), putting the ecosystems at great risk and causing negative
social, economic, political and cultural effects on communities especially the women and men of ethnic
and poorest populations. In Colombia, the main challenge is to demonstrate the negative effects of these
economic activities, especially on the rights of indigenous, Afro-Colombian and rural farmer
communities, and also to contribute to strengthen these sector in order to demand their rights and to
develop their own actions and plans for a sustainable use of natural resources. To achieve this, Forum Syd
will work on the following issues:
19
/Colombia Strategy 2013 - 2018
Territorial Development and Environmental Management: This economic development model, which is
currently being implemented in the country, privileges resource extraction activities for economic growth,
obstructing the idea of territorial organization and management on an ecological basis. Over the years,
ethnic and rural farmer communities have constructed different development options, based on
responsible and sustainable relations with the environment which have not been adequately incorporated
into official territorial policy.
Forum Syd will support ethnic and rural farmer communities in the design and implementation of their
autonomous and sustainable development proposals, through technical assistance and with local-regional
political advocacy strategies that include experiences as the promotion of the ZRC and the extension of
indigenous reserves and Afro-Colombian collective lands and environmentally-protected areas, such as
forest reserves among others. It will also support the production projects of these populations, which use
natural resources in a sustainable way like the rural farmer economy and agroecology.
Effects of the development model: Colombia like other countries in Latin America supports its economic
growth on the implementation of a natural resource extraction model through mining-energy projects with
strong support from foreign investment. These projects present a serious risk to the environment and to
the rights of nearby populations and territories, the dimension of which is still unknown. Forum Syd
Colombia will favour joint research actions of the CSO that have been analysing the social, economic,
environmental and cultural impact of these projects and have encouraged advocacy actions for its
regulation, as well as joint research actions on this issues between Forum Syd and the CSO.
Justiciability of ESCERs: Economic, social, cultural and environmental rights have had limited
development in the Colombian regulatory framework and there have been obstacles to their effective
guarantee. Additionally, the impacts of the economic strategy put at risk the right to water and food and
the adequate use of the population's natural resources, especially rural communities. Another serious
effect on ethnic communities is the violation of the right to prior, free and informed consent recognized
and established in the Constitution of 1991 and supported by the Convention 169 of the ILO.
The CSO have recently promoted different actions for the protection of these rights such as social
mobilization, strategic litigation, awareness-raising and information campaigns and training on rights to
overcome the above mentioned obstacles. Forum Syd will establish a line of support for the actions that
strengthen and give continuity to the justiciability of the ESCER by the CSO, prioritizing the support of
accompaniment processes to ethnic communities for the protection of their rights.
c. Gender
The persistence of a cultural patriarchal model and the constant appointment of roles determined by the
sex-gender relation reinforce the subordination and economic, social and political exclusion of women,
this also causes the continuation of systematic gender-based violence.
This historical situation in Colombia increases the inequality gap between men and women which is
reinforced by conditions of class, ethnicity and generation, reflected and reproduced at all levels of the
social structure. To contribute to the transformation of the persistent power structures and discrimination
in Colombian society, it is necessary to focus work at individual, community and organization level. To
achieve this, Forum Syd will prioritize work in the following specific areas:
Women's rights: According to the context analysis, the violation and infringement of rights in Colombia
primarily affects women. The effects of the rights violations are deeper for women of ethnic and rural
farmer communities and for those who live in poverty. Empowerment and demanding their rights may
reverse the processes of social, political, economic and cultural exclusion and marginalization that affect
them, contributing to the consolidation of an active political subject. Forum Syd will support the CSO and
20
/Colombia Strategy 2013 - 2018
women's organizations at a local level to: a) increase their awareness of rights, b) promote the use of
national and international instruments and mechanisms for the enforceability of these rights and to
increase their knowledge and, c) strengthen their processes of enforcement and political participation.
Gender-based violence: Multiple types of violence affect the lives of women in Colombia and other
groups discriminated against because of their gender. Principally, three types of violence against women
are identified: i) Sexual violence as a strategy of war; ii) Violence derived from practices of subordination
and exclusion such as domestic, symbolic violence and daily violence and iii) Socio-economic violence
promoted by economic relations and the current development model. The experience and work of women
to confront this situation of violations have motivated actions of denunciation, mobilization and
awareness-raising. Forum Syd will support initiatives of CSO at a local, regional and national level for
the initial assessment and awareness of gender-based violence, legal action for protection and social
mobilization against this type of violence and awareness-raising and spreading information on the
strategies and actions of mitigation against them.
Gender approach: The practices of discrimination and exclusion of women are reproduced within some
CSO and in some occasions these organizations are not aware of that situation. The scarce participation of
women in decision-making levels, the traditional allocations of operational and care giving tasks and the
low possibility of the organizations´ agenda to incorporate proposals from women and specific demands
are examples that confirm the unequal power relations that are often reproduced within the organizations.
For that reason, Forum Syd will strengthen the processes of promoting gender equality inside the
organizations through the incorporation of instruments and mechanisms for differential analysis
(intersectionality, gender analysis, analysis of subordination and inequality based on the sex-gender
system), mechanisms for women's participation and the promotion of women's meetings in the
organizations for autonomous analysis.
3.2 Description of intervention
3.2.1 LFA format
LFA
Impact: Organized and strengthened population
groups participate actively to demand their rights
and promote a sustainable use of natural
resources and equality between men and women,
as contributions to the improvement of democracy
in Colombia.
Indicators
1. Degree of influence of marginalized and excluded groups in
the formulation and design of public policies at the local,
regional and national level.
2. Level of enjoyment of rights on a local, regional and/or
national level.
Outcome 1 Marginalized women and men have a 1. Capacity index52 of the CSO to enforce the human rights of
greater capacity to demand their rights, in areas of men and women.
strategy intervention.
Outcome 2 Marginalized women and men promote 1. Number and quality of proposals of sustainable
the sustainable use of natural resources through development produced by the CSO.
52
This index will be built by the team in Colombia as a scale that allows measuring the capacity level of the CSO to demand the rights of
marginalized populations. It takes in consideration: knowledge, communications tools, influence, work plans, specification of their claims,
among other. It is necessary to assess the situation both at the beginning (base line) and during the process.
21
/Colombia Strategy 2013 - 2018
their own proposals of development, in areas of 2. Type and degree of effectiveness of actions, by CSO, to
strategy intervention.
protect environmental rights and promote the sustainable use
of natural resources.
Outcome 3 Social organizations of marginalized
sectors have equitable gender practices that
promote fair gender relations in society, in areas of
strategy intervention.
1. The awareness rate of women’s rights among the women
and men in CSO.
2. Type and quality of women's participation in CSO.
3. Level of implementation and mainstreaming of the gender
perspective in actions of CSO.
3.2.2 Specify potential geographic area(s) of intervention, target group(s) and potential
actual or future partner(s) at different levels.
The selection criteria for Forum Syd´s areas of intervention in its 2013-2018 country strategy will be
defined using the survey of a baseline, established in the annual operational plans (AOPs) and adjusted
according to the annual evaluations of the strategy. The geographic areas of intervention must have the
following features:





Permit an extension of international support coverage in Colombia, meaning that areas with a
relatively low presence of international organizations or cooperation resources and mechanisms
will be prioritized.
Have grass roots organizational processes that require and demand the strengthening of their
organizational capacity.
High levels of social, environmental, economic and/or political conflict or a situation of recent
post-conflict, especially characterized by human rights violations and effects of armed conflict.
Presence or prospecting of large-scale mining, hydroelectric and agribusiness projects,
megaprojects and large infrastructure works.
Areas in which Forum Syd is currently present through different types of operations and where it
is possible to generate complementary actions and synergies.
3.2.3 Future partners: Selection Criteria for Strategic Partners and Allies
Forum Syd will establish partner or ally relations with grass roots organizations and their platforms,
networks, civil society organizations or social movements and national and international NGOs. It will be
able to coordinate with strategic actors, such as the European Union, UN System, SIDA, the Swedish
Embassy, the network of Swedish cooperation agencies in Colombia and platforms of international
organizations in the country, provided that it contributes to the work of the selected thematic areas and
prioritized target groups for the country strategy.
Forum Syd will promote the link between the community based organisations and the national and
international advocacy agendas. These organizations will have the opportunity to build a common agenda
with different stakeholders at different levels where the local problems and needs will be prioritised.
The criteria for the identification of partners and allies have been established in line with Forum Syd‟s
global policies53 and some related reflections that arose during Forum Syd's annual conference which was
held in Stockholm in October 2012:
The potential partners and allies must be aware of and share the basic values of Forum Syd. Therefore,
53
“Forum Syd Partnership Policy” and “Civil Society’s Role in a Democratic Development”.
22
/Colombia Strategy 2013 - 2018
they must:
 Work to guarantee human rights without discrimination in terms of gender, age, sexual
orientation, gender identity, sexual expression, ethnic origin, political beliefs, religion or
disabilities.
 Give priority to men and women of excluded social sectors and aim for them to be able to have an
influence in public and private decision-making spaces, so that they can exercise their rights.
 Challenge unfair power structures.
 Be transparent and practice democratic values for work and internal organization.
 Apply the rights´ approach or have practices that are coherent with it.
The potential partners or allies must be potential strategic actors for change. Therefore, they ideally
should:
 Have coordination strategies and synergies with other social organizations or the disposition to
establish them.
 Have the capacity to generate changes coherent with their vision, mission and institutional goals.
 Have the disposition or progress towards the inclusion of the gender equality approach.
 Have started organization processes in their areas of intervention, have representation and
legitimacy in the groups and/or areas they accompany or represent.
The potential partners and allies must have the capacity to perform different roles in civil society.
Therefore, they must:
 Be autonomous with respect to political parties
Comprehensively address the thematic areas prioritized in Forum Syd's country strategy.
3.2.4 Describe your methodical approach to the thematic area
Forum Syd as a cooperation agent has the fundamental objective of strengthening the capacities of
Colombian CSO as social actors in strategic change. The achievement of Forum Syd‟s mission objectives,
which are objectives shared with partners and allies, depend on our own management, but also primarily
on the results obtained by the CSO that we support and on the achievements obtained in public areas with
other strategic allies.
In line with the institutional roles of Forum Syd as an advocate, capacity developer, development actor
and grant administrator, the 2013-2018 country strategy will be implemented by the Forum Syd work
team with the support of its partners and allies. Each thematic area will have the following
methodological focuses:
a. Democracy and Human Rights: In this thematic line Forum Syd together with its partners will focus its
methodology on:
Improving the rights awareness of marginalized sector organizations and CSO: Through: i) Support of
the training process such as exchanges of experiences, seminars, workshops, discussions, certificates for
men and women who belong to grass roots organizations and/or target groups of the CSO and ii) The
management of knowledge, information production, analyses, research reports, baselines on victims'
rights, national and international human rights protection mechanisms, citizen participation mechanisms,
transitional justice and peace negotiation processes.
Improve the capacity of marginalized sector organizations to demand their rights: This will be done
through; i) Accompaniment to the grass roots organizations and their target groups in the formulation of
advocacy strategies and plans, promoting context and thematic analysis processes, analysis of actors and
strengthening work in networks; ii) Accompaniment and development of CSO´s actions to generate
23
/Colombia Strategy 2013 - 2018
public opinion, such as mobilization and public opinion awareness-raising campaigns, development of
CSO´s research and initial assessments for local, national and international advocacy; iii) Support of
actions and processes of the CSO to present cases to national and international human rights institutions,
including the Attorney General, Constitutional Court, regional prosecutors' offices, IHRS, UNUS and the
ICC among others.
Strengthening of organizational capacities of marginalized sector organizations: In this area, Forum Syd
and its partners will contribute to the strengthening of the technical, political and administrative/financial
capacity of the grass roots organizations and CSO.
The technical strengthening will focus on training, coaching and consultancy processes in strategic
planning, results-based management, context analysis, interactive initial assessments, development of
protection and self-protection skills and project evaluation.
Political strengthening will be focussed on the development of political and analytical capacity through
training process on the following approaches: Gender and Intersectionality, "Do no Harm" and Rights
approaches.
The organizational, financial-administrative strengthening aimed at the development of institutional
capacity through training and consultancy on the following areas: organizational models, internal
democracy and decision-making, accountability, accounting systems, regulatory framework for non-profit
and international cooperation entities, fundraising and sustainability.
b. The sustainable use of natural resources: In this thematic area Forum Syd will focus its methodology
on:
Improving the technical and management capacity of men and women from marginalized sectors to make
decisions about their own lives: To achieve this, Forum Syd will support training initiatives, training and
advocacy in territorial development plans, territorial management, protection and land defence
mechanisms and the national and international regulatory framework for the protection of the land of
ethnic and rural farmer communities. Projects for legalization, recognition of the land of ethnic and rural
farmer communities, productive projects implementation, clean production, agroecology, product
commercialization, promotion of food security and sovereignty and protection of water sources and
fragile ecosystems, will be supported.
Forum Syd will provide the CSO with support, coaching and consultancy for the implementation of their
environmental approach in projects and programmes through training on the Environmental Lens and the
Community Tool.
Contribute to the construction of independent proposals for the sustainable use of natural resources:
Forum Syd will provide financial support for the processes of design and presentation of land use and
environmental management proposals of ethnic and rural farmer communities, grouped in the ZRC,
indigenous reserves and collective Afro-Colombian lands.
It will also develop national and international advocacy actions of accompaniment for ethnic and rural
farmer groups in their initiatives to protect water, land and the sustainable use of natural resources and the
enforcement of international and national laws to protect the environment.
Finally, it will develop and support processes of awareness-raising and generating public opinion from the
research process about environmental impact and the rights of nearby communities of mining-power
projects, land and environmental management experiences, exchange of experiences in the development
of projects for a rural economy and the economic self-sustainability of impoverished sectors.
24
/Colombia Strategy 2013 - 2018
c. Gender equality: In this thematic area, Forum Syd together with its partners will focus its methodology
on:
Contribution to the transformation of discriminatory practices within social organizations of
marginalized sectors: Through the promotion of training seminars, workshops, meetings and exchanges
on the gender approach, intersectionality, differential approach and women's political, economic, social
and cultural rights. Tools and methodologies of planning work and PME processes with a differential
approach will be applied.
Forum Syd will also develop organizational strengthening processes with the implementation of
organizational design methods and tools with the gender approach and promote autonomous meetings,
analysis and actions of the women of the CSO. It will also promote the articulation of these processes
from the different organizations through dialogue and meetings, exchanges, seminars and web based
forums. Advocacy routes will be identified and used to strengthen the capacity of women of the CSO to
influence on political issues of their interest.
It will seek to fund the production of analyses and initial assessments of local, regional and national
women's participation mechanisms. This information may be used as a tool for advocacy towards social
organizations, social movements and the women movement in order to create awareness in regards to the
proposals of the women from the organizations Forum Syd works with and to position them. It also can
be used to position the women from the CSO in regards to global networks that approach the issues of
their interest or for them to develop advocacy actions towards the Colombian state and other political
actors.
Promotion of equal relations in the CSO' work: The mobilization, dissemination and communication of
information campaigns opposite to violence against women and in favour of justice will be funded to
generate public opinion on a local, regional, national and global level; complementarily initial analyses
and technical information about the impact of the development model on women's rights and violence
against women in the context of local and regional armed conflict will also be funded. Meetings,
exchanges, seminars and promotion of the use of Information and Communication Technologies will also
be used in order to develop comparative analysis on the impacts of the development model on the rights
of women and violence against women on a national level (between the partners of Forum Syd) and on a
global level (trough other Forum Syd´s Country Offices, other national and international organizations
and global or international networks or platforms).
Legal enforcement processes will also be funded regarding the demand of women's civil, political,
economic, social and cultural rights and women's participation in local, regional and national public
policy decision-making in regards to gender equality. Processes in regards to the citizen ´s oversight on
the implementation of public policies will also be developed.
Finally, the CSO and particularly the women's organizations will be accompanied in their analysis and
advocacy processes on the effects of the economic development model on women's rights and violence
against women.
3.2.5 What would be Forum Syd's added value to the development of these specific
thematic areas
The main contributions and distinctive features of Forum Syd's work are materialized in the work's
methodological approach, thematic approaches, the target population and areas of implementation. The
following aspects are highlighted:
25
/Colombia Strategy 2013 - 2018
a. The added value of Forum Syd regarding Democracy and Human Rights:
 Provider of technical, political and methodological knowledge to its partners and allies on rights,
democracy, the fight against impunity and national and international mechanisms for the
enforcement of rights.
 Promoter of synergies between actors and organizations of different levels (CSO, international
cooperation, embassies, the Attorney General, local, regional and national institutions,
universities, among others)
 Communicator of democratic and equal practices and values, which position it as a model actor in
the promotion and protection of human rights in Colombia.
 Promoter of a model for cooperation and strengthening for grass roots organizations and/or social
organizations of marginalized sectors.
b. The added value of Forum Syd regarding the environment and sustainable use of natural resources:
 Promoter of the application of the rights based approach in projects and programmes funded for
the CSO on environmental, land management and defence and protection of the territory issues.
 Promoter of the application of the rights based and the gender approaches in the analysis and
research on the effect of the unsustainable use of natural resources.
 Provider of consultancy, coaching and technical assistance for CSO on projects and programmes
on sustainable development, land management and the defence and protection of territory.
 Accompaniment to advocacy processes for the protection and enforcement of economic, social,
cultural and environmental rights towards national government institutions and international
organizations.
 The implementation and use of the Environmental Lens and the Community Tool developed by
Forum Syd in order to develop participatory analysis in relation to impacts on the environment of
the communities projects.
c. The added value of Forum Syd regarding gender equality:
 Incorporation of the gender approach in the CSO's analyses and action strategies.
 Provider of methodological tools to redefine the traditional roles of women and mainstream the
gender perspective in the CSO's processes and actions.
 Creator of scenarios for the autonomous participation of women in the CSO.
 Promoter of processes to denaturalize and eradicate violence against women.
 Promoter of synergies in regards to gender equality at local, regional, national and global levels.
d. The added value of Forum Syd regarding the organizational strengthening of CSO:
 Provider of administrative and financial capacity strengthening.
 Provider of technical skills in the planning, use and management of resources.
 Promoter of organizational, democratic, efficient and sustainable models.
 Promoter of capacities for the planning, monitoring, follow-up and evaluation of CSO projects
and programmes to guarantee impact and change.
3.2.6 Risk analysis and management
For the 2013-2018 country strategy's implementation and to achieve its results an analysis of critical
factors that may condition or in extreme cases obstruct the strategy's development is needed. The main
risks identified are now presented:
26
/Colombia Strategy 2013 - 2018
Risk
Dependency on
SIDA cooperation
funds for the
development of
the country
strategy.
Reduction of
cooperation
resources in
Colombia
Likelihood Impact
High
High
Mitigation Measures
 Diversification of sources of funding
 Search for complementary resources or
new resources
Responsible Actor
Forum Syd (Colombia
and Head Office)
High
High

Forum Syd (Colombia
and Head Office)
Financial
insolvency for
maintaining the
work team.
Medium
High


Implement an appropriate fundraising
strategy for Forum Syd's capacities and
the new demands of the cooperation
system
Diversification of sources of funding
Application of the financial sustainability
plan
Establishment of a flexible and multifunctional structure
Qualification of the team for the sale of
services
Constant flow of information,
communication and analysis for
adjustments to work plans and actions
Annual operational planning by scenario
Follow-up of the human rights and IHL
situation, particularly that of human rights
defenders (CSO leadership, community
organizations, etc.)
Application and adjustment of the security
protocol by the Forum Syd team and
partners
Actions for reporting and protection and
other relevant measures that protect the
work carried out
Strengthening of CSOs and communities
in protection mechanisms and routes
Carry out strategic planning according to
the technical, operational, educational
and financial capacities of the office of
Forum Syd Colombia
Strengthen the training of partners and
counterparts in organization and
administration
Application of PM&E mechanisms
Forum Syd / partners


Local
and High
regional political
instability
Increase in
political
persecution and
attacks on CSOs
and human rights
defenders.
High
High

High





Forum
Syd High
Colombia
not
having
the
capacity
to
respond to the
CSOs'
requirements for
support
and
funding.
Administrative
High
and
organizational
weaknesses of
counterparts and
partners.
Increase of floods High
and droughts in
Medium 
High


High

Forum Syd
Forum Syd /
implementing partners
Colombian State
Forum Syd /
implementing partners
Security Office of the
UN in Colombia.
CSOs, networks and
platforms of human
rights defenders
Forum
Syd
/
implementing partners
Environmental risk map and management Forum Syd /
implementing partners
plan for the intervention in each
27
/Colombia Strategy 2013 - 2018
the territories of
the
targeted
communities
affects
the
implementation of
projects.


community.
Funding of environmental studies of the
areas of intervention.
Create a contact network with
organizations specialized on
environmental risk management and
emergency care.
3.3 Fundraising
One of the greatest difficulties of Forum Syd's operations in Colombia is the almost total dependency on
SIDA funds (except for the recent strengthening project of rural farmer reserve zones supported by the
European Union). This situation puts Forum Syd in a precarious situation if it stops receiving these funds.
Assuming a more autonomous role entails a challenge of great magnitude, but that nevertheless is
absolutely necessary in light of the possible situation of not having the FOS funds (through SIDA) as the
major source of financial stability for Forum Syd Colombia and the tendency of international cooperation
to reduce its support of CSO in Colombia.
The political changes in the global power centres (United States and Europe) and the current economic
crises have motivated transformations in global trends of international cooperation. The priorities in the
geographical areas and stakeholders have been adjusted. The ending of agencies' operations, the reduction
of funds, the reorganization of work teams, outsourcing and redirection of cooperation lines are
challenges that Forum Syd Colombia needs to respond to appropriately. This is done in a special appendix
to this Country Strategy.
28