colombia international community solving children and armed conflict

Many initiatives are already building towards a post-conflict era. Now, these people not only have their land back, but also their livelihoods. “Restitution is, then, one way of helping people both restore their lives in their communities and also get that valuable asset back.” “If your land is your primary asset and you have been forced to abandon it, it is going to make you even more vulnerable,” explains Victoria Stanley, World Bank Senior Rural Development Specialist.

“You’d go into the mountains and you’d worry you thought you’d be killed,” says Alfonso Mejia, a cattle farmer who has had his land restored. Throughout the conflict, about 6 million people left their homes fearing for their lives. “There have been advances, but now is the time to redouble efforts,” he said. Inequalities between regions are still high, for example. “Reaching the highest levels of well-being for all Colombians implies managing peace sustainably, eradicating poverty and sharing prosperity.” “It will require investments in infrastructure and human capital,” explained Corrochano. What would a post-conflict agenda look like? “Colombia can make history in 2016,” Corrochano said. A World Bank economic assessment reveals that if the country had been at peace for the past 20 years, the income per capita could have been 50 percent higher than it is today.Ĭonsidering that economic growth was responsible for over 70 percent of extreme poverty reduction between 20, this could have an incredible impact. “It is poised to end a conflict that has been an obstacle to its development potential for years.”Įxperts agree that there is a great opportunity window for a post-conflict Colombia. “The current face of Colombia is completely different and its future, promising,” said Gerardo Corrochano, World Bank Director for Colombia and Mexico. More than 6 million people left poverty and, for the first time ever, more Colombians are considered to be middle class than in poverty. Even during conflict, the country has grown more than the Latin American average, and has cut extreme poverty rates by half between 20. The stage of one of the longest armed conflicts in the world, Colombia has put up with this internal struggle for over 50 years, which has claimed thousands of lives and forced millions from their homes.ĭespite these odds, Colombia has advanced much on another front – the fight against poverty. It’s hard to picture, but most Colombians have never lived in a country at peace. Democratic Republic of Congo - Français.

Colombia international community solving children and armed conflict