Tag Archives: Latin America

Spain: First-person testimonies: this is how we fight for gender equality by activism and participation

. . WOMEN’S EQUALITY . .

An article from Toledo Diario (translation by CPNN)

The fight for gender equality is global and transversal. Mutual support, collaboration networks and alliances are essential for the achievement of rights that in some countries have advanced more than in others. For all this, activism and social participation have become a powerful tool that Development NGOs now want to show as an example of these global actions.


Image by Antonio Cansino from Pixabay

The multimedia project “Weaving Alliances for Gender Equality” has as its objective to collect, both online and in a printed publication, about fifteen projects around the world. It has been prepared by the Coordinator of NGOs in Castilla-La Mancha in collaboration with groups from various countries and with the support of the Women’s Institute of this autonomous community. And the result is dozens of testimonies to learn, raise awareness and fight for this International Women’s Day, and every day of the year.

This project is part of the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that constitute the roadmap to achieve sustainable development where “no one is left behind”, especially SDG 5, which seeks to achieve equality between gender and empower all women and girls by 2030.

The Coordinator highlights that in a context of global inequality, the alliances between local and regional governments, NGDOs, local counterparts, unions, universities and citizens, are needed to promote the principles of the 2030 Agenda and enhance its most transformative elements. “These alliances reinforce the capacities of governments, civil organizations and citizens that defend human rights; they sensitize and mobilize the commitment and involvement of citizens towards sustainable development and promote effective actions to combat inequalities ”.

(Click here for the original article in Spanish.)

Questions related to this article:

Do women have a special role to play in the peace movement?

Prospects for progress in women’s equality, what are the short and long term prospects?

How can just one or a few persons contribute to peace and justice?

The proof is this multimedia project, where we can hear from its protagonists first-hand.

One of them is Elena Emperatriz Santiso, participant in the SOLMAN and ADICOMAR equality project for the empowerment of women, to improve their economic independence and know their rights. Various trainings adapted to the context were designed to empower women, to improve economic independence and to know their rights. These training in dressmaking, beauty or hairdressing, accompanied by training in rights, not only allowed for greater economic independence, but women began to recognize that they had rights and, if they were violated, there were legal mechanisms to report them. Click here for her testimony in Spanish

Another testimony is that of the Alianza de Mujeres en el Corredor del Cribe Project, in which SodePaz participates, and which develops within the framework of an agreement between non-governmental organizations of the Dominican Republic, Haiti and Cuba to address issues related to the social and solidarity economy from an environmental perspective. It incorporates the cultural and gender dimension, and everything that implies sustainable development in that region. Olita Jean is a participant in this initiative in Haiti, one of the poorest countries in the world. Here is her testimony in Spanish.

Oxfam Intermón develops the “Together We Victory” initiative to support Colombian women who fight for the protection of civil rights and the environment. In this context, women defenders, rural women, involved in a reality of inequality, risk and abuse in the exploitation of natural resources of their land, are united in the Platform for Political Advocacy of Rural Women of Colombia. They can obtain support from Oxfam Intermón to raise their voice and increase the visibility of their actions and the dangers they face. Thanks to this campaign, a joint circular has been signed for the first time between the different control entities of the Government of Colombia to guarantee the rights of rural women. In it, public servants are urged to comply with the regulations that are already in place and whose non-compliance will generate disciplinary actions. Laura Victoria Gómez Correa, from the Right to Equality Program in Colombia, speaks. Here is her testimony in Spanish.

Nurses for the World is the protagonist of another of the initiatives of these alliances. It is about their work in the fight and prevention of human trafficking for sexual exploitation in Bolivia. In the last workshop “It’s about you”, held within the framework of the II International Forum “Toledo, Culture of Peace”, the proposal was very well received and the people who initially attended out of curiosity, ended the workshop being more aware the meaning, causes and consequences of human trafficking and smuggling. Miriam Montero Gómezes technician of Nurses for the World projects speaks here in Spanish.

Finally, the Assembly for Cooperation for Peace (ACPP) contributes to this project the experience of the women protagonists in 2011 of the so-called Arab Spring. They raised their voices to demand social and political improvements that would consolidate human rights. With them, this NGO works in the Maghreb, to support and strengthen civil movements and associations that promote women’s rights, so that they are the engine of change in their countries. Anna Rispa is a reference of the Assembly of Cooperation for Peace in the Maghreb. Here is her testimony in Spanish.

Europe, Latin America, Mideast, WOMEN'S EQUALITY, ,

Mexico: Second Edition of the International Festival of Cinema for the Culture of Peace

EDUCATION FOR PEACE .

An article from Asi Sucede

The second edition of the International Festival of Cinema for the Culture of Peace will take place from 17-21 March as a virtual event free of charge.


The Festival will have three sections. First is the Rally in which nine production teams are given 72 hours to produce short films. The teams will have access to a collection of films in order to create their unique stories. Their films will be screened at the end of the Festival.

The second section is the International Exposition with projection of films from over 19 countries.

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(Click here for the original Spanish version of this article.)

Question for this article:

Film festivals that promote a culture of peace, Do you know of others?

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The third is the “Territory without Repose” in which the film producers share their experiences.

A press conference took place this Wednesday [March 3] with the organizers of the Festival. They explained how it will be available virtually on social media.

Ricardo Braojos, the festival director explained that “We are going to hold a series of round tables. Two roundtables will be with the producers and directors of the short films who will present the films in four programs. Four round tables will be concerned with women in cinema, how they have been portrayed and also how the image of women on the screen has changed throughout history, as well as the role of women as filmmakers ”

One short film and one feature film will be screened each day and will be available on line for 24 hours. At the end of each screening, the filmmakers will share their experience filming their project.

All the activities and screenings of the International Film Festival for a Culture of Peace will be broadcast through their social networks; on Facebook FICCPAz; as well as on its website, where the complete program will also be available.

EDUCATION FOR PEACE, Latin America

The Rotary Club of Pétion-Ville : promoting the culture of peace in Haiti

. . DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION . .

An article from Le Nouvelliste (translation by CPNN)

In line with the February priority of Rotary International for peace and the prevention and resolution of conflicts, the Rotary Club of Pétion-Ville held the first edition of its symposium for education to promote the culture of peace. It was held at the hotel Montana with the paarticipation of several representatives of organizations that work with children.


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(Click here for the original article in French.)

Question related to this article:

 
Are the people of Haiti making progress toward a culture of peace?

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Carine Cléophat, the president of the Rotary Club considered that it was a successful day. In her remarks to open the symposium, she said, “The Rotary Club of Pétion-Ville is launching a project to promote the culture of peace in the schools affiliated with the Club as well as the general public in order to commemorate the month of February, the month of peace for Rotary International.” As a first experiment, it was considered a success by the organization with regard to the different themes that were debated, and the testimonies of the participants who said in conclusion that they appreciated the idea that it will be continued in future years.

The symposium was organized around three dimensions (themes): Father Marc Henry Simeon took charge of the spiritual dimension. The psychologist Melodie Benjamin dealt with the family dimension. And the economist Etzer Emile considered the economic dimension of peace.

Following the interventions of the panelists, the organizers proposed practical applications. Groups were created to participate in workshops.

Means to establish a real peace were proposed. They were considered, studied and recorded by the organizers from the Rotary Club, according to President Carine Cléophat.

The next symposium is planned to take place in February 2022, to include a wider range of participants and additional publicity.

DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION, Latin America

Over a Million Mobilize for International Women’s Day in Latin America

FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION

An article with photos from Left Voice

Millions across Latin America took the streets on March 8 for International Women’s Day. All over, the message was clear: women want an end to all violence and oppression.


Video

Throughout Latin America, people mobilized on March 8 and/or 9 for International Women’s Day. International Working Women’s Day, celebrated on March 8, commemorates a textile workers strike in New York City. Inspired by the actions of the women’s worker movements in the United States and elsewhere, German Socialist Clara Zetkin proposed to designate March 8 as International Women’s Day during the International Socialist Women’s Congress of 1910.



In the past few years, the day has taken on new life with massive mobilizations around the world. Here, we highlight some of the biggest mobilizations in Latin America.

Chile

In Chile, millions gathered across the country for a historic International Working Women’s Day demonstration on March 8. In the capital city of Santiago alone, over a million people took to the streets and squares. A giant green bandana was laid in the heart of the square by the socialist-feminist group, Pan y Rosas, and read a central demand for women across Latin America — that of free, legal, and safe abortions.


The massive protest in Santiago, Chile

The mobilizations in Chile are particularly noteworthy since they occur amidst ongoing protests against the political regime. In the days leading up to Sunday, March 8, hundreds of thousands gathered in the central square in Santiago and the front-line of the protests, Plaza de la Dignidad, chanting “Chile Despertó”, that “Chile has woken up”. The marches and demonstrations before and on March 8 put the demands of the movement front and center. Chants and slogans amplified the months-long demand for the resignation of the President, Sebastian Piñera, and against the repression by the police who have mercilessly unleashed violence on the protesters for months.

Since March 8 was on a Sunday, various women’s organizations as well as coordination groups called for a strike on Monday, March 9. However, due to the lack of support from unions, these strike actions were confined to particular workplaces, as opposed to last year’s general strikes against the Pinera government. The Chilean state prepared for the strike actions by gathering its repressive forces, putting up road blockades  in key neighborhoods in Santiago, and violently attacking and arresting school students  who were making their way to Plaza de la Dignidad. In the Antofagasta, a town that has become central to the coordination of the anti-government movement, teachers, education workers, and students are playing a central role to ensure the success of the strike. In addition to demanding an end to the Piñera regime, they’re making historic demands for better working conditions, including free public education.

Mexico

In Mexico, hundreds of thousands gathered across the country for demonstrations on March 8. In Mexico City, over 150,000 women turned out to protest inequality, violence, and oppression, while the march in the western city of Guadalajara was over 30,000 strong. This was the biggest March 8 protest in Mexican history. On March 9,  many women walked off the job for “A Day Without a Woman.”


Massive protest on March 8 in Mexico City.

The primary motor for the protest was the indignation with femicides, which are all too common in Mexico. Femicides in Mexico have increased by 137% in the last five years. In 2019 alone, about 10 women were killed every day. Thousands more have gone missing. 

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Questions for this article

Protecting women and girls against violence, Is progress being made?

Prospects for progress in women’s equality, what are the short and long term prospects?

How can we be sure to get news about peace demonstrations?

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Protesters also spoke out against the precariousness of work and layoffs due to austerity measures. In Mexico City, over 1,000 people marched with Pan y Rosas, the socialist feminist group with a clearly anti-capitalist and anti-patriarchal message that for the end of women’s oppression and for socialist revolution.  

These demonstrations have been the largest mobilizations since the beginning of Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s presidency in 2018. López Obrador overwhelmingly won his election on the basis of progressive rhetoric and promises . However, while in office López Obrador has maintained austerity measures and has not taken steps to stop the epidemic of femicides in Mexico— in fact, femicides have increased during his mandate. The right to an abortion is still confined to Mexico City and Oaxaca, leading to countless deaths due to illegal and unsafe abortions. 

Uruguay

Nearly 300,000 people took the streets in Montevideo, Uruguay on March 8. This year, March 8 was particularly important due to the rise of a right-wing government in Uruguay. As La Izquierda Diario Uruguay writes, “The threat that all these reactionary sectors make is the loss of our historical conquests such as the right to abortion or marriage equality. They are religious and anti-rights sectors that today feel impunity to wave their flags provocatively because they are backed by the State.” In fact, in the days before the march, police repression increased against street vendors and youth in working class neighborhoods. 


At the International Women’s Day March, the police were out in full force, with water cannons and riot gear, prepared to act against the marchers. 

Argentina

Over a hundred thousand people across Argentina mobilized on March 9 for International Working Women’s Day. A Catholic mass against the right to an abortion on March 8 and there were smaller actions for the right to an abortion by left and feminist groups. One of the primary debates among organizers o the feminist movement had to do with the day of protest. Feminist groups that support the Alberto Fernandez government argued against a confrontation with the Catholic church on March 8, while other left and feminist groups stated that it was important to rally on International Women’s Day. 


Even so, on March 9, hundreds of thousands of people throughout the country mobilized, demanding the separation of church and state, the right to an abortion, as well as against femicides. The official statement also said “The debt is owed to us, not the IMF and not the church.”  This is particularly important in the context of a massive economic crisis in Argentina and the massive inflation rate. 

Members of the socialist feminist group Pan y Rosas began the day with an action and road blockage in solidarity with teachers that are currently fighting for a salary increase and better working conditions in smaller cities in Argentina. Nathalia González Seligra, a leader of the teachers union in the neighborhood of La Matanza said “While the government wants to negotiate with the IMF and the bondholders, who take millions of dollars from the country, the education workers — overwhelmingly women — have no choice but to work two or three charges to make ends meet.” 

Argentina has had one of the strongest feminist movements in the world over the past five years, starting with massive protests against femicide under the banner of Ni Una Menos (not one less) in 2015. March 8 was revived as a day of massive protest bringing out hundreds of thousands of people starting in 2017. And last year, well over a million people took the streets for the right to an abortion, which was narrowly denied due not only to votes from the right wing parties, but also votes from the “progressive” Peronist coaltion that is now in the government. 

A few days ago, the President of Argentina announced that he would present a law to Congress to legalize abortion — seemingly a different law than the one written by the feminist movement and presented to Congress last year. The new law hasn’t been made public yet, although there was some speculation that it would be presented yesterday for International Women’s Day. 

From Santiago to Mexico City, millions took to the streets waving green bandanas for abortion rights. Throughout Latin America, the message was overwhelmingly similar — women want an end to violence and oppression. As the anger at the demonstrations show, even “progressive” governments have been inadequate in addressing even the most basic demands of the feminist movement. The growth and interventions of groups like Pan y Rosas, however, show us a path to victory: one built with a coalition of working class women, students, and youth that can challenge the very capitalist system that exploits and oppresses us.

This article was based on articles from the La Izquierda Diario news network. 

Latin America, WOMEN'S EQUALITY

Emails Reveal: U.S. Officials Sided With Agrochemical Giant Bayer to Overturn Mexico’s Glyphosate Ban

. . SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT . .

An article by Kenny Stancilde from Ecowatch

While Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has given farmers in the country a 2024 deadline to stop using glyphosate, The Guardian reported  Tuesday that agrochemical company Bayer, industry lobbyist CropLife America, and U.S. officials have been pressuring Mexico’s government to drop its proposed ban on the carcinogenic pesticide.


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The corporate and U.S.-backed attempt to coerce Mexico into maintaining its glyphosate imports past 2024 has unfolded, as journalist Carey Gillam detailed in the newspaper, “over the last 18 months, a period in which Bayer was negotiating an $11 billion settlement of legal claims brought by people in the U.S. who say they developed non-Hodgkin lymphoma due to exposure” to glyphosate-based products, such as Roundup.

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Question for this article:
 
Despite the vested interests of companies and governments, Can we make progress toward sustainable development?

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Roundup, one of the world’s mostly widely-used herbicides, was created by Monsanto which was acquired by Bayer in 2018.

According to The Guardian, which obtained internal documents via a Freedom of Information Act request by the Center for Biological Diversity (CBD), “The pressure on
Mexico is similar to actions  Bayer and chemical industry lobbyists took to kill a glyphosate ban planned by Thailand in 2019. Thailand officials had also cited concerns for public health in seeking to ban the weed killer, but reversed course after U.S. threats about trade disruption.”

In addition to instructing Mexico’s farmers to stop using glyphosate by 2024, the López Obrador administration on Dec. 31, 2020 issued a “final decree” calling for “a phase-out  of the planting and consumption of genetically engineered corn, which farmers often spray with glyphosate, a practice that often leaves residues of the pesticide in finished food products,” the news outlet noted.

The Mexican government has characterized  the restrictions as an effort to improve the nation’s “food security and sovereignty” and to protect its wealth of biological as well as cultural diversity and farming communities.

Mexico’s promotion of human and environmental health, however, “has triggered fear in the United States for the health of agricultural exports, especially Bayer’s glyphosate products,” Gillam wrote.

Latin America, North America, SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT,

Colombia: Impulse Travel – Sustainable tourism committed to Peace

. . SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT . .

An article from Caracol Radio (translation by CPNN)

Impulse Travel, a sustainable tourism company that has been working in the industry for 10 years, was a winner in the category of “Peace, Social Justice and Solid Institutions” in the SDGs Global Startup Competition, a competition of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).

Since the signing of the Peace Agreement, this company has focused on peace-building.  They have worked with different post-conflict populations for peace, productivity and sustainability processes, adding them to their value chain and giving them a share of the tourism market.

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(Click here for the Spanish version)

Questions related to this article:
 
How can tourism promote a culture of peace?

What is happening in Colombia, Is peace possible?

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“We see these communities as partners, as a social enterprise that are part of the Value chain.  We work with social leaders who are leaders for changes in a community that are productive, cultural, gastronomic (…) we seek these social transformation projects and adapt them to our business ”, says Rodrigo Atuesta, CEO of Impulse Travel.

In addition, Lizeth Riaño, leader of strategy and impact product, sees in sustainable tourism “an opportunity to convince travelers that their tourism contributes to these communities by generating income for the territories. We see it as an opportunity and a challenge, to convince Colombians to get to know these regions and invest in them ”

The company recognizes that these are not experiences for everyone, since most visitors from abroad come for the first time and may be very clear about the type of experiences they want to live. ” The most important thing is to find the audience that vibrates with the same frequency as us, ” continues Atuesta.

This year, after a 2020 pandemic, Impulse Travel is working in a branch dedicated to finding these initiatives in communities in the process of social transformation, and giving them comprehensive support in addition to the tourism dimension.  It’s a great challenge to understand how initiatives work and to link them directly to the market. 

Latin America, SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Colombia: Cultural spaces for the construction of peace

.. DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION ..

An article from RPTV Noticias

Young people have a role in building peace. This is how the organizations that make up the youth fabric have understood it, a group from the town of Rafael Uribe Uribe in Bogotá, one of the towns most effected by the armed conflict in the capital.


Video of Cultural Spaces

“What we want to show is that we have a conscience, we want a change and we are doing things to make that change real. Relating to the territory gives me the sense of belonging to the place where I have grown up, where I have been and it makes me realize the realities that are around me, ”said Nicolás Chávez.

(Article continued in right column)

(Click here for the article in Spanish)

Questions for this article:

How important is community development for a culture of peace?

Do the arts create a basis for a culture of peace?, What is, or should be, their role in our movement?

What is happening in Colombia, Is peace possible?

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With their actions the youth have worked to generate new ways of appropriating the territory, preventing violence and promoting inclusion through artistic expressions.

In this community work, the main protagonists are young people, who with art and culture reflect leadership as a fundamental pillar to transform their spaces.

“The initiative of the murals is the demilitarization of life. It is one of the most beautiful ways of expressing what we feel. It is a way of reaching young people since it is a part with which they identify,” said Sofia Alfonso Cantor.

Youth fabric interprerts peace as a space for exchange, based on respect and collective participation.

This is how Nicolás Chavez, resident of the Rafael Uribe Uribe town and who participates in these conferences, highlighted the importance of these spaces: “for us the construction of peace is a state of well-being, to be among everyone, in a place, a space where we can all feel good ”.

Youth fabric that is part of the research carried out by the Compaz Foundation, for its appropriation of the territory to build citizenship, to promote dialogue and collective decision-making, a clear example of the role played by civil society organizations in the building a culture of peace.

DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION, Latin America

Oaxaca, Mexico: Judicial Power privileges culture of peace with alternative justice

. . DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION . .

An article from NVI Noticias (translation by CPNN)

The head of the State Judiciary, Judge Eduardo Pinacho Sánchez, affirmed that mediation, conciliation, arbitration and restorative justice are alternative methods of conflict resolution through dialogue between the people involved. This allows them to resolve their problems without the need to go to a judge, since it gives the parties the opportunity to agree through free will, cooperation and communication, strengthening the culture of peace.

“It is often thought that the judicial process is a peaceful method of resolution, but sometimes it is not like that because it re-victimizes and is more difficult. Instead, there are more friendly procedures such as alternative justice”, he emphasized in an interview for an opinion radio space.

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(Click here for the original article in Spanish)

Discussion questions

Restorative justice, What does it look like in practice?

Mediation as a tool for nonviolence and culture of peace

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The president of the Superior Court of Justice and the Council of the Judiciary indicated that this is a traditional way used in Oaxaca for a long time by indigenous peoples and communities to resolve differences between their inhabitants in a daily and effective way.

After emphasizing that alternative methods of conflict resolution contribute to a peaceful environment, he pointed out that it is also an issue that must be promoted from the family and the basic levels of education to instill in young people the culture of peace and dialogue.

Among the challenges that persist is this issue, Judge Pinacho Sánchez mentioned the strengthening of training for mediators and having more human, material and technological resources.

For her part, the director of the Alternative Justice Center of the State Judicial Branch, Betzzaida Cruz Mendoza, commented that in Oaxaca the experience in conflict resolution through alternative methods has been positive in allowing to address neighborhood issues and matters of family, civil and even criminal conflict with good results since the objective of mediation is to promote the culture of peace.

The Alternative Justice Center of the State Judiciary is located on Madero road number 908 letter K. Former marquesado, Centro. The telephones are: 951 514 9191 and 800 821 67 89 and the services provided are free.

DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION, Latin America

Colombia: Implementing the peace agreement in the Valle del Cauca

FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION . .

An article from Diario Occidente (translation by CPNN)

Generating a culture of peace, eradicating violence, promoting conciliation and respect for Human Rights and advancing in the eradication of illicit crops is the challenge set by the Valle del Cauca Peace Secretariat.

For this reason the Secretariat is active in the sectors where there are conflicts such as Buenaventura, Florida and Pradera. In 2021 they will promote four productive projects with youth associations in the Llano Verde sector in Cali where there was recently a massacre.

The Secretary of Peace of the Valley Orlando Riascos, who spoke with the Diario Occidente, also highlighted the importance that the national government should implement the peace agreements in Valle del Cauca.

What projects does the Valle del Cauca Peace Secretariat have for 2021?

We will continue to guarantee the functioning of the Departmental Peace Committee and its local campaigns. We have projects for the different communities, what are called productive peace territories, projects for those who were reintegrated and for those who were victims of the armed conflict and continuation of the humanitarian aid that is needed.

What productive projects are they going to promote?

We will promote four projects in Llano Verde where there was a murder of young people; we have contacted youth associations there and we are going to invest in them. Similarly, in Dagua, Cartago and Seville, our projects will assest where people already have a resource, an innovative company. We will provide resources and technical training so that they have the possibility of being autonomous in generating employment.

And with the national government?

We want the peace accords to be implemented in Valle del Cauca and that involves the issue of development plans for the different sectors of Florida, Pradera and Buenaventura. We need the private sector to make a greater presence; there are possibilities to do it in the Zomac Areas that were most affected by the armed conflict where they should invest their resources and build works that generate taxes. With the national government we have been working on a special program targeting the illicit crops in Jamundí and Florida so that these crops can be eradicated and peace can be achieved in the territories.

(Click here for the original article in Spanish.)

Questions related to this article:

What is happening in Colombia, Is peace possible?

Are there difficult sectors on the issue of peace in the department?

Yes … the armed conflict in Valle del Cauca is not the same today as in Cauca or Nariño, fortunately there is a decrease in the armed conflict but we have the presence of irregular groups in the Garrapatas canyon, in the Pradera and Florida area, in Buenaventura and Jamundí, due to the drug issue that is complicated. Last year we had 2,329 hectares planted with coca in Valle del Cauca, and that promotes armed conflict. What we want is for the national, departmental and municipal governments to be present in the territories and to seek social relief policies for these sectors .

How do you assess what is happening in Buenaventura?

The principle of authority must be guaranteed, illegal groups, drug trafficking groups that are instigating the community cannot be accepted. There must be a very strong presence of the State, but that is not enough by itself. There must be a large inter-institutional presence of the national and departmental governments and the Buenaventura district to implement a policy that addresses ethno-education, social issues, employment and water, satisfying the social needs of Buenaventura. If the State does not act, it gives allows people to accept the proposals of drug trafficking sectors and illegal groups. It is necessary to have a strong military but also social presence, as the governor of Valle Clara Luz Roldán says, a strategy of engagement with the community.

How is the situation of social leaders in the Valley?
It is serious that social leaders continue to be threatened and assassinated. This is an issue that we have discussed at the request of the governor in the past Departmental Peace Council. Security councils have been established, such as a Departmental Human Rights Committee. We have a Human Rights subcommittee and we are dealing with these issues. We ae working with the National Protection Unit, with the police, with the related institutions.

What programs has the Valley Peace Secretariat been implementing?

The development plan of Valle del Cauca includes the building of peace territories. It is in the model of territorial peace that we are working to benefit the families of the reincorporated populations and the victims of the armed conflict, which in the department number more than 500 thousand. We work to ensure that Law 1448 is applied to aid the victims of the armed conflict and to generate productive projects for the reintegrated in Valle del Cauca. Last year the governor agreed to invest in the victims of the armed conflict, an investment in the four-year period of more than $ 88 billion for this population and for the reincorporated an investment of more than $ 1.65 billion in productive projects and technical assistance in coordination with the municipalities.

Has the pandemic affected these peace programs?

Yes, it has affected us a lot because there is an isolation of the community and social sectors due to the issues of unemployment, of hunger that occurs in some sectors. We respond with humanitarian aid in coordination with the Victims Unit of the national government, with resources placed by the Valle del Cauca Government, with the mayors, and we try to overcome the problem of communications through the use of social networks to continue acting with the community where direct contact is difficult.

FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION, Latin America

UN human rights expert urges to lift unilateral sanctions against Venezuela 

. . HUMAN RIGHTS . .

An article from the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights

The UN Special Rapporteur on unilateral coercive measures and human rights, Alena Douhan, today  [12 February] urged the United States, European Union and other States to drop unilateral sanctions imposed against Venezuela.

At the end of a two-week visit to Venezuela, Douhan said the sanctions have exacerbated pre-existing calamities. They have resulted in the economic, humanitarian and development crisis, with a devastating effect on the whole population of Venezuela, especially but not only those in extreme poverty, women, children, medical workers, people with disabilities or life-threatening or chronic diseases, and the indigenous populations.

“The devastating effect of sanctions imposed is multiplied by extra-territoriality and over-compliance adversely affecting public and private sectors, Venezuela citizens, non-governmental organisations, third country national and companies, said Douhan, adding that “humanitarian exemptions are lengthy, costly, ineffective and inefficient”.

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Question for this article:

What is really happening in Venezuela?

Are economic sanctions a violation of human rights?

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“Lack of necessary machinery, spare parts, electricity, water, fuel, gas, food and medicine, growing insufficiency of qualified workers many of whom have left the country for better economic opportunities, in particular medical personnel, engineers, teachers, professors, judges and policemen, has enormous impact over all categories of human rights, including the rights to life, to food, to health and to development.

“Due to the complexity of the situation I sought to meet the widest range of people to listen to their experience and insights. I met government officials, diplomats, international agencies, opposition leaders, non-governmental organizations, lawyers, doctors, teachers, academics, victims of human rights violations, representatives of private business and of the church, as well as ordinary people,” Douhan said.

Sanctions were first imposed against Venezuela in 2005 and have been severely strengthened since 2015, with the most severe ones being imposed by the United States.

Douhan stressed that unilateral measures are only legal if they are authorised by the UN Security Council, or used as countermeasures, or do not breach any obligation of States, and do not violate fundamental human rights. She called on the countries to observe principles and norms of international law and reminded them that humanitarian concerns should always be taken into account with due respect to mutual respect, solidarity, cooperation and multilateralism. She plans to issue a full report on her mission in September 2021.

HUMAN RIGHTS, Latin America