DOCSLIB.ORG

Reviews of National Policies for Education: Tertiary Education in Colombia 2012, OECD Publishing

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Reviews of National Policies for Education: Tertiary Education in Colombia 2012, OECD Publishing Reviews of national policies for Education Reviews of Tertiary Education in Colombia In Colombia, the beginning of a new century has brought with it a palpable feeling n Reviews of national policies for Education of optimism. Colombians and visitors sense that the country’s considerable potential ational can be realised, and education is rightly seen as crucial to this process. As opportunities expand, Colombians will need new and better skills to respond to new challenges and prospects. p Tertiary Education olicies for Education The government is therefore determined to address key challenges confronting tertiary education in the country: expanding enrolment and improving equity, increasing quality in Colombia and relevance, and making governance and finance more responsive. Colombia has more than a decade of progress under its belt, and the energy to reach ambitious policy goals. Getting there in practice will involve dialogue and consensus-seeking among all stakeholders, as well as new resources and new rules. Contents 1. Overview, achievements and issues 2. Vision, structure, governance and management of the Colombian tertiary education system 3. Access and equity to tertiary education in Colombia 4. Quality and relevance of tertiary education in Colombia 5. Quality assurance of the Colombian tertiary education system 6. Internationalisation of the Colombian tertiary education system 7. Research and innovation in Colombia 8. Information and transparency in Colombia’s tertiary education system Education in Colombia Tertiary 9. Financing of tertiary education in Colombia 10. Conclusions and recommendations Please cite this publication as: OECD/International Bank for Reconstruction and Development/The World Bank (2012), Reviews of National Policies for Education: Tertiary Education in Colombia 2012, OECD Publishing. http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/9789264180697-en This work is published on the OECD iLibrary, which gathers all OECD books, periodicals and statistical databases. Visit www.oecd-ilibrary.org, and do not hesitate to contact us for more information. isbn 978-92-64-18068-0 91 2012 21 1 p -:HSTCQE=V]U[]U: Reviews of National Policies for Education Tertiary Education in Colombia 2012 This work is published on the responsibility of the Secretary-General of the OECD. The opinions expressed and arguments employed herein do not necessarily reflect the official views of the Organisation, The World Bank, its Board of Executive Directors, or of the governments they represent. This document and any map included herein are without prejudice to the status of or sovereignty over any territory, to the delimitation of international frontiers and boundaries and to the name of any territory, city or area. Please cite this publication as: OECD/International Bank for Reconstruction and Development/The World Bank (2012), Reviews of National Policies for Education: Tertiary Education in Colombia 2012, OECD Publishing. http://dx.doi.org/ 10.1787/9789264180697-en ISBN 978-92-64-18068-0 (print) ISBN 978-92-64-18069-7 (PDF) Series: Reviews of National Policies for Education ISSN 1563-4914 (print) ISSN 1990-0198 (online) The statistical data for Israel are supplied by and under the responsibility of the relevant Israeli authorities. The use of such data by the OECD is without prejudice to the status of the Golan Heights, East Jerusalem and Israeli settlements in the West Bank under the terms of international law. Photo credits: Cover © Anton Andronov/Fotolia.com. Corrigenda to OECD publications may be found on line at: www.oecd.org/publishing/corrigenda. © OECD and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development/The World Bank, 2012. You can copy, download or print OECD content for your own use, and you can include excerpts from OECD publications, databases and multimedia products in your own documents, presentations, blogs, websites and teaching materials, provided that suitable acknowledgment of OECD as source and copyright owner is given. All requests for public or commercial use and translation rights should be submitted to [email protected]. Requests for permission to photocopy portions of this material for public or commercial use shall be addressed directly to the Copyright Clearance Center (CCC) at [email protected] or the Centre français d’exploitation du droit de copie (CFC) at [email protected]. FOREWORD – 3 Foreword Colombia is one of the major economies of the Latin American and Caribbean region and the government has set itself ambitious goals for its social and economic development, for which human capital development is crucial. Despite progress in the education sector, much remains to be done to address a number of challenges including: expanding enrolment and improving equity, increasing quality and relevance, and making governance and finance more responsive. Among other actions, the government needs to continue increasing participation in post secondary education through improved loan and scholarship systems and increasing student places more evenly throughout the country. The examiners’ report covers the full range of tertiary education in Colombia using information provided in the Background Report prepared by the Colombian authorities for the Joint OECD/World Bank review and information supplied in meetings in the course of sites visits (Bogota, Barranquilla, Bucaramanga, Cali, Cartagena, Ibague, Manizales, Palmira and Pereira). The report gives an analysis of the achievements of the last decade and the challenges that Colombia faces in the quest of providing a world class system for its citizens in light of the economic, social and political context of the country. The review offers an in-depth study and recommendations on access and equity; the relevance of the system; its governance and management; research and development; and, financing. Other recommendations include a reform to the legal framework; greater focus on measurement of learning; and an integration of all actors, both university and non-university, into the system. They also emphasised increased funding for equity and an improved targeting system; strengthening quality assurance mechanisms; and further efforts to promote international integration, and research and innovation. The final chapter brings together, in the form of a synthesis, the specific recommendations of each chapter and sets out how policies can and should be addressed. This review of tertiary education policy was undertaken within the framework of the programme of work of the OECD Directorate for Education in partnership with the World Bank. The financing for the review was provided by the government of Colombia and the World Bank. The team leaders were: Ian Whitman (OECD Secretariat), Head of the Programme for Co-operation with Non Member Economies, and Michael Crawford (World Bank), Senior Education Specialist, Latin American and REVIEWS OF NATIONAL POLICIES FOR EDUCATION: TERTIARY EDUCATION IN COLOMBIA © OECD AND IBRD/THE WORLD BANK 2012 4 – FOREWORD Caribbean Region. Members of the review team were: Caroline Macready (United Kingdom), Rapporteur, former Deputy Director in the Department for Education and Skills; Hernán Araneda (Chile), Head of the Centre for Innovation in Human Capital, Fundación Chile; Godelieve Bracke (Belgium), former Secretary to the Board of Governors and the Management of Ghent University, and former Director of International Relations of Ghent University; Mary Canning (Ireland), member of the Higher Education Authority of Ireland, of the Royal Irish Academy and of the Governing Authority of the National University of Ireland, Maynooth, and former Lead Education Specialist, World Bank; Eduardo Cascallar (United States) Managing Director for Assessment Group International and Guest Professor at the Catholic University Leuven and Free University of Brussels, Belgium; Francisco Marmolejo (Mexico), Executive Director, Consortium for North American Higher Education Collaboration (CONAHEC) and Vice President for Western Hemispheric Programs at the University of Arizona, United States; Dewayne Matthews (United States) Vice President for Policy and Strategy, Lumina Foundation, former Senior Advisor to the President and Vice President of the Education Commission of the States and former Director of Programs and Services for the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education; Mihaylo Milovanovitch (OECD) Analyst for the Programme for Co-operation with Non Member Economies; Natalia Millán (World Bank) Consultant, Education Sector in the Latin American and Caribbean Region; María Paulina Mogollón (World Bank), Education Specialist, Latin American and Caribbean Region; Jamil Salmi (Morocco), World Bank Tertiary Education Coordinator; Simon Schwartzman (Brazil), President, Institute for Studies on Labour and Society (IETS, Instituto de Estudos do Trabalho e Sociedade), Rio de Janeiro, and former President of the Brazilian Statistical and Geographical Institute. The team was assisted by Célia Braga-Schich and Deborah Fernandez (OECD); Alexandra González Rubio (World Bank); Carolina Guzmán Ruiz, Natalia Jaramillo Manjarres and Julián Palacios Giraldo (Ministry of National Education of Colombia). This volume is published on the responsibility of the Secretary-General of the OECD. Barbara Ischinger Gloria Grandolini Director for Education Director, Colombia and Mexico OECD The World Bank REVIEWS OF NATIONAL POLICIES FOR EDUCATION: TERTIARY EDUCATION IN COLOMBIA © OECD AND IBRD/THE WORLD BANK 2012 TABLE OF CONTENTS – 5 Table of contents Acronyms .............................................................................................................
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Chapter 3. the Provision of School Education in Colombia
    3. THE PROVISION OF SCHOOL EDUCATION IN COLOMBIA │ 151 Chapter 3. The provision of school education in Colombia This chapter looks at i) the organisation of the school network, including private school provision; ii) school governance, leadership and community participation; and iii) the organisation of teaching and learning in Colombia. This includes flexible school models, ethnic and special needs education, learning standards, instruction time, educational materials and evaluation. Transitions between school education and other levels and programmes, such as early childhood education provided by the Colombian Institute of Family Welfare and vocational training provided by the National Learning Service are also considered. The chapter analyses strengths and challenges with a particular focus on access to a good education in rural areas. Finally, recommendations are presented, highlighting the need to improve school clusters, transport and boarding while strengthening school leadership and collaboration between schools. The statistical data for Israel are supplied by and under the responsibility of the relevant Israeli authorities. The use of such data by the OECD is without prejudice to the status of the Golan Heights, East Jerusalem and Israeli settlements in the West Bank under the terms of international law. OECD REVIEWS OF SCHOOL RESOURCES: COLOMBIA 2018 © OECD 2018 152 │ 3. THE PROVISION OF SCHOOL EDUCATION IN COLOMBIA Context and features School network Compulsory education in Colombia lasts 12 years. Students enter the education system with a year of pre-school (Year 0 or transition year, age 5) and have five years of primary (básica primaria, Years 1-5) and four years of lower secondary education (básica secundaria, Years 6-9).
    [Show full text]
  • Legislating During War: Conflict and Politics in Colombia
    Legislating During War: Conflict and Politics in Colombia Juan S. Morales∗ Collegio Carlo Alberto University of Turin July 24, 2020 Abstract This paper studies how politicians and their constituents respond to political violence by investigating the case of the Colombian civil conflict. I use data on rebel attacks, legislators’ tweets and roll-call votes, and I employ event study and difference-in-differences empirical methods. Twitter engagement (as a proxy for popular support) increases after rebel attacks for both incumbent party legislators and for tweets with a "hard-line" language. Legislators increase their support for the incumbent party after attacks, but only when the government has a hard-line policy position, as inferred both from the recent historical context and from text analysis of the president’s tweets. Though the effects are initially large they last less than two weeks. The empirical results are consistent with a political economy model of legislative behaviour in which events that shift voters’ views, and the presence of rally ‘round the flag effects, elicit different politician responses depending on the policy position of the incumbent party. Finally, I identify a set of potentially affected congressional votes, suggesting that these conflict-induced swings in incumbent support can have persistent policy consequences. JEL Codes: D72;D74;H56;O10 Keywords: civil conflict; legislative decision-making; roll-call votes; political language; social media ∗Collegio Carlo Alberto, Piazza Arbarello 8, 10122, Torino, TO, Italy (e-mail: [email protected]). I thank the editor, Maria Petrova, and anonymous referees for their careful reviews and suggestions. I am grateful to Gustavo Bobonis, Albert Berry, Marco Gonzalez-Navarro and Michel Serafinelli for their guidance and support.
    [Show full text]
  • Education System Colombia
    Education system Colombi a described and compared with the Dutch system Education system | Evaluation chart Education system Colombia This document contains information on the education system of Colombia. We explain the Dutch equivalent of the most common qualifications from Colombia for the purpose of admission to Dutch higher education. Disclaimer We assemble the information for these descriptions of education systems with the greatest care. However, we cannot be held responsible for the consequences of errors or incomplete information in this document. With the exception of images and illustrations, the content of this publication is subject to the Creative Commons Name NonCommercial 3.0 Unported licence. Visit www.nuffic.nl/en/home/copyright for more information on the reuse of this publication. Education system Colombia | Nuffic | 1st edition, December 2012 | version 2, January 2015 2 Education system | Evaluation chart Education system Colombia Education system Colombia Doctor L8 (PhD) 2-4 Magíster L7 Especialista L6 Tecnólogo especializado L5 (universities) (universities / technological (technological institutions) institutions) 1-2 1-2 2 postgraduate Licenciado/ L6 Tecnólogo L4 Título profesional (technological institutions) (universities) 2-3 work experience L4 1 Técnico profesional L4 (technical training institutes) undergraduate 5-7 2 Examen de Estado/ICFES L4 Certificado de Aptitud L4 (state exam) profesional – CAP (SENA) ½ -1 Bachiller Académico L4 Bachiller Técnico/Comercial L4 (educación media: upper secondary education)
    [Show full text]
  • Crafting Colombianidad: Race, Citizenship and the Localization of Policy in Philadelphia
    CRAFTING COLOMBIANIDAD: RACE, CITIZENSHIP AND THE LOCALIZATION OF POLICY IN PHILADELPHIA A Dissertation Submitted to the Temple University Graduate Board In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY by Diane R. Garbow July 2016 Examining Committee Members: Judith Goode, Advisory Chair, Department of Anthropology Naomi Schiller, Department of Anthropology Melissa Gilbert, Department of Geography and Urban Studies Ana Y. Ramos-Zayas, External Member, City University of New York © Copyright 2016 by Diane R. Garbow All Rights Reserved ii ABSTRACT In contrast to the municipalities across the United States that restrict migration and criminalize the presence of immigrants, Philadelphia is actively seeking to attract immigrants as a strategy to reverse the city’s limited economic and political importance caused by decades of deindustrialization and population loss. In 2010, the population of Philadelphia increased for the first time in six decades. This achievement, widely celebrated by the local government and in the press, was only made possible through increased immigration. This dissertation examines how efforts to attract migrants, through the creation of localized policy and institutions that facilitate incorporation, transform assertions of citizenship and the dynamics of race for Colombian migrants. The purpose of this research is to analyze how Colombians’ articulations of citizenship, and the ways they extend beyond juridical and legal rights, are enabled and constrained under new regimes of localized policy. In the dissertation, I examine citizenship as a set of performances and practices that occur in quotidian tasks that seek to establish a sense of belonging. Without a complex understanding of the effects of local migration policy, and how they differ from the effects of federal policy, we fail to grasp how Philadelphia’s promotion of migration has unstable and unequal effects for differentially situated actors.
    [Show full text]
  • Towards Building Intercultural Language Education in Colombia
    Durham E-Theses Developing Intercultural Competence in English Language Teachers: Towards Building Intercultural Language Education in Colombia PENA-DIX, BEATRIZ,MARIA How to cite: PENA-DIX, BEATRIZ,MARIA (2018) Developing Intercultural Competence in English Language Teachers: Towards Building Intercultural Language Education in Colombia, Durham theses, Durham University. Available at Durham E-Theses Online: http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/12619/ Use policy The full-text may be used and/or reproduced, and given to third parties in any format or medium, without prior permission or charge, for personal research or study, educational, or not-for-prot purposes provided that: • a full bibliographic reference is made to the original source • a link is made to the metadata record in Durham E-Theses • the full-text is not changed in any way The full-text must not be sold in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders. Please consult the full Durham E-Theses policy for further details. Academic Support Oce, Durham University, University Oce, Old Elvet, Durham DH1 3HP e-mail: [email protected] Tel: +44 0191 334 6107 http://etheses.dur.ac.uk 2 Abstract Developing Intercultural Competence in English Language Teachers: Towards Building Intercultural Language Education in Colombia Beatriz Peña Dix This research is a qualitative exploratory, constructivist study that aims to investigate Colombian (public sector) English language teachers’ existing or prospective intercultural communicative competence (ICC) to understand their teaching profiles and then to be able to build upon them. To achieve my aims, teachers’ perspectives on culture and interculturality are explored based on the underpinning assumption that there is a need to transform language education in Colombia and move forward from the «cultural turn» to the «intercultural turn».
    [Show full text]
  • Título Documento \(Heading
    8 Where do Latin America and the Caribbean Stand in Relation to the eLAC 2007 Plan of Action? Evidence from Available Information Observatory for the Information Society in Latin America and the Caribbean OSILAC October 2005 This document was prepared in the framework of OSILAC (Observatory for the Information Society in Latin America and the Caribbean), a project developed by the ECLAC Division of Production, Productivity and Management, which receives financial assistance from the Institute for Connectivity in the Americas (ICA), from Panamericas of the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), and from @LIS, a programme of the European Commission. The document was produced with special input from Martin Hilbert, Doris Olaya, Sebastián Vergara and Marcio Wohlers, with the active support of the following researchers and consultants: Pilar Castellà, Pablo García, Mariela Heredia, Sebastian Rothe and Stefan Sickel. The views expressed in this document are those of the authors and cannot be taken to reflect the official opinion of the European Union or any of the other organizations involved in its preparation. United Nations Publication LC/W.32 Copyright © United Nations, October 2005. All rights reserved Printed in Santiago, Chile – United Nations Applications for the right to reproduce this work are welcomed and should be sent to the Secretary of the Publications Board, United Nations Headquarters, New York, N.Y. 10017, U.S.A. Member States and their governmental institutions may reproduce this work without prior authorization, but are requested to mention the source and inform the United Nations of such reproduction. Where do Latin America and the Caribbean Stand in Relation to the eLAC2007 Plan of Action?..
    [Show full text]
  • World Bank Document
    Public Disclosure Authorized Public Disclosure Authorized Public Disclosure Authorized Public Disclosure Authorized COLOMBIA Gender Assessment INFO LEGAL PAGE Index Overview ...........................................................................................................................1 I. The agency of women .................................................................................... 9 I. Legal framework for gender equality ................................................................... 10 II. Institutions for gender equality .............................................................................. 12 III. Policies for gender equality .................................................................................... 18 IV. Voice and decision making ...................................................................................... 18 V. Child marriage ........................................................................................................... 23 VI. Violence against women .......................................................................................... 25 VII. Attitudes and gender norms ................................................................................... 28 II. Endowments ................................................................................................. 31 I. Health .......................................................................................................................... 32 a. Life expectancy, fertility, and ageing ......................................................................32
    [Show full text]
  • The State of Education in Latin America and the Caribbean: Guaranteeing Quality Education for All
    The STaTe of educaTion in LaTin america and The caribbean: GuaranTeeinG QuaLiTy educaTion for aLL A regional report, reviewing and assessing the Progress toward Education For All within the framework of the Regional Education Project (EFA/PRELAC) -2007 © UNESCO, Regional Bureau of Education for Latin America and the Caribbean (OREALC/UNESCO San- tiago) in collaboration with the UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) Working team: Report Director: Cesar Guadalupe, Regional Advisor for Latin America and the Caribbean - UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), and Coordinator of the Regional Information System (SIRI) - OREALC/ UNESCO Santiago; with SIRI’s professional team: Ivan Castro de Almeida Daniel Taccari Team responsible for documentary analysis on pertinence and relevance: Rosa Blanco Ricardo Hevia Carolina Hirmas (team director) The background documentary studies used for this analysis were carried out by: Daniela Eroles, Stafford Griffith, Carolina Hirmas, Cecilia Kaluf, Liliana Miranda, and Patricia Romero. Team responsible for statistical evidence and analysis: Regional Information System (SIRI) - OREALC/UNESCO Santiago Administrative support: Marcela Copetta, Loreto Bilbao and Viviana Ramírez The entire professional staff of OREALC/UNESCO Santiago participated in various working sessions aimed at defining the structure and contents of this document, as well as in revi- sions of its various drafts. The United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) processed and provided information from the household surveys used in this report. The Planning Office of the Ministry of Education of Cuba furnished information on schooling levels of the adult population of that country – which was produced jointly with the National Statistics Office of that country. The UNESCO International Institute for Education Planning – IIEP (Buenos Aires office), processed and provided information from its research program on “The Professional Training of Teachers.” The members of the working team are responsible for the contents of this report.
    [Show full text]
  • Colombia Curriculum Guide 090916.Pmd
    National Geographic describes Colombia as South America’s sleeping giant, awakening to its vast potential. “The Door of the Americas” offers guests a cornucopia of natural wonders alongside sleepy, authentic villages and vibrant, progressive cities. The diverse, tropical country of Colombia is a place where tourism is now booming, and the turmoil and unrest of guerrilla conflict are yesterday’s news. Today tourists find themselves in what seems to be the best of all destinations... panoramic beaches, jungle hiking trails, breathtaking volcanoes and waterfalls, deserts, adventure sports, unmatched flora and fauna, centuries old indigenous cultures, and an almost daily celebration of food, fashion and festivals. The warm temperatures of the lowlands contrast with the cool of the highlands and the freezing nights of the upper Andes. Colombia is as rich in both nature and natural resources as any place in the world. It passionately protects its unmatched wildlife, while warmly sharing its coffee, its emeralds, and its happiness with the world. It boasts as many animal species as any country on Earth, hosting more than 1,889 species of birds, 763 species of amphibians, 479 species of mammals, 571 species of reptiles, 3,533 species of fish, and a mind-blowing 30,436 species of plants. Yet Colombia is so much more than jaguars, sombreros and the legend of El Dorado. A TIME magazine cover story properly noted “The Colombian Comeback” by explaining its rise “from nearly failed state to emerging global player in less than a decade.” It is respected as “The Fashion Capital of Latin America,” “The Salsa Capital of the World,” the host of the world’s largest theater festival and the home of the world’s second largest carnival.
    [Show full text]
  • Elección Y Coronación 2014
    PROGRAMAElección y coronación 2014 PRESIDENTE Raimundo Angulo Pizarro DIRECTORA EJECUTIVA Adriana Ceballos Gutiérrez ASESORES DE LA PRESIDENCIA Diego Guarnizo Monroy Vanessa Rosales Altamar JUNTA DIRECTIVA Miembros Institucionales ALCALDE MAYOR DE CARTAGENA DE INDIAS, D. T. Y C. Dionisio Vélez Trujillo COMANDANTE DE LA FUERZA NAVAL DEL CARIBE Vicealmirante Leonardo Santamaría Gaitán H. CONCEJAL DE CARTAGENA DE INDIAS D. T. Y C. Antonio Quinto Guerra Varela MIEMBROS NO INSTITUCIONALES PRINCIPALES Raimundo Angulo Pizarro Presidente Nicolás Pareja Bermúdez Secretario Lupe Yidios de Lemus Elizabeth Noero de Lemaitre Antonio Lozano Pareja Jaime Méndez Galindo SUPLENTES Socorro Covo de Rodríguez Astrid Herrera Téllez Eduardo Pérez Gómez Adalgiza Frieri de Ferro Violeta Madrid de Sáenz Luis Bustamente Del Valle PROTOCOLO DEL JURADO CALIFICADOR Miguel Desmoineaux Romero Elmy Glen de Desmoineaux PROGRAMA ELECCIÓN Y CORONACIÓN 2014 Editora María Cristina Lamus Amaya Coordinación Editorial Rosana Vanegas Pérez Textos María Isabel García Navarrete Diseño Editorial Sergio Andrés López Díaz Olga Lucía Velásquez Fotografía Candidatas David Schwarz Cháves Anelie Franke César Balcázar Esteban Escobar Gustavo Martínez Fotografía General Archivo Concurso Nacional de Belleza® Archivo revista Cromos Jefe de Producción Arnoldo Villanueva Guzmán Portada: Paulina Vega Dieppa, Señorita Colombia® 2013-2014 Fotografía: Esteban Escobar Fotografía: Cortesía CROMOS Fotografía: LOS 80 AÑOS DEL CONCURSO NACIONAL DE BELLEZA® 4 • Concurso Nacional de Belleza® 2014 s sin duda una ocasión feliz celebrar que el to en su organización se involucran gran cantidad Concurso Nacional de Belleza® haya llegado de industrias y sectores productivos que convierten a sus 80 años de vida como una institución a Cartagena en un escenario estratégico dentro del querida para los colombianos y como una en- concierto de las actividades nacionales.
    [Show full text]
  • Conflict and Politics in Colombia
    Legislating during war: Conflict and politics in Colombia Juan S. Morales∗ University of Toronto June 14, 2017 Abstract For many countries, the escape from weak governance and cycles of violence is today the most challeng- ing step in their path to prosperity. This paper studies an important aspect of this challenge: the relationship between civil conflict and congressional decision-making. I study this relationship in the context of Colom- bia, an electoral democracy that has endured the longest conflict in the Americas. More specifically, I exam- ine how politicians and their constituents respond to attacks by FARC, Colombia’s largest rebel group. To measure these responses, I use data from politicians’ Twitter accounts and roll-call voting records, and em- ploy both an event study and a difference-in-differences research design which exploit the high-frequency nature of the data. I use text analysis to measure the "political leaning" of politicians’ tweets, and find that both tweets from incumbent politicians and tweets which exhibit "right-wing" language receive higher user engagement (a proxy for popular support) following rebel attacks. The legislative decision-making responses are more complex. Before the government started a peace process with the rebels in 2012, politi- cians in congress were more likely to align their legislative votes with the right-leaning ruling party in the days following an attack. However, this relationship breaks down during the negotiations. In addition, politicians are more responsive to attacks which occur in their electoral district. The empirical results are consistent with a political economy model of legislative behaviour in which events that shift median voter preferences, and the presence of rally ’round the flag effects, elicit different politician responses depending on the policy position of the ruling party.
    [Show full text]
  • Colombia As South America’S Sleeping Giant, Awakening to Its Vast Potential
    National Geographic describes Colombia as South America’s sleeping giant, awakening to its vast potential. “The Door of the Americas” offers guests a cornucopia of natural wonders alongside sleepy, authentic villages and vibrant, progressive cities. The diverse, tropical country of Colombia is a place where tourism is now booming, and the turmoil and unrest of guerrilla conflict are yesterday’s news. Today tourists find themselves in what seems to be the best of all destinations... panoramic beaches, jungle hiking trails, breathtaking volcanoes and waterfalls, deserts, adventure sports, unmatched flora and fauna, centuries old indigenous cultures, and an almost daily celebration of food, fashion and festivals. The warm temperatures of the lowlands contrast with the cool of the highlands and the freezing nights of the upper Andes. Colombia is as rich in both nature and natural resources as any place in the world. It passionately protects its unmatched wildlife, while warmly sharing its coffee, its emeralds, and its happiness with the world. It boasts as many animal species as any country on Earth, hosting more than 1,889 species of birds, 763 species of amphibians, 479 species of mammals, 571 species of reptiles, 3,533 species of fish, and a mind-blowing 30,436 species of plants. Yet Colombia is so much more than jaguars, sombreros and the legend of El Dorado. A TIME magazine cover story properly noted “The Colombian Comeback” by explaining its rise “from nearly failed state to emerging global player in less than a decade.” It is respected as “The Fashion Capital of Latin America,” “The Salsa Capital of the World,” the host of the world’s largest theater festival and the home of the world’s second largest carnival.
    [Show full text]