PROGRAM OF ALLIANCES FOR RECONCILIATION (PAR)
QUARTERLY REPORT
January – March 2021 (Quarter Two/FY 2021) AGREEMENT NUMBER: AID-514-A-16-00009
Cover Photo: Quibdó (Chocó)
DISCLAIMER: This report is made possible by the generous support of the U.S. Government and the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The contents are the responsibility of ACDI/VOCA and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government.
PAR Quarterly Report January-March 2021
CONTENTS
SECTION I: BACKGROUND 1
SECTION II: SUMMARY 2
SECTION III: PROGRESS BY PARTNER 2
FUNDACIÓN ANDI 2 CORPORACIÓN RECONCILIACIÓN COLOMBIA 3 PROYECTOS SEMANA 4
SECTION IV: PROGRESS BY REGION 5
NATIONAL 5 CARIBBEAN (SANTA MARTA, CIÉNAGA, CARTAGENA, BARRANQUILLA) 12 ANTIOQUIA (MEDELLÍN, TURBO, APARTADÓ) 17 PACIFIC (QUIBDÓ, BOJAYÁ, BUENAVENTURA, CALI) 20 CENTRAL (BOGOTÁ) 22 ORINOQUIA (VISTA HERMOSA, PUERTO RICO, MESETAS) 23 AMAZON (FLORENCIA, SAN VICENTE DEL CAGUÁN, CARTAGENA DEL CHAIRÁ) 26 BORDER MUNICIPALITIES (ARAUCA, NORTE DE SANTANDER, LA GUAJIRA) 28
SECTION V: MONITORING AND EVALUATION (M&E) 34
SECTION VI: LOOKING AHEAD 35
SECTION VII: FINANCIAL INFORMATION 1
ANNEX 1: PAR IN NUMBERS 2
ANNEX 2: SUCCESS STORY 7
ANNEX 3: COVID-19 RESPONSE 9
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PAR Quarterly Report January-March 2021
ANDI Asociación Nacional de Empresarios de Colombia APLAMEDA Asociacion de Plataneros de Medio Atrato ART Agencia de Renovación del Territorio CAE Specialized Attention Centers CAFEMASU Asociacion de Cafeteros de la Macarena y Sumapaz C-AME Complexity-Aware Monitoring and Evaluation CEV Commission for the Clarification of Truth, Coexistence, and Non- Repetition (Truth Commission) COMFAMA Caja de Compensación Familiar de Antioquia COMFIAR Caja de Compensación Familiar de Arauca COP Chief of Party CORDEPAZ Corporacion Desarrollo para la Paz de Piedemonte Oriental CRC Corporación Reconciliación Colombia CSO Civil Society Organization DCOP Deputy Chief of Party DNP National Planning Department FAVLA Fundación ACDI/VOCA FENALCO Federación Nacional de Comerciantes FNC Federación Nacional de Cafeteros GBV Gender-based Violence GOC Government of Colombia GSI Gender and Social Inclusion ICBF Colombian Institute of Family Welfare ICOL Local Organizations Strengthening Index ICOR Organizational Capacity Index ICT Information, Communication and Technology LEAP Learning, Evaluation, Analysis Platform LGBTIQ+ Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex, Queer, Plus LIMPAL Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom LISA Laboratorio de Innovación Social Adaptativo M&E Monitoring and Evaluation PAR Program of Alliances for Reconciliation PDET Programa de Desarrollo con Enfoque Territorial PUJ Pontificia Universidad Javeriana UNHCR UN High Commissioner for Refugees UNINORTE Universidad del Norte USAID United States Agency for International Development
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PAR Quarterly Report January-March 2021
SECTION I: BACKGROUND
Through Cooperative Agreement No. AID-514-A-16-00009, dated May 27, 2016, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) awarded ACDI/VOCA the Program of Alliances for Reconciliation (PAR or the Program) for a five-year period through November 31st, 2021. The objective of the five-year, $74.9-million Program is to promote awareness and mobilization initiatives that boost economic and social opportunities through transformative alliances. To this end, PAR has formed high-impact alliances with major actors in the private and public sectors, media, academia, and civil society. PAR supports these partners to conceptualize and implement initiatives that contribute to changing perceptions, attitudes, and behaviors, helping Colombians to come to terms with the past, engage in constructive dialogue, and transform old narratives forged by conflict. PAR works with the understanding that Colombians must be informed and educated about the conflict (information), recognize that they are part of the solution (awareness), and be willing to participate in that process (action/change).
PAR consists of three main components that aim to: 1) support truth-telling and memory initiatives that enable Colombians to confront and accept the past; 2) promote greater awareness of reconciliation efforts as a way of spurring mobilization and action; and 3) leverage strategic public and private alliances that foster socioeconomic opportunities in target municipalities.
Additionally, PAR plays a key role towards facilitating solutions to the Venezuelan migration phenomenon and works alongside the Government of Colombia (GOC), local governments, public- private alliances, and international cooperation organizations, among others, to address topics such as social and economic integration, and promote objective information and positive messages that mitigate outbreaks of xenophobia.
On April 28, 2020, PAR signed a cost extension for US$15-million, extending the program to November 2021 and expanding strategies for combating xenophobia, social and economic integration of migrants, and supporting the Programa de Desarrollo con Enfoque Territorial (Territorial Development Programs, PDET) in PAR municipalities, as well as deepening communications strategies, expanding the scope of DecidoSer to include families and migrants, and emphasizing a more comprehensive intervention in PAR municipalities.
This quarterly report is a summary of activities and progress made from January through March 2021.
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PAR Quarterly Report January-March 2021
SECTION II: SUMMARY
The most noteworthy developments and accomplishments, resulting from PAR’s direct technical assistance and support during the reporting period include the following:
RESULTS WITH PAR PARTNERS ❖ 1,420 people visited CRC’s social coexistence campaign called Traffic for a Difference. ❖ 40 private sector representatives took part in roundtables aimed at engaging businesses in the PDET strategy. ❖ 1,500 households participated in Semana’s Migración Venezuela’s nationwide survey about quality of life and integration of Venezuelan migrants in Colombia. ❖ 753 people viewed Semana Rural’s Facebook Live event discussing the effect of COVID-19 on rural jobs.
RESULTS IN NATIONAL RECONCILIATION INITIATIVES ❖ 951,000 users were reached by the anti-xenophobia campaign #ColombiaSinFronteras, which resulted in 2 million total impressions. ❖ 311,357 people tuned into the Laboratorio de Innovación Social Adaptativo (Adaptive Social Innovation Laboratory, LISA) live broadcast launch event. ❖ More than 94,991 people visited the Somos PARte de la Solución campaign website. ❖ 3,580 people viewed CEV’s virtual launch and panel discussion of its Escuche mi Verdad documentary. ❖ 2,400 users accessed information and resources related to migration through the Estoy en la Frontera online platform and social media channels.
RESULTS IN LOCAL RECONCILIATION INITIATIVES ❖ 420 young Colombians and Venezuelan migrants in Barranquilla and Cartagena are bolstering socioeconomic inclusion through technical and complementary training, psychosocial support, and job placements. ❖ Women seamstresses in Quibdó produced 500 items of clothing and 2,000 face masks and launched a catalog featuring 76 unique garments. ❖ Cacao producers in San Vicente del Caguán increased yields by 500 percent, from 200 to 1,000 kilograms through new production techniques. ❖ 40 community leaders in La Guajira strengthened leadership skills through a peer-to-peer support network and designed action plans for engaging with and supporting migrants.
SECTION III: PROGRESS BY PARTNER
FUNDACIÓN ANDI
During the period, PAR and Fundación ANDI continued the inclusive value chains strategy which benefits approximately 8,256 producers and their families by strengthening links between small‐holder
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PAR Quarterly Report January-March 2021 producers and end‐buyers. In Bojayá, the project team confirmed a manufacturer to process plantains from Asociación de Plataneros del Medio Atrato (Aplameda) into plantain chips to sell to the national restaurant chain Frisby. Also in Bojayá, Fundación ANDI held a workshop with turmeric seller Curcumetto, to identify marketing and production bottlenecks and streamline processes relating to packaging, registrations, commercial partnerships, and communications. In Chaparral, Fundación ANDI and Fundación Nutresa distributed 4,000 cacao seedlings to project participants and provided mentoring on strategic planning. Fundación ANDI provided administrative training to two clothing manufacturing projects in Cartagena, after which one of the companies noted a 43 percent increase in productive capacity, a 44 percent decrease in production costs, and a 26 percent decrease in multidimensional poverty index among participants with 33 percent saving or re‐investing part of their income.
As part of the inclusive purchasing strategy, ANDI supports companies to adjust their procurement policies so they can include families and small entrepreneurs as suppliers. National coffee chain Juan Valdez, through its annual special edition women coffee growers blend, aims to increase coffee purchases from women growers, strengthen their technical skills, and increase the visibility of their work. This year’s edition is accompanied by branded articles—such as cupholders, aprons, cloth bags, among others—produced by 13 women-led companies. Plastics producer Esenttia annually buys new uniforms for its staff and in collaboration with Fundación ANDI, is developing a product map so the clothing can be donated to garment companies associated with Fundación ANDI. Also under inclusive purchasing, Colgate and construction company Bolívar bought gifts for their clients from small producers, benefitting 14 families to the tune of US$2,900.
Additionally, during the quarter partner organization Corporación Reconciliación Colombia (CRC) conducted a needs assessment to strengthen organizations linked to PAR’s 18 PDET project regions. PAR is complementing this assessment through its Local Organizations Strengthening Index (ICOL) which seeks to strengthen the capacities of migrant organizations that operate in Colombia. Fundación ANDI will include the results from CRC and PAR in its Time Bank, a strategy through which volunteers can register skills or subjects in which they can provide mentoring to the regional organizations.. This quarter, Fundación ANDI also launched its suppliers’ methodology and its 2021 List of Inspiring Companies which highlights those that have put social responsibility at the core of their business models to tackle challenges facing society and increase their competitiveness at the same time.
CORPORACIÓN RECONCILIACIÓN COLOMBIA
PAR and CRC continued working together to mobilize Colombians in different territories to participate in collective actions for reconciliation, while also raising awareness about reconciliation projects that are already underway throughout the country. The multi-faceted approach consists of organizational strengthening for CRC, support for regional and community-level reconciliation initiatives, and the construction of strategic public-private alliances. The partnership supported a digital initiative called Traffic for a Difference, an online dialogue between cyclists, pedestrians, and drivers. The campaign generated reflections about differences, the value of mutual understanding, and recognizing others. During the quarter, the website received 1,420 visits and reached 1,956 people on social networks.
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PAR Quarterly Report January-March 2021
CRC made the decision to discontinue its Nuevamente component supporting second opportunities for young ex-offenders due to lack of resources and conducted workshops with PAR to transfer the methodologies used in the program. Through the La Reconciliación es Nuestro Cuento initiative, PAR and CRC facilitated six workshops with three Specialized Attention Centers in Bogotá, Barranquilla, and Cúcuta. These included two DecidoSer workshops at each center with a total of 85 young Colombians and migrants. Activities generated dialogue and strengthened skills for emotional management and conflict resolution.
Continuing to promote reconciliation and development with a regional focus through the PDETs, the alliance carried out three roundtables with private sector representatives to collect inputs and reflections for the construction of a document with recommendations to engage the private sector in the Government’s rural development plan. Discussions included social investment, inclusive businesses, and tax mechanisms. The PAR-CRC alliance formed ties with organizations such as Jaime Arteaga and Associates, Observatorio de Inversión Social Privada (Private Social Investment Observatory), and Panagora to develop the strategy. The roundtables analyzed the GOC’s tools to encourage private sector contribution to the PDETs and lessons from companies’ involvement in the strategy including challenges, opportunities, and best practices for stakeholder collaboration. The discussions were attended by 40 representatives from organizations including PAR implementing partners such as Fundación ANDI, USAID, Semana Rural, and Buenaventura Chamber of Commerce, among others. Additionally, PAR and CRC profiled 27 organizations that will engage in the PDET strengthening strategy and confirmed 51 allies and mentors.
Finally, CRC began to analyze results of the alliance based on the sustainability goals established. Preliminary results include an evaluation of Indice de Capacidades Organizacionales (Organizational Capacity Index, ICOR). In year one, the result of the evaluation was 2.4/4. For year four, the result increased to 3.6/4. These results were generated from the organizational strengthening that CRC has carried out during the five years of its alliance with PAR. Other outputs include a gender and social inclusion strategy, monitoring and evaluation plan, and categorization of CRC’s tools and methodologies, such as La Reconciliación es Nuestra Cuenta, Nuevamente, and Macrorruedas para la Reconciliación. CRC has been transferring tools and methodologies to PAR.
Many lessons have been learned over the course of PAR and CRC’s partnership, and those related to organizational sustainability are of particular relevance given the current context of the organization’s closure. Since the Program’s first year, sustainability has been one of the partnership’s main objectives, with the goal that CRC would be able to independently lead reconciliation processes by the time the Program concluded. To this end, PAR designed an ICOR-based work plan for organizational capacity building, which reported progress in different organizational areas such as governance and leadership, approach to reconciliation, project management, strategic management, and financial management. However, the tool did not allow for in-depth monitoring of financial performance, which was eventually the driving factor in CRC’s closing. The organization’s structure and mission also precluded financial sustainability. As reconciliation is understood as a national cause, private sector companies were largely responsible for financial contributions to the corporation, yet during 2020 and 2021, the years of the pandemic, donations dropped by nearly 70 percent. The lesson learned here is that private sector
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PAR Quarterly Report January-March 2021 participation requires partnerships that create win-win scenarios for all stakeholders and align to a company’s business strategy. In all, while CRC showed significant progress in organizational strengthening—as shown by the positive ICOR performance during the four years of work—it was not enough to sustain continued operation. PAR’s scope did not include follow-up support as this was neither part the Program’s mission nor in its way of working.
PROYECTOS SEMANA
PAR and Semana continued to promote positive stories of resilience and reconciliation and generate new narratives for areas stigmatized by armed conflict through the information platform Semana Rural. The PDF version of the paper was distributed to more than 2,000 subscribers and published on the website www.semanarural.com. During the quarter, PAR and Semana hosted a webinar discussing how the pandemic has affected rural jobs. The discussion “Effects of the Pandemic on Employment and Rural Revenue in Colombia” talked about the relevance of understanding and addressing the needs of rural workers in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis. The Facebook Live transmission registered 2,776 reproductions and 205 while the Twitter transmission received 3,271 hits and was viewed by a total of 403 people. The event was also broadcast on YouTube, where it received 145 visits. The discussion offered a space to discuss ideas and better understand how to attend to the rural community, which has been affected in a different way by the health crisis.
With Proyecto Migración Venezuela, PAR and Semana continued promoting security and coexistence in areas that have received high numbers of Venezuelan migrants and returning Colombians. The platform publishes positive stories about migrants as well as practical and accurate information regarding migration, including news and information relating to the current health crisis. This quarter, Proyecto Migración Venezuela carried out a large-scale survey about the quality of life and integration of Venezuelan migrants in Colombia. Information from the survey, polling more than 1,500 households across the country, can be used to inform government policy as well as help international development agencies in the design and implementation of projects and activities to reduce xenophobia, promote integration, and generate access to opportunities. It covers topics such as barriers in accessing health, education, early childcare, and the labor market, as well as migration and family reunification, perception of integration and discrimination, financial inclusion, and the effects of COVID-19.
Also this quarter, PAR and Semana carried out the fourth survey on perceptions of migration in Colombia. The survey polled 2,200 people telephonically in 91 municipalities including Bogotá, Cali, Medellín, and Barranquilla on topics such as trust in Venezuelans, perceptions of security, whether or not migrants should receive the COVID-19 vaccination, and the Temporary Statute Protection for Venezuelan Migrants. The results can be used to inform strategies that support integration and reduce xenophobia. Findings showed that perceptions have not changed much since the previous iteration of the survey in September 2020, although perceptions of security and trust with regards to Venezuelans were negative.
Within the Semana Group is a dedicated Social Innovation Unit which generates content for Proyectos Semana with the goal of catalyzing development processes, closing opportunity gaps, and promoting 5
PAR Quarterly Report January-March 2021 integration of the Venezuelan migrant population. Following the conclusion of PAR, this unit—a team comprised of specialized journalists, editors, and economics and political science professionals—will work together to continue driving progress on the Proyecto Migración Venezuela and Semana Rural projects. Proyecto Migración Venezuela will maintain its current three-pronged structure: Observatory, Journalism, and Services, guaranteeing its capacity to produce creative content and technical reports. The project will leverage its multichannel digital platform to continue promoting its publications and will seek out additional resources to support the launch of future projects related to information sharing.
SECTION IV: PROGRESS BY REGION
NATIONAL
PAR continued to promote social inclusion and economic empowerment, strengthen integration of Venezuelan migrants and Colombian returnees, and raise awareness about gender-based violence and the relevant services available. All activities were designed and carried out in line with COVID-19 protocols – either in taking place online or complying with health and safety recommendations in the case of in-person activities, such as face masks, hand sanitizer, and adequate distance. During the quarter, the Program held 185 DecidoSer workshops in both virtual and in-person format, while implementing partners held an additional 453 workshops, empowering a total of 5,398 participants with tools for reconciliation. PAR continued working with educational institutions and local and national governments’ sectors to strengthen and support learning activities during the pandemic. Following a hurricane that caused devastation in the Caribbean islands of San Andrés and Providencia, PAR provided emergency assistance in the form of DecidoSer training to help cope with grief amid rebuilding efforts. The Program worked with 70 representatives of local organizations, educational institutions, the governor's office and mayor's offices of San Andrés and Providencia, secretaries of health, government, and education, and religious and spiritual institutions like Catholic and Baptist churches. The DecidoSer activities are promoting resilience, adaptability to change, teamwork, trust building, emotional management, and conflict transformation for assertive decision making in times of crisis.
The Program supported ART’s PDET strategy in collaboration with USAID’s Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) program with the design and pilot of 18 projects in 11 PAR municipalities. The activities, which include livelihood projects in areas such as coffee, dairy, and cacao production, are also aligned with the Ministry of Finance and the National Planning Department’s rural development goals. The projects contribute primarily to the PDETs’ Pillar 6, reactivating rural economies, and Pillar 8, reconciliation, coexistence, and construction of peace. To a smaller extent they also support Pillar 4, which represents rural education and early childhood, and Pillar 7, food security. As part of the pilot, PAR and MEL designed a strategy for USAID programs to identify, validate, and provide assistance for high-priority PDET initiatives as defined by ART. The partners also created a pre-agreement form to evaluate the impact of each project on overall PDET progress by pillar. The involvement of MEL was critical in obtaining, filtering, and prioritizing data related to the PDET initiatives; however, collaboration with ART was challenging due to the lack of coordination between its national and regional officials, complicating information sharing as well as revision, validation, and approval processes. In the future,
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PAR Quarterly Report January-March 2021 establishing a single point of contact will be crucial to channel communications and improve flow of information. Additionally, ART will benefit from further support in its efforts to socialize the PDET initiatives with local stakeholders and crowd in private sector players in driving their progress.
PAR’s 360-degree communications strategy continued to raise awareness and mobilize Colombians through reconciliation actions that promote socioeconomic opportunities throughout the country. The Program’s communications efforts this quarter resulted in 259 online, radio, print, and television publications. In addition, PAR promoted positive messages and awareness-raising campaigns to generate new narratives about stigmatized regions and position memory as a tool to combat repetition of violence. Social media efforts grew PAR’s online following by 3,793 users across Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, reaching more than 1,308,000 people on Facebook alone through its publications.
During the quarter, the Colombian Government announced a Temporary Protection Statute to help standardize migration status and ease access to jobs and public services for Venezuelan migrants in Colombia. PAR supported the Colombian Government by helping to make this information more easily available and accessible to eligible migrants. The Program published information on social media and coordinated an alliance with Forbes Magazine to identify employment opportunities and raise awareness about the statute. The alliance held an online forum under the #ColombiaSinFronteras (Colombia Without Borders) campaign, in which representatives from the President’s Office, the Bogotá Chamber of Commerce, and the Colombo-Venezuelan Chamber highlighted the opportunities the new statute would bring.
The Program’s Somos PARte de la Solución campaign reached more than 94,991 visitors to the website, which features news about different individuals and organizations making an impact during the pandemic. Additionally, PAR continued to promote trust in the private sector through interviews with social media influencer Monica Fonseca who discusses topics such as access to employment and inclusion through her show Talk Talk. This quarter, Fonseca interviewed participants from PAR’s project in Meta with Cafemasu, in which the rural coffee producers highlighted the role they are playing in reactivating the economy and promoting reconciliation at the local level. Another media campaign, #LaGuajiraQueYoConozco (The Guajira That I Know), promoted tourism and reinforced messages of integration in La Guajira. The initiative was supported by Semana Digital and 15 social media influencers and reached more than 700,000 people.
The Laboratorio de Innovación Social Adaptativo (Adaptive Social Innovation Laboratory, LISA) launched officially this quarter with a total of 130 participants selected from more than 800 applicants. The initiative takes the form of a youth development accelerator that is helping participants build skills and networks to amplify the impact of their grassroots projects showing potential to positively impact their communities. Participants began technical courses in virtual format to strengthen capacities in finance, entrepreneurship, and technology, complemented by soft skills training on themes like empathy, teamwork, and communication. The Program selected 109 mentors—including successful businesspeople and role models—who will provide support for the changemakers taking part in the program. Also this quarter, PAR held a masterclass led by Olympic gold medalist and PAR reconciliation ambassador , who drove home a message of resilience and discipline in achieving goals,
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PAR Quarterly Report January-March 2021 encouraging participants to pursue their dreams and positively impact their communities and beyond.
PAR and the Commission for the Clarification of Truth, Coexistence, and Non-Repetition (CEV) continued working together to promote truth, memory, and coexistence in Colombia’s territories. In the last quarter, PAR finalized a project with Casas de la Verdad (Houses of Truth) which aimed to promote memory and reconciliation through art and cultural activities in eight Colombian municipalities. CEV’s social dialogue processes aim to raise awareness and mobilize communities and sectors towards understanding not only what happened in the conflict, but also the fundamental role played by people in the territories. Building on this mandate, CEV produced a documentary titled “Escuche Mi Verdad” (Listen to my truth), which captured the experiences of participants from the eight municipalities. The documentary was launched as part of a live virtual event on CEV’s YouTube channel and included a conversation with the filmmakers and representatives from PAR, CEV, and the participating communities. The discussion reflected on the documentary in relation to the experiences of the communities and how their social and cultural resources play a vital role in building peace in their territories. The virtual event was recorded and received 480 views on YouTube and 3,100 views on Facebook. Following on the success of the Casas de la Verdad in those eight municipalities, PAR is selecting organizations to continue activities in an additional five municipalities—Cartagena, Ciénaga, Riohacha, Turbo, and Vista Hermosa. PAR is also creating 22 multimedia timelines based on the historical memory processes carried out in different regions of the country for the Colombian Network of Places of Memory website. During the period, the project team created content for the timelines which will be launched in the next quarter. Acknowledging the importance of private sector participation in the fulfillment of CEV’s objectives, PAR is creating a communications plan for CEV that will promote the effective mobilization of this sector. The plan will generate messages that promote reconciliation and dialogue, informed by in-depth analyses of the sector to determine key needs. During the period, PAR interviewed 15 CEV commissioners and advisors and 21 businesspeople and prepared a diagnosis and preliminary findings report to be used in crafting the communications plan.
As part of the Mis Derechos sin Fronteras initiative working with Colombian Institute of Family Welfare (ICBF) to support care for migrant children and youth, the Program held 10 workshops with public servants and ICBF operators working in the field of protection and three workshops with civil society organizations and members of Coalición Venezuela. The workshops focused on strengthening skills pertaining to working with migrant children and youth and employed pre-post surveys to measure change in the level of appropriation of care pathways to access health, education, and protection. The survey results showed an increase of appropriation from 33 to 80 percent. The Program is also providing technical assistance for ICBF’s Generación Sacúdete strategy, which seeks to support the national government in designing effective policies related to youth development. As part of this initiative, PAR is helping ICBF to create theoretical and practical content about risk evaluation and management for young people in the Criminal Responsibility System for Adolescents. The content will come to life in workshop sessions with 75 incarcerated youth at five separate detention centers. The Program will also transfer DecidoSer methodologies to the ICBF team to support their work with youth participants. Also with ICBF, PAR finalized support for the formulation of an ethnic chapter of the National Policy on Children and Adolescents. Through a series of roundtables, ICBF and PAR worked with the National Commission of Indigenous Women and the Afro-Colombian Commission to incorporate insights from
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PAR Quarterly Report January-March 2021 members of these groups into the workplan. The policy takes into consideration the communities’ needs and particularities and creates supportive spaces for the communities to express themselves.
PAR and EAFIT are strengthening youth collectives that use communications, resources, and community projects to reach and support Venezuelan migrant youth in Medellín. During the quarter, the partners identified four collectives working with migrant, youth, and LGBTIQ+ communities, and PAR and partner ICBF transferred psychosocial methodologies to EAFIT’s technical team. The Program also continued to provide technical assistance to the Inspector General’s Office in its development of a monitoring and support plan for youth who have been released from the Criminal Responsibility System for Adolescents. PAR also presented the results of its baseline analysis of the current adolescent criminal system participation processes and provided recommendations to inform policy reform regarding effective and impactful support for young ex-offenders.
PAR and the Heart for Change Foundation concluded their project focused on strengthening life projects and empowering migrant, returnee, and other vulnerable youth in Cúcuta and Santa Marta. PAR conducted training sessions with Heart for Change mentors on DecidoSer methodologies, which they then employed during one-on-one virtual coaching for 64 tenth and eleventh graders. The youth also participated in 10 training sessions to develop employability and soft skills. Also during the quarter, the partners hosted a virtual forum in collaboration with Fundación ANDI and other entities on youth employability in the digital world, to which more than 400 youth tuned in to learn about tools, strategies, and resources for professional development as well as job searching. The partners then convened a second forum directed specifically at migrant youth who are navigating employability challenges during the pandemic.
PAR continued its partnership with Image Quality Outsourcing S.A.S. which is strengthening the technical capacities of ICBF’s 141 hotline. The hotline attends to callers experiencing gender-based violence and interfamily conflicts, which have increased since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. During the quarter, Image Quality attended 946 callers, offering assistance and advice related to childhood and family problems, self-harm or suicidal tendencies, and interpersonal conflicts. The line provided information related to care pathways and psychological services. In the case of a suicide risk, the line communicated with a family member or someone close to the caller to ensure safety and provided follow up advice.
PAR continued its collaboration with USAID’s Empropaz initiative, implemented by Bancamía, to drive socioeconomic inclusion for migrants, returnees, and other vulnerable groups in Barranquilla, Cúcuta, Turbo, and Apartadó. The project, aligned with the regional PDETs for economic reactivation and peacebuilding in Uraba, seeks to generate new economic and social opportunities for these populations through business and entrepreneurship training, increased access to social and financial services, and ongoing psychosocial support. During the quarter, PAR and Empropaz registered an initial cohort of 109 participants—76 percent of whom are women, 28 percent youth, and 25 percent migrants or returnees—and began recruitment for the project’s second cohort. Participants then began DecidoSer workshops to stimulate dialogue and build interpersonal networks that will serve their business interests as well as personal development.
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PAR Quarterly Report January-March 2021
Through an alliance with her organization Corporación Omenka, PAR reconciliation ambassador Indhira Serrano began a series of workshops titled “Reconstruyendo Imaginarios” (Rebuilding Imaginaries) to inspire vulnerable youth and promote reconciliation in Cali, Barranquilla, Buenaventura, and Santa Marta. , an Afro-Colombian actress and role model, is well-known for her inspirational talks, particularly with a gender and ethnic focus. In the workshops, guides participants to reflect on negative thought patterns that prevent them from moving forward in their lives. During the reporting period around 90 youths took part in virtual workshops in Barranquilla, Santa Marta, and Buenaventura covering topics that provoke empathy, self-worth, self-recognition, empowerment, and teamwork. The sessions also include DecidoSer activities focused on emotional management, resilience, effective communication, gender, and inclusion. Serrano also participated as a guest in the third forum Women Accelerating Economic Reactivation in Cali.
Also focused on social inclusion, the Program continued to support Fundación Sergio Urrego’s Salvavidas 24/7 helpline with a new strategy aimed at improving mental health of migrants and returnee children and youth experiencing discrimination or xenophobia. The project will provide psychosocial guidance, coping tools, and teaching materials to reduce discrimination for children and young people in Bogotá, Arauca, and Quibdó. PAR and the foundation conducted a training for the helpline attendees and designed educational pamphlets with relevant information for vulnerable migrants and returnees. The Program also coordinated with PAR reconciliation ambassadors , the foundation’s director, and , the ambassador for Arauca, who will support the project and help to raise awareness about the helpline.
PAR and Caracol Radio began a new initiative to promote messages of social inclusion through a radio communications training for 60 young leaders in Cali, Bogotá, and Medellín. Participants will learn to execute all steps of the content planning, production, editing, and publishing process for wide-reaching radio shows. In this planning stage, the partners designed and broadcast promotional content via Caracol’s channels and successfully registered its target number of participants. PAR also transferred DecidoSer and appropriate action methodologies to the Caracol team, which served as a basis for the design of the project’s Soy Agente de Cambio (I Am an Agent of Change) communications course.
In another positive messaging activity PAR and RCN Radio began the implementation of a national communications strategy to destigmatize youth, the private sector, migrants, and returnees through greater awareness of their positive contributions to Colombian society. During the quarter, the partners spread positive messages about the critical role of these groups in driving social change through radio segments, podcasts, and television clips featuring audiovisual stories such as youth-led community development projects. So far, RCN Radio measured a total reach of 5,265,630 people nationally--with an additional 866,000 people reached through RCN TV. As part of the project, the partners also held workshops with youth from ICBF’s juvenile detention centers to build radio communications skills and psychosocial competencies that will support their reintegration into society.
In an ongoing effort to promote trust, cohesion, and collaboration between Colombians and migrant Venezuelans, PAR and Fundación Gratitud are working with participants in Bogotá, Arauca, and Cúcuta
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PAR Quarterly Report January-March 2021 to build emotional and artistic capacities for self-expression and community integration. During the quarter, Fundación Gratitud—an initiative of singer-songwriter and PAR integration ambassador Fonseca—selected its second cohort of “cultural leaders” for a total of 108 participants, 35 of which were youth. The group, which includes Colombians and Venezuelans, took part in 24 workshops to develop technical and socioemotional skills ranging from painting and dancing to active listening and empathy. Through DecidoSer activities, 99 participants formed new perspectives of the migrant experience, expressed commitment to using more appropriate and empathetic language, and demonstrated greater appreciation for each other’s experiences. These behaviors enabled a safe space for participants to step out of their comfort zones and learn from each other.
“In this project I started working side by side with migrants, before there wasn’t much trust between us but now I see them as my friends, not as a population that threatens my country.” – Project participant
As part of the project Tu Bandera Es Mi Bandera (Your Flag is My Flag), PAR and Corporación Fernando González – Otraparte are working to foster dialogue and design campaigns to combat xenophobia towards Venezuelan migrants in Bogotá, Medellín, and Cúcuta. Through DecidoSer workshops, 83 young people—among them migrants and returnees—have identified common goals and have committed to reducing xenophobia and promoting reconciliation in their communities. The project is also coordinating roundtables for the youth participants and social organizations, media outlets, and public officials to brainstorm and advance anti-xenophobic strategies, particularly for at-risk migrant groups such as the transgender community. Otraparte is building an anti-xenophobia toolkit for journalists, NGOs, and migrants. Another key pillar of the project is the xenophobia barometer, which monitors, analyzes, and reports discriminatory rhetoric on public online channels to PAR and its partners, enabling them to design communications strategies and campaign messages that subtly or explicitly address negative perceptions and work to change them. PAR ran three communications campaigns to promote integration and solidarity between Colombians and Venezuelans, the most successful of which reached 951,000 users and received no xenophobic comments.
PAR and Fundación Gabo began a new project to build awareness, develop skills, and impart resources among 90 communications professionals in 10 cities across the country, with the goal of reducing stigmatization and promoting positive messages about immigration in Colombia. During the quarter, 18 representatives from Atlántico and Bolívar organizations—including Migración Colombia, San Buenaventura University, the Mayor’s Offices and Chambers of Commerce of Barranquilla and Cartagena, and the Atlántico Governor’s Office—participated in a workshop series on assertive and human-centered communication styles. Participants also received concrete strategies to use in their everyday work to combat the xenophobia and support peaceful integration.
PAR and Vanguardia are promoting sociocultural integration between 200 Venezuelan and Colombian children through the development of communications skills and the creation of a website featuring positive personal and community stories. The partners coordinated with three schools in Bucaramanga to implement activities in their virtual classrooms—and provide printed materials to students without internet access. During the quarter, 110 sixth and seventh graders learned a variety of techniques such 11
PAR Quarterly Report January-March 2021 as interviewing, article writing, video production, and visual storytelling. They also practiced identifying fake news stories and discussed the consequences associated with sharing unverified information. During DecidoSer workshops, students worked on self-esteem and expressed their desire to make friends with their immigrant or host neighbors. Over the course of the quarter, the implementers noted increasingly positive illustrations of Colombian and Venezuelan bonds and solidarity in students’ creative projects, as well as greater confidence and capacity to recognize their own strengths. The project was featured in a print article in Vanguardia magazine, along with several short pieces in Vanguardia Kids and a short op-ed from the principals of the participating schools.
PAR progressed with Colombia Sin Fronteras (Colombia Without Borders) in a collaborative initiative with GOC’s migration agencies and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to make high-quality, open-source content available to journalists, opinion leaders, researchers, and the public. The content is hosted on an online news hub, which provides accurate information about Venezuelan migration and aims to decrease xenophobia and aporophobia through personal stories that humanize statistics and promote empathy. During the period, the project recorded more than 90,500 visitors. Following the launch of the Temporary Protection Statute for Venezuelan migrants—a law to facilitate the transition of undocumented migrants from a temporary legal status to an ordinary migratory regime—Colombia Sin Fronteras published articles, videos, and infographics providing information about the statute and answered questions raised by migrants via the platform’s social media channels. These communications reached more than 85,000 people on the platform’s social networks. As part of the Colombia Sin Fronteras initiative, 50 journalists from Semana, Telepacífico, and regional television channels received training in inclusive communication techniques to reduce xenophobia, with 98 percent of the participants reporting changes in perceptions, attitudes, and behaviors towards the migrant population. To ensure sustainability of the portal following PAR’s conclusion, GOC will start seekingout financial support from other programs within the USAID ecosystem in Colombia.
Also with a focus on migration, PAR and the Cúcuta-based newspaper La Opinión continued to provide reliable information related to migration through the multi-channel information platform Estoy en la Frontera (I am at the Border). The platform—which covers the border regions of Arauca, La Guajira, and Norte de Santander—provides information and support for migrants and returnees about their rights, migratory status, job opportunities, care pathways, and other forms of social assistance, as well as resources to facilitate social and economic integration into Colombian society. The platform also promotes solidarity among refugees, migrants, and host communities through stories of empathy and collaboration on its radio show. In DecidoSer workshops, 30 Colombian and Venezuelan youth from a Semilleros communications group designed life plans and strengthened their emotional management skills. Participants also received training in photography and podcast creation to generate positive content which promotes integration in the border regions. The project also conducted DecidoSer workshops with 45 public officials and business association representatives to raise awareness and inspire empathy for the migrant population. More than 2,400 users received information through these virtual channels during the period.
In its final quarter, PAR and Fundación Empresarios por la Educación’s La Educacíon que Nos Une (Education that Unites Us) campaign promoted social inclusion of migrants and mitigation of gender-
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PAR Quarterly Report January-March 2021 based violence in nine municipalities. The campaign held five webinar sessions featuring panel discussions and case studies, attended by 126 educators from 79 urban and rural schools. These included DecidoSer Sin Límites activities, gender and social inclusion insights, and resources from the Colombia Sin Fronteras campaign and ICBF’s 141 hotline for reporting domestic violence. Also during the quarter, the project published 20 graphics on healthy relationships and mental health during the pandemic and broadcast 20 radio messages through 382 regional and local stations. Through the implementation of targeted surveys, the partners observed an average increase of 21 percent in participants’ recognition of different forms of psychological violence such as lying, blaming, humiliation, and intimidation, making it easier to identify such behavior and implement strategies to prevent or resolve issues. Additionally, 30 percent more educators recognized the care and prevention hotlines 141 and 155 as valuable resources for their educational institutions. The partners also registered a decrease in discriminatory attitudes among teachers and a 15 percent increase in interest among all participants to spend time and resources supporting Venezuelan migrants.
PAR and Corporación Makaia Asesoría Internacional selected 29 participants to take part in a project providing IT training to young people from migrant, returnee, and host populations in Medellín, Bogotá, Arauca, and Arauquita. The project’s goal is to provide training to 95 young people that will help them qualify for a position similar to a junior software developer. However, due to the low number of participants who passed the entry tests, the implementer is also developing a levelling course. Applicants will have the opportunity to take the test again to participate in this nine-week training course which will begin in the next quarter.
CARIBBEAN (SANTA MARTA, CIÉNAGA, CARTAGENA, BARRANQUILLA)
PAR’s goal in the Caribbean region is to foster coexistence and drive socioeconomic inclusion for vulnerable populations including migrants and returnees. In collaboration with implementing partners, the Program seeks to build professional skills, psychosocial competencies, and business networks among participating individuals will the goal of increasing their employability potential or entrepreneurial ventures. Programmatic activities and communication campaigns also work to reduce xenophobia, prevent violence, and promote integration among Venezuelan migrants, Colombian returnees, and host communities. Many projects emphasize the development and dissemination of positive messages through digital channels such as radio programs and social media platforms. With each partner, PAR prioritized the transfer of psychosocial methodologies such as listening, reflection, and knowledge sharing to build confidence and capabilities for driving social change. Partners then led DecidoSer workshop sessions focused on legitimizing the migrant experience, expressing and managing emotions, and building trust among families and communities. Additionally, across all projects in this region, PAR continues to foster a robust network of public-private partnerships to ensure sustainability for each of its initiatives following the Program’s culmination later this year.
MAGDALENA Santa Marta PAR has partnered with the Federación Nacional de Comerciantes (Fenalco) to support women and youth migrants, returnees, and vulnerable persons in achieving social and economic stability through 13
PAR Quarterly Report January-March 2021 the development of entrepreneurial and life skills. Seventy-five participants were selected from 570 applicants received. Fenalco began training on business fundamentals with 45 participants, guiding them in identifying their strengths, challenges, and opportunities to become more competitive in their markets and boost their incomes. Additionally, all 75 participants took part in DecidoSer Sin Límites workshops to practice dialogue and professional collaboration as well as develop mutual respect and understanding. Participants have shown openness to building interpersonal networks based on trust and shared experience, as well as eagerness to support one another in amplifying the impact of their entrepreneurial ventures.
PAR and Fundación Casa en el Árbol are working with 200 youth, including 30 Venezuelan migrants and 30 Colombian returnees, to reduce xenophobia and prevent various types of violence through the creation of positive messages and inclusive cultural spaces. During the quarter, the foundation facilitated seven training sessions for the participants’ communications group on skills such as storytelling and digital platform navigation, accompanied by recognized YouTubers and representatives from major media outlets. The foundation also mentored youth in producing seven radio shows promoting Colombian-Venezuelan solidarity, which were broadcast via the Universidad de Magdalena and amplified on Spotify and Google Podcast. As part of the same campaign, #SomosElMismoCuento (We’re the Same Story), the partners held a competition to illustrate this hashtag through a short comic strip—receiving 40 submissions from 10 departments and awarding first prize to a Venezuelan migrant living in Medellín. The campaign was also promoted on a variety of digital channels including the platforms of PAR reconciliation ambassadors and other allied influencers. Additionally, 187 participants developed assertive communication and conflict resolutions skills during 12 DecidoSer workshops, and Fundación Casa en el Árbol and PAR jointly transferred psychosocial methodologies to 24 teachers from
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PAR Quarterly Report January-March 2021
Participants identified aggressive behaviors that occur within their homes and recognized the importance of validating and listening to all points of view. Participants noted that these trainings promoted dialogue, making it possible to discuss tense situations that occur in family environments and sometimes generate conflict.
PAR and the Cartagena Chamber of Commerce continued working with 100 entrepreneurs from vulnerable groups—including 60 Venezuelan migrants and 20 Colombian returnees—to develop professional skills and psychosocial competencies that will fuel their businesses. Participants took part in virtual business development training sessions and received guidance for designing business plans. In tandem, the entrepreneurs submitted investment plans to the Chamber which will be used to determine financing options for each initiative in the future. Additionally, through DecidoSer activities, participants reflected on their personal identities and experiences of cultural adaptation, coming to terms with the grief brought on by migration and building capacity for resilience in their host communities. The project worked closely with Cartagena Mayor’s Office, DIAN Cartagena, and the city’s leading migration organization, Fundación Un Solo Pueblo to support participants with financial contributions, business consulting, and social services.
A new project between PAR and Universidad San Buenaventura Cartagena seeks to promote socioeconomic inclusion for Venezuelan migrants and Colombian returnees in Cartagena by supporting individual growth, entrepreneurial ventures, and political participation. Of the project’s 70 participants, 60 percent are women and 40 percent are youth between the ages of 20 and 29 years old. The university began training sessions for 25 youth in audiovisual communication skills such as photography, special effects makeup, and written content for a variety of channels including social media—with the goal of increasing their capabilities in publicity and the promotion of their entrepreneurial ventures. The same group also began producing a short film to promote positive messages and solidarity between Colombian and Venezuelan “brothers” in Cartagena. Through DecidoSer activities, participants improved capacity to express the emotions generated by the migration experience, designed self-care strategies, and set short- and medium-term personal goals. The university also led business development trainings for participants to learn and apply fundamental skills in business planning, organizational structure, and information management to their entrepreneurial projects.
ATLÁNTICO Barranquilla In a new initiative, PAR and Universidad del Norte (Uninorte) are working to strengthen the socioemotional capabilities, family cohesion, and social entrepreneurship ventures of Venezuelan migrants and Colombian returnees in Barranquilla. With support from local allies including Barranquilla Mayor’s Office, Empropaz, and the NGO Venezolanos en Barranquilla, the partners recruited the project’s first cohort of 70 families—including 65 youth participants—of a projected total of 100. The implementer held workshop sessions with participating parents to develop an understanding of their children’s emotional expressions, including anger and fear, and implement parenting strategies based on empathy and love. The university also provided trainings to build key communications and productivity skills for the project’s 50 entrepreneurs. In a DecidoSer workshop, participants developed skills to recognize and manage emotions in the face of hardship. Participants also attended a diversity
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PAR Quarterly Report January-March 2021 and inclusion workshop for families to reflect on the impact of gender roles, sexual orientation, disabilities, and other forms of diversity in shaping an individual’s experience in their family or community. The partners have documented increased capacity for communication and empathy between participating parents and their children.
REGIONAL- CARIBBEAN* *Projects are categorized as regional if they are implemented in two or more cities in the region. PAR began a new project with Corporación Caribe Afirmativo to reduce xenophobia and violence and promote inclusion for LGBTIQ+ Venezuelan migrants in Barranquilla and Cartagena. So far, the project has engaged 81 individuals through DecidoSer Sin Límites workshops in reflecting on sexual diversity and building capacity in empathy, coexistence, and the creation of new narratives. Participants expressed the value they felt in being able to share their experiences in a safe space free of prejudice or threats. Over the course of the workshops, they also began to demonstrate increased solidarity with their peers and openness to telling their stories. Additionally, in coordination with Fundación Ideas para la Paz, the partners conducted research and analysis to understand the types of dynamics that are present between migrants, host communities, and the business sector. They are also laying the groundwork for upcoming communications activities including a podcast series and a feature in the June edition of Ego City—a progressive magazine with national reach—to mark LGBTIQ+ Pride. Caribe Afirmativo also met with representatives from the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to discuss the promotion of positive LGBTIQ+ migrant stories on the agency’s Somos Panas Colombia platform.
“I’m a gay Venezuelan man and I have never been anywhere where I didn’t experience discrimination. What I like most is that I can tell my story, people listen to me, they know that I’m from Venezuela and that I’m gay and they don’t judge me.”—Project participant
Following a collapse of the region’s tourism industry due to COVID-19, PAR and Fundación Creata are working to support migrant integration and drive economic reactivation. During the quarter, PAR and Creata selected 102 participants—including 38 migrants and 40 young people—from vulnerable neighborhoods in Ciénaga and Santa Marta. Creata organized roundtables for participants in each community to identify local interests and formulate action plans for projects such as solar-powered internet hotspots, bicycle-taxi guided tours, organic farms, recycling initiatives, and production of a variety of items from essential oils to ceviche. Visits from four Magdalena tourism agencies and two travel influencers expanded participants’ business networks and resulted in significant social media attention for the communities. Additionally, 87 participants built trust, respect, and mutual support through productive dialogue during DecidoSer workshops.
PAR and Fundemicromag advanced in their project to increase social and economic inclusion for 100 people—including 39 migrants and 10 returnees— in Santa Marta and Ciénaga through personal and professional skills development. During nine training sessions, participants learned to calculate costs, establish prices, design sales strategies, and structure their business models according to the current climate. The foundation also offered individual, personalized consulting to support each of the participants’ development strategies and activities. Additionally, 93 of the entrepreneurs also participated in a workshop with the Magdalena Chamber of Commerce on registering and formalizing 17
PAR Quarterly Report January-March 2021 businesses, and 90 entrepreneurs took part in a training with the Santa Marta Chamber of Commerce on digital tools and platform management to expand their ventures online. Through DecidoSer Sin Límites workshops open to the broader community, 258 participants developed confidence and solidarity through personal exchanges and collaborative exercises—allowing them to share their emotions and speak more openly in group settings. The project partners also noted increased capacity for empathy between migrants and displaced individuals, who through the psychosocial exercises began to identify with each other based on shared experiences.
“Through the DecidoSer workshops I feel like I’ve grown as a person, I feel empowered, I have more confidence and self-esteem, I’ve stopped being timid. I feel like a new person, emotionally and psychologically. Every day I feel more motivated.”—Project participant
PAR and Fundación Tiempo de Juego began a new project focused on protective environments and healthy use of free time, working with 250 children and young people in Santa Marta and Ciénaga. The initiative is promoting social inclusion, new narratives, and mobilization through activities such as journalism training, arts and culture, and leadership strengthening. During the quarter, participants attended journalism workshops and broadcast content developed through the sessions on UniMagdalena radio station. The initiative worked closely with PAR implementer Fundación Casa en el Arbol which broadcasts a radio program aimed at promoting social inclusion and integration of Venezuelan migrants. PAR and Fundación Tiempo de Juego also conducted weekly virtual and in-person sports and cultural activities which include psychosocial tools to foster reconciliation. DecidoSer activities focused on empathy, teamwork, and communication. Participants became increasingly active in the workshops, showing their commitment to the project. Finally, the Program coordinated with PAR reconciliation ambassador Agustín Lara, who provided training in customer service and tour guiding for two young migrants in Ciénaga.
PAR with Centro Inca Ltda, Fundación Colombia Incluyente in Barranquilla, and Unitecnar in Cartagena, are providing technical and complementary training, psychosocial support, and job placements to 420 young Colombians and Venezuelan migrants. Centro Inca Ltda participants are learning about marketing and sales and warehouse management with complementary training in digital marketing, and 35 have been selected by companies to begin apprenticeships. The project provided all participants with SIM cards for internet access and 80 participants with tablets to ensure their connectivity to the course. Fundación Colombia Incluyente’s 160 participants are learning about call center work, warehouse management, with complementary training in ICT skills. Fundación Colombia Incluyente works closely with the Atlántico Governor’s Office and its Women’s Secretariat to provide resources and logistics to support the project. Finally, in Cartagena, Unitecnar began training 140 participants in industrial safety, computer and network maintenance, and logistics and port operations. Unitecnar also conducted DecidoSer workshops with participants exploring issues related to their identity, self-recognition, and family and social environments. Additionally, PAR’s partner Fundación Gabo provided training to Unitecnar’s project communicators on the theme of migration.
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PAR Quarterly Report January-March 2021
ANTIOQUIA (MEDELLÍN, TURBO, APARTADÓ)
PAR’s initiatives in the Antioquia‐Urabá region are promoting coexistence and security through economic empowerment and youth leadership. PAR is working with seven projects in Medellín which seek to close information gaps, reduce xenophobia, and improve social and economic opportunities for migrant, returnee, and host populations through entrepreneurship and work placements. Participants include women, youth, entrepreneurs, victims of the armed conflict, and members of the city’s soccer fan clubs. DecidoSer sessions aim to strengthen coexistence, inclusion, tolerance, respect, and empathy, while also supporting migrants with emotional management and helping young participants recognize their abilities and develop life projects. In Urabá, in the municipalities of Turbo and Apartadó, PAR is promoting skills development among vulnerable rural populations with the goal of improving their living conditions through access to legal, sustainable, and inclusive economic opportunities. In this region PAR is committed to fueling entrepreneurship and generating job opportunities for young people in the banana and port sectors, as well as aligning with the region’s PDET priorities of reactivating the local economy and agricultural production; food security; and reconciliation, coexistence, and peace.
ANTIOQUIA Medellín PAR began a new phase of working with Fundación Mi Sangre to promote the socioeconomic inclusion of migrants in their host communities through awareness-raising, empowerment, and mobilization activities. The project will host workshops with 160 young people—50 percent Venezuelan migrants and 50 percent Colombians—with the aim of reducing levels of xenophobia and aporophobia, closing information gaps, and improving access to employment opportunities. During the period, the project selected participants with help from a network of 22 local organizations including PAR partners ICBF, REDEPAZ, and the Medellín Mayor’s Office. Participants took part in the first workshop, “Recognizing and Believing in Myself,” which uses a combination of Fundación Mi Sangre’s social change methodology and DecidoSer to strengthen trust and self-awareness. Participants shared that the workshop prompted them to reflect on the importance of recognizing themselves as individuals with interests and capabilities that can transform their lives and those of their families.
Through Information, Communications and Technology (ICT) job training and psychosocial support, PAR and CESDE, are continuing to boost educational and employment opportunities for 170 youth in eight of Medellín’s most vulnerable neighborhoods. During this quarter, CESDE ran a diagnostic analysis of Medellín’s ICT labor market and identified 4,700 job openings through major employment agencies. The organization also completed the design and began implementation of three youth training programs in the fields of technology systems, programming, and computer maintenance. Following knowledge- based exams and psychosocial interviews, of the 980 people who registered, CESDE selected 142 participants–15 percent of who are Venezuelan. To date 20 project participants have already secured formal employment. CESDE also hosted an online conference “Industrial 4.0 Trends and Job Opportunities in the Region” to raise awareness and mobilize project alliances, with 530 people participating including ICT companies and municipal government representatives. The DecidoSer workshops prioritized the issues of emotional management and decision making aligned with the young people’s life projects. The project also provided psychological counseling to young people especially
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PAR Quarterly Report January-March 2021 relating to issues of anxiety, domestic violence, and economic difficulties.
PAR and Fundación Conconcreto are working together to strengthen life skills and capacities of 301 people including women, youth, migrants, entrepreneurs, and victims of the armed conflict. Through “My Voice for Reconciliation” workshops and complementary DecidoSer sessions, the project strengthened tolerance, respect for differences, and empathy with musical groups from the city’s soccer fan clubs—which have a notorious reputation for violence and intolerance. Workshop facilitators noted that through the sessions, participants showed signs of increased empathy and recognized respect as the basis for constructing family and social relationships. During the period, participating entrepreneurs attended DecidoSer workshops focused on self-recognition and strategic thinking, received mentoring with project partners in educational training and food services, and took part in more than 85 individual counseling sessions on marketing and financial management. To promote the participant’s businesses, the project also facilitated entrepreneurs to take part in product fairs and connected them to businesses to receive production inputs—like a major national home appliances manufacturer which provided participants with waste material which they are using to produce cloth bags. Additionally, PAR and Fundación Conconcreto included a participating food production business as a snack supplier for the project, increasing the business’s sales by approximately 10 percent.
PAR and Comfenalco Antioquia began a new phase of collaboration to promote socioeconomic integration by increasing access to entrepreneurship and employment opportunities for a total of 80 participants: 40 students from Héctor Abad Educational Institution and one caregiver per student. Having received training from PAR in DecidoSer methodologies, local ally Fundación Conconcreto provided support for the project by leading psychosocial workshops, while partners Fundación Mi Sangre and Inexmoda offered additional employability and entrepreneurship opportunities. In trainings provided by SENA, project participants strengthened their interview skills as well as their work profiles and resumes. Through DecidoSer workshops, the young participants practiced using dialogue as a tool for resolving conflict and worked to identify their strengths and challenges as a basis for designing life projects. Comfenalco is also working with Corantioquia, the region’s sustainable development organization, to create additional job opportunities for migrants by adjusting the organization’s inclusion policy and 2021 action plan.
The Program and Fundación Inexmoda are developing the tailoring, design, and entrepreneurship skills of 84 entrepreneurs—including Venezuelan migrants, Colombian returnees, and victims of the armed conflict—and connecting them with professional networks in Medellín’s fashion industry. Several PAR partners assisted in disseminating information about the project, including Caribe Afirmativo, Reconciliación Colombia, and Colvenz. During the period, the PAR and Fundación Inexmoda selected participants, started training workshops, and facilitated DecidoSer workshops where participants reflected on the milestones and emotions of their migration process, recognized their own resilience, and expressed greater motivation and security in the process and in themselves.
PAR began a new project with Colvenz to strengthen established microenterprises through technical assistance, provision of supplies, and psychosocial support. This strategy aims to facilitate the stabilization and socioeconomic and cultural integration of 25 families in the city—comprised of 20
PAR Quarterly Report January-March 2021
Venezuelan migrants, Colombian returnees, and host population victims of the armed conflict. The project is hosting training sessions on entrepreneurship, finances, and social networks, working closely with the Medellín Mayor’s Office’s victim attention and reparation team. During DecidoSer workshops, entrepreneurs strengthened emotional management, coping strategies, and professional networks— promoting solidarity which also increases their safety. Workshop facilitators noted other changes in the behavior and perception of participants such as increased collaboration, greater support for Venezuelan migrants—even defending them in the face of discrimination—and greater management of anger, anxiety, and frustration associated with the migration process.
Apartadó PAR and Fundación Berta Martínez de Jaramillo are generating socioeconomic inclusion opportunities for 70 direct and 100 indirect beneficiaries in Apartadó’s Los Naranjales community. The PDET project aims to create protective environments and improve living conditions through three sets of activities: growing the local economy by creating or strengthening agricultural and non-agricultural productive units, providing community leadership training, and working with youth in secondary schools to create their own life projects. During the period, the project began economic empowerment workshops focusing on themes of respect, self-management, and active listening—as well as entrepreneurial competencies and the identification of legal, administrative, and financial business opportunities. The implementing partner also produced 12 videos and primers used in the community leadership training. Participants took part in DecidoSer workshops, which included using DecidoSer podcasts, to build self- awareness and self-esteem, improve emotional management, and stimulate creative thinking. Fundación Berta Martínez worked closely with Apartadó Mayor’s Office, PAR partner Comfama, and other local allies to establish organizational networks to expand the project’s coverage and benefits for the community.
REGIONAL- ANTIOQUIA* *Projects are categorized as regional if they are implemented in two or more cities in the region. PAR is working with Fundamilenio in Apartadó and Turbo to empower 200 vulnerable young people—60 percent of whom are women—with technical skills, employability training, and job placements. Of the participants, 96 have completed their training at SENA as banana crop harvesting and packing operators, and 23 graduates are working as apprentices, boosting their incomes through a stipend of roughly US$190 per month. Fundamilenio held the first workshop on the theme of dignifying women’s work in the agricultural sector, aiming to promote reconciliation and changes in narratives with the community. The project team noticed changes in the participants’ attitudes in everyday situations, specifically, prioritizing dialogue as a solution to conflicts and showing a greater sense of responsibility. Young participants emphasized that the DecidoSer sessions—focused on building self-confidence and legal life projects—helped them to become more aware of themselves and to treat others with greater respect. The project also aligns with the region’s PDET plan in facilitating job opportunities for low‐income families in rural areas and promoting messages of respect and reconciliation.
PAR and Caja de Compensación Familiar de Antioquia (Comfama) began logistics and port sector training for vulnerable youth in Apartadó and Turbo, as a first step to placing them in work opportunities in these key sectors in alignment with the PDETs. During the period, Comfama selected the 100 project
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PAR Quarterly Report January-March 2021 participants who will continue with skills trainings and DecidoSer workshops in the next quarter.
PACIFIC (QUIBDÓ, BOJAYÁ, BUENAVENTURA, CALI)
In the Pacific region, PAR continues to invest in economic opportunities and personal development for vulnerable communities, with an emphasis on women and youth. Projects in the municipalities of Quibdó and Bojayá focus on legal income-generation, food security, youth development, and reconstruction of social fabric. During this quarter, participants from these areas developed psychosocial skills, expanded economic opportunities, and demonstrated resilience in the face of systemic challenges. Program work in Cali and Buenaventura also focused on strengthening economic inclusion through workforce and entrepreneurial training, job placements, and support for small businesses. Ongoing alliances with both cities’ Chambers of Commerce provided institutional resources, networks, and support for projects involving vulnerable populations. Engagement of rural communities in Buenaventura also supported progress against the region’s PDETs. Across all target municipalities, PAR consistently supported the organizational development of program partners and worked to strengthen local and regional business networks. The integration of DecidoSer psychosocial activities also promoted respect, confidence, and dialogue on themes related to migration, gender, and social inclusion.
CHOCÓ Quibdó PAR and Corporación GEInnova continued supporting 88 women and youth in the northern El Reposo neighborhood of Quibdó as part of the Tejedores de Sueños project, which seeks to build leadership skills and create opportunities for entrepreneurship. This quarter, 10 youth participants received scholarships for higher education studies at the Universidad de Chocó, and 14 others developed creativity and assertive communication skills as part of the Semilleros communications group. The 26 women participants produced 500 articles of clothing; after donating 300 pieces, they netted an average income of US$200 per person per month, representing a 5 percent increase from the previous quarter. They also produced 2,000 face masks, all of which will be purchased and donated by Fundación ACDI/VOCA LA (FAVLA) to children at a local school. Additionally, coinciding with International Women’s Day, the women launched a virtual catalog featuring 76 unique garments, many of which promote images of empowerment inspired by young people from El Reposo. During the quarter, GEInnova conducted six in-person DecidoSer workshops with 14 participants on themes including strategic thinking, decision-making, adaptability, and dialogue. Participants reported improved interpersonal relationships and conflict resolution capabilities.
“Before, when I faced problems or difficult situations, I stayed quiet and got easily frustrated. Today I have more ideas to solve them, and I take things easier.”—Project participant
Bojayá In collaboration with Aplameda, PAR moved ahead with a new cycle of the Bojayá Río de Vida (River of Life) PDET project to generate economic opportunities for 100 plantain producers and simultaneously promote peacebuilding processes in the region. With technical guidance from project partners, the participants restored and prepared 100 hectares of land for plantain production and received 20 hours 22
PAR Quarterly Report January-March 2021 of technical training in enhanced cleaning protocols and organic compost systems. Project partner Acumen also engaged with fast food chain Frisby to conduct a market study on plantain transformation and commercialization. In partnership with Bojayá Mayor’s Office, PAR is working to design a public policy related to nutrition and food security with respect for the traditions of the indigenous communities in the area. The entities agreed to establish a municipal committee on the topic, which has since been formed. In three Bojayá neighborhoods, 34 individuals participated in two psychosocial workshops focused on memory and transformation, a key step in strengthening community resilience in the face of ongoing harassment and threats by illegal armed groups in the area. Following the DecidoSer experiences, participants expressed a change in self-perception from victims of the conflict to businesspeople contributing to the community.
VALLE DEL CAUCA Cali PAR finished its second quarter of the Prospering Businesses (Empresas que Prosperan) project in collaboration with the Cali Chamber of Commerce. This initiative seeks to increase business outcomes for 450 participants and empower them to become change-agents in their communities. To date, the program has enrolled four cohorts of 255 participants—including 141 women, 77 youth, 29 Venezuelan migrants, and eight Colombian returnees—who are managing 218 formal businesses and 37 entrepreneurial ventures. Early-stage surveys revealed that participants run businesses primarily in the commercial, manufacturing, and service sectors, and helped to prioritize programmatic topics, such as financial management, that will best support their business development. During the quarter, PAR and the Chamber of Commerce hosted 22 entrepreneurial skill-building workshops, 23 business development trainings, three financial market sessions, and three virtual networking events. The Chamber also provided 449 hours of personalized consulting with an emphasis on organizational structure, commercialization, and finance. Representatives from the Chamber participated in two psychosocial workshops: one on preventing employee burnout and another on strengthening organizational culture. They then independently led 16 workshops on topics related to leadership, teamwork, and effective communication, engaging a total of 95 participants.
Buenaventura In another activity supporting entrepreneurs, PAR and Buenaventura Chamber of Commerce continued strengthening income opportunities and quality of life for 300 people: 100 female heads of household, 150 youth, and 50 victims of the armed conflict in this PDET aligned project. During this period, PAR and the Tura Emprende team began soft skills training for the first cohort of 100 participants, representing ecotourism and commercial organizations from one urban neighborhood and two rural communities. Participants also benefitted from two financial sector orientations, two tourism industry networking events, and one mentorship session led by marketing executives from a major hotel chain. PAR and the Chamber of Commerce also selected the second cohort of 200 participants from a total of 1,388 recruits, 99 percent of whom identified as Afro-Colombian and 81 percent of whom were women. The partners are also working to arrange job placements for the 36 participants in the project’s employability track, 11 of whom have already secured internship and short-term employment with the Chamber of Commerce. Representatives from the Chamber of Commerce took part in two virtual DecidoSer workshops focused on identifying discrimination, avoiding harmful words and actions, and promoting 23
PAR Quarterly Report January-March 2021 inclusive workplaces.
Also in Buenaventura, PAR and Fundación Yo Tengo Fe launched a new initiative to engage 100 youth from three of the municipality’s poorest neighborhoods with impactful artistic and psychosocial activities. In this planning stage, PAR worked with the nonprofit’s leadership team to create job postings and conduct the hiring process for two new positions related to organizational development and psychosocial support. The partners also put out a call for proposals to develop a standardized academic and artistic youth program, for which the organization Tecnocentro Somos Pacifico is currently under evaluation. Additionally, PAR and Fundación Yo Tengo Fe established a strategic alliance with singer , a PAR Reconciliation Ambassador and native of Buenaventura who will help to raise awareness of the project and promote positive narratives for local youth.
CENTRAL (BOGOTÁ)
In Bogotá, PAR is working to strengthen employability, entrepreneurship, and economic and social inclusion for a wide variety of groups including women, Venezuelan migrants, Colombian returnees, ex- offenders, ethnic minorities, LGBTIQ+ youth, and victims of armed conflict. The Program partners with local foundations to provide technical training, develop life skills, and support participants in accessing formal labor market opportunities or launching their own business ventures. Activities also seek to reduce violence and discrimination by raising awareness and offering resources related to gender-based violence, xenophobia, and other societal issues.
Bogotá PAR and Fundación Acción Interna continued to create work opportunities for 80 vulnerable youth leaving Bogotá’s adult and juvenile criminal justice systems. Fundación Acción Interna’s “Second Chances” project seeks to support youth—including Colombians, Venezuelan migrants, and Colombian returnees—to secure legal forms of employment. During this quarter, the project’s second cohort of 20 youth completed their virtual training on employability skills like office systems, formal communication, and minute taking. This training included inputs from partner companies in communications and online education. Of the first cohort of 20 youth who completed their training in the previous quarter, 10 have secured formal employment. Their positions include store, kitchen, and administration assistants, working with supermarket chains and a solid waste disposal company. The project’s DecidoSer workshops complemented the technical training and covered life skills like emotional management and reflecting on the experiences of others. Fundación Acción Interna director , a Colombian actress and PAR ambassador for reconciliation, hosted a lunch with 20 business leaders at the foundation’s Restaurante Interno, which provides training and employment opportunities for people leaving the criminal justice system.
To provide technical training and access to employment opportunities to vulnerable young people in Bogotá, PAR continued its partnership with Fundación SIIGO. The 84 selected participants received training in business administration and are completing apprenticeships in one of 34 companies linked to the project in sectors like publishing, online education, and telecommunications. For those who did not have the necessary resources to connect to the training course, PAR and Fundación Siigo provided them 24
PAR Quarterly Report January-March 2021 with 30 tablets and 12 SIM cards with internet access. Participants are working in their apprenticeships as administrative or accounting assistants and earn a monthly income equal to Colombia’s minimum wage, roughly US$250 per month. During the period, PAR and Fundación Siigo collaborated with Rosario University and the Ministry of Labor to host sessions of “Yo Siigo Transformando Vidas” (I continue transforming lives). These virtual presentations raised awareness with 127 participating businesses about hiring processes for Venezuelan migrants and ways to promote access to employment for this population. PAR also conducted a DecidoSer transfer with the project’s technical team, focusing on the importance of language and topics like disability, diversity, and respect for the migrant population.
PAR started a new phase of working with Fundación Universitaria Compensar to support Venezuelan migrants, Colombian returnees, and vulnerable people to enter the formal labor market. The project’s 110 participants completed virtual training, which aims to strengthen technical, psychosocial, and soft skills, covering themes such as access to employment, Colombian labor laws, and job search tools, among others. PAR also facilitated meetings, often with representatives from the Ministry of Labor, to explain to companies contracting procedures for migrants and benefits of inclusive hiring practices. Project participants are in a selection process to be placed in 42 companies associated with the project in the next quarter. Fundación Universitaria Compensar also collaborated with SENA to evaluate and certify the labor competencies of migrant participants which will assist them with job opportunities in sales, customer service, and business process outsourcing. DecidoSer workshops with participants honed in on issues of culture shock and educational and job training options available to migrants.
ORINOQUIA (VISTA HERMOSA, PUERTO RICO, MESETAS)
In the department of Meta, PAR’s work focuses on building trust and generating economic opportunities, supporting the region’s PDETs for economic recovery, coexistence, and reconciliation. Through promotion of legal employment opportunities as well as technical training, PAR and local partners are working with farming families to improve their agricultural techniques and increase their likelihood for stable income generation. Several projects are also focused on reclaiming spaces and rebuilding historical memory through the engagement of youth, women, and other community members whose voices have been traditionally absent from decision-making processes. Across the three municipalities of Vista Hermosa, Puerto Rico, and Mesetas, the Program is also undertaking three separate initiatives to strengthen entrepreneurship, facilitate peacebuilding processes, and spread positive messages through youth platforms.
META Vista Hermosa PAR and Pontificia Universidad Javeriana (PUJ) strengthened organizational capacity and skills development for 35 community leaders, 20 public and private officials, and 15 young people from two organizations focused on dialogue, reflection, and reconciliation. The first is Vista Hermosa’s municipal council for peace, reconciliation, coexistence, and human rights, formed following Colombia’s peace accord of 2016 to manage dialogues and cooperative agreements in the community. Through DecidoSer methodologies, council members and other public sector leaders are strengthening capacities for facilitation, decision-making, and leadership. The partners are also working to change perceptions of the 25
PAR Quarterly Report January-March 2021 council as a vehicle for political opposition by raising awareness for the multilateral initiative— supported by PAX Holanda, Pastoral Social Caritas Colombia, and other groups—in several official spaces including the first municipal assembly of 2021. PAR and PUJ also implemented training sessions— including DecidoSer Campeón exercises—with the Llaneritos youth communications collective, in which participants reflected on the meaning of peace and how they can design and disseminate positive messages in the community. The Program also facilitated a gender and inclusion workshop, in which 18 representatives from the council and collective discussed the importance of social inclusion and strategies for dealing with discrimination against youth of different identities.
PAR and Fundación Atuca’s Tejiendo Territorio (Weaving Communities) initiative in Vista Hermosa is supporting sustainable development for three tourism initiatives while simultaneously strengthening community-led reconciliation efforts. The project currently includes 82 members from local organizations Churucos, Acetur, and the Community Action Board, and is projected to engage a total of 240 people including youth from rural schools. PAR and Fundación Atuca held nine workshops incorporating DecidoSer activities, in which 139 participants reflected upon and shared historical memories through community maps, timelines, and “tree of memory” exercises. Over the course of the sessions, participants demonstrated increased openness to participating and empathizing with each other’s experiences. Partners also held a DecidoSer Poderosa workshop that coincided with International Women’s Day, in which 18 participants deepened their understanding about sexism, self- esteem, and gender-based violence and the laws that are in place to protect against it. Additionally, the partners convened with representatives from regional tourism institutions and allied organizations including Colombia’s Truth Commission to socialize the project and discuss opportunities for amplifying tourism in Vista Hermosa—specifically, aligning with the region’s Ruta por la Paz (Trail for Peace) initiative to reclaim and redefine physical spaces that were previously used for disappearances and executions by armed groups.
Mesetas A new initiative between PAR and the Asociación de Cafeteros de la Macarena y Sumapaz (Cafemasú) seeks to promote reconciliation and economic inclusion among 40 coffee farming families from the Nasa indigenous community residing in the village of Ondas del Cafre. During the quarter, each family received three technical assistance visits focused on improving coffee bean quality, as well as training in agricultural best practices such as technology implementation and crop disease management. Accompanying business development sessions encouraged participants to view their coffee-growing traditions as economic opportunities and capitalize on their income-generating potential. Additionally, 45 youth coffee growers took part in nine workshops on commercialization processes including quality analysis, transformation, and preparation. The families also spearheaded the construction of an elevated seed bed, a communal effort for which Cafemasú coordinated the donation of 33 kilos of coffee seeds from the National Coffee Growers Federation. During the quarter, PAR facilitated five DecidoSer workshops in which participants developed skills in assertive communication and conflict resolution to improve family relationships and strengthen social ties in the multigenerational community. The Program also provided technological equipment to a local photography and communications school to encourage creative expressions of historical memory and new narratives.
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REGIONAL- META* *Projects are categorized as regional if they are implemented in two or more cities in the region. Supporting youth audiovisual producers, PAR and youth collective Clap Productions advanced in their initiative to strengthen peacebuilding processes in Puerto Rico and Mesetas through artistic memory and reconciliation activities. The project, thus far working with 51 participants from Puerto Rico—13 from the collective and 38 actors and family members—will produce a documentary-style video series that tells the story of the armed conflict’s impact on the region and the community members’ efforts to create new narratives of resilience. During the quarter, PAR and Clap hosted five workshop sessions, two of which included DecidoSer elements, to foster safe spaces for participants to share their experiences of the conflict, from forced displacement and recruitment to illegal economic activities and land abandonment. The partners also socialized the initiative with two municipal roundtables of conflict victims, who then developed skills in personal reflection, crisis management, and narrative construction during DecidoSer workshops. Over the course of project activities, youth participants demonstrated increased capacity for decision-making, solidarity, and empathy, enabling their ongoing development as part of the collective. Next quarter, PAR and Clap Productions will engage roughly 30 people from Mesetas to join the effort, and begin production for six of its 18 planned videos.
“Without a doubt we can say that we all have something in common, we have suffered so much because of the conflict, but it was comforting to explain how we’ve each come to transform these stories into what we are today: resilient.” – Victim of armed conflict and roundtable participant This quarter, PAR partnered with Corporación Desarrollo para la Paz del Piedemonte Oriental (Cordepaz) in two projects aimed at boosting economic and social inclusion in Meta. The first seeks to strengthen the entrepreneurial initiatives of nine organizations in Vista Hermosa, Mesetas, and Puerto Rico with commercializing their food products—such as coffee and yogurt—and accessing new markets. During the period, the team developed strategic business tools including consumer personas and gap analyses for the organizations’ use. Additionally, 109 of the project’s 140 participants developed skills in teamwork, collaboration, and collective growth through DecidoSer workshops. The second project, ¡Despierta Macarena!, works in the same three municipalities with community leaders, including youth and rural women, to design and implement a pedagogical strategy to inspire democratic participation in alignment with the region’s PDETs. In its first full quarter, the project advanced in awareness-raising among key regional stakeholders and the preparation for training sessions through the distribution of biosecurity kits and digital tablets, which the participants will use for in-person and virtual activities. In collaboration with municipal representatives, the partners then implemented trainings on communications and information technology, citizenship rights and participation, and institutional tools and resources, engaging diverse groups of youth, social leaders, and delegates from the PDET’s municipal action groups. They also worked with 48 participants from Vista Hermosa, Mesetas, and Puerto Rico to develop historical memories and reframe their concept of masculinity during DecidoSer workshops. Additionally, PAR, Cordepaz, and the federal government’s office for citizenship participation held three working sessions to map the project’s goals and activities to the national agenda for peacebuilding as laid out in the 2016 peace accord.
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PAR Quarterly Report January-March 2021
AMAZON (FLORENCIA, SAN VICENTE DEL CAGUÁN, CARTAGENA DEL CHAIRÁ)
This quarter in the Amazon region, PAR continued to strengthen economic inclusion, coexistence, and trust among rural communities in Caquetá through DecidoSer methodologies and the promotion of legal and sustainable livelihood alternatives to illicit crops. These focus areas complement the region’s PDET priorities of boosting economic recovery through agriculture as well as promoting reconciliation and increasing trust in institutions. In the municipalities of San Vicente del Caguán and Florencia, PAR is working with four agricultural cooperatives to improve social, economic, and environmental conditions for a total of 206 livestock, dairy, coffee, and cacao farming families. Through technical support, PAR seeks to help the farmers diversify their crops, improve product quality, implement environmentally sustainable processes, and break into new markets, ultimately increasing household incomes and food security. The Program also prepared implementing partners to lead 62 in-person and 12 virtual DecidoSer Familia workshops with a total of 653 participants, using reflective and interactive exercises to encourage dialogue, build healthy relationships, and create safe spaces for women and youth.
CAQUETÁ Florencia PAR and Corcaraño collaborated to strengthen agricultural production and cohesion among 50 participating families, with strong representation from women, youth, people with disabilities, and members of the LGBTIQ+ community. The partners conducted 12 family farm visits to offer technical assistance and consulting in areas of product categorization, production planning, and market access strategy. PAR and Corcaraño also designed a sales strategy called “Farmers Baskets,” each of which includes all the necessary ingredients to make a variety of traditional Caquetá recipes. Promotion of the baskets at their weekly farmers markets resulted in an average increase in sales of USD$72 per family, representing a profit margin of 30 percent. PAR and Corcaraño conducted several DecidoSer Familia workshops, with emphasis on new forms of positive masculinity and a departure from deeply rooted machismo that has perpetuated violence against women. Youth participants in Corcaraño’s communications collective also utilized the cooperative’s social media network to promote messages of respect and dignity for the farming community and gender equity within it. Additionally, Corcaraño was chosen for an industrial design and innovation project with the Pontificia Bolivariana University, and one of Corcaraño’s youth members was selected to participate in ACDI/VOCA and USAID´s new Social Innovation Laboratory, LISA.
PAR partnered with Federación Nacional de Cafeteros (FNC) to improve socioeconomic conditions for 50 coffee-growing families, including 15 indigenous heads of household and 20 victims of Colombia’s armed conflict, in the historically stigmatized Danubio area of Florencia. The partners’ integrated approach includes technical training on innovative methods for coffee production, collection, processing, and commercialization combined with psychosocial support to empower participants in leading development and reconciliation in their communities. During this quarter, PAR and FNC visited each of the 50 family farms, and supervised land developments that will facilitate innovative agricultural practices. Participants received integrated agricultural extension training to strengthen production and quality of AAA beans, widely recognized as premium coffee beans for which companies like Nespresso will pay higher prices. PAR also finished the procurement for all equipment and materials that the
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PAR Quarterly Report January-March 2021 families will use next quarter to build coffee-processing machines. Additionally, FNC held DecidoSer Familia workshops in the Remolinos neighborhood to build participants’ socioemotional capabilities and communication skills to support healthy and positive family bonds. Overall, project participants expressed new perceptions about their ability to engage legally and productively in the economy, creating safe, sustainable, and dignified futures for themselves and their families.
San Vicente del Caguán PAR continued its partnership with the cacao cultivation association Comicacao to enhance productivity among its membership and stimulate sustainable development processes including environmental conservation and peacebuilding. In its second quarter, the project is implementing a “zero deforestation” strategy with 60 families, covering innovative cultivation techniques as well as commercial strategies to boost outputs and incomes. Each family received crop-sprayers and tools for the production process along with technical training in fumigation and harvesting. With support from PAR, Comicacao implemented new standardization protocols for assessing product quality and upped its harvesting of premium cacao beans by 500 percent, from 200 to 1,000 kilos. Families also improved their collection productivity by 300 percent, from five to 15 fruits picked per tree across 90 hectares. In alignment with the region’s PDETs, PAR partnered with credit union Utrahuilca to promote a culture of savings and provide Comicacao members with low-interest loans. The partners also promoted inclusion of women and youth in reconciliation processes through three targeted DecidoSer interventions focused on family cohesion. Additionally, 20 youth members of Comicacao formed a Semilleros communications collective and partnered with local radio stations to spread positive messages related to environmental sustainability and the contributions of cacao farmers to the economy.
PAR and agrarian reform cooperative Coopabi proceeded with their second quarter of work in the Balsillas area of San Vicente del Caguán to improve economic, environmental, and social outcomes for 46 dairy farming families. In alignment with PDET pillars six and eight, participants received training on animal nutrition and care, waste management and conversion of organic materials for compost, as well as safety protocols for operating farming equipment. During this quarter, the families increased milk production by 11 percent and simultaneously improved quality. Their efforts resulted in an incremental price-per-liter increase and 22 percent greater sales, representing a 26 percent increase in monthly income from milk. PAR and Coopabi conducted technical assistance visits to supervise the installation of household nurseries with native plant species, and supported the preparation of two hectares of land, divided into 46 plots, to mitigate deforestation through environmentally sustainable silvo-pastoral farming systems. Additionally, credit union Utrahuilca awarded five participants with low-interest loans, of approximately US$2,700 each, to strengthen their agricultural businesses, with another seven under consideration. During this quarter, PAR trained Coopabi’s team in gender and social inclusion strategies
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PAR Quarterly Report January-March 2021 included drawing up business plans and developing investment and financial forecast plans. In DecidoSer workshops aimed at strengthening confidence and solidarity, participants discussed identity and their own abilities, and took part in activities focused on trust and teamwork. PAR held workshops to strengthen historical memory and resilience, during which participants reflected on their life stories and how these play into their current and future situations. Finally, the implementers identified potential leaders among youth living in the settlements to coordinate sports and cultural activities alongside other partner organizations to promote safe spaces and free time activities for children and adolescents.
Also focused on social and economic empowerment, PAR and Arauca Chamber of Commerce advanced with a new project cycle strengthening capacities and entrepreneurial skills of migrants, returnees, and members of the host community. The Chamber of Commerce carried out business training workshops with 100 participants selected for the project. Training included financial and accounting skills, marketing and sales, and developing business plans. Participants also took part in DeciodSer workshops that focused on decision-making, teamwork, and coexistence to strengthen their livelihood projects as well as promote reconciliation and resilience within the community. Participants expressed that trust, empathy, and respect had increased in their family and community environments.
The Program continued to work with Caja de Compensación Familiar de Arauca (Comfiar) in an activity generating economic opportunities and social change as a way of promoting security, coexistence, and reconciliation in the Malecón area of Arauca, a riverside park that had been overtaken by crime and microtrafficking. The new project cycle works with 150 participants, mobilizing residents to work together to create a safe space in the area and boost integration between long-time residents and newly arrived migrant families. Thirty of the participants are also entrepreneurs who will receive business support and capacity-building through the program. This quarter, the Program conducted baseline studies and initiated DecidoSer and gender and social inclusion workshops. Participants reflected the merits of communication and noted that they found it difficult to express their emotions and open up to family members and other participants, but that they were willing to work on this. The workshops with participants and family members also discussed roles and rights within the home as well as the importance of working together.
“It’s the first time I’ve participated in something like this with my family. I think we needed this to bring us closer together and improve communication between us. It hasn’t been easy to express our feelings, but these workshops have shown us different ways to communicate and brought us closer together.”— , DecidoSer participant
PAR and the Piedemonte Araucano Chamber of Commerce continued promoting reconciliation and trust through an initiative strengthening the productive skills of 50 women and youth in Arauquita. The project focuses on generating economic sustainability for participants and their families based on social and business inclusion and psychosocial support. During the quarter, the Program carried out methodology transfers with the project team as well as baseline surveys and DecidoSer workshops with the participants selected. Participants in the early stages of the project have already shown their commitment to working together to rebuild the broken social fabric and promote reconciliation in their 31
PAR Quarterly Report January-March 2021 communities. Short term results following the DecidoSer activities include increased levels of trust, respect, empathy, and communication as well as self-confidence.
Also in Arauquita, PAR continued working with Fundeorinoquía to improve the incomes and quality of life of 41 women and their families through the promotion of fish farming projects and strengthening the protective environments within their families and communities. During the quarter, Fundeorinoquía conducted DecidoSer and entrepreneurship workshops with the participants, as well as technical training in the production of cachama fish. The project is working closely with the Arauquita Mayor’s Office and the Territory Renewal Agency, as it aligns to the regional PDETs to reactivate the economy through generating income while helping rural residents adapt to climate change and reduce their impact on the environment. The technical training included improving production techniques and drawing up an environmental management plan. DecidoSer workshops focused on building self- confidence, leaderships skills, social inclusion, and organizational processes.
PAR started a new project with Nuestro Flow to create initiatives that strengthen women’s agency and promote their visibility in rural areas of Arauquita and Arauca. To promote self-recognition and strengthen self-esteem, Nuestro Flow hosted workshops with 40 women from regional agricultural workers associations. The participants shared their life stories and identified strengths they had developed to face challenges in their lives like discrimination and inequality. Nuestro Flow created a podcast, based on interviews with participating women, which aims to help eliminate stereotypes and unconscious gender biases that exist in rural areas. The interviews will explore the participants’ daily lives, their challenges, and their goals for their agricultural, fish farming, and livestock projects. The stories of some of women will also be included in Nuestro Flow’s fourth iteration of The League of Diversity booklet which generates reflections about gender stereotypes and violence against women, providing ideas and tools for a more equitable education and a society free of violence. PAR partner Fundeorinoquía is providing production and commercialization technical assistance to participating women who have cachama fish farming projects.
NORTE DE SANTANDER Cúcuta PAR and Cúcuta Chamber of Commerce concluded a socioeconomic integration project benefiting 116 Venezuelan migrants, Colombian returnees, and members of the host community through capacity building and support for entrepreneurial initiatives. During the quarter, the Chamber of Commerce distributed biosafety elements as well as equipment and supplies to bolster the small businesses, which include clothing production, catering, and beauty salons, among others. Participants credited DecidoSer with helping them to achieve greater emotional balance in the face of difficult circumstances created by the pandemic such as having to suspend their businesses, rethink their way of working, and needing to rely on support networks or family members. Also this quarter, project participant became a PAR ambassador for reconciliation after showing strong leadership and community engagement. She received support through the project for her recycling company and stood out for leading an environmental campaign encouraging community members to recycle and advocating for the rights of people working in recycling. She is set to lead a knowledge exchange with former and current PAR participants and partner organizations in Quibdó’s El Reposo neighborhood. 32
PAR Quarterly Report January-March 2021
In another social and economic strengthening activity, PAR and Fundación Hablemos are working with 50 families to establish household gardens which will improve food security and create alternative income streams. During the period, the project partners conducted home visits with participants to identify and evaluate spaces for the household gardens and provided technical advice relating to the plants they will grow, which includes vegetables such as tomato, lettuce, and carrot, and herbs such as mint, citronella, and basil. Through DecidoSer workshops, participants developed skills for emotional expression and strengthened family bonds through dialogue and empathy. Fundación Hablemos began piloting a communications strategy with support from Cúcuta Mayor’s Office’s Secretariat for Social and Economic Development, which will also involve other PAR allies such as Corporación Casa Viva Arte, Corporación Minuto de Dios, Fundación Juventud Líder, and Fundación Cultural Pilar de Brahim. As part of the pilot, in the next quarter these organizations will host a joint migration forum focused on economic, social, and cultural integration and the xenophobia prevention.
The Program started a new socioeconomic inclusion project with Corporación Artística Social y Cultural Casa Viva Arte strengthening income generation opportunities for 99 participants through support for livelihood projects and capacity-building in areas such as accounting, finance, and business management. DecidoSer workshops also created safe spaces for participants to share personal experiences, develop mutual respect and solidarity, and foster connections that will serve them in their personal and professional endeavors. During the period, Casa Viva Arte held meetings with representatives from Cúcuta Mayor’s Office to identify municipal programs and projects in which the participants can be included. The mayor’s office is also providing participants with online training courses through its technology center, as well as access to micro-loans with national banks through a national government fund that seeks to facilitate credit access by providing guarantees. Cúcuta Chamber of Commerce is also collaborating in terms of consulting, monitoring, communications, and logistics support, such as processing purchases and delivering workshop materials.
“Listening to the stories of my colleagues encourages me to keep believing in these processes that support many people who have dreams. It is an act of faith to keep building and contributing to employment generation in our city and we are showing that we make changes every day with our actions.” –Project participant
In another new project, PAR and Fundación Juventud Líder are building skills for social change, community leadership, and social and cultural integration in Cúcuta’s La Fortaleza settlement. This quarter, 80 young people between the ages of 10 and 18 years old participated in physical education and DecidoSer workshops to foster skills that promote trust, dialogue, respect, and emotional expression. The project team noted behavioral changes including significant decreases in physical aggression and the use of violent or discriminatory language. Fundación Juventud Líder also observed that some participants who were initially reserved and introverted are engaging more openly with their companions and that many of the participants are showing a greater effort to listen, understand, and respect what their peers are saying. PAR and Fundación Juventud Líder additionally identified 40 migrant, returnee, and host families to take part in this project. During the period, the 40 families
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PAR Quarterly Report January-March 2021 participated in DecidoSer sessions focused on strengthening coexistence and well-being in the home. The project also began the characterization analyses to inform the design of programmatic activities that will seek to increase the families’ skills and resources.
Finally, PAR and Corporación Minuto de Dios began identifying participants for a new initiative that will promote economic, social, and cultural integration. The project will strengthen entrepreneurial capacities and community leadership for 40 families.
LA GUAJIRA Uribia, Riohacha, Maicao PAR and Fundación Alpina are supporting social integration and economic stabilization for migrants in the Nazareth settlement’s Wayuu community through the establishment of productive agricultural projects for subsistence, commercialization, or product diversification. The project includes 90 participants from 18 households, of which 44 percent are migrants or returnees. During the quarter, Fundación Alpina prepared 11 household gardens including tomatoes, peppers, carrots, and other vegetables—and constructed four pens for egg-laying hens and chickens that will be raised for their meat. The foundation is also in the process of installing an irrigation system for the project’s community garden. With support from SENA, families are improving their land management practices through composting, trail cleanup, and the establishment of a dedicated reforestation nursery. Additionally, through DecidoSer activities, 100 community members strengthened teamwork, assertive communication, and decision-making skills—and for some participants, coping mechanisms to manage the grief brought on by difficult migratory experiences. Representatives from the foundation also joined a gender and social inclusion workshop with local partner Asociación Salto Ángel focused on recognition and respect for diversity. Additionally, the project is working to secure financial support from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to bring product surpluses to the local market.
“I thought back to the life I had in Venezuela, and it brought back sad memories of everything that I left because of the crisis. But through this process I’m experiencing positive feelings of change and transformation, I feel hopeful that I can have a better life.”—Project participant
In a push to strengthen social ties and socioeconomic inclusion, PAR and Servicios Informativos de La Guajira engaged 20 women artisans from the Wayuu community in reviving the traditional Kattoui weaving technique and highlighting its value to the community. Through Kattoui—which uses recycled plastic as fabric—the women promote environmental conservation and respect for ancient cultural memory. In collaboration with local volunteers, Servicios Informativos collected 150 kilos of discarded plastic bags which were converted by the artisans into the project’s first 60 artisanal products. The project also involves 10 youth volunteers from the local area, who participated in training sessions on indigenous ecological practices and communications skills such as photography and social media management to promote the initiative and its participants. Additionally, 93 Wayuu migrants and returnees took part in six DecidoSer workshops, working to acknowledge and process the pain experienced during migration as well as strengthen solidarity with their neighbors. Over the course of the quarter, participants demonstrated increased awareness for the need to reduce littering and build stronger recycling practices. They also recognized the value contributed by Venezuelan Wayuu members 34
PAR Quarterly Report January-March 2021 and the importance of strengthening societal bonds for the benefit of the community as a whole.
PAR continued its collaboration with Fundación ACDI/VOCA LA (FAVLA) and energy company Enel Green Power to promote access to clean water and support community-led infrastructure projects in rural Uribia and Maicao. During the quarter, FAVLA and Enel worked with the National Army and Ministry of Housing to construct three water reservoirs, each of which has a capacity of 3,000 cubic meters, for the domestic and agricultural use of approximately 3,000 people. The initiative, part of the GOC’s “Guajira Azul” program, seeks to promote access to safe water and strengthen resilience and adaptability in the face of climate change. PAR and Enel are providing technical assistance for the implementation of seven community-led infrastructure projects including construction of a health center, community kitchen, and a social center. The partners are working directly with 70 members of local technical committees, including traditional Wayuu leaders, in the execution of the projects which seek to improve quality of life for 310 indigenous Wayuu families. Participants also engaged in DecidoSer workshops to encourage self-reflection, improve communications skills, and build trust.
To promote social integration and collective participation in the creation of socioeconomic opportunities, PAR and Corporación Minuto de Dios engaged communities in Maicao and Riohacha in psychosocial and technical programmatic activities. During the quarter, Minuto de Dios identified 144 entrepreneurs to receive business development training, starting with the design of sustainable business plans. Additionally, 198 participants—including the entrepreneurs—developed skills in teamwork and adaptation as well as resilience and self-awareness during DecidoSer workshops. Participants from the LGBTIQ+ community also promoted an intersectional approach to the workshops including the perspectives of gender, sexuality, and other forms of diversity. Following the workshops, participants demonstrated increased capacity for empathy and effective communication in their family and community environments. Migrant participants also pointed to the self-reflection exercises as useful in building self-esteem, as well as validating and managing their emotions.
PAR launched a new initiative with Asociación Salto Ángel to build organizational and communications capacities among community leaders, women, youth, and migrants in Maicao, Uribia, and Riohacha. The goal of the project is to broaden economic opportunities for these groups and facilitate their social and cultural integration. During the quarter, 40 community leaders strengthened leadership skills through a peer-to-peer support network and designed action plans for engaging with and supporting migrants in their communities. Additionally, 25 youth are learning social media tools and techniques used by YouTubers and other influencers through a leadership and social transformation “lab.” Through DecidoSer workshops, 83 participants developed emotional expression and self-awareness, and four members of the association joined representatives from Fundación Alpina for a social inclusion workshop focused on respect for diversity. In coordination with USAID’s Rural Finance Initiative and Fundación Panamericana para el Desarrollo, PAR and Asociación Salto Ángel connected 11 participants with local savings groups, collaborated on cleanups of community spaces, and are working collectively to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The partners are also coordinating with local government agencies including Migración Colombia to increase access to information and services regarding citizen and migrant rights and benefits.
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PAR and Fundación Origen began the selection phase of a project that will train to train 40 young women, indigenous, migrant, and returnee leaders from Riohacha, Maicao and Uribia to improve their social and community intervention capacities on issues related to preventing GBV and xenophobia.
REGIONAL- BORDER MUNICIPALITIES* *Projects are categorized as regional if they are implemented in two or more cities in the region. PAR continued its partnership with La Fundación El Pilar de Brahim in Norte de Santander, Arauca, and Guajira to facilitate binational integration and respond to growing rates of xenophobia and aporophobia. To raise awareness and mobilize citizens in pursuit of these objectives, the project launched the digital campaign Rompiendo Fronteras (Breaking Borders), part of PAR’s broader Somos PARte de la Solución (We Are PARt of the Solution) campaign. Rompiendo Fronteras highlights the universal nature of migration and shares positive messages from both migrants and the receiving community through testimonials and artistic tutorials. From the three border regions, 81 young people took part in workshops and created six audiovisual capsules—to be included in the digital campaign— which promote memory, coexistence, and binational identity. Participants in one DecidoSer workshop noted that the psychosocial tools helped them to recognize and manage the emotions they experienced during the process of binational integration and adaptation to the host area.
SECTION V: MONITORING AND EVALUATION (M&E)
During the quarter, PAR carried out training for new projects and continued to provide virtual support for the technical team and implementing partners. Other activities include monitoring for projects in Apartadó, Barranquilla, Bogotá, Buenaventura, Cali, Cartagena, Cúcuta, Medellín, Mesetas, Puerto Rico, Riohacha, Santa Marta, and Vista Hermosa. The team carried out collaborative activities with more than 80 allies and implementing partners.
Specific training, support, and information-gathering activities include:
● Coordination, monitoring, and direct recording of DecidoSer and InclusiónES interventions for projects with Banco de Bogotá and the Ministry of Labor. ● Support for the intervention in San Andres and Providencia, supporting actions in response to Hurricane Iota. ● Joint coordination with Empropaz, a USAID pilot project, to expand impact, register information, generate results, and report on indicators. ● Pre-Post survey implementation online and by phone to measure changes in perceptions, attitudes, and behaviors, working with allies and implementing partners to adapt the surveys when necessary. ● Review of information uploaded on LEAP (Learning Evaluation Analysis Platform), including forms for planning, awareness and mobilization activities, and stakeholder and third‐party funds. This was done for every active project, guaranteeing correct registration and compliance with program indicators.
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PAR Quarterly Report January-March 2021
Other general activities: ✔ Review and delivery of baseline assessment results from the Sararao sector in Maicao as part of the Ministry of Housing’s Guajira Azul Project. ✔ Review of the fifth and final iteration of the Complexity-Aware Monitoring and Evaluation (C- AME) report. ✔ Progress on the Monitoring Evaluation Learning plan for USAID, calculating productive projects and the areas they cover for the next submission.
Knowledge Management During the quarter, PAR focused on the issues of migration and reconciliation through two events: Multisector roundtable “Overcoming institutional and cultural barriers to achieve economic integration of the Venezuelan migrant population.” This event sought to 1) identify the aforementioned barriers; 2) share experiences about concrete initiatives that have contributed to effective economic integration; and 3) discuss measures being implemented to facilitate such integration. The event was attended by 53 representatives from the national government, the private sector, and civil society organizations representing the Venezuelan population. It highlighted current initiatives that are working to reduce barriers and improve economic inclusion, such as linking migrants to employment opportunities, a qualification catalog for the construction sector, and the skills certification program for Venezuelans, among others.
International seminar “Reconciliation: Who, when and how?” The aim of the event was to: 1) Learn how the issue of reconciliation has been handled in other countries; 2) Learn from the experiences of other international reconciliation barometer initiatives (e.g. SCORE of Cyprus, Bosnia-Herzegovina, etc.) to contextualize the analysis of the Colombian case and highlight the diversity of reconciliation experiences according to national contexts; 3) Integrate the progress made and challenges faced by national and regional organizations (government, academia, civil society) in reconciliation tasks and projects; 4) Present findings from new data and studies regarding the factors that mark the phenomenon of reconciliation. Access to the conferences was through the Zoom platform with virtual participation of 261 pre-registered people and a total of 484 views on YouTube.
SECTION VI: LOOKING AHEAD
Semana’s Venezuela Migration Project will publish a journalistic special with technical content developed by the PMV Observatory together with Fundación Ideas para la Paz (FIP) on the role of entrepreneurship in the process of economic and productive integration of Colombia’s migrant population. In-depth interviews are being conducted with key actors in migration issues and a web survey is being conducted with businessmen from different economic sectors and different regions of the country. Other publications the Program will support include: Minuto de Dios Arauca plans to launch an art book "Our History", Fundación Casa en el Árbol will launch a digital book about inclusion and its project work, and Corporación Fernando González – Otraparte will launch an Anti-Xenophobia kit as an educational tool to complement the Xenophobia Barometer. With CEV’s Casas de la Verdad, the PAR will support the launch of six animated short films to showcase the experiences of organizations that work
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PAR Quarterly Report January-March 2021 with young people in Antioquia and Norte de Santander.
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PAR Quarterly Report January-March 2021
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PAR Quarterly Report January-March 2021
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