ABOUT THE AGREEMENT
Final agreement for the termination of the conflict and the construction of a stable and lasting peace
On September 27, 2016, in a symbolic act carried out in the city of Cartagena de Indias, the National Government of Colombia and the terrorist group Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia and the People's Army (FARC-EP), signed of the document named Final Agreement for the termination of the conflict. Within this document, the negotiations that began their exploratory phase on February 23, 2012 in Havana (Cuba) and which were later formalized after the installation of the negotiating table on October 18 of the same year in the city of Oslo (Norway).
This document marks the end of the armed conflict in Colombia after 54 years of undeclared war in various locations of the Colombian geography. Although the document was later rejected by the population after the victory of the NO in the plebiscite held on October 2, 2016, these were endorsed and later ratified by the highest executive branch, President Juan Manuel Santos Calderón.
Among the most recent achievements, in addition to the end of the armed actions after the signing of the document in Cartagena, has been the partial surrender of minors who are part of the guerrilla combat ranks and the partial surrender of their weapons in the past June 28, 2017, action supervised and ratified by the United Nations.
The final agreement is made up of five general points, which develop within it a series of interdependent agreements where it is sought, in addition to finalizing the warlike actions of the subversive group, its re-inclusion in society and the transformation of the scenarios of war in this new stage. Namely, these points are:
- Towards a New Colombian Countryside: Comprehensive Rural Reform
- Overcome the conditions of poverty of the peasant communities, and in particular of the family nuclei that make them up, affected by illicit crops, by creating conditions of well-being and good living in the territories; and contribute to the structural transformations of rural society resulting from the implementation of the Comprehensive Rural Reform (RRI).
- Generate policies and productive opportunities for male and female growers, by promoting associativity and solidarity economy; and generate policies and job opportunities for harvesters and mediators linked to illicit crops.
- Strengthen the participation and capacities of peasant organizations, including rural women's organizations for the support (technical, financial, human, among others) of their projects.
- Strengthen the management capacities of the communities and their organizations, through their direct participation in the preparation, execution, follow-up and evaluation, and control and citizen oversight of the PNIS, developing the principle of joint, participatory and concerted construction among the communities -men and women- and the authorities.
- Ensure the sustainability of the PNIS in the territories as a guarantee for the definitive solution to the problem of illicit crops through a continuous and persistent intervention of the State, which must manifest itself in conditions of well-being and good living for the communities.
Specific objective 1:
technical training of rural labor force
Through the development of chairs, classes and workshops, the aim is to update the knowledge of the farmers in relation to agricultural work. However, these are not presented as last alternatives and are offered as new working methods based on similar experiences in other parts of the world, but not mandatory.
Also, it is planned to use this space as a discussion forum for the actors involved, peasants, guerrillas, etc., to share their knowledge and build ties for continuous and community improvement through their communicative interactions.
Actor 1: Colombian State Activities:
Technical training can take place in two unique or complementary settings. The first, the trainings will take place in communal classrooms in the towns near the peasants' homes. These classrooms can be located in the public spaces available to the towns such as communal rooms, sports centers, city hall, house of culture, etc.
The professionals who will direct the trainings can be, in the first instance, from the region supported by professors who accredit sufficient knowledge to participate in the dynamics.
The second scenario is that the trainings are carried out virtually using the existing platform in the National Learning Service (SENA) that works under the name Sofía Plus: SENA Virtual. Due to the low number of peasants with internet access, the mayors of the towns near the peasant's home must prepare a space for the installation of computers to be able to access the virtual courses. Likewise, a team of professionals must be hired to train, assist and help students to access the content during the sessions.
The trainings, whether virtual or face-to-face, must be scheduled in such a way that it does not interfere with the farmers' daily work, and must be coordinated in groups of maximum 20 people with an established schedule. As it is not an education policy, it is not considered necessary to carry out knowledge tests, but rather satisfaction tests to identify elements for improvement.
Actor 2: Peasants / beneficiaries
Activities
When we refer to the term “peasant”, we do so without using discrimination, that is, it is the responsibility of former displaced persons, affected by violence, demobilized guerrillas, etc. Beneficiaries must organize themselves into committees for the selection of one or two representatives per zone who will receive the training offered within the framework of this program. It is your commitment to share, transmit and communicate everything you have learned in the trainings to the members of your community.
Actor 3: Overseers
Activities
In addition to a member of the government and a member of peasant groups who are dedicated to monitoring compliance with project activities, it is proposed to supervise an NGO from outside the country as guarantor, as well as members of the actors who You are financing the project in the context of the Colombian post-conflict. Send your delegates to certify the proper development of activities.
Namely, the Non-Governmental Organizations that apply to carry out this follow-up are “Education without Borders”And / or“ Organization
Green Fund ”through its“ international education ”division.
On the part of the government, as part of its constitutional duties, the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Technologies must be present, accompanied by delegates from the National Government because this project is developed in the context of the post-conflict with the guerrillas of the FARC-EP, of which this actor is one of the signatories of the peace agreement reached.
Financing
As described in section 4.1.6 of the peace agreement, “the resources of the Comprehensive National Program for the Substitution of Crops for Illicit Use”, within which this proposal is found, “will be allocated in accordance with the provisions of the plans of immediate attention and in the integral municipal and community plans of substitution and alternative development and it will seek to guarantee the efficiency, effectiveness and timeliness of their execution ”. It is also worth noting that both the locations and the virtual platform already exist and do not have to invest in their creation, so the investment is only required for human resources and technological resources (computers, internet, etc.).
However, for the purposes of this exercise, you can determine actors that can directly finance the training activities, and these can be organized by area interests:
- United States: economic item destined to combat drug trafficking, since the main idea of this activity is the substitution of crops that are used for such purposes.
- France: economic item that supports the education and training of guerrillas and those affected by the conflict in the post-war period
- United Nations Development Program (UNDP): resources may come from this organization since they meet the requirements established in its mission, which is defined as the organization's effort to eradicate poverty and reduce inequalities through of the sustainable development of nations.
Indicators
Quantitative
- Number of courses created within the training framework Number of students per course
- Number of new courses requested since the implementation of the first courses
- Number of students who continue training after the first trainings Number of methodologies explained in the trainings applied in the fields by students Number of suggestions made by students
- Number of questions asked by students Number of complaints made by students
Qualitative
- Satisfaction of the students with the courses Applicability of the courses from the perspective of the teachers Perception of the state as an ally of the progress of agriculture from the perspective of the students
- Students' perception when studying, working or sharing classrooms with ex-guerrillas
Specific objective 2: update of technology or work tools for the development of agriculture in the post-conflict scenario and the substitution of illicit crops
In addition to the first specific objective, it is proposed that, in addition to theoretically training the beneficiaries of the activities, they are given the opportunity to update themselves at a technological level so that they are fully capable of developing what they have learned during the training. Oriented towards this achievement, state financing is proposed so that peasants can acquire or update their tools through flexible credits that have the quality, like the educational credits of ICETEX, of not charging them interest during the implementation period and that this can be forgiven once two or three harvests have been made / negotiated / sold, considering this situation as fair and optimal to start paying the debt acquired of damage or economic destabilization of the contracting party (peasant, peasant organization, municipal, departmental organization, etc.).
To access these credits, granted by the Banco Agrario de Colombia, the beneficiaries must argue the intended use of the money once the credit has been acquired, as well as the reason or motive for which they consider that this machinery is suitable to carry out their work, as well as an approximate projection of the harvests that they can achieve using of such technology. In the event that they do not do it in a private way, but on behalf of a cooperative or some other type of peasant association, they must also present the project to the local authorities (mayors or governorships) for pre-approval before submitting the application. to the bank, in order to certify the viability or applicability of these resources for specific projects.
Actor 1: Agrarian Bank
Activities
As mentioned above, the acquisition of credits for the update of work tools can be requested in two ways; at the individual level (natural person) and as a group (legal person).
In the case of the first, if you meet the formal requirements, you can access it, benefiting from the flexibility of credit, the non-payment of interest and starting to pay it only when you have resources for them, that is, after the first harvests. and having achieved a type of economic stability in relation to their work.
In the second case, it is proposed that the loans can be accessed more easily if the applications are presented as legal entities of groups, cooperatives or other forms of peasant groups that seek to become more technical to improve or enhance their work in the field. This happens in coherence with what is stated in the general objectives of the peace agreement, which conceives the maintenance of peace through the cooperation of the country's social actors (such as the peasants in the substitution of illicit crops) and their coordination. with state entities (the agrarian bank). The fact that it is a legal person who requests the loan, gives the peace of mind that in case of bankruptcy or lack of solvency, the groups will be the ones who pay the debt with their capital and not only the loan applicant.
Actor 2: Beneficiaries
Activities
Peasants can group together and form organizations that seek the common benefit. Said groups can be guided by the current and existing services in the mayors of the municipalities and whose purpose is to provide legal advice free of charge, promote the formation of groups as a method of collective action and, in addition to the training of the previous point, They are also in the ability to consult with the same professionals who teach the classes on the suitability of the intended tools.
They are also proposed to present a document arguing the amount of credit to be requested, the objectives, the selected machines and the projection of budgeted harvests to have a signature that endorses the project by the local authorities and, with said approval, present themselves at the Agrarian Bank for the loan application with this
“Letter of recommendation” that confirms that both the arguments and the objectives of the loan are viable and have been sufficiently reviewed and are in line with the plan to replace illicit crops.
Actor 3: observers
In addition to the local mayor's offices, through their legal advice offices and the ombudsman, the following supervisors are proposed to guarantee the proper use of credit resources and as well as the protection of natural and legal persons from fraud, ignorance of terminologies, fine print or any other type of intentional or circumstantial scam.
- Financial Superintendence of Colombia: entity in charge of maintaining the integrity, efficiency and transparency of the securities market and other financial assets in Colombia, as well as ensuring respect for the rights of financial consumers and the proper provision of the service; In the post-conflict framework, all beneficiaries of policies that contribute to social and rural reconstruction in the post-conflict context.
- Office of the Comptroller General of the Republic, the highest body of fiscal control of the State, whose mission is to ensure the proper use of resources and public goods and contribute to the modernization of the State, through continuous improvement actions in the different public entities; In the context of this work, by monitoring the state entities that are in contact with the beneficiaries and that have influence on decision-making when deciding whether or not to request credits or other aid contemplated in the replacement plan for illegal crops.
- Office of the Attorney General of the Nation: entity that represents those before the State and the highest body of the Public Ministry, also made up of the Office of the Ombudsman and the legal entities; that in this context, protects the beneficiaries of post-conflict policies and in this specific case, those who seek to access credits for rural development, safeguarding their objectives from possible acts of corruption or malicious actions by public officials who lead to deception or the like. National government:As guarantor of the agreement reached, in the event of public calamity, natural disasters or serious circumstances that prevent the beneficiaries from paying their credits, the Colombian State must be the guarantor of both natural and legal persons, making available the money that was collected and was stored for the development of agricultural projects in the post-conflict.
Indicators
Quantitative
- Number of credits requested Amount of credits granted
- Amount of credits paid
- Number of legal person requests Number of natural person requests Quantity of machinery acquired
- Number of harvests carried out measured in bundles of products after use of the credits Average amount of time in which the beneficiaries of the credits begin to pay their credits
Recommendation
To complement this letter of activities, it is proposed as an annex to review the creation of legal packages by the government to facilitate the sale of products harvested under the modality of substitution of illicit crops, allowing them to find balance points so that their economic model is sustainable over time. Said suggestion can be carried out through extensions of marketing taxes, payment of sales taxes, income declaration and the like. This last point is made as a suggestion or recommendation given that, within the framework of the peace agreement, and having reviewed the section on which this exercise has been built,There are no elements that seek to facilitate the reintegration of peasant forces into the Colombian market through the change or modification of laws; These only occur in the last section of the document where issues such as responsibilities, penalties, justice and reparation are addressed, for which a special jurisdiction for peace was created specific for that point but not extensible for the others.
The National Service of Learning - SENA, is a public establishment of the national order, with legal personality, its own and independent patrimony, and administrative autonomy; Attached to the Ministry of Labor of Colombia. It offers free training to millions of Colombians who benefit from technical, technological and complementary programs that, focused on the economic, technological and social development of the country, enter to enlarge the productive activities of companies and industry, to obtain better competitiveness and production with globalized markets.
SENA's virtual platform that allows you to access a wide range of free training programs titled, virtual, complementary and for companies.
www.educacionsinfronteras.org/es/
ICETEX is a State entity that promotes Higher Education through the granting of educational credits and their collection, with its own resources or from third parties, to the population with less economic possibilities and good academic performance. Likewise, it facilitates access to educational opportunities offered by the international community to improve the quality of life of Colombians and thus contribute to the economic and social development of the country.
Banco Agrario de Colombia SA is a Colombian banking establishment founded in 1999 to replace Caja Agraria, as a public limited company with the government's industrial and commercial company regime, its main headquarters are in the city of Bogotá and it has coverage throughout the Colombian territory. Its main objective is to provide banking services in the rural sector and to finance agricultural, livestock, forestry and agro-industrial activities in a timely manner. It is part of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.
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