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My Impression on Colombia

By Romy Teruel 

I had two impressions of Colombia in South America – cocaine and beautiful women of the Miss Universe caliber. Last week these impressions have changed. Cocaine and beautiful women are still there but a few more have been added. As the say in Colombia, "the only risk in visiting Colombia is wanting to stay". 

Last week I had the rare opportunity to see Colombia upon the invitation of the Colombian government to participate in the 2nd Technical Cooperation Tour of Peace Building in Colombia: DDR Development and Experience (DDR here means Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration) that was held in Bogota, (Colombia's capital), with trips to the demobilized rebel communities in Armenia, Department of Quindio; Santuario, Department of Risaralda; and Cali City, Department of Valle del Cauca.

It was an opportunity that I could not let pass. First it was an opportunity to learn how they have successfully implemented DDR in Colombia and second, it was practically for free as I was one of the only two invitees from the Philippines whose airfare was at the expense of the Government of Colombia through the Alto Consejero para Reintegracion or High Counselor for Reintegration. Airfare expenses of the five others from the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) had to be shouldered by OPAPP.

I felt honored and proud to represent Bohol as I was the only one invited from the local government in the Philippines

. There were 60 participants coming from Angola, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Cameroon, Canada, U.S.A., Ethiopia, France, India, Italy, Liberia, Mexico, Mozambique, Nigeria, Congo, Rwanda, Sri Lanka, Sweden and of course, Colombia. 

The technical cooperation tour is an offshoot of the 1st International Congress on DDR held in Cartagena, Colombia early last year where the Philippines signed with the Colombian government a technical cooperation agreement on DDR. That agreement brought to the Philippines and to Bohol last November a delegation from Colombia that looked at our reintegration program for rebel returnees. They were introduced to the Bohol brand of reintegration that had factors of success they would like to replicate in Colombia.

It was a very tiring trip to a destination half the world away but reflecting on it now, it was a trip worth the future of our own direction at DDR (that would hopefully bring permanent peace) and the nosebleed I had in the early days of stay at the high altitude city of Bogota.

For common understanding of DDR let me quote the definitions of the terms as cited by the United Nations.

Disarmament is the collection, documentation, control and disposal of small arms, ammunition, explosives and light and heavy weapons of combatants and often also of the civilian population. It includes the development of responsible arms management programs.

Demobilization is the formal and controlled discharge of active combatants from armed forces or other armed groups. There are two stages of demobilization. The first being the processing of individual combatants in temporary centers and the second is the support package provided to the demobilized which is called reinsertion.

Reintegration is the process by which ex-combatants acquire civilian status and gain sustainable employment and income. It is essentially a social and economic process with an open time-frame, primarily taking place in communities at the local level. As it is part of the general development of the country and a national responsibility, it often necessitates long-term external assistance.

Colombia has the biggest demobilization processes in the history of Latin America. There are over 50,000 who have demobilized, collectively and individually, and have returned to civilian life from its rebel groups – the FARC, ELN, ERG, M-19 and ACU.

What brought the Colombian government to pursue DDR, what it is and how they implemented it will be discussed in the next series. An analysis of how the same can work or not work in Philippine context and setting will also be attempted.

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