Colombia: Paza la Paz - A step towards peace

Promotion of Life Skills

The young people are strengthened in essential life skills that enable them to better deal with the everyday challenges of life. These include social skills such as self-awareness and empathy, dealing with emotions and tensions, communication skills and interpersonal relationships, conflict and problem solving and leadership. Thanks to these competences, the young people become more self-reliant and independent and can protect themselves preventively against psychological problems.

Activities

• Life skills workshops with 1'500 young people.

Effect

• The young people strengthen their life skills to better cope with life's challenges and choose a healthy, legal and sustainable lifestyle.

Peaceful coexistence and conflict resolution

Through the historical reappraisal of the armed conflict in Colombia, the young people learn to identify conflicts and different forms of violence in their own environment. They acquire the necessary skills to resolve conflicts constructively and promote peaceful coexistence in their communities.

Activities

• Workshops on peaceful coexistence and conflict resolution with 1'000 young people.

Effect

• The young people act as mediators in conflict situations and offer peaceful solutions in their families and communities.

Youth organisation and participation in civil society

The young people learn about their rights and know what opportunities exist for socio-political participation within the Colombian state. They identify areas of life in which the rights and needs of young people are neglected and work to improve the situation.

Activities

• Workshops on youth organisation and participation in civil society with 200 young people.
• Participation in institutional networks, councils and working groups on relevant youth issues (public policy, nature conservation, minority rights).

Effect

Young people take an active role in civil society, fully benefit from their civil rights and engage in the socio-political sphere for more just and inclusive societies.

Entrepreneurship

Young people acquire the skills and techniques necessary to start and run their own business. In addition, they learn key skills for entering the labour market and are supported by staff in gaining access to vocational training, jobs or scholarships.

Activities

• Workshops on entrepreneurial areas such as market analysis, financial management, administration, marketing, etc. with 300 young people.
• Support for young people's business ideas and allocation of start-up capital.

Effect

The young people develop their entrepreneurial skills and make a contribution to their livelihoods.

Life Skills

• 1'628 young people completed the life skills module.
• 87.4% of the young people said that the project had helped them develop personal and social skills to help solve social problems.
• 88% of the young people think that their quality of life improved thanks to the project.

Peaceful coexistence and conflict resolution

• 639 young people completed the module "Peaceful Coexistence and Conflict Resolution".
• 535 young people distinguished themselves through special commitment and were trained as peace promoters.
• The young people carried out 36 peace initiatives in their communities on topics such as violence prevention, mental health, prevention of adolescent pregnancies and commemoration of the victims of the armed conflict. Through the initiatives, 6'880 people were reached.
• 91% of the young people said that the peace initiatives they had carried out had led to an improvement in the peace situation in their communities.

Youth Organisation and Civil Society Participation

• 308 young people completed the module "Youth Organisation and Participation".

• 226 young people showed special commitment and were trained as civil society activists.

• The young people conducted 26 campaigns in their communities to demand their rights, reaching 2'559 people.

• At the end of the project, 55% of the young people said that they had regularly engaged in socio-political processes in the past three months.

• 66 young people now occupy seats on local youth committees, youth round tables, youth councils or municipal youth platforms.

Professional independence

• 337 young people completed the module on professional self-employment.
• 64 business ideas were supported with start-up capital.
• 235 young people gained access to technical training, university or employment through the project.
• 76% of the young people said that the skills gained in the project will lead to an improvement in the economic situation of their family or community.

Life Skills

• 1,443 young people completed the psychosocial competence module.
• At the end of the project, 84% of the young people stated that they had acquired skills that helped them to better cope with the daily challenges of life.
• 74% of the young people stated that through the project they had developed personal and social skills to participate in solving social problems.
• 75% of the young people believe that their quality of life improved thanks to the project.

Peaceful coexistence and conflict resolution

• 948 young people completed the Peaceful Coexistence and Conflict Resolution module.
• 323 young people distinguished themselves through special commitment and were trained as peace promoters.
• The participants carried out 40 peace initiatives in their communities on topics such as violence prevention, mental health, adolescent pregnancy prevention and commemoration of victims of the armed conflict. Through these initiatives, 3,279 people were reached.
• 90% of participants reported that the peace initiatives they implemented led to an improvement in the peace situation in their communities.

Youth Organisation and Civil Society Participation

• 201 adolescents completed the Youth Organizing and Participation module.
• 159 adolescents distinguished themselves through special commitment and were trained as civil society activists.
• The participants conducted 18 campaigns in their communities to demand their rights, reaching a total of 2,246 people.
• 43% of the participants stated at the end of the project that they had regularly engaged in socio-political processes in the past 3 months.
• Numerous adolescents fill seats on local youth committees, youth roundtables, youth councils, or community youth platforms.

Professional independence

• 159 adolescents stood out for their special commitment and were trained as leaders in social entrepreneurship.
• 29 business ideas were supported with start-up capital.
• 121 young people gained access to technical training, university or employment through the project.
• 84% of the young people said that the skills acquired in the project had led to an improvement in the economic situation of their family or community.

Peaceful coexistence and conflict resolution

• 1'115 young people (58% women) from the seven cities completed the training (30 hours) in "Peaceful coexistence and conflict resolution". Through the training, the young people learned how to deal with conflicts without violence and strengthened their skills as mediators in conflict situations
• 225 young people (62% women) were trained as youth leaders. They initiated 30 independent projects together with their groups in their quarters to foster peace and solidarity in society.
• 631 adolescents participated in these activities.
• 424 parents took part in the digital family meeting where the project was presented and the emotional and communicative bond between adolescents and their parents were strengthened. 

Youth organisation and participation in civil society

• 819 young people (57% women) completed the training (30 hours) in youth organisation and participation. They now know their rights and duties as well as the democratic mechanisms. They have also been trained in social skills such as teamwork, communication, decision-making and group leadership. These skills enable them to participate actively in civil society and in designated institutions such as youth or neighbourhood councils.
• 124 young people were involved in a total of 31 public bodies such as local youth committees, neighbourhood councils, women's groups and school councils.
• The adolescents worked out 16 local initiatives and were able to present 12 of them to political important figures. 

Income generation

• 1’090 young people successfully completed the training in income generation (20 hours).
• 43 income generation projects were launched. 33 small businesses received small start-up financing.

Peaceful coexistence and conflict resolution

• 1' 571 young people (51% women) from the seven cities completed the training (30 hours) in  "Peaceful coexistence and conflict resolution". Through the training, the young people strengthened their skills as mediators in conflict situations and exercised this role during a total of 22 peace actions in their communities. The actions included activities to promote gender justice, create meeting places and peace zones, protect people of the LGBT community and preserve nature. Thanks to these actions, a total of 3' 679 people have been reached, who can now benefit from a more peaceful environment.
• 76% of the trained young people showed positive changes in their behaviour as peace builders and in the relevant social skills after completing their training.
• 349 young people (55% women) were trained as youth leaders.
• The content of the training was adapted and a stronger focus was placed on how young people should deal with the increasing violence in their communities and how to mitigate the risks associated with it. In addition, the young women were given advice on how to protect themselves against gender-specific violence.
• For the first time, a national meeting of 35 particularly talented youth leaders from the entire project took place. During 5 days the young people exchanged ideas and experiences on peace building and founded a national Paza la Paz youth network.

Youth organisation and participation in civil society

• 1'541 young people completed the training (30 hours) in youth organisation and participation. They now know their rights and duties as well as the democratic mechanisms. They have also been trained in social skills such as teamwork, communication, decision-making and group leadership. These skills enable them to participate actively in civil society and in designated institutions such as youth or neighbourhood councils.
• After completing their training, 61% of the young women and 60% of the young men feel strengthened in their abilities as peace activists. This is an enormous progress compared to the previous year, where only 19% of the women and 46% of the men noticed a strengthening of their abilities.
• 490 young people were involved in a total of 27 public bodies such as local youth committees, nature conservation groups, women's groups and school councils

Income generation

• 1’526 young people successfully completed the training in income generation (20 hours) and acquired skills in leadership, teamwork, assertiveness and life projection. Thanks to the training, 65% of the trained young people were able to significantly strengthen their entrepreneurial profile.
• 534 young people attended the advanced training courses on specific topics such as financial management, which were conducted by external institutions.
• 24 income generation projects were launched, such as a barber salon or the production of soft drinks. These small businesses received small start-up financing of around CHF 170 each. This enabled 207 young people (107 women and 100 men) to improve their economic independence.

Institutional strengthening of the partner organisation

• The 7 local programme managers and some other project staff completed a workshop on the Sustainable Development Goals of Agenda 2030 with a special focus on the issue of inclusive, peaceful and just societies.
• YMCA Colombia organized an international conference on "Education for Social Transformation" with experts from Colombia, USA, Canada and Peru.

Program Area “Paza la Paz”

Peaceful coexistence and conflict resolution

• 1,596 young people from the seven cities of the programme completed their training (30 hours) in the field of "peaceful coexistence and conflict resolution". They now know ways to solve conflicts without violence and act as mediators in dangerous situations.
• The contents of the module have been adapted and now include training blocks on topics such as violence against women, post-conflict, peace agreements and forgiveness and reconciliation.
• 223 young people (59% women) were trained as youth leaders. Together with their groups in the neighbourhoods, they independently initiated 73 projects and activities in order to sensitize the population and to point out solutions.
• 4,310 people took part in these activities, which were organised by the young people.

Youth organisation and participation in civil society

• 1,476 young people completed their training (30 hours) in youth organisation and participation. They now know their rights and duties and the democratic mechanisms. They are also trained in teamwork, communication, decision making, group management, etc. These skills enable them to participate actively in civil society and in institutions such as youth or neighbourhood councils.
• 131 young people (66 of them women) were elected to public bodies such as neighbourhood councils, youth councils, etc. in 2018.

Income generation

• 1,545 young people successfully completed training in income generation (20 hours).
• 314 young people attended advanced training courses on specific topics such as financial management provided by external institutions.
• 25 income generation projects such as small grocery stores or a neighbourhood library were launched. These small businesses each received small start-up financing of around CHF 170.

Institutional strengthening of the partner organisation

• The 7 local programme managers and the social workers completed further training in "theory of change".
• YMCA Colombia intensified cooperation with other organisations and networks and worked with a total of 87 organisations (including government organisations).