COLOMBIA
VALLE DEL CAUCA

CURRENT IN- COUNTRY CONFLICTS AND THEIR ORIGINS

Colombia has always lived in a culture of violence, from the discovery of America until the current moment. The violence was manifested by the Spaniards against our natives with deaths, tortures and violation of human rights. Then there was a period of independence from the Spaniards. Colombia has had many wars and problems among its residents: Bolívar was attacked by Santander, and we were creating the country that we have at this moment. Then it was organized the Republic and in the 20th century,and a new democratic life began with many problems. The principal thing is the stratified society, rich families and in the other side a lot of poor families. This favored the beginning of the drug traffic and the guerrilla. The people took to the jungle to fight against the government, and other people were and are working on the production of cocaine. The guerrilla wants the power, but it lost the direction when the guerrilla united with the drug trafficers and they began to offend, to kidnap and to kill the peasants. Currently, the guerrilla has lost prestige for the quantity of people they have kidnapped and tortured violently.

CURRENT CONFLICT TRENDS IN THE COUNTRY OCCURRING INVOLVING YOUTH (bullying, child soldiers, gangs, etc. NATIONAL OR REGIONAL POLICIES.
All these problems have caused a new culture of violence to begin to invade the whole country. The most affected are the children and youth because they are called by the guerrilla and they offer them good money. With no-studying and no- work, the children and youth form the guerrilla battalion. The good people unite their efforts to promote peace, construct a social order and reconciliation between all.

This problem is noticed in the schools because a lot of aggression or bullying is presented in the schools and it is a serious problem for the teachers and families. Our region Valle del Cauca is involved in teaching students about resolution of conflicts and human rights in all degrees, since five years ago, until they are seventeen years old. All the schools (382) have programs in these topics and the office of education has control, along with my team of culture of peace. We give them materials like books, computers, bikes, calculators, notebooks, pens, pencils, breakfasts and lunches every day.

We are working on the prevention of consumption of drugs, sexual education, resolution of conflicts and culture of peace. The principal conflict is armed confrontation because it has generated a militarization of this conflict and the problem is in the civilian life. For that, the construction of a peace agreement and the promotion of mechanisms to resolve these conflicts is necessary; this is the objective of our program.

Another problem is the child soldiers in the querrilla. At this moment, there are 15.000 children in the guerrilla. Also, the delinquency of the youths is increased, because there are many youths that are stealing from people and killing in the streets.

There are national and regional policies for the protection and prevention in these topics for the schools. Our region has developed a program in resolution of conflicts in the classroom, based on a culture of peace and peaceful resolution of conflicts. This program is implemented for six years. We work in schools in guerrilla, paramilitary and drug traffic areas. As of this moment, we have not had problems, and in occasions we have spoken with drug dealers and guerillas fighters so that they don’t attack the schools and don’t violate the girls.