United States Agency for International Development

Goal:

The U.S. Government, through its Agency for International Development (USAID), supports government and citizen efforts to develop alternatives to coca production; re-establish government presence in remote parts of the country; assist vulnerable populations, including Afro Colombians and indigenous; and prevent and protect human rights violations.

USAID works in four technical areas: Re-establishing Safe Communities, Vulnerable Populations, Democracy and Human Rights, and Environment.

Vulnerable Populations

The Colombia program assists many of Colombia’s vulnerable populations.  Since Colombia has one of the world’s largest populations of internally displaced persons (IDPs), USAID programs provide many services to the displaced. For example, USAID provides the displaced with job and business development training so that they can earn an income and go back to a more normal lifestyle. USAID programs also help the displaced access: housing, health care, potable water, and education.  Additionally, USAID works with the Colombian government so that it can better respond to the immediate needs of IDPs. Projects also support government efforts to prevent displacement from occurring.

Another area where USAID is dedicating its efforts is working with the demobilized population. Roughly 54,000 members of illegal armed groups have demobilized since 2002.  USAID supports Colombia’s efforts to help ex-combatants reintegrate into society and earn an income.  USAID activities also support victims of conflict and prevent child recruitment by criminal groups.

Colombia’s conflict has particularly affected Afro-Colombian and indigenous populations.  Both groups have been forcibly displaced from their lands.  Criminal and terrorist organizations have occupied their lands and have forcibly recruited Afro-Colombians and indigenous persons into their groups.  In response, USAID will implement a new program focused on improving the socio-economic conditions of these two groups in urban and rural areas.

Re-establishing Safe and Productive Communities

Activities support the Colombian government´s efforts to re-establish security and social services for citizens in areas that have been affected by illegal drugs and armed conflict. USAID supports rapid-response activities that address communities’ priority needs and demonstrate the return of the government.

Projects involve participation from both communities and local governments so that linkages remain after the projects end. The activities include the rehabilitation, including donation of equipment, of health posts, schools, and community centers that provide services to the community.

Quick-impact, income generating projects (e.g., improved production and sanitation for dairy farmers to sell fresh milk) improve Colombians’ quality of life by providing a legal alternative to cultivating coca. Once government presence and basic services are established, USAID programs transition from short to longer-term activities.

For example, USAID activities help fund critical tertiary roads and establish dairy cold storage plants.  These types of activities help Colombians, who have been affected by the violence, reintegrate into society.

Democracy and Human Rights

USAID’s third program component works in the areas of human rights, justice, and governance, particularly in rural and conflict-affected areas.  Human Rights activities help strengthen Colombia’s capacity to prevent and respond to human rights violations, improve human rights policies, strengthen the capacity of local organizations to promote greater respect for human rights, monitor the government, and defend the rights of victims of the conflict to truth, justice, and compensation. 

The goal of the USAID Justice program is to increase the presence of legal services in rural and post-conflict areas of Colombia. For example, “one-stop” justice houses help citizens address their disputes locally and more efficiently. 

Governance activities promote state presence in areas that the government has recently recovered from criminal and terrorist organizations.

Working with municipal and departmental governments, USAID activities seek to strengthen government capacity to implement efficient public management practices, promote citizen participation and monitoring of government performance, and improve security and health and education services.

Environment

Many residents who live in and around Colombia’s ethnic territories and national parks earn their income from natural resources. Deforestation, habitat conversion, climate change, coca cultivation, armed conflict, and weak state presence threaten the conservation of natural resource livelihoods and ecosystems.

USAID’s environment programs work together with the Colombian government to reduce or mitigate factors that harm the country’s biodiversity and ecosystems.

USAID environment activities focus on improving national parks management, creating income-generation opportunities, and mitigating the impact of climate change through conservation and clean energy development projects.

For further information about current or past projects call:

• Telephone: (571)315-0811