"Colombia es pasión"
Peace Process in Colombia
By: Maria Camila Salazar 10b
Peace is a relative concept; basically everyone has a different definition of it. Some people say “Peace is law”, and others think “Peace is forgiveness and reconciliation between souls”. There are more than a thousand denotations for this abstract theory, however the most important thing isn´t looking for the correct interpretation but mixing all of them to approach a “real” state of peace in our society.
As you all probably know Colombia has been fighting a war for more than 50 years, between the government and some groups such as; F.A.R.C (fuerzas armadas revolucionarias de Colombia), Paramilitares, M-19 etc. After a lot of presidents tried to achieve an agreement between these groups and the jurisdiction, Juan Manuel Santos our current president, is carrying not only the biggest attempt but also the most promising. This peace process is being carried by some dialogues between the current government and FARC, in La Habana (Cuba). Moreover, the most significant objective of this process is to find peace with social justice, through dialogue.
The general discussion in these meetings is based basically on six points; 1) Comprehensive agricultural development policy, 2) Political Participation, 3) End of conflict, 4) Solution to the problem of illicit drugs, 5) Victims, 6) Mechanisms countersignature of agreements. These titles express some of the things we need to work on to sign the peace treaty for example; land distribution, inclusion of the FARC´s integrants in society and politic life, repair of victims, etc. In addition, this shows us that the most difficult part of this proceeding is going to be forgiveness from the Colombian society towards these new members.
Right now there is a blend of sour and good feelings in people because 50% believes in the process and 50% doesn’t. Although a lot of people don’t think Colombia may achieve peace or think we can’t have conversations with “terrorists”, we need to be objective and give and take, most of all because there are a lot of people suffering different kinds of violence in their homes, either in the countryside or in the city. “War won’t end with more war”. Finally we have some great examples like Uruguay and Chile, who fought against violence and terrorism with dialogue, giving us hope in this procedure!
Tumaco mourns the death of two children
By: Mariana Rodriguez 10b
Colombia has always been a place in which insecurity and violence are predominant, and although this situation is very sad we have to accept our reality. There are many expressions of violence, but the most common and dangerous is the Guerrilla. This one is recognized by killing, kidnapping and torturing people all over Colombia.
Last week, there was mourning in Tumaco because of the death of two children who were victims of the Guerrilla. According to the authorities, the incident took place around 10 am on Friday, in the village of Alto Mira Pambil, La Espriella, The two kids of ages 8 and 10 years old went to school that morning, but for some strange reason their teacher decided not to appear to class, and so the students went directly to their respective homes. During the journey they encountered the explosive device (land-mine) and after handling it for minutes the device exploded, causing death for both of the kids.
Their uncle assured that he had realized the tragedy due to the extreme sound of the explosion that was 3 miles away from his house.
“We are providing psychological care to the father and mother of the children, and other family members, as well as we are providing them help with the funeral and every other support needed" said the secretary.
In Nariño it is estimated that the victims of land-mines for the last ten years reach the incredible amount of 800. In Tumaco, 106 were reported, placing it in second place after Samaniego. This is not the first time things of this magnitude happen, and it´s concerning how we, Colombians, are used to these kind of situations and we do nothing to stop them. I hope that with the Peace Process the Guerrilla will give up and we will be able to transform Colombia into a place in which nobody is afraid of walking all by themselves next to their own homes.
Coffee School
By: Maria Paula Pulido 10b
We all know Colombia, it is well known all around the world not only because of its amazing culture, people and history, but also because of its delicious coffee: the one that people from all countries buy everyday to take home. In fact, more than 970 thousand hectares of land are used to produce this important product for the national economy.
Colombians are such lovers of this product that they actually have a region of the country where coffee is the main attractive. This region is called “La zona cafetera”, and there you can find everything: from a cultivation of coffee, to an amusement park in honor to this national product. It is a place I highly recommend when someone visits Colombia.
But this interest in the brown delicious bean goes beyond your expectations. Last week EL SENA, a national university, finished a school dedicated to improve coffee production in our country. It is located at Huila, a region at the southwest part of the country, and it counts with a 10213 square meter space where countrymen and producers can learn how to produce the best coffee in the world. Furthermore, it counts with the best technology and equipment, in which 3270 million pesos were invested.
In order to produce the best coffee in the world, it is needed to improve by training the farmers, who (in the end) are the ones who produce the most important national product. But this school is not only something that benefits coffee production, it is also something that improves the quality of life of the countrymen and their families.