Using the lessons from tropical forests in peace scenarios

The shift towards working in Colombia’s Caribbean region began when TBI and Patrimonio Natural subscribed the agreement for “Participative Formulation of Environmental and Productive Projects through Capacity Building and Follow-up with young communities in eleven municipalities in Sucre, Atlántico and Córdoba”. Through this partnership, TBI Colombia has contributed to the reconstruction of the social relationships in a region that been struck by the country’s internal armed conflict and which has traditionally been home to a strong peasant movement. Today, the Caribbean region is not only confronted by these deeply rooted social problems but must also face serious environmental threats from the prolonged droughts that threaten its dry forests, making them one of the most endangered and vulnerable ecosystems in Colombia.

During the third quarter of 2013, TBI Colombia held workshops with the rural communities in the Caribbean as part of a capacity building program based on the methodological road and toolkit for training in intercultural contexts the organization had previously developed with the SENA, a national educational agency focused on technical formation. The methological road comprises four stages of project development process: characterization, self-diagnostic, formulation of projects and systematization. In each workshop “learning by doing” and “active listening” activities were conducted so as to generate a collective construction of the projects and engage the communities in a practical and experience based exploration of their local contexts. Overall, 72 adolescents and young adults participated in the workshops and generated 12 projects aimed at conserving and applying local knowledge to the sustainable use of the region’s natural resources.