NORTH & SOUTH AMERICA
Program of the ISHR
– Chapter Colombia –
Semilleros de Paz in Colombia
Introduction: Situation of children’s rights in Colombia
Source: Semilleros de Paz in Colombia
Colombian children suffer from the hardships of social injustice and lack of protection for their rights to education, the most worryingly is the right to life and physical integrity is frequently violated by criminal groups. An alarming number of children and adolescents are victims of abuse, harassment, physical, psychological and sexual violence mainly in Colombia’s marginalized neighborhoods. Sexual violence is one of the most serious forms of violence because it attacks the dignity of children and adolescentand impacts their lives permanently. (80% percent of the cases are girls).
ISHR Colombia works with organizations such as Fundacion Cristiana Nueva Generacion in Medellin and with Educational Institutions, schools and churches in different cities in Colombia to carry out programs that help the reintegration of these girls into the Colombian society. We work with children displaced by violence, with children of the Wayuu ethnic group and with children in Venezuela. Semilleros de Paz is a program created to help marginalized children in Colombia and Venezuela. ISHR Colombia receives donations of books, school supplies that are used in programs that are developed in Colombia and Venezuela. With the help of Fundacion Cristiana Nueva Generacion and other international institutions, programs such Constructores de Paz (Peacemaker )have been created.
What we do?
The Program Constructores de Paz (Peacemaker) provides comprehensive training to provide practical tools that support the book’s Constructores de Paz methodology to organized and structured entities working with vulnerable populations (In charge of running the program: Professor Luisa Espitia).
Who do we do it with?
Currently this work is carried out with teachers and tutors of children and adolescents in the different regions of the country.
How is done?
The way we develop the program is by providing training, booking and follow-up to the tutors or teachers of the groups, in order to provide the practical tools required for the care of children and adolescents.
Values that are promoted:
- Teamwork
- Tolerance
- Equality
- Respect
- Love
- Peaceful conflict resolution.
Achievements and Impacts in 2019:
- 24,286 children and adolescents have benefited
- 5,202 adults have been trained
- Presence in 22 departments in Colombia
- Allies with 876 Christian Churches
Professors: Luisa Espitia and Silvia Osorio and Everledys Espitia
Peace Makers Program
at Educational Institutions
Source: Semilleros de Paz in Colombia
What we do?
Peace Makers is a tool that allows to develop emotional, ethical, spiritual, communicative and cognitive strategies that are necessary to deal with daily conflicts in a pedagogical and peaceful way.
With whom we do it?
The work is done with children, adolescents and young people who are committed to being part of conflict resolution.
Values that are promoted:
- Peaceful resolution of conflicts
- Improving personal relationships
- Encouraging reading
- Encourage friendships and respect
- Healthy coexistence
- Culture of peace
- Recognition of diversity
- Self-regulation
Achievements and Impacts in 2019:
65,628 were benefited from 138 educational institutions nationwide. Of which 24,556 received the book of Peace Makers. It was possible to benefit and train 2,977 teachers nationwide.
- We find young people every day that are eager to participate in the development of strategies that lead to peaceful coexistence
- Discovery of leaders who can take on challenges and encourage their other peers to participate
- Conflict settlement have been strengthened from their personal relationship and with their environment.
The program has been of a great impact to children, young people, teachers and parents because the workshops are creative, lively, teaching strategies that allow the development of subjects of interests in young people without neglecting conceptual content that leads to the recognition of potentialities, making progress in improving interpersonal relationships and consequently coexistence. Parents witnesses to the changes they see in their children, and as well the teachers because they are the ones who dictate the workshops from their classrooms achieving some attitude changes among the students.
Achievement to highlight: Intra-family conflict resolution
- Healthy dialogue environments have been acquired to resolve conflicts
- There is awareness in decision-making
- Socialization of ideas and improvement of them
- Support in the difficulties and participation of family members
Transforming school, family and work environments
- Less domestic violence
- Construction of Life Project from the disengagement of criminal gangs
- Job opportunities because it improves the job skills of trained adults.
- Parents to become aware of their role in their children’s education in responding to the new educational needs they present
- Fewer quarrels and conflicts in urban areas
Program Report:
Generation of Champions
Program Run: Cristian Restan
What do we do?
It is a sports program whose purpose is to support with teaching materials, training and tournaments for a period of 6 to 8 months to foundations and sports clubs and transform the lives of children and adolescents who lack a father figure, by teaching principles and values through sports.
Who do we do it with?
The program is currently carried out with churches, foundations and sports clubs in the city of Medellin, Colombia. We welcome children and adolescents with multiple difficulties including paternal absence.
How do we do it?
The sports program “Generation of Champions” is done through a soccer tournament, where each coach is trained in a methodology called training for life, this training strengthens the self-esteem of children and their social and emotional development. The program is being developed in the city of Medellin where there are higher rates of abandonment of parents towards their children.
Values that are promoted
- Teamwork
- Decision-making
- Perseverance
- Love
- Respect
- Self-control
- Confidence
- Responsibility
- Identity
- Attention
- Connection
- Service
- Success
- Tolerance
Achievements and impact
- From 2015 to date, an average of 1,020 teens has been impacted and 45 coaches and 200 parents.
- Many children have been able to retake their schools
- Some kids who were in gangs got out.
- The coaches of each team became role models for boys who don’t have a father figure.
