Date post: | 27-Apr-2015 |
Category: |
Documents |
Upload: | okey-uzoechina |
View: | 167 times |
Download: | 1 times |
26 March 2010
SPIRIT Peacebuilding Initiative 2010
Lagos Business School|Building Bridges Team Elizabeth Uchealor|Okey Uzoechina|Emeka Ogbannu|Ifeanyi Ajaebili
PROJECT PROPOSAL
A COMPLEMENTARY DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR
TACKLING THE COLOMBIA CONFLICT
Pag
e2
CONTENTS
Project Summary 3
I. Approach & Proposed Activities 4
II. Project Impact & Coherence: The “How?” 6
III. Project Themes & Justification 8
IV. Building Local Connections & Enabling Local Ownership 9
V. Building & Expanding Existing Partnerships 10
VI. Mitigation of Project Risks 11
VII. Work Plan 12
VIII. Actionability: Working the Plan 16
Appendix I: Initial Project Team Composition 20
Appendix II: Required Initial Project Tools and Facilities 22
Appendix III: Map of Colombia 23
Building Bridges: Our Motivation 24
Meet the Team 25
Pag
e3
PROJECT SUMMARY
a. The project, A Complementary Development Strategy for Tackling Colombia’s
FARC Conflict, seeks to cultivate incentives for peace. It prioritizes the
development of the rural community in Colombia through encouraging active
involvement of the youth and other peace constituencies. Key components of
the project include capacity building and peace education.
b. The project explores the reinforcing link between ending conflict and
promoting human security and development. It adopts a grassroots, bottom-
up approach in finding a robust complement to the Uribe government’s
heavy focus on militaristic engagement of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of
Colombia (FARC).
c. The project is constructed around four mutually reinforcing strategies:
Local ownership. It seeks to empower the youth and other vulnerable
groups to identify and solve their own problems.
Coherence and coordination. It relies on collaboration and partnership
with local networks and other institutions with similar objectives while
being sensitive to the objectives of the state.
Sustainable human development. It seeks to establish enduring
structures that are responsive to the needs of the individual.
Local context and local dynamics. It proceeds from informed and
genuine efforts to understand the roots of the conflict and what works
for Colombia and Colombians.
d. The ultimate goal of the project is to promote human security (freedom from
fear and freedom from want) and human development (enlarging people’s
choices and enhancing capabilities, access to knowledge, and participation in
decisions affecting their lives) in order to create conditions that predispose
peoples and communities to lasting peace.
Pag
e4
I. APPROACH AND PROPOSED ACTIVITIES
a. An in-depth study of the development of the Colombian conflict in the past 48
years reveals that there can be no single-formula solution for a lasting peace.
From a purely analytic point of view, one can today identify multiple layers
of causality, different actors—both state and non-state—often with
overlapping or competing agendas, and a broad spectrum of stakeholders in
peacebuilding. Not surprisingly, this complex milieu has engendered only
partial success in efforts at building peace.
b. There is therefore no doubt that crafting and implementing a coherent
solution to the conflict will involve not only doing different things, but also
doing things differently and, most importantly, doing the right things. The
approach of this project is therefore hinged on capacity building and peace
education not as ends in themselves, but as essential elements of the equation
for lasting peace, stability and development in the troubled Latin American
state.
c. The project will bring together young people from urban and rural areas
selected according to need into programmatic “clusters” namely, capacity
building (and entrepreneurship) and peace education. The structure and
operations of the clusters will be flexible enough and participatory to require
minimal supervision and encourage bottom-up problem solving, sharing
ideas and transferring skills and knowledge.
d. Emphasis is also placed on sustainability and possible expansion of the
project using locally available human capital and strategic partnerships. The
overall approach will ensure a knock-on effect on poverty reduction,
employment and literacy in the long run.
e. Activities to be carried out under the project are flexibly categorized into the
following:
Pag
e5
Short term
Needs assessment (desk research, field research and focus groups)
Establishment of a core project management team and an open-door
coordination centre at a location approved by state authorities
Recruitment of participants/volunteers and identification of partner
local groups, civil society organizations (CSOs) and school authorities
Review of project approach and activities by matching local input in
order to enable local priority setting and ownership
Medium term
Selection and training of trainers including integration of trainers into
project management team
Outreach and creating awareness to promote buy-in and local support
Pilot rollout phase: capacity building (entrepreneurship) and peace
education (culture of peace)
Marketing the project to potential sponsors; building upon and
expanding existing partnerships
Monitoring of project activities, evaluation of impact vis-à-vis project
objectives, and review of approach and strategies if necessary (M,E&R)
Long term
Possible expansion of the project to other regions with demonstrated
success of pilot scheme, including expansion of project team
Enhancing and strengthening local capacity and networks to promote
efficiency and sustainability
Exit strategy and progressive transfer of project management to locals
M,E&R and decommissioning of external project management team
The proposed activities, the timeline, stakeholders and responsibility matrix are
detailed in the Work Plan on pages 12 to 15 below.
Pag
e6
II. PROJECT IMPACT AND COHERENCE: THE “HOW?”
a. Operationalising the link between conflict and underdevelopment. The
correlation of a high risk of conflict with underdevelopment supports the
reverse logic that development retards conflict. Based on this premise, the
project prioritizes development as a check to conflict and insecurity. For
strategic deployment of resources and maximum impact (cost-benefit), the
needs assessment will identify and categorize geographical areas most
affected by the conflict and underdevelopment (colour-coded red) as priority
areas for project rollout, areas less so affected (colour-coded yellow) as
regions for possible expansion, and areas not so affected (colour-coded green)
protected and promoted as free zones to stem possible conflict spillage.
b. Sustainable leadership development and support to peace constituencies.
The training of trainers (ToT) targets to leverage on already existing networks
including CSOs, local groups and other individuals already involved in
peacebuilding. Integrated into the project management team, development of
local capacity at this level will ensure that the project does not wither away
when the first line of external support is withdrawn. This approach will also
ensure that the project can be replicated in other regions of the country whilst
taking into consideration local variations and needs. The demonstration effect
of project success will create the confidence and momentum for the state and
development partners to explore means of expanding the project to cover the
whole country.
c. Rechanneling and maximizing human capital. The project will engage the
youth in peacebuilding and development activities. Poor and unemployed
youth in Colombia form a ready-made pool of recruits and foot soldiers for
guerrilla forces, other armed groups, drug cartels and criminal gangs. Since
most of these recruits are from rural areas where there is minimal government
presence, the youth team in each “cluster” will ideally comprise 70% rural
dwellers and 30% urban dwellers. This will provide an alternative creative
channel for the youth thereby leaching away a veritable source of manpower
for non-state armed groups and criminal gangs. More so, active involvement
of the youth in peace and development (including local priority setting) will
Pag
e7
make them partake in and own the process, and therefore become committed
to protecting both the process and the outcome.
d. Creating employment and reducing poverty. During the rollout phase,
participants and other volunteers will be trained for semi-skilled labour to
make them employable in industry such as housing and construction, small
scale agricultural and extension services (organic farming for instance),
sanitation, waste management and recycling, and provision of public goods
such as roads and water pipelines. The entrepreneurship limb of the project
will include a support structure to identify potential employers of labour in
both the public and private sectors, negotiate favourable terms for the
participants, and provide continuing support. Secured employment will curb
youth restiveness and economic migration and also translate to income for the
youth to support themselves and their families. With some direction and
guidance, semi-skilled labour and proven source of income, participants will
have improved access to microcredit lines for small businesses.
e. Promoting a culture of peace. Any robust strategy for addressing the long-
drawn Colombian conflict must also engage children and young persons. The
peace education component of the project will therefore involve collaboration
with primary and secondary school authorities. The formal and informal
education of children and young persons—universally acknowledged as the
formative stages of human development—need to be reoriented towards
peaceful alternatives to resolving conflict. Therefore, where this has not been
done, it is recommended that schools’ curricula be reviewed to include some
hours of peace education, and hands-on collaborative problem solving per
week. The objective of this component is to promote a culture of peace,
tolerance, civic responsibility and good neighbourliness. Road shows and
other cost-effective outreach programmes (in local languages) will be
launched to promote awareness. Nomination of peace ambassadors and other
forms of recognition for result-oriented participants and volunteers will be
used to positively reinforce this aspect.
Pag
e8
III. PROJECT THEMES AND JUSTIFICATION
a. Capacity building. This is the primary theme. Main activities of the project
include enhancing the capacity of CSOs to deliver development-targeted
project outcomes, ToT, skills acquisition and entrepreneurial training for
young participants. Focus on this theme is based on the proven belief that
people know best what they need the most and know what to do to make
their lives better; what people need is empowerment (in terms of skills and
resources) to meet their needs and direction on how to do best what they
want to do. This theme ties into the ultimate goal of the project which is to
promote human security (freedom from fear and freedom from want) and
human development (enlarging people’s choices and enhancing capabilities,
access to knowledge, and participation in decisions affecting their lives) in
order to create conditions that engender lasting peace.
b. Educational and Cultural Opportunities. This is a secondary theme. Peace
education (promoting a culture of peace) will entail a robust information
management and dissemination system which will cover activities such as
civic education in schools, role plays and drama, public peace announcement
in local languages, and road shows in strategic locations. Though the benefits
of this theme may not be easy to demonstrate in the short term, promoting a
culture of peace will emphasize conflict prevention over costly and remedial
conflict resolution; expand options for dialogue and participatory conflict
resolution in order to manage discontent and prevent violence; and positively
transform societal relationships and build enduring structures that will make
the society resilient in the face of the threat of future conflict.
Pag
e9
IV. BUILDING LOCAL CONNECTIONS AND ENABLING LOCAL OWNERSHIP
The project will leverage on already existing local structures and networks rather
than creating new ones. The principle of the whole being greater than the sum of its
parts works only in the case of a coherent and well coordinated whole. Local
connections and local ownership will be enabled by the following means:
a. Seeking approval from state authorities on administrative and logistics issues
such as the location of the open-door coordination centre in order to build
trust and confidence. The government will participate in delimiting priority
zones for the project rollout so as to ensure coherence with state initiatives.
b. Cultivating local knowledge by using focus groups and interviews in needs
assessment, and promoting local participation by using the “cluster” system
in project implementation.
c. Emphasizing strong local content (including the management team) and local
priority setting. Locals in the management and training teams will participate
in selecting projects, participants and volunteers.
d. Review of project approach and activities in the short term by matching local
input in order to enable local priority setting and ownership. M,E&R will also
involve locals and outputs will be submitted to state authorities as a show of
good faith and for follow up.
e. Leveraging and building on existing structures such as local groups and
youth centres, and forming partnerships with CSOs. Emphasis will be on
strengthening linkages and collaboration in order to maximize locally
available human capital and resources.
f. Raising awareness about the project and outreach especially in rural areas to
promote public acceptance and legitimization, buy-in and participation.
g. Strengthening local capacity to deliver on project goals and ensure
sustainability with progressive transfer of project management to locals
Pag
e10
V. BUILDING AND EXPANDING EXISTING PARTNERSHIPS
In the medium and the long term, the project will evolve a communications and
public relations strategy to expand existing partnerships beyond (but not excluding)
local groups and networks. This will be achieved by the following means:
a. Selling the project objectives and its benefits to potential sponsors including
the government of Colombia, the United Nations (UN), the Organization of
American States (OAS), Latin American Integration Association (ALADI),
international non-governmental organizations (INGOs), development
partners, experts and think-tanks interested in building peace in the country.
b. Proposing expansion of the project to all the priority zones and other regions
of the country with the success of the pilot scheme. The demonstration effect
of success will make potential partners confident in the effectiveness of the
project approach and strategies, and the capacity of the project management
team to deliver on the objectives.
c. The project management team will learn from and tap into the expertise and
core competencies of INGOs, experts and think-tanks. In the spirit of capacity
building, consideration should also be given to local members of the
management team going on internships or attachments to institutes such as
the Columbia University Centre for International Conflict Resolution,
Columbia Business School, and the UN Department of Political Affairs (DPA).
d. The basis of the internship (three to six months) is to transfer robust analytic
competence and complex project management skills to locals so as to ensure
sustainability. Beneficiaries of the internship are expected to return to
Colombia upon completion to assist with expanding the project.
e. In acknowledgement of their support to the project, periodic financial
statements will be made available UN DPA, OAS, ALADI and other
participating partners. Partners or their nominees will also be involved in
periodic Monitoring, Evaluation and Review (M,E&R).
Pag
e11
VI. MITIGATION OF PROJECT RISKS
As the project unfolds, potential risks and threats to the overall objective will be
exposed. Pre-emptory risk mitigation techniques include:
a. Security of the project management team, project tools and infrastructure. The
security services of the government of Colombia will provide security. The
project will not rely on any private or informal security arrangement in order
to forestall possible friction.
b. Some communities might express aversion to long government presence. The
project will therefore adopt a policy of open engagement with communities
through their leaders and local team members in order to clarify the objectives
and benefits of the project.
c. The government may not be fully committed to the project to the extent
expected. Access to security reports and other essential logistics may also be
restricted; approval of outreach programmes may be denied. In this case, the
project will rely on alternative but acceptable sources and means to facilitate
its operations whilst communicating progress to state authorities.
d. The Colombian government may want to take over control or management of
the project. In this case, a participatory role would be negotiated with them
and their role in project success acknowledged to the electorate. In no case
should exclusive management of the project be ceded to the government since
this would defeat the purpose of the project as a complement to government
initiative and a means of empowering the people.
e. Financial resources may be limited or may dry up. To forestall this, a scaled-
back contingency project plan and alternative budget estimate will be
developed in the short term. The contingency plan will focus on using locally
available resources and available budget to achieve project results while
counterbalancing costs with schedule, benefits and expectations.
VII. WORK PLAN
The project is envisaged in three clearly marked but not rigidly compartmentalized phases allowing for evaluation and review. The
planned activities, stakeholders, responsibility, required tools, timeline and budget are highlighted below.
Phase 1: short term
Activity Stakeholders Responsibility Required tools Timeline Budget
Needs assessment
Colombian state
authorities, local focus
groups, Building Bridges
team, SPIRIT team,
experts on Colombia,
development partners
Building Bridges team
and experts on Colombia
Laptop computers,
internet connection,
phone connections,
transport vehicles,
hotel accommodation in
selected areas in
Colombia
October 2010 to
November 2010
Awaiting input from
experts
Establishment of project
management team
(including approval of
stipends) and open-door
coordination centre
Colombian state
authorities, Building
Bridges team, SPIRIT
team, experts on
Colombia, development
partners
Building Bridges team
and experts on Colombia
Office space, office
furniture, supplies and
equipment
December 2010 Awaiting input from
experts
Recruitment of
participants/volunteers
Project management
team, experts on
Colombia, local groups
Project management
team, experts on
Colombia
Recruitment adverts,
handbills and public
announcements,
January 2011 to
March 2011
Awaiting input from
experts
and identification of local
partners
and CSOs, volunteers conducting interviews
Review of project
approach and activities
by matching local input
Project team, experts on
Colombia, local focus
groups and CSOs,
Colombian state
authorities
Project team, experts on
Colombia
Conducting interviews
and questionnaires,
publishing report
March 2011 Awaiting input from
experts
Phase 2: medium term
Activity Stakeholders Responsibility Required tools Timeline Budget
Selection and training of
trainers (including
integration of trainers
into project team)
Project team, experts on
Colombia, selected
trainers, local focus
groups and CSOs
Project team, experts on
Colombia
Recruitment adverts,
handbills and public
announcements, training
modules, rooms and
facility, conducting
interviews
April 2011 to
September 2011
Awaiting input from
experts
Outreach and awareness
to promote buy-in
Colombian youth and
volunteers, Colombian
state authorities, project
team, experts on
Colombia, local focus
groups and CSOs,
development partners
Project team, experts on
Colombia, local groups
and CSOs
Handbills and public
announcements,
producing radio jingles in
local languages,
organizing road shows
with public-address
mounted vehicles
April 2011 to
October 2012
Awaiting input from
experts
Pilot rollout: capacity
building and peace
education
Colombian youth and
volunteers, Colombian
state authorities, private
enterprises and labour
union, school authorities,
project team, experts on
Project team, experts on
Colombia
Local television shows,
radio jingles, workshop
with private enterprises,
MSME operators, and
labour unions, developed
curricula for schools, role
October 2011 to
October 2012
Awaiting input from
experts
Colombia, local focus
groups and CSOs,
development partners
plays, annual awards of
recognition
Marketing the project &
building partnerships
Colombian state
authorities, development
partners, INGOs and
think/tanks, project
team, experts on
Colombia, local focus
groups and CSOs
Project team, experts on
Colombia
Developed
communications and
public relations strategy,
laptop computers,
internet connection,
phone connections,
meetings with
development partners,
transport vehicles
October 2011 to
October 2012
Awaiting input from
experts
Monitoring, evaluation
and review
Colombian state
authorities, development
partners, project team,
experts on Colombia,
local focus groups and
CSOs
Project team, experts on
Colombia
Conducting interviews
and questionnaires,
focus groups, publishing
reports and financial
accounts
August 2012 to
October 2012
Awaiting input from
experts
Phase 3: long term
Activity Stakeholders Responsibility Required tools Timeline Budget
Expanded rollout of
project to other selected
regions, including
expansion of project
team
Colombian youth and
volunteers, Colombian
state authorities,
Ministry of Labour,
private enterprises and
labour union, school
authorities, project
team, local focus groups
Project team
Local television shows,
radio jingles, workshop
with private enterprises,
MSME operators, and
labour unions, developed
curricula for schools, role
plays, annual awards of
recognition, recruitment
November 2012 to
September 2013, with a
view to extension and
sustainability beyond the
project life
Awaiting input from
experts
and CSOs, development
partners
adverts and references,
conducting interviews
Enhancing and
strengthening local
capacity and networks,
including internships and
management training
Project team, selected
interns, receiving
institutions, participating
private enterprises, local
focus groups and CSOs,
development partners
Project team in
collaboration with
receiving institutions
MoUs with receiving
institutions and
participating private
enterprises, training
modules, laptop
computers, internet
connection
November 2012 to
September 2013
Awaiting input from
experts
Progressive transfer of
project management to
locals
Colombian state
authorities, development
partners, project team,
trainees and interns to
be integrated into
project team, local focus
groups and CSOs
Expanded project team
Documents and
equipment to be
transferred
January 2013 to
September 2013
Awaiting input from
experts
Monitoring, evaluation
and review and
decommissioning of
external project team
Colombian state
authorities, development
partners, project team,
local focus groups and
CSOs
Expanded project team
Conducting interviews
and questionnaires,
focus groups, publishing
final report and financial
accounts
July 2013 to
September 2013
Awaiting input from
experts
Total budget Not to exceed USD 3
million
VIII. ACTIONABILITY: WORKING THE PLAN
a. The project team will be composed of 10 to 15 members drawn from across
experts on Colombia, the government, civil society organisations, local
communities and the youth, school teachers, student bodies, Building Bridges
team and SPIRIT Initiative nominees. The suggested composition of the team
is detailed in Appendix I below. In consideration of the enormous task on the
project team and to ensure that the project is actionable, the project team will
be divided into different units taking into consideration cross-cutting skills
and knowledge, with intra-team linkages and room for continuous exchange.
The simplified structure of units below is favoured:
Strategy and coordination
Administration and finance
Training and education
Information and communications
Publicity and Outreach
Logistics and protocol
b. An open-door coordination centre will be established in a community to be
strategically determined on the bases of need, accessibility, and government
approval. Facilities for the open-door coordination centre and required project
tools are detailed in Appendix II below. Ideally, it should be located in a
region which has been affected by the conflict and drugs trade: western Meta
or western Antioquia departments. These departments were FARC’s
stronghold for decades before the government offensive forced the
withdrawal of FARC. Consideration should however be given to telephone
and internet communications infrastructure, access roads and proximity to
government institutions.
c. Importantly, the project seeks to evolve a model of engagement that will bring
together CSOs and local groups working in different areas, with a view to
pool their resources, expertise and knowledge of the situation, build their
capacity to deliver on the project objectives, as well as strengthen and support
them to carry on their own projects. Similar but geographically more
widespread effort is being made in West Africa by the Open Society Initiative
for West Africa (OSIWA). Existing and credible youth centres or CSOs whose
Pag
e17
objectives are compatible with the project may benefit from the facilities of the
open-door coordination centre in the spirit of building local capacity and
sustainability.
d. The core project team members will be based in the community where the
open-door coordination centre is located, with extensive field visits. Experts
on the project team during phases 1 and 2 need only be in Colombia as and
when their input and guidance is needed. Although integration of the project
team into the community is encouraged, consideration should be given to
security conditions when choosing the location of their living quarters.
Ideally, team members should live and operate in clusters of 2 to 5 persons
with cross-cutting skills and knowledge. However, the living conditions of
team members should not be widely above that of the average community
dweller. This will make it possible for the community to identify with the
protect team and feel the impact of the project.
e. Initial funding for the project particularly for the procurement of required
project tools and facilities (Appendix II) will be sourced from development
partners. To ensure sustainability of efforts, human capital will be drawn
from experts and volunteers some of whom may pledge to engage pro bono;
stipends for the project team and volunteers should be graded in line with
locally applicable rates and standards; and representatives of the government
and participating partners (Appendix I) will receive honorarium from the
sponsoring institutions. Project activities may be prioritized and scaled up or
down depending on available budget and commitment (see: Mitigation of
Project Risks, page 11, paragraph e.). To promote sustainability of activities
beyond the initial project period, locally available resources will be relied on;
and expected income from the community internet café will be ploughed back
into the project.
Training of Trainers (ToT) Model
This aspect of the project is emphasized because it has a direct bearing on the overall
project impact: it is central to capacity building and is an actionable way of enabling
local ownership and promoting sustainability. The aim of ToT is to equip selected
trainers with the skills, knowledge and ability to facilitate the training of other local
participants. The trainees will champion and share the vision of the project with
their communities, thereby promoting understanding and buy-in. The multiplier
effect is represented in the pyramid below.
Pag
e18
a. Although a top-down model, the ToT will also encourage bottom-up learning
on local knowledge and circumstances from trainers to the project training
team, and horizontal learning among trainers. Trainers will be integrated into
the project management team at the end of the training. Depending on the
knowledge management strategy, external support from the ministry of
labour, the private sector and development partners and the attenuating
conditions on the ground, this aspect of the project has the potential to
transfer skills and knowledge from the project training team to trainers and
then to subsequent trainees on the ratio of 5:20:80 with one training session.
b. The training will be a platform to introduce what the project is all about and
the training objectives. It will also serve as a means of re-orientating people’s
minds towards peaceful and harmonious coexistence.
c. The training will focus on the following themes:
Basic business skills required in running and sustaining a micro-business
How to grow a business using micro-credit scheme
Locally relevant vocational skills with low capital requirement, market
demand and high potential for self sustenance
Project team
Trainers
Trainees
Local people to become
certified trainers
A pool of trainees to
assist with project
rollout and expansion
Project officers + skilled
vocational workers
Pag
e19
Community life skills: pooling together resources and skills to help build
projects which would be beneficial to all
Amicable dispute resolution skills: negotiation, mediation, traditional
dispute resolution and faith-based dispute resolution
Role plays demonstrating the importance of building a peaceful society
Strategies for civic education for the youth and school children
d. In the skills development training, trainers will be grouped into teams of the
same vocational interest; this is to enable trainers acquire and imbibe team
skills. At the end of the vocational training, trainers will choose projects which
they would execute individually to demonstrate what they have learnt. Each
team would also identify and complete a project in the community to be
approved and monitored by the project team, making the trainers’ team
socially responsible.
e. At the end of their project, each trainers’ team will make a formal exhibition
to showcase what they have achieved. The project team will ensure that some
community representatives and project stakeholders will be present. The
exhibition may also include local drama, songs and poetry, and peace
conference. The project team in conjunction with the private sector and local
micro-finance banks will select promising trainers in the skills acquisition
programme with a view to absorbing them and extending credit for their
start-ups.
Pag
e20
APPENDICES
Appendix I: Initial Project Team Composition
Composition Project unit(s) Qualification & skills Responsibility
Experts on
Colombia
Strategy and
coordination;
training and
education
Proven expertise on peace and
security in Latin America and
knowledge of the conflict in
Colombia; may be drawn from
the academia, civil society,
development agencies, the
private sector, government;
preferably of Colombian or
Latin American origin
To be engaged from time
to time (phases I & II) as
and when the need arises;
to guide, advice and
prepare the project team
for full rollout (phase III)
Building Bridges
team and SPIRIT
Initiative
nominees
Strategy and
coordination;
administration
and finance
Selected on the basis of
actionability of the project
proposal and operations; in-
depth knowledge of the
conflict and ongoing initiatives
to address it; nominees to be
fluent in both English and
Spanish languages; at least 2
years experience in project
management
Responsible for overall
project coherence and
success; to manage
recruitment of team
members and prepare
ToR; to provide
coordination, direction
and supervision (M,E&R)
to other units and
stakeholders
2 government
representatives
Logistics and
protocol;
publicity and
outreach
Currently working with the
Colombian government;
extensive knowledge of the
conflict, initiatives to address
it, and local circumstances;
familiar with Bogota circles;
preferably under 45 years of
age; fluent in both English and
Spanish languages
Advisory: makes sure the
project team’s activities
complements government
actions; to assist in
delimiting priority zones
for the pilot project; to
provide logistics to enable
project implementation
2 community
representatives
Publicity and
outreach;
logistics and
protocol
Extensive involvement in the
life of the communities and
well respected by them; able
to leverage on social networks
and local groups that may
contribute positively to the
project outcomes; 25-35 years
of age; fluent in English and
Spanish
To ensure and maintain
communication with all
stakeholders; to promote
community buy-in and
acceptance of the project;
to participate in selecting
priority community
projects
Pag
e21
2 civil society
representatives
Publicity and
outreach;
training and
education;
logistics and
protocol
Currently working with a local
CSO engaged in development,
poverty alleviation and
entrepreneurship; extensive
knowledge of the conflict,
initiatives to address it, and
local circumstances; able to
leverage on CSO networks
that may contribute positively
to the project outcomes;
fluent in English and Spanish;
conflict resolution skills will be
added advantage
To assist in identifying
credible local groups and
building strong
partnerships by leveraging
on existing structures; to
advice on the needs of the
people and how the
project may fill in those
needs; to promote
community buy-in and
acceptance of the project;
communicate with other
stakeholders
2 young
administrators to
be drawn from
volunteers
Administration
and finance;
information and
communications
Students/graduates living in
rural areas; experience or
proven ability in office
management; fair knowledge
of the conflict; information
and communications
technology skills (internet,
databases, MS office tools);
20-30 years of age; fluent in
both English and Spanish
Responsible for day-to-day
running of the open-door
coordination centre; to
enhance communications
between and among
project units; to produce
progress and financial
reports, correspondences
and other documents; to
arrange meetings when
necessary
Trainers (ToT)
Training and
education;
publicity and
outreach
Knowledge of the conflict in
Colombia and desire to
contribute to addressing it;
willing to work in any part of
Colombia in the long term;
may be drawn from the
academia (school teachers),
civil society, volunteers, the
private sector; 25-35 years of
age; fluent in both English and
Spanish languages; preferably
of Colombian or Latin
American origin
To train others in order to
promote project impact,
sustainability and
expansion; responsible for
designing and delivering
civic education in schools;
to be involved in peace
campaigns, road shows
and other outreach
programmes to promote
project objectives
2 representatives
of development
partners
Publicity and
outreach
Currently working with a
participating development
partner; extensive knowledge
of the conflict and
international development
practices; experience in
project management;
preferably under 45 years of
age; fluent in both English and
Spanish languages
To advise the project team
on fundraising and
expanding existing
partnership; to participate
in overseeing community
projects (M,E&R); report
progress to participating
partners
Pag
e22
Appendix II: Required Initial Project Tools and Facilities
Key Items Quantity Estimated cost
Fenced office space (for open-door
coordination centre) with the following:
lot that can take up to 6 vehicles
1 reception area and waiting room
4 offices
2 meeting/training rooms
2 rest rooms
1 store room
Office furniture
1 Awaiting input from experts
Annex facility for community internet café/
internet training room 1 Awaiting input from experts
Projector & screen, chalkboards, flipcharts 1 each Awaiting input from experts
Desktop and laptop computers 4 + 4 Awaiting input from experts
Vehicle-mounted public address systems to
be rented only when needed 3 Awaiting input from experts
Office/satellite phones and supplies 3 Awaiting input from experts
Integrated printer, scanner, copier 1 Awaiting input from experts
Off road vehicles/mobile workstations 2 Awaiting input from experts
VSAT for internet services 1 Awaiting input from experts
Remuneration/honorarium/stipends for
project team members and volunteers Awaiting input from experts
Total cost Not to exceed USD 1 million
Pag
e23
Appendix III: Map of Colombia
Pag
e24
BUILDING BRIDGES: OUR MOTIVATION
Conflict is inevitable, yet the way we choose to respond to conflict makes a huge
difference in the outcome. Some people see the end of conflict merely as opportunity
to shift the balance of power in a new era which may be founded on the tenets and
failings of the old era. Others see it more deeply as opportunity to positively
transform societal relationships and to build robust and enduring structures that will
make post-conflict societies resilient in the face of the threat of future conflict.
Acknowledging the efforts of the Colombian government and the international
community in finding lasting peace and kick-starting development in Colombia, the
next step becomes how to support and supplement these efforts in order to make the
desired impact in the lives of the people. This project, A Complementary Development
Strategy for Tackling Colombia’s FARC Conflict, is about the how.
Peace and development must be hinged on security. However, the Colombian
government’s Democratic Security and Defence Policy is not a panacea for conflict and
underdevelopment, but offers a systematic way to address the multifarious
challenges that beset the country. It is aptly directed to address generic
manifestations and drivers of conflict thereby bringing about de-escalation of
tension, but does little to decipher the less visible dynamics and matrix of relations
that underline the conflict and the development side of the coin. The ultimate test
therefore lies in applying the Policy in a way that would be flexible and reflective of
the needs of the individual. This project envisages a meeting point between the top-
down Policy and a bottom-up problem solving approach.
We see beyond geographical borders in injecting business, problem solving and
policy making skills into the peacebuilding process in Colombia. We believe in
building bridges of partnership and collaboration across borders and across groups
and institutions. We realize that although regional context might differ, the
Colombian conflict holds out significant lessons for African countries in conflict, and
can also learn from the experience and efforts at peacebuilding in parts of Africa.
Pag
e25
MEET THE TEAM
Elizabeth Uchealor (nee Dominic) was born on 6 November in Adamawa State,
Nigeria. She graduated from secondary school with 7 distinctions and gained
admission into the Federal University of Technology, Yola in 1999 to study Chemical
Engineering. Elizabeth graduated with a 3.79 CGPA in her class of 49 students in
2005. During her National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) year, she participated in a
de-worming programme which was aimed at the primary school pupils in rural
communities in in Pategi, Kwara state. Even as a Chemistry teacher, she also
enlightened her pupils on the importance and the power of education, and grew the
notoriously low class attendance to over 50%. After completing the NYSC in 2007,
Elizabeth ventured into a start-up telecoms engineering service company. She was
part of a management team that grew the company from 5 employees to 50
employees in one year. While pursuing her MBA, she offers voluntary consulting
services to Small and Medium Entrepreneurs (SMEs) run by African women, under
the auspices of the Entrepreneur Development Service of Pan-African University.
Elizabeth is happily married to Flowers Uchealor and lives with her husband in
Lagos, Nigeria.
Okey Uzoechina is a lawyer called to the Nigerian Bar in November 2005. After his
national service year, he joined DCON Consulting, an Abuja-based law and dispute
resolution consulting firm, where he became the Programme Officer, Access to
Justice in 2007. He also served as Intake Specialist for Settlement House, an open-
door dispute resolution centre. In July 2007, Okey was awarded the runner-up prize
in a competition organized for young lawyers by the Dispute Resolution Section of
the International Bar Association (IBA). Under the auspices of the IBA, he was
enrolled on the International Practice Diploma Programme of the College of Law of
England and Wales, and has completed the International Arbitration Law and the
Human Rights Law and Practice modules. In September 2007, he was admitted to
the CSDG-ECOWAS Studentships and Mentoring Programme at King’s College
London (KCL) where he obtained a Master’s degree in Conflict Security and
Development. The concluding phase of the CSDG-ECOWAS saw Okey as a support
staff attached to the ECOWAS Commission, Abuja where he has worked with the
Conflict Prevention Unit and the Security Division. Okey’s research interests include
conflict prevention, security governance, human rights and international
humanitarian law.
Pag
e26
Emeka Ogbannu was born on 8 June 1979 in Enugu, Nigeria. He finished his
secondary education from University Secondary School Enugu in 1996 as the best
graduating student with seven distinctions. He is a graduate of Geological Sciences
from Nnmadi Azikiwe University, Awka. Emeka’s primary assignment for the
NYSC was as a Mathematics teacher for the senior classes in Eleme Secondary
School in 2002. During the year, the school recorded a 95% success rate in General
Mathematics at the external examination. As part of the community development
service as a Youth Corps member, he carried out a survey in some parts of the Niger
Delta and proposed solutions on improving healthcare and education targeted at
assuaging the sufferings of the people. After NYSC, Emeka joined his family
business of safety and security consultancy and rose to become the Executive
Director of Operations. He served as resource person in several safety and security
seminars. In September 2008, Emeka gained admission into the MBA programme of
Lagos Business School. He exhibits conflict resolution skills and has severally
mediated political tensions in his class. The positive outcomes have been gratifying
and made him reflect on his strengths in conflict resolution and interpersonal skills.
Ifeanyi Ajaebili was born on 7 February 1979 in Enugu, Nigeria. An Industrial
Physics graduate of Federal University of Technology Owerri, Ifeanyi demonstrated
leadership potential from his university days. As Financial Secretary of the
university’s student body, he initiated the publication of statement of accounts.
During his National Youth Service in 2005, Ifeanyi trained over 120 high school
students as HIV/AIDS peer educators under the UNICEF Peer Education Training
Scheme. Ifeanyi is currently an MBA student of Lagos Business School. In 2009, he
led a team of five that executed a company-wide business process optimization for
Laplace Technologies, a Lagos-based telecoms engineering service firm. He has also
worked as Intake Trainee Specialist for Settlement House, an open-door dispute
resolution centre under the management of DCON Consulting (2006-2007). With a
bias for structure and organisation, Ifeanyi sees himself first, as a business leader
who believes that people should be empowered to create wealth for themselves and
for their community; and secondly, as a political leader who is will be committed to
improving the lot of his people by giving them a voice in issue that affect them. He
loves to read and sing in his leisure time.