A pot boils on a wooden hearth within the open air at a relaxation spot within the Serranía del Perijá, within the mountainous rural north of Colombia. Greater than 100 folks, together with former combatants from the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia insurgent group generally known as FARC, their households, and native folks in addition to troopers of the Colombian Nationwide Military, work collectively on the sting of a precipice.
They’re carrying three-inch-diameter hoses over practically 9 kilometers of steep terrain as a part of a UN Meals and Agriculture Group (FAO)-supported undertaking to enhance water provides.
It took months of exhausting work to elevate the hose, set it in place, bury it and join it to a neighborhood river which gives a dependable provide of water.
“Probably the most stunning factor I bear in mind was the best way the military, our former adversary, neighborhood, former rebels and native authorities labored collectively, whatever the previous that separated us,” says Yarledys Olaya, an indigenous Barí girl, who spent 20 years combating for the now disbanded FARC insurgent group.
FARC guerillas waged a half century-long civil conflict in opposition to the Colombian authorities, which formally ended with the signing of a historic Ultimate Peace Settlement in 2016.
A brand new life in a nice land
Yarledys Olaya is one among some 13,000 ex-combatants who dedicated to peace in Colombia and who started new lives in locations like Tierra Grata.
“I image my future right here; I image myself rising outdated,” she says. “This course of has not been straightforward. Prior to now we noticed our comrades get killed. However personally, it has allowed me to begin my household, to have the ability to spend time with them, and to open my dwelling to my daughters.
“That’s the reason we wish to proceed constructing and betting on peace. Not just for the rebels who’ve been reintegrated into society however for a collective peace for the nation.”
Within the close by city of San José de Oriente, native folks had been afraid that when the ex-combatants got here to the area, violence would begin once more, however minds had been modified once they introduced simply peace and a willingness to work on neighborhood initiatives.
Yarledys Olaya arrived in Tierra Grata in November 2016 aboard a truck along with 120 different guerrillas, most of them armed. She was sporting a camouflage uniform, boots, a black T-shirt, and carried a backpack and a rifle on her shoulder; she lined her face with a inexperienced scarf not eager to be recognized.
“There was numerous distrust. I felt that we had been reserved, surly, and that native folks checked out us in another way.” It was two months earlier than, the Peace Settlement between the federal government and the FARC had been signed.
“This was not a private resolution, it was a collective resolution,” she says. “I assumed, let’s proceed however dwell life in one other manner. The nice factor is that I had now not needed to see my comrades fall, which is regular throughout a conflict.”
Monitoring the ceasefire
It was an remoted location; an outdated farmhouse stood beside dense vegetation, together with the native frailejones plant. A bit of land had been cleared to make room to construct a reintegration camp; throughout, there have been Military and Colombian police personnel.
In a close-by space, the United Nations had erected tents the place specialists who had monitored the ceasefire would confirm the laying down of arms. Between March and September 2017, the UN mission in Colombia obtained 8,994 weapons from FARC all through the nation together with Tierra Grata.
Six months had been spent constructing the camp which offered 158 residing quarters. The ex-combatants had been presupposed to endure a reintegration course of there after which depart for a extra everlasting location, however most of them had nowhere to go and so stayed.
Daughters from conflict, and peace
As we speak, Tierra Grata is a formalized village inhabited by some 300 folks, each ex-combatants and members of the family. Some had been born there, and others joined their households.
Yarledys Olaya left her new child, Yacana, with a relative when she joined FARC and was reunited two months after arriving in Tierra Grata. Two years later she gave beginning to a different daughter, Yaquelín, one among 65 kids, born within the new settlement.
“Yacana is my daughter from the conflict, and Yaquelín my daughter from peace,” she says.
Yarledys Olaya continues to work on neighborhood initiatives, constructing everlasting buildings and bringing water and electrical energy to the village. “As ladies throughout the conflict, we performed a basic function,” she says, “and now on this new second, we’re serving to to construct peace, as a result of we really feel that this course of is ours; that’s the reason we’re keen to contribute our final drop of sweat to this future.”
SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Robust Establishments
- Sustainable Improvement Objective 16 acknowledges that battle, insecurity, weak establishments and restricted entry to justice stay a major menace to sustainable growth.
- It goals to cut back all types of violence and deaths brought on by that violence. It focuses on ending the abuse, exploitation, torture and trafficking of kids.
- The UN Verification Mission in Colombia was established by the UN Safety Council in 2017 to help the peace course of in Colombia.
- It has labored carefully with nationwide authorities and former combatants to advertise progress in reintegration and security-related points.