Colombia NGO Sector
NGOs in Colombia
The origins of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are universally acknowledged with the founding of the International Committee of the Red Cross in 1863. The phrase of “non-governmental organizations” was coined in 1945 during the establishment of the United Nations under the provisions of Article 71 of Chapter of 10 of the United Nations Charter deeming these organizations that are neither member states nor governments but are entities with consultative roles. These organizations’ aims are to achieve the social and political causes of their members. Some of these causes may include improving the natural environment, enhancing the living standards of the impoverished, encouraging human rights and even representing corporate interests. All of these causes reflect the goals of the NGOs in Colombia today.
Throughout the twentieth century, an exponential growth of NGOs took place. According to the Yearbook of International Organizations, 16,000 internationally recognized NGOs were listed in its 1934-39 editions. This was the advent of NGOs as a societal actor but true political power was yet to be realized. In the 2004 edition, 63,000 organizations have been listed . Many cite the expansion of the Internet as a contributing factor for the recent rapid multiplication of these organizations in recent years. As many developing nations faced surmounting problems they could not solve on their own, NGOs were created to address these problems, emphasizing humanitarian issues, conflict resolutions, developmental aide and sustainable development. Colombia is one such developing country facing a myriad of these issues.
For the past three decades, the 40-year-old civil conflict has taken its toll on the Colombian society and civilian life. Expanding violence, higher death rates and kidnappings have both impeded economic progress and escalated environmental degradation. This is the environment where domestic and international NGOs conduct their work. But it wasn’t until the escalation of the armed conflict throughout the 1990s that NGOs covering all issues from education to conflict resolution coalesced and began to heavily advocate for human rights as well as for a lasting peace process in the country. But with the escalation of violence, the number of NGOs has also increased to meet the growing issues Colombia faced. For example, in 1990, there were 26 environmental NGOs but by March of 1994, there were 400 registered. This reflects the impact the civil conflict has had on the environment and also the realization of the importance on Colombia’s unique but fragile ecosystems. Along with these increased numbers, these organizations have had a positive impact on the regional and local levels appraisal of native cultures and ecosystems, resource management and alternative production models.
Environmental NGOs were not the only institutions to increase throughout the 1990s. Other types of NGOs were created in great numbers to address the demands of other problems such as the displaced of peoples, drug trafficking, corruption and poverty. As of 2003, there were 2,800,000 people displaced due to violence or coca aerial fumigation. Among the NGOs involved in promoting peace and conflict resolution is the Peace Brigades International (PBI). Founded in 1983, PBI started their work in Colombia in 1993. Their mission is to accompany individual or other organizations into conflict zones “to protect the political space of human rights defenders who suffer repression due to their non-violent work in human rights.” By having a third party present, they can provide an environment where solutions of the conflict be found. They make frequent trips into conflict zones, noting and recording the evolution of the conflict; they work with civil and military authorities and they carry out public relations and lobby for international support. They are highly regarded in Colombia and are known for working well with other organizations.
Anther NGO that deals with peace and conflict resolution is WomenWarPeace.org. Operating under the United Nations Development Fund for Women, it compiles data on the impact of conflict on women and girls throughout the world as noted by Security Council 1325 (2000). The website acts as a forum to centralize information and analysis from a variety of sources.
A unique form of non-violent resistance created in Colombia with the assistance of NGOs is the concept of comunidades de paz, or peace communities. With support from the American Friends Service Committee, a Quaker-based organization, and other Colombian organizations, peace communities started in the mid-1990s by rejecting all violent means and declaring themselves neutral. These communities not only refuse to take part in Colombia’s civil conflict, whether by recruitment from the guerrillas, the paramilitaries and even the army, they create their own mechanisms for self-protection. They also generate sustainable agriculture projects and develop ties to the national communities. The closest approximation to the numbers of peace communities in Colombia is 50. Since these communities are often isolated, it is difficult to establish a clear number. The peace communities, often ethnically or racially based, are often the target of harassment and violence by all sides of the warring factions because of the stance of neutrality. One of the oldest known peace communities is San José de Apartadó, in the district of Urabá, located on the Western Caribbean coast of Colombia.
Countless other NGOs work in equally vital areas such as the environment. Sentir works with endangered species by educating the public on Colombia’s unique ecosystems . Fundación Ecotropico implements conservational programs in that country’s ecosystems. Fundación Mujeres por Colombia is an organization that provides assistance to women in ways to make a better contribution to society. In 2001, Fundación para el Desarrollo Social Integral (FUNDESIN) was established to fight poverty and hunger, mostly in the central region of Valle del Cauca.
To alleviate the plight of Colombia’s displaced peoples and refugees, international NGOs have taken on a greater role. With greater resources and international support to address the sheer magnitude of the crisis, NGOs such as the International Committee of the Red Cross, the European Commission of Humanitarian Aide (ECHO) and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) help the 2,800,000 displaced people and refugees in Colombia and its surrounding regions.
The last two decades has witnessed the relationship between NGOs and the Colombian government tense at the best of times. But this relationship has especially been strained under President Alvaro Uribe’s Administration. In September of 2003, 80 Colombian NGOs released a documented entitled, El Embrujo Autoritario or the Authoritarian Curse, criticizing President Uribe and the government. During the inauguration of the new Air Force Chief General Edgar Lésmez, President Uribe was quoted calling human rights groups as, "spokesmen for terrorism and politickers of terrorism.” He has also challenged these groups to “take off their masks … and drop this cowardice of hiding their ideas behind human rights.” This was not an isolated remark.
On April 10, 2002, at a conference sponsored by the United States Army in Washington, D.C., Colombian Army Brigadier General José Arturo Camelo accused, “human rights NGOs of waging a 'legal war' against the military.” Further, he claimed that “human rights groups were 'friends of subversives' and that they formed part of a larger strategy coordinated by the guerrillas.” According to Human Rights Watch, 17 human rights defenders were killed in 2002, the most since 1997. The Colombian Commission of Jurists also supports this statistic. Though the NGOs in Colombia face a daunting situation with an unsympathetic government, there are hopeful signs of support.
On August 1, 2006, sixteen U.S.-based NGOs and seventy-eight bipartisan members of the U.S. Congress signed statements of support for the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in Colombia, amidst strong opposition from the Uribe administration. Other American NGOs also provide much needed support in Colombia, such as Disarm Education Fund. Started as a gun-control group in 1976, it has expanded its mission to include providing medicines, specialists and surgeons to local communities, implementing public education campaigns and supporting education. Chicagoans for a Peaceful Colombia also provide important data by collaborating with other organizations.
Although NGOs operating in Colombia face innumerable obstacles as the civil conflict continues to clamber on, both national and international support for them persists unabated. Colombian and international NGOs intrepidly address the country’s needs and steadfastly undertake to resolve these problems. Despite the government’s non-committal stance towards them, NGOs have a long and rich presence in Colombia and are recognized by international institutions for their tireless work they have achieved.
