1. Moving Beyond Armed Actors
The Challenges for Civil Society in Colombia
Jorge Hernán Cárdenas
February 20-21, 2004

2. Some Initial questions…?
1. Can you create or can you manufacture social
capital?,
2. What's the role of the philanthropic and more general
the third sector in manufacturing social capital?

3. Corona Foundation
Mission Statement
Institutional building for equality
The Corona Foundation contributes to the construction
of a more prosperous Colombia, through promoting
institutional building in education, health,
entrepreneurial development, and local and community
development.
It generates, disseminates and applies knowledge to:
– Design and implementation of policies
– Improvement of organizational effectiveness
– Promotion of structured, deliberate and active
citizenship participation

4. Corona Foundation’s Work Strategies
•
Develop models that can be applied to organizations
and social collectives such as schools, hospitals,
micro business and community organizations
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Develop specialized sartorial knowledge and
promote debate in order to ensure improvements in
the design and formulation of public policy
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Promote citizen’s participation that favors solution to
communities problems, allows local government
control and bring citizens closer to government

5. Foundation's Role in the Construction of
Social Capital
Social capital building requires:
• A process of cultural transformation, which implies:
• This leads to:
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Strong civil organizations
Civil engagement and citizenship cohesion
Strong Institutions used to regulate relationships
Strong & trustworthy relations between citizens and
public sector
– Built upon community's capacities
CORONA FOUNDATION’S
PHILANTHROPIC FIELD OF
WORK since the 80´s
– Modification and sharing of values, perceptions,
practices, agreements
– Subordinate one’s interests on behalf of the group’s
interests

6. Project Example # 1
1. ¿Bogotá Cómo Vamos?
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Generation of information and continuous reporting on the
quality of life in Colombia’s capital
Follow up to local administration’s public action's
240 variables have been measured
Seminars and public opinion polls
Public advocacy
Partners with:
– Bogotá's Chamber of Commerce (Entrepreneurs)
– El Tiempo (Media)
– Corona Foundation (Third sector)
•
Will be replicated in other cities (Cali, Medellín)

7. “Bogotá Cómo Vamos? Sectors that are being
evaluated
Education
Health
Citizen’s Safety
Transport Mobility
Economic Development
Environment
Housing & Services
Urban Development
Public Policy
Citizens Responsibility
Youth
www.eltiempo.com.co/bogotacomovamos

8. ¿Bogotá Cómo Vamos? Key Performance
Indicators in Education

9. Example # 2
2. ¿Concejo Cómo Vamos?
• Continuous tracking of Bogotá's City Council
• Focus on assessment and accountability of its
members:
– Attendance and duration of attendance of Council’s
Members
– Preparation of proposals made by Council’s members
• Statistics and data sent to various media (newspapers,
radio, TV)
• Work on the construction of a democratic culture in
Bogotá
www.eltiempo.com.co/concejocomovamos

10. Advances in attendance to Bogota’s City
Council?
Continuity of assistance during sessions
Duration of attendance

11. Example # 3 , 4
3. Premio Cívico por una Bogotá Mejor
• Identification and dissemination of community initiatives
based upon organizations that enhance citizen’s quality of
life
4. Programa Nacional de Alianzas (alliance award):
• Identification of successful experiences of alliances among
public and private sector with community organizations
• Promotion of alliances as key means for social
intervention
• Project supported by World Bank
• Six year project: 50 alliances fully documented and 15
awarded
www.fundacioncorona.org.co/programaalianzas/index.htm

12. Awarded Alliances 1999-2003
• Asamblea Municipal Constituyente y Administración Municipal
de Tarso “Unidos por el desarrollo y la paz.” (2002)
• Comité interinstitucional: alianza para la reconstrucción integral
de Granada, Antioquia (2002)
• Desarrollo Rural supralocal en San Pedro, Sucre y Córdoba
Bolivar (2002)
• El Consejo de Conciliación y Desarrollo Social y la Fundación
Rioclaro en el municipio de San Luis, Departamento de
Antioquia (2000)
• Proyecto Nueva Villa Nueva en Santander(2000)

13. Example # 5
5. CONSORCIO para el Desarrollo Comunitario
• Corona Foundation is a member of Consorcio
• Strengthening of 4,700 organizations and 47, 000 leaders in
Bogotá since 1995
• Co-Financed by Ford Foundation
Intervention strategies
• Strengthening and promotion of community organizations
• Co finance of projects
• Application, validation and development of organizational
strengthening methodologies
• Concerted work with advisory NGO’s
• Systematization of experiences and methodologies
• Research and documentation of knowledge
• Development of alliances and strategic networks
www.consorcio.org.co

14. Example # 6, 7
6.FOCUS:
• Co-financing fund directed to urban communities
• Strengthening of community organizations
• 178 organizations, 170 leaders, 16.000 citizens
• Co-financed by IAF
7. Evaluation of citizen’s participation in Colombia
• Review of what has happened with regards to
participation since 1991´s Constitution
• Research project aimed at analyzing participation in
5 municipalities
• Focus on participative planning

15. Corona Foundation’s has played a role in
helping other Foundations
C. Calidad
Corpoeducación
Entrepreneurial
Education
Development
C. Excelencia en la
Justicia
Justice
Corona
Foundation
Health
CGH
Consorcio para el Dllo. Comunitario
Community Development
Peace
Fundación
Ideas para la PAZ
Corporación Transparencia
Participation and Citizenship control

16. Potential Areas of work :
(in the agenda to further explore)
1. Ensure that demobilization programs are successful:
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Design policies directed to the construction of peace
Help to have a better government agenda
Generate more incentives for both individual and collective
demobilization
Develop a special program for the demobilized youth so that they
can have
Design sustainable intervention schemes
Work in ad campaigns and opinion polls to foster process
Rights reestablishment
Open spaces in public life
Promote cultural change

17. 2. Leave population out of the conflict:
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Promote International Humanitarian Rights
Prevent children's recruitment
Develop education opportunities and coverage to
confront recruitment
Detect with gretar detail risk factors (age, family
background, victims of war, rural areas, etc):
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209 municipalities in potential recruitment risk
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90% recruited in rural areas
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57% of rural teens do not go to school
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Desertion average in rural areas (before 3rd grade): 35%
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Regions with higher school desertion indices correspond to
higher recruitment areas

18. 3. Work in truth, justice and reparation themes
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Concepts of security and penal justice are closely knit
Evaluate coverage and quality of justice
Ensure coordination and agreements among actors
Develop alternative justice systems (peace judges)
4. Generate new knowledge and research on international
legislation:
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promote schemes directed to humanization of war (International
Humanitarian Rights)
Use if needed the International Penal Court
5. Reinforcement of incomes – “Turn off the tap” to war
finance:
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Guerrilla’s revenues averages US$486 million
Paramilitary ‘s revenues averages US$286 million

19. Areas of work
6. Generate participative spaces as long as they have clear
rules and effects
7. Develop understandings between local governments and
the community in vulnerable municipalities
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Capacity building: 209 vulnerable municipalities with high violence
potential and low governability
Strengthening social actors and policy makers
Fighting against corruption
8. Support and strengthen institutions such as the police,
Citizen’s defense office (Defensoría), public prosecutors
office (Fiscalía)
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Define clear missions and functions among institutions
Focus on population’s problems

20. Structure of Peace Accords
Government
Rehabilitation
Reconciliation
Peace Fund (Barco’s Gov.)
Regional Development
Institutional Strengthening
Political favorability
Legal Guarantees
Cease fire
Cease of hostilities
Disarmament
Plan Colombia
(Pastrana Uribe’s
. up to 2005)
Society
Reinsertion
Individual Reinsertion
Collective Reinsertion
Community
Restorative Justice
Demobilized
Organizations

21. The proper role of international Community?
Provide the needed experience and perspective in
emerging and new issues, like:
1. Models for intervening and healing the population to
overcome a humanitarian crisis
2. Structure of reparations programs
3. Coming to Terms with the Past: Truth, Justice and
Reconciliation models
4. How to deal with organized crime in more effective ways in
the years to come
5. Strengthening the Capacity to Prevent, Resolve, and
Transform internal Conflicts
6. Disarmament models
7. Respect for Human Rights and the prevalence of
International Humanitarian Law
8. International Facilitation Service for Internal Conflict
Resolution
9. Ways to find Sustainable peace agreements

22. Key Strategic Allies
• International Partners:
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Inter American Foundation - IAF
Inter American Development Fund – IADF
World Bank
Ford Foundation
Other Foundations in Colombia and abroad

23. Some of our Publications

24. www.fundacioncorona.org.co

25. Some Challenges I
• 4,715 demobilized covered by reinsertion processes
• Significant growth of number of demobilized individuals
from guerrilla and paramilitary organizations
• 44% of demobilized between the ages of 13 and 17 years
• 92% of demobilized are men and 84% have not completed
primary school
• 20% of individuals have been forcedly recruited by illegal
organizations
Urgent need for work with the
demobilized

26. Traditional role of the third, and public
sector in manufacturing social capital?
Role of the private sector
Profit Maximizing exploiting economic opportunities for sevice
Resources
Role of the Government
The catalyst of the other sectors
“Pure Public Goods”
Regulation
Development strategy
politically motivated
Role of the Third Sector
Quasi public goods
Common ground for public and private innitiatives
Long term perspective: no major changes with government
A good niche player: very focussed, results oriented.
A good leverage for the other two
Accountability

27. Manufacturing social capital
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Educate people in many ways
Leverage Key players
Increase public awareness and accountability
Invest in the peace process
Pay attention to the quality of key public policies
Capacity building of critical institutions

28. How pervasive is organized crime in
Colombia? … much more than the 15%
1. A catalyst of violence: availability of arms, tons of money,
resources, military apparatus, and a training camp, and it
has also destroyed the prison system
2. The more pervasive effect: it destroys the needed cohesion
in the social life: less trust as a norm, new leadership could
be destroyed or never formed.
3. Risk aversion in the political life that destroys the country
4. At times intimidation when not erosion of critically important
public institutions like police, congress, procuraduria, even
the presidency has suffered in contemporary history
5. The rule of law could not be guaranteed, so it is less
observed by younger generations
6. More violent experiences at early stages in the repertoire:
more perpetrators in the future.
7. Tremendous effect on values and norms
8. Violators of Human Rights at the highest scale
9. To an extent destroys the internationalization of Colombian
economy: overvalued exchange rate.

29. Building social capital
1. Concentrate all your energies in the peace
process and hopefully find peaceful solution
2. Effective Institutions in critical areas
3. Sustained condition of trust and learning
4. Ability and commitment to assume challenges and
to work collectively
5. What are the common goals and societal needs
6. Experience in the coordination of initiatives
7. Reduce uncertainty and promote the rule of law
8. Reduce transactions costs

30. Back to Basics: Social Capital
“The ability to work collectively in order to achieve
common objectives, through the work of groups and
organizations” James Coleman
“The key to foster social capital resides in the political
and institutional capacity to sustain policies.” Daubon

31. Restorative Justice & Peace
Restorative Justice
Defined as:
“Rehabilitating perpetrators and victims, and
(re)establishing relationships on equal concern
and respect.”
Llewellyn,J. quoted in, R.I., Thompson, D., Eds,: 2000,P103

32. Restorative Justice & Peace
• Setting up mechanisms through which reconciliation
process can be initiated:
– Identify and take steps towards harm’s reparation
– Involve stakeholders
– Transform traditional relationships within
communities and governments
• Conduct a series of workshops, forums and an
International Symposium
• Alvaralice Foundation, Corona Foundation

33. Some Challenges II
• Participation as a crucial element of public management
• It allows citizens to influence public policies
• Colombia has evolved as an exclusive and
unequalitarian society
• Participation efforts allow institutional capacities to
respond to social needs
• Only a few citizens know and use the participation
spaces
• There has been clear lack of continuity in the formulation
and application of participation policies since the 1991
Constitution