VallenPaz

VallenPaz (Peace Valley) aims to reduce the number of people involved in Colombia's armed conflict by encouraging the renewal of agricultural activity.

Overview

VallenPaz is a public non-profit association working for the common interest, comprising nearly 700 members from private companies, farmer organisations, churches, unions, universities, research centres and professional volunteers.

It represents a wide social peace movement, which works for the transformation of the rural south-western zones of the Valle de Cauca and Cauca regions. By defending basic human rights and acting as an impetus to sustainable development, it contributes significantly to peaceful coexistence within communities. In addition, by reviving the country’s economy and strengthening the institutions that support peace dialogues in rural areas, VallenPaz offers viable paths out of the region's armed social conflict.

VallenPaz is looking to design, coordinate and implement a plan that creates the social, economic, technical and environmental conditions to guarantee that the region’s agricultural activities are productive, sustainable, profitable and equitable. It acts to support government activities with similar objectives, focusing on the least favoured citizens in the agricultural sector, who form part of the bottom of the Colombian economic pyramid. They traditionally represent the excluded part of the population and lack sufficient access to means of production to secure a decent living and quality of life.

The central element in the strategy to remove the human raw material from violent armed organisations is to renew agricultural activity in the rural zones.

What services are provided?

Training in community organisation techniques; assistance in agricultural techniques; community leadership formation; accompaniment in the market commercialisation process; assistance opening up commercial relations with potential clients with an interest in agricultural produce; psychosocial support/advice to families who are victims of the conflict and victims of domestic violence; technical assistance with designing productive infrastructure.

Geographical area of operation

16 municipalities from the Valle del Cauca and the Cauca provinces. Cauca: North and Central Zones: Miranda, Corinto, Buenos Aires, Padilla, Santander de Quilichao, Villa Rica, Caloto, Pto. Tejada, Cajibío. Valle del Cauca: Central and Southwestern Zones: Dagua, Zona Rural de Cali, Palmira, Pradera, Florida, Cerrito, Jamundí.

Funding Resources

Between Feb 2000 and Nov 2005, VallenPaz has managed to raise around 7.5 million USD. The principle donors have been: The National Government, through the Investment for Peace Fund; USAID-IOM; CAF; EU; the Private Sugar Sector of Cauca Valley and North Cauca; the Industrial Sector of North Cauca (Ley Paez); ISAGEN; Fundación Restrepo Barco, Admones Municipales.

What further information would you like?

Financial resources; successful rural development models;  environmental management expertise; market economy models.

What new contacts would you like to make?

Contact with potential financial backers; contact with networks with whom we can exchange experiences to strengthen our knowledge and processes.

Associated Organisations

Native people, legal persons (companies, foundations and associations), universities, the Catholic Church, organisations of small productive farmers.