Challenges and Alternatives Towards Peacebuilding

Challenges and Alternatives Towards Peacebuilding

A Rural Development Perspective

Rural development and peacebuilding in Colombia havebeen highly prioritized by higher education institutions since the signing ofthe Peace Agreement between the National Government and the FARC-EP This hasresulted in the need to fur­ther analyze rural strategies that contributetowards a better life for the population of territories where armed conflict iscoming to an end, whilst understanding the pressing uncertainty that thisprocess implies; on the one hand, for the urgency of generating rapid and concreteresponses to social justice and equity, and on the other, because fulfillingthe agreement guarantees scenarios of non-repetition of the war in the country.These were some of thereflections that motivated the research project "Rural development alternativesfor peacebuilding: educational strategies to strengthen the ability ofproducers and young people that contribute to the coffee production chain inthe municipalities of Leiva, Policarpa and Los Andes of the department ofNariño, with international impact in the province of Carchi-Ecuador" Thiswork is presented as an investigative result that contains the analysis oftheoretical and territorial dynamic contributions regarding the construction ofpea ce, education and the economy for rural development. The book is made up of threeparts: Part 1 gathers sociological, legal and demo­graphic works on thechallenges of peacebuilding with the national and departmen­tal context ofNariño. and looks at human rights from the perspective of population health andqua lit y of life. Part 2 presents texts on the dynamics of rural education inColombia; national challenges and lessons learned based on case studies ofspecific forms of education. Part 3 presents economic analyses regarding themodels that are behind the conception of rural development and the productiveand institutional dynamics of the local sphere for the generation of employmentand income. AII three parts are relevantat both the national level and also the more specific area of the department ofNariño and within this, the Cordillera region. This area, historically affectedby the armed conflict. despite experiencing continuing uncer­tainty regardingthe resurgence of violence and the increase in illegal crops. has alsoreignited hope with regards to finding solutions to the problems seen in thecountryside; through educational, community and productive experiments.