Mission to Colombia with a View to Develop Field Practices in Internal Displacement, UNICEF New York

"It is better to walk alone than in bad company," a displaced person in Colombia exclaimed when discussing the problem of staying neutral and outside the conflict in Colombia, so as not to become a target of the violence. Indeed, the root causes of displacement in Colombia are particularly complex due to the many actors. There are a number of actors who act independently and on many different levels, which makes it all the more difficult to target the problems. The actors who cause displacement are normally divided into three: the government forces, the paramilitary (normally claimed to have a right-wing agenda), and the guerilla (normally referred to as a left-wing organization). Although the interplay among these forces -- and criminal elements -- is complex, the factors of economic gain and power are obvious priorities in the displacement scenario. In contrast to many other countries facing internal displacement, in Colombia the root causes do not stem from issues such as ethnicity and religion.

The fact that there are so many players involved makes it difficult for the civilian population to stay outside the conflict. If not joining to support one party to the conflict, you are easily identified as supporting another party. This is also one of the reasons why many displaced do not want to be identified as IDPs. They fear that having been displaced by one party may cause suspicions about that group of displaced persons having a certain political agenda or affiliation.

As in many other situations, the estimated number of displaced persons varies depending on who provides the numbers, and the numbers are also an extremely politically sensitive issue. Some organizations talk of approximately 200,000 displaced persons, while others tend to talk of a much higher number, up to over one million displaced persons. But estimates are difficult to assess, as many displaced persons do not even want to be known as such, and great numbers of displaced also disappear into the slums of the urban areas. This is due to the nature of the problems that displaced people face, namely the risk of becoming a target of physical violence because of being displaced.

Thus, in Colombia the main problem for the displaced population is one of protection, i.e. providing the displaced population, and those threatened with displacement with physical safety. The need for immediate humanitarian assistance (food, health, water, etc), while important, is not as severe as in many other displaced situations. When we speak of protection in this context, we include the need to prevent certain human rights violations against the physical integrity of the population, as well as providing durable solutions to those who have been displaced and are looking to settle down.

Although there are some legal frameworks in place -- not only on the international level through applicable human rights and humanitarian law, but also through law 387 and penal legislation on the domestic level that address the physical integrity and human rights situation in Colombia -- perpetrators of human rights violations still act, in many cases, with impunity. This remains the greatest challenge to the government. Most displaced persons have been able to stay in Colombia, but some have also had to flee to Venezuela, Ecuador and Panama. The most unfortunate characteristic of the displacement crisis in Colombia is that, in many cases, areas in which the poor live are targeted for economic and political gain by various actors; it is often the poorest in Colombia who become displaced.

1.2. The Situation of and Programming for Children in Colombia

The children of Colombia are caught in conflict from all angles. Similarly to the population over all, one of the greatest threats is that of violations against their physical integrity. Children are particularly vulnerable when it comes to attacks on their or their family’s physical integrity, and these experiences do have tremendous impacts on the children’s ability for physical and psychological recovery, and social reintegration, in accordance with Article 39 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). In the psycho-social programmes developed for the children in affected areas, it is also easy to recognize this impact on the children, as in their activities they often refer to the violence and tools used by the human rights violators.

One short-coming, when it comes to the analysis of the situation of children affected by armed conflict in Colombia, is that few agencies have continuous presence in the areas where affected populations are living. For example, while there were scattered reports about child soldiers and increases in domestic violence due to the armed conflict, very few organizations have made serious attempts to address these issues. As a result, the response to the child victim of armed conflict is not carried out in a holistic way, balancing recuperation with protection. Relief programs targeted at children’s needs, for example, and psycho-social programs intended to assist in the recovery from wartime trauma, should be balanced with focused protection activities, especially considering that the conflict continues to rage. Such protection activities must be underpinned with a solid field presence to be effective.

Adopting a child rights-based approach to programming means looking at the situation of children through the lens of the CRC and addressing the rights of children in a holistic manner. In practice this means that in delivering services, organizations must take on a protection role towards the children. This includes establishing presence in the field and maintaining regular contacts with all parties to the conflict. The climate in Colombia may not be ripe for establishing permanent offices in the field, but it is certainly something that the UN agencies and others must be considering more seriously in a situation where, ultimately, the rights of civilians can only be effectively addressed if agencies have a physical presence in the field.

1.3. The Mission to Colombia

The mission to Colombia was the second in a recent series of missions undertaken with the aim of studying field practices developed in relation to internal displacement. The first mission took place in August 1998 to Sri Lanka (see report "Mission to Sri Lanka with a view to Develop Field Practices in Internal Displacement"). Colombia was chosen as one of the target countries for the broader study due to the complexity of the displaced persons situation and due to the large number of organizations present and working for IDPs in the country.

The mission was carried out by James Kunder, IDP Consultant, and Bo Viktor Nylund, Project Officer/Humanitarian Principles, both working for the Office of Emergency Programmes in UNICEF, New York. It was carried out with two particular aims in mind: First, to review UNICEF’s response to and focus on internal displacement in Colombia and to distil sound field practices for possible use in other situations; second, to review the programmes of other UN agencies, international organizations, NGOs and the government, and to distil field practices to benefit the work of the United Nations as a whole, through the Inter-Agency Standing Committee Working Group’s involvement with IDPs.

Unfortunately, the security situation and logistics constraints in Colombia limited the travel opportunities to areas with displaced populations. However, a substantial number of good practices were collected, and a field visit took place to the Uraba region in the northwest of the country where the mission was able to visit displaced persons and talk to organizations working with the displaced (a list of contacts is attached). A bibliography with materials relating to displacement in Colombia is also included as an attachment to this report.

In the section that follows, field practices addressing internal displacement are presented with an indication of what organization is carrying out this practice. The scope of the study did not allow for an in-depth analysis of the impact of each initiative, but these were practices that the mission felt would be worth sharing with others seeking to improve the response to internal displacement.

2. Examples of Sound Field Practice relating to Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Colombia

Supporting a Local, Non-governmental Research Institute Can Provide Impartial Data on the Internally Displaced:

In the politically charged environments that often spawn internal displacement, accurate and impartial data on the numbers and conditions of IDPs can be difficult to obtain. Moreover, in the words of one UNICEF analyst, "It's difficult to count individuals who would prefer to flee without being recognized or identified….all the more so when you ask them why they had to flee and the name of the place they left."

In Colombia, in order to overcome these difficulties, UNICEF and other organizations supported a respected Colombian research institute, the Consultoria para los Derechos Humanos y el Desplazamiento (the Human Rights and Displacement Consultancy) or CODHES. Despite the strictures noted above, and at considerable risk from armed critics of their data, CODHES researchers have compiled useful studies on the numbers and locations of IDPs. In addition, CODHES surveys have generated important information about the socio-economic reality of displacement, including the number of women-headed households, rates of unemployment and types of temporary employment, and IDPs' expectations of return to their home areas.

CODHES's findings have helped to raise awareness within Colombian society of the magnitude of the displacement crisis, and have helped target program responses. In selected cases, international organizations like UNICEF co-released CODHES reports to increase their impact.

Displacement "Early Warning Systems" Can Alert IDP Communities and Assist with Contingency Planning:

With support from UNICEF, ECHO and other international organizations, a Colombian research institute has developed an early warning analytical tool to measure situations with a high risk of displacement. Using community-level "sentinel sites," the Consultoria para los Derechos Humanos y el Desplazamiento (the Human Rights and Displacement Consultancy) or CODHES gathers indicators that suggest increased likelihood of displacement within a given geographic area. These data are shared with community leaders, with officials and with organizations working with the displaced, to generate prevention measures or to spur contingency planning activities.

This rapid data gathering system has also been used in areas of reception, immediately after displaced families have arrived, in order to target emergency relief efforts. The CODHES early warning system has also proved useful in establishing baselines to measure the effect of program interventions intended to benefit IDPs.

In Programs to Assist Displacement-Affected Children, Making Maximum Use of Community Resources:

Since internal displacement in Colombia is often related to violence or the threat of violence, many IDP children -- as well as adults -- suffer emotional and psychological trauma, along with physical deprivation. UNICEF's program to meet the psychosocial needs of these children, a program called "El Retorno de la Alegria" (the Return of Happiness), is well regarded. A notable strength of El Retorno is its reliance on participation from within the displaced community, and its emphasis on building capacity among IDPs.

For example, leaders for therapeutic games and recreational activities -- an important component of El Retorno -- were recruited from among the internally displaced, and "production groups" were formed among IDPs to produce shoulder bags, toys and other program material. Training materials for El Retorno de la Alegria included a "Volunteer's Manual" that empowered IDP volunteers by providing basic instruction in early childhood development, and that continually emphasized the essential role of family and community structures to the child's well-being. Community volunteers, moreover, were asked to share their experience and training with other displaced or returnee communities, enhancing their status and self-esteem. Of particular note, numbers of displaced teenagers were recruited as leaders of play groups, providing these adolescents with an important anchor to the community at a time of considerable stress in their own lives.

Focusing on Displaced Communities with a "Special Dependency on and Attachment to their Lands; The World Food Programme (WFP) in Colombia:

The Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement (Principle 9) notes that "[S]tates are under a particular obligation to protect against the displacement of indigenous peoples…and other groups with a special dependency on and attachment to their lands." Yet, in Colombia, many indigenous families are among the displaced, usually as a result of entire communities fleeing violence in ancestral homelands. Even before joining the ranks of the internally displaced, Colombia's indigenous communities -- composing about 5% of the rural population -- were at-risk, with per capita income at about 60% of the national average, with triple the national infant mortality rate, and with 60% illiteracy.

In response to these facts, and recognizing that displaced indigenous communities would encounter special difficulties integrating within urban or semi-urban areas outside their ancestral homelands, the WFP has targeted its assistance to IDPs from indigenous communities. This assistance began with the provision of emergency rations -- made up of traditional, culturally appropriate foodstuffs -- at displacement sites and, in some cases, while returnee communities were reestablishing themselves. In late 1998, WFP was planning to expand its assistance to displaced indigenous communities. The agency was adapting its national plan for poverty alleviation for indigenous communities (consisting of rural infrastructure construction, rehabilitation of degraded micro-watersheds, and support for income-earning activities, including credit access and technical assistance) to displaced communities. WFP's combination of emergency support and longer-term community development should strengthen the capacity of indigenous communities to maintain their unique connection to the land, even when these communities confront the phenomenon of widespread internal displacement.

The Nature of the Colombian Displacement Crisis Impels a Regional Approach by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR):

In June of 1997, the Government of Colombia requested UNHCR assistance in favor of IDPs and the opening of a UNHCR office in Colombia. After key consultations and the receipt of concurrence by the Secretary-General, UNHCR determined to establish a limited presence in Bogota. Current UNHCR activities are intended to enhance the national legal framework for IDPs, as well as provide technical assistance to national institutions dealing with the displaced.

However, UNHCR's careful analysis of the internal displacement phenomenon within Colombia, and its cross-border implications, also suggested a regional approach. UNHCR quickly recognized: (1) that internal displacement was a very large and growing problem; (2) that, increasingly, displacement was not a by-product but an objective of the Colombian conflict; (3) that serious constraints (natural barriers, location of armed factions, bilateral agreements regulating migration) faced Colombians who might seek asylum; and, (4) that there were weaknesses in the legal/protection frameworks in neighboring countries.

Based on this analysis, UNHCR made the decision to reinforce its presence and activities not only in Colombia, but in Ecuador, Panama and Venezuela, as well. Although the number of refugees or asylum-seekers does not yet mirror the size of the Colombian IDP population, UNHCR's contingency planning and regional approach clearly make sense.

An "Act of Resistance" by the Internally Displaced; "Communities of Peace:"

Several communities in Colombia, caught between warring factions, have attempted a unique and creative response to the conflict: they have declared themselves "communities of peace." Communities of peace have, essentially, opted out of the civil war; their members pledge not to carry arms, not to participate directly or indirectly in the warfare, and not to provide information to any of the parties to the conflict. Such a declaration becomes, in the words of one Colombian NGO, an "act of resistance" by displaced communities "searching for alternative strategies for survival" in an environment where the government is unable to provide basic security.

A concern was raised by some organizations regarding the communities having to give up their freedom of expression. This concern is important, as individuals should continue to have their right to freely express their opinion about the conflicts and what is going on. It could be argued, however, that creating communities of peace in itself is a way for the civilian population to express its opinion.

Communities of peace, whose members also pledge increased cooperation in community affairs and production, are encouraged by activists within the Catholic Church and by some Church-related social agencies. Community members are issued identity cards indicating their neutrality in the armed struggle, and communities of peace generally erect signs publicly stating their chosen course. The strategy has, thus far, generated mixed results in displaced and returnee communities. Some communities report that community of peace status has deterred armed incursions, while others continue to face attacks.

The Presence of Outsiders Provides a Measure of Protection for Individuals or Communities Threatened with Displacement:

In the Colombian "violence," individuals or entire communities often receive direct threats that they will be killed or removed. Those receiving warnings face life-or-death decisions about whether to comply with the threats and join the legions of displaced, or remain to risk beatings, torture or murder. Often these decisions must be made with little succour from civil authorities, who lack the capability or will to provide protection.

Colombian and international organizations, primarily non-governmental organizations (NGOs), have partially filled this protection gap by providing volunteers to reside with threatened individuals or within at-risk communities. The "presence" or "accompaniment" by these volunteers can deter attacks by combatants who fear outside witnesses. Although volunteers, especially those from international organizations, have occasionally been criticized for lacking in-depth knowledge of local culture or political situations, "presence" has been widely used as a protection tool in the Colombian conflict and has been widely acclaimed as successful.

Established Field Presence and Widespread Contacts with Contending Groups Provides Protection:

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has made a major commitment to serving as a neutral intermediary in the Colombian conflict, and a major commitment to providing protection, under international humanitarian law, to IDPs and other victims of the fighting. In part, the ICRC has accomplished its work by supplying emergency assistance to thousands of internally displaced, and by a ceaseless effort to instruct all parties in the essentials of international humanitarian law.

In addition, as a practical matter, the ICRC program in Colombia illustrates how protection activities are built on the foundation of a major field presence, and on a major investment in ongoing dialogue with contending parties. The ICRC has established 12 offices and sub-delegations across Colombia, by far the largest international presence in the nation. The ICRC reports that the following organizations are among its regular contacts: civilian authorities; local and international NGOs; the high command of the Colombian military; every military brigade or division of the Colombian army; battalions of the anti-guerilla units of the army; the major self-defense and private security groups; most of the one hundred or so "fronts" of the rebel Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and the rebel National Liberation Army (ELN); the directors of 150 prisons; numerous "cabildos" or native population municipalities; all autonomous branches of the Colombian Red Cross; and, the different strata of the Catholic Church. In urban areas, these contacts are expanded to numerous militias and youth gangs. Overall, extensive ongoing representations to this array of contacts, underpinned by a large field presence, serve as the basis for protection activities.

"Advance Teams" from Displaced Communities, Supported by Outside Organizations, Can Assist in the Process of Return:

After a long period of displacement, certain IDP communities in the Uraba region of northwest Colombia determined to return to their home areas. This decision was made by the community, after intensive internal discussions about the security situation and the prospects for resuming lives of relative normalcy.

Displaced community leaders also decided that it would make sense for the return process to proceed in stages, with "advance teams" of several dozen community members -- primarily adult males -- returning to home villages first. The advance teams would accomplish several important tasks: complete an assessment of recoverable assets; make preliminary repairs to homes; attempt to gather any remaining livestock scattered during military assaults; assess the available of seed stocks in the area; and, begin planting of essential food crops. After completing these preparatory activities, advance teams would return to the displacement site to bring remaining community members to the home area.

Given the security risk of serving on the advance teams, representatives of international and Colombian organizations accompanied team members on their return journey and remained with the teams for several weeks as they accomplished their mission. The presence of these outside organizations -- which included the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), international NGOs, and employees of Catholic Church organizations -- were cited by IDP leaders as a major boost to their return plans.

In Returnee Communities, "Mobile Training Facilities" Can Help Fill Gaps while Educational Infrastructure is Rebuilt:

Returnee communities in the Rio Atrato area of northwest Colombia faced many critical issues upon arriving in their home areas. For example, families faced periods of hunger and malnutrition as food supply systems were re-established, and farmers -- the great majority of returnee heads of household -- were consumed with accessing seed stocks. In this environment of scarcity, with ongoing security concerns, community leaders recognized the need to rebuild schools and resume educational activities, but were unable to devote resources to the effort during the first months of return. Consequently, many children languished and lost valuable educational opportunities.

With support from UNICEF and others, this problem was partially overcome through the intervention of "mobile training facilities." Students and faculty from the nearest high school, at Rio Sucio, were recruited to visit outlying returnee communities. Classes conducted by these mobile training teams, and educational material they distributed, maintained a degree of continuity in education until regular classroom facilities could be re-established. In addition, they provided a psychological boost and symbol of hope to returnee children.

Mobile "Health Brigades" Reach Isolated Returnee Communities and Communities at Risk of Displacement:

Given the generally rural nature of the conflict in Colombia and problems of insecurity in the countryside, isolated communities face two types of threats: first, they may face direct attack or threats from armed groups; second, insecurity limits their essential links with the outside world, by restricting access to markets, health care and other important services. Both types of threats enter into the community calculus of whether to flee and join the ranks of the displaced, and whether, after return, to remain in the home area.

Mobile "health brigades," supported by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), partially address the issue of access to health services in isolated communities. For example, in both the Caguan River valley in the south of Colombia and along the Atrato River in the northwest, ICRC "health boats" ply the waterways to reach communities in regions of conflict. Provided in cooperation with the Colombian Red Cross and the Departmental Institute of Health, these health boats remain on the river for weeks at a time, and have served more than 11,000 patients. In addition to their humanitarian mission, the availability of these health services may support community resolve to avoid internal displacement. As of 1998, 22 such brigades had been organized, focusing on the most isolated communities, beyond the reach of regular health care facilities.

"Play Clean!" Addressing Root Causes of Internal Displacement by Creatively Promoting Humanitarian Law:

Most observers of the conflict in Colombia note that the violence is directed less between armed groups, and more by armed groups against civilians. In fact, the primary cause of internal displacement in Colombia is direct armed attack, or threat of armed attack, on civilian populations, rather than innocent populations finding themselves in the crossfire of military-versus-military operations.

In this milieu, displacement could be significantly reduced if combatants respected the essential elements of international humanitarian law (IHL) -- a major goal of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) program in Colombia. ICRC's program to promote IHL is notable in its creative use of material relevant to the interests of combatants in Colombia, like football. Through the use of posters, training material and wallet-size summaries of key elements of IHL (written in plain language, and laminated in order to survive the weather), the ICRC reinforces its "Play Clean!" campaign by analogy to football matches. Given the intense interest in football in Colombia, IHL promotional materials display artwork of football games as an introduction to the rules of warfare. Although quantitative measurement of the success of this program is difficult, most observers believe the "Play Clean!" campaign and the use of culturally relevant symbols to attract the target population -- youthful male combatants -- make sense.

Displaced Communities Can Be Empowered through Formal Negotiations with Government Authorities:

In the Uraba region of Colombia, IDPs fleeing violence and seeking shelter in nearby towns initially encountered official attitudes ranging from indifference to outright hostility. Local authorities and military commanders at first blocked their attempts to reach the safe havens the displaced had selected, then repeatedly pressured them to leave the towns and return to their homes. Given the insecurity the IDPs felt, return at that time did not seem like a viable option.

With the support of Colombian Catholic groups and Colombian NGOs, displaced community leaders organized a series of formal meetings with government authorities to make known their needs, request assistance and seek government guarantees before they would consider return. These sessions took on the character of bilateral negotiations, with formal, written lists of requirements presented by the IDP communities. In the town of Pavarando, for example, negotiators for the displaced presented a formal document containing 16 points related to land titles, security issues and conditions for return. Such negotiations, which often resulted in a signed "contract" between IDP leaders and government authorities, both improved the material conditions of IDPs and gave the displaced communities a sense of control over their futures.

Practical Training of Government Authorities May Be Required to Improve Performance on behalf of Internally Displaced Persons:

Many observers believe the Government of Colombia should have taken earlier and more dramatic steps to meliorate the growing displacement crisis in that country. In recent years, as the Government has displayed increasing interest in meeting its responsibilities vis-à-vis its internally displaced citizens, international efforts are helping to develop more fully the Colombian legal framework for IDPs, as well as organization of responsible government agencies.

The Bogota office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has also noted the need for basic, practical, technical training in managing internal displacement. Recognizing that even well intentioned government agencies have little preparation for managing large-scale displacement, staff members from the UNHCR emergency office in Geneva have been dispatched to conduct training in basic emergency procedures. Among the topics covered in this training are logistics of displacement, management of return, and planning for water and sanitation needs.

Visit by the Secretary-General's Representative Is Planned to Raise Awareness of the Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement:

and public awareness of the magnitude of internal displacement, as well as the suffering IDPs endure on a daily basis. At the same time, most international organizations working in Colombia believe the Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement can provide a useful reference point for work within the Colombian context.

With these related goals in mind, the U.S. Committee for Refugees -- an international advocacy organization -- is planning a workshop in Colombia, which will feature a presentation by the Secretary-General's Representative on Internally Displaced Persons, Dr. Francis Deng. The likely publicity surrounding a high-level visit focused on IDPs (Deng has visited Colombia previously and reported on displacement there; see UN Document E/CN.4/1995/50/Add.1 of 3 October 1994), combined with the opportunity to publicize and disseminate the Guiding Principles, make such a workshop an important advocacy technique on behalf of the internally displaced.

Promotion of "Children as a Zone of Peace" Serves as an Advocacy Campaign against Violence and Displacement:

In numerous countries facing internal conflict and displacement, UNICEF and other organizations have organized "days of tranquility" and similar techniques to permit the delivery of needed services, like vaccinations, to children. In Colombia, UNICEF and program partners sponsored a large-scale, national effort to support the peace process through its Children's Mandate for Peace, involving more than 2.7 million Colombian youth.

The Children's Mandate for Peace effort centered on a national referendum by Colombia's children, and was organized around a formal voting process in more than 500 electoral districts. Accompanied by extensive media coverage and public organization efforts, the ballots cast by young voters emphasized two points: a vote for peace in Colombia, and a choice of which guarantee provided in the Convention on the Rights of the Child was most essential in the Colombian context. The voting process and related publicity significantly raised awareness of the needs of Colombian children affected by war and displacement. Moreover, the Children's mandate for peace had other lasting benefits: it stimulated a legislative debate on increasing the age for military recruitment in Colombia; it helped stimulate subsequent advocacy for peace by the adult population; and, it encouraged many Colombian youth to become active in ongoing peace and social justice movements.

Passage of National Legislation Addressing Internal Displacement Can Generate Attention to the Problem and Its Solutions:

After widely criticized delays in acknowledging the dimension of the IDP issue, the government of Colombia issued a formal strategy document (CONPES document 2924) in 1997. In July of that year, the government adopted Law 387 formalizing its earlier commitments to the internally displaced, in the areas of prevention, emergency assistance, and socio-economic stabilization. Law 387, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) office in Bogota, "provides a definition of IDPs which is in line with international standards and includes a number of important guiding principles." Law 387 also addresses coordination among the branches and levels of government to meet the needs of IDPs.

Law 387 is not without critics. Observers have argued: (1)that many government officials remain unaware of the law and their responsibilities under the statute; (2)that it does not address important justice and human rights concerns; and, (3)that implementation of the law's guarantees has been spotty. However, the debate around Law 387, and its eventual passage, helped stimulate awareness within government and public circles of the displacement issue, as well as awareness of the strategies needed to address the displacement crisis. Moreover, the law served to commit the government formally to its obligation vis-à-vis the internally displaced, and helped to stimulate a cooperative attitude toward international organizations that might become partners with the government.

"Registration Brigades" Can Help Guarantee IDPs the Right to a Legal Identity:

As in many environments of large-scale displacement, Colombians forced to flee their homes often encounter problems with identification documents. Documents are lost, children are born in circumstances where registration is difficult or, in some cases, fear of being recognized by persecutors drives displaced individuals to destroy their identity cards -- at great cost in lost opportunities for jobs or public services.

A cooperative program between UNICEF and Colombian government agencies, supported by the European Community Humanitarian Office (ECHO), organizes one-stop registration campaigns that make it easier for IDPs to regain identity documents. Materials developed by these "registration brigades" are written clearly, in simple language, and are widely distributed to encourage participation. Multiple sites are selected for visits by the registration brigades, to overcome transportation difficulties faced by displaced families. And, of special note, registration programs were targeted at border areas -- like the Colombian-Ecuadorian border region -- where temporary displacement across national boundaries may confuse registration requirements. In the August to September, 1998 registration campaign, for example, dozens of registration sites were opened in border areas, and individuals carrying either Colombian or Ecuadorian citizenship were eligible to participate at any center, on either side of the frontier.

Careful Analysis of the Dynamics of Displacement Improves the Timing and Targeting of Program Interventions:

Internal displacement is often a two-stage process in Colombia. First, individuals or groups flee their home communities to reach a nearby, relatively safe haven, perhaps the largest town close to their area of origin. Then -- because services are not available, or because of continued insecurity, or due to continued threats -- they may move to the relatively anonymity of a poor urban neighborhood in a large city, there to mix with displaced from various rural areas and with economic migrants.

Program analysts who have studied this pattern have used their research to propel more rapid response to internal displacement, during the initial stage of flight. If resources can be mobilized at the first stage, research indicates that IDPs may be more likely to maintain supportive ties to their own communities, and may be more likely to return, eventually, to their original homes. If, on the other hand, registration and assistance are delayed until the displaced family decides to flee to a large urban barrio, effective program design and program targeting become much more difficult. Analyses by Colombian organizations like CODHES (the Consultoria para los Derechos Humanos y el Desplazamiento, or the Human Rights and Displacement Consultancy) have contributed to this enhanced understanding of the pattern of displacement in Colombia.

National and International Organizations Can Take Concrete Steps to Improve the Bargaining Power of Displaced Communities:

Organizations working with IDPs in Colombia -- primarily Church-related and other Colombian NGOs -- have taken concrete and creative steps to empower displaced communities, and to enhance their capacity to protect IDP rights. These supportive interventions have included training for community leaders, programs to heal rifts within communities, and assistance in uniting scattered IDP communities.

In the Uraba region, for example, NGO and Church workers promoted an awareness of IDP rights guaranteed under Law 387, and conducted training in negotiating strategies. These same workers sponsored travel by IDP community leaders to Bogota to meet with members of the national and international community, deepening these leaders' capability to argue their case. Funding was also provided for documenting (in printed publications) and publicizing the situation of displaced communities. In other communities, joint action was made difficult by rifts between community members who supported opposing factions in the armed conflict. In those communities, NGOs acted as negotiators to bridge differences in political positions.

In the same region, NGO and Church groups organized joint meetings of IDP leaders originating in the same area, but whose communities had been scattered to different displacement sites during their flight. Despite their shared origin, culture, and experiences of displacement, each of the scattered communities had initiated a separate dialogue with government officials where they found themselves, and each scattered group was at a different stage of negotiations for assistance and return. A joint meeting among the leaders of dispersed groups of IDPs allowed each to learn from the others' negotiating experience, and empowered the entire community to act in unison in the pursuit of their rights.

Programs to Provide Emergency Assistance to Displaced Communities Benefit by Taking a Holistic Approach:

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) operates a large-scale emergency assistance program in Colombia. Emergency assistance includes food parcels, hygiene kits, mattresses and cooking utensils. Beyond these general supplies, ICRC emergency assistance attempts to take into account the special needs of children, pregnant women, lactating women and other sub-groups of the population. To integrate the relief distribution with principles of international humanitarian law, employees and volunteers assisting with the dissemination receive in-depth training in the Geneva Conventions, in operational procedures regarding security, and in assessing protection needs within the community. The holistic combination of protection approaches and emergency assistance -- what one ICRC staff member called "the full basket of services" -- enhances the impact of relief programs.

Contacts in Colombia

Carel de Rooy UNICEF Bogota Representative

Jetske Duintjer Medecins Sans Frontieres Apartado

Leila Lima UNHCR Bogota Head of Office

Patricia Luna Paredes ICRC Bogota Advisor on Humanitarian Assistance and Human Rights

Father Leonidas Moreno Commission for Life, Apartado Director Justice and Peace

Bjorn Pettersson UNHCHR Bogota Expert

Nidya Quiroz UNICEF Bogota Program Officer for Peace and Rights

Jorge E. Rojas Rodriguez CODHES (The Human Bogota Director Rights and Displacement Consultancy)

Patrick Saez ICRC Apartado

Susana Sanchez Commission for Life, Apartado Program Officer Justice and Peace

Guillermina Segura de Usera WFP Bogota Representative

Suggestions for Further Readings on Displacement in Colombia

Amnesty International, Colombia: Political Violence, Myth and Reality, London: Amnesty International Publications (1994).

Amnesty International, Colombia : Selected Cases for Campaigning Against Human Rights Violations (AMR 23/18/98, March 1998).

Amnesty International, 'Just What Do We Have to Do to Stay Alive?' Colombia's Internally Displaced: Dispossessed and Exiled in Their Own Land (AMR 23/48/97, October 1997).

Amnesty International, Women in Colombia: Breaking the Silence. Amnesty International 1995.

Amnesty International - News Release - AMR 23/48/97 1 October 1997 Colombia One Million People Internally Displaced by the Armed Conflict.

Colombian Committee for Human Rights, Colombia's Exodus, Summer 1997

Consulta permanente sobre desplazamiento interno en las Americas, Informe final: misión in situ de asistencia técnica sobre desplazamiento interno en Colombia, CPDIA, San José (Costa Rica) 1994.
Convenio UNICEF, FES y Defensoria del Pueblo. Impacto de los Conflictos Armados en la Infancia. Memoria de la Consulta para la region de America Latina y el Caribe. Santafe de Bogota, 1996

Deng, Francis M. Internal Displacement in Context: Themes from Country Missions, Refugee Policy Group, Geneva 1995 (CDR POP/GEN/179 B) Refworld.

Deng, Francis M. Profiles in Displacement: Colombia, UN Document E/CN.4/1995/50/Add.1, 3 October 1994.

Forced Migration Projects At the Crossroads Between Uprooted People and Development in Central America (Gallagher et al, 1990) CIREFCA.

Human Rights Watch, War without Quarter: Colombia and International Humanitarian Law, October 1998, Human Rights Watch.

ICRC Special Report, The Role of a Neutral Intermediary in Colombia 1997-1998, ICRC 1998.

Loughna, Sean, Colombia: A Search for Peace in the Midst of Conflict, in Forced Migration: Internal Displacement, Issue 1 January-April 1998 pp 15-17.

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Peace Brigades International, Bella Cruz: Who Takes Whose Land? Special Report: May, 1996.

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Segura-Escobar, Nora and Donny Meertens. Uprootedness, Gender and Internal Displacement in Colombia. Beyond Law, Vol 6, Issue 17, January 1997 pp. 15-34.

US Committee for Refugees, Colombia’s Silent Crisis: One Million Displaced by Violence,1998 Immigration and Refugee Services of America.

US Committee for Refugees, Feeding the Tiger: Colombia’s Internally Displaced People, 1993 Immigration and Refugee Services of America.

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