Informe V Convención Nacional-English

V NATIONAL CONVENTION REPORT

Do It For Others

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V NATIONAL CONVENTION REPORT 2016

THANKS TO

Supported in part by a grant from Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, U.S. Department of State through Partners of the Americas

Youth Colombian Leaders presents special thanks to ASOUSA, the Embassy of the United States of Amercia in Colombia, YMCA Colombia, Partners of the Americas, Estudios CODICO, “Todos por la Educación” Foundation, meeting hall in Quibdo and all the sponsors and volunteers that support and believe in all the initiatives that promote union and work among alumni and volunteer leaders of the country, hoping to continue with such unconditional support in order to carry out the Sixth National Convention of volunteer leaders and alumni of US programs by the middle of 2017.

Thank you very much!

V Convention organizers

A GLANCE TO PREVIOUS CONVENTIONS First National Convention, held in Cali – Valle, del Cauca in 2012. 50 alumni from different cities.

Report: http://issuu.com/youthcolombianleaders/docs/informe_asousa Second National Convention of Volunteer Leaders and Alumni of US programs held in Envigado- Antioquia in July 2013, with an attendance of over 120 people from 20 different cities and an international guest.

Report: http://issuu.com/youthcolombianleaders/docs/informe_ii_convenci__n_asousa The third version of the National Convention was held in Barranquilla in August 2014. Over 70 young people attended from different groups, such as ambassadors, leaders and volunteers from Colombia, Argentina and Ecuador.

Report: http://issuu.com/youthcolombianleaders/docs/informe_oficial_iii_convenci__n The Fourth National Convention of Volunteer Leaders and Alumni of US programs held was in Armenia in July 2015 with an attendance of over 100 people between young ambassadors, leaders and volunteers from Colombia and the United States.

Report: https://issuu.com/youthcolombianleaders/docs/informe_iv_convenci__n_nacional

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INDEX PÁG. V NATIONAL CONVENTION ENTREPRENEURSHIP FAIR PRESENTATIONS AND WORKSHOPS YOUTH SOCIAL DISCUSSION YOUTH SERVICE DAY CONVENTION EXPERIENCES APPRECIATIONS TO ORGANIZERS GALLERY AND VIDEOS -LinksASSESSMENT OF THE SURVEY CONVENTION RESULTS

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V NATIONAL CONVENTION Projects Fair and Welcome August 12 Casa de Encuentros en Quibdรณ

Conferences and Workshops August 13

Youth Service Day August 14

Casa de Encuentros

Casa de Encuentros

Learning an d sharing experiences together

Make it a b etter world together

Projects Fair

Conferences and Workshops

Youth Service Day

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V NATIONAL CONVENTION

Under the slogan “DO IT FOR OTHERS”, it was held the 5th version of the National Convention of Volunteer Leaders and Alumni on August 12th, 13th and 14th, 2016 in Quibdo, the capital city of Choco department. There were 92 alumni and volunteers from different cities of Colombia, joined together by the initiative of YOUTH COLOMBIAN LEADERS foundation, which seeks for an annual space to foster dialogue and debate on different issues such as entrepreneurship, education, bilingualism, reconciliation, and so on. In this occasion, the main focus of the convention is to make a contribution for the construction of peace, taking as the main theme of the convention “CREATIVITY AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP FOR PEACE: PLANTING HOPE FOR NEW GENERATIONS.” Thus, the convention started the first day with an entrepreneurship fair, the second day with conferences and workshops and the last day ended with the youth social service.

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V NATIONAL CONVENTION AUGUST 12 PROJECTS FAIR The convention began with the project fair in which the convention attendees had the opportunity to know and learn about the projects that the different participating organizations are developing all around the country.

The following organizations took part in the event: • PARTNERS OF THE AMERICAS • YMCA • ASOUSA • YOUTH COLOMBIAN

LEADERS Similarly, some productive projects that are committed to generate a change in Choco, participated in this event.

Acknowledgments to: • LEONOR PALACIOS ARTESANÍAS • BIOINNOVA • INSTITUCIÓN EDUCATIVA FEMENINA DE ENSEÑANZA MEDIA Y PROFESIONAL (IEFEMP) • HELADOS FRÍOS • DELICIAS EL TRIGAL

• TODOS POR LA EDUCACIÓN • RED DE MUJERES CHOCOANAS The closing of this space came at night, with the gala opening event, a commitment to peace through culture and the Chocó’s heritage.

Some musical groups attended to this celebration: • ETNIA COMPANY • LEDYS MEDINA • SHERALEE

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V NATIONAL CONVENTION AUGUST 13 CONFERENCES AND WORKSHOPS TIME ACTIVITY 7:30 - 8:00 AM 8:00 - 8:20 AM 8:20 - 8:40 AM 8:40 - 9:00 AM 9:00 - 9:20 AM 9:20 - 9:40 AM 9:40 - 10:10 AM 10:10 - 10:40 AM 10:40 - 11:00 PM 11:00 - 11:20 11:20 - 11:40

11:40 - 1:00 PM 1:00 - 1:20 PM 1:20 - 1:40 PM 1:40 - 2:00 PM

2:00 - 3:30 PM 3:30 - 4:00 PM

4:00 - 4:20 PM 4:20 - 6:00 PM 6:00 - 6:30 PM 6:30 - 7:00 PM

Breakfast (Participants departure from hotel: 7:00 AM) Welcome at the Main Hall OPEN – BIG SPEECH 1 Leonardo Reales – Peace and Human Rights.

OPEN – BIG SPEECH 2 Mabel Torres – Bioinnova Entrepreneurship.

OPEN – BIG SPEECH 3 Andrés Mosquera Fall in Love with Chocó Enterpreneurship.

OPEN – BIG SPEECH 4 Mirla Valencia Dávila – Network of Women from Chocó Enterpreneurship.

Break.

Debate – Entrepreneurship for peace.

Talk 1 POA – by Lorena López. Youth’s role in the post-conflict.

Talk 2 YMCA – by Juan Carlos Martínez, What we do, how we do it and with whom we build peace.

Talk 3 Paola Mosquera – Sustainable alternatives of regional development, communities, victims of the armed conflict “Mujeres Artesanas Carmeleñas”.

Lunch Talk 4 – Carolina Foronda – Betting on Peace building social fabric.

Talk 5 – Christoph Meyn – Peace does exist! - Outsider and insider perspectives.

Talk 6 – Yineth Paola Rentería – Economic development with the victims of the armed conflict in Chocó department “Lazos de hermandad”.

Workshop César Salazar – Heroes of life Talk 7 – ASOUSA – by Rachel Wilson DISCUSSION “CREATIVITY AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP FOR PEACE, PLANTING HOPE FOR THE NEW GENERATIONS”. By Carolina Cabezas Planning of Sunday Social Youth Service Day Closing and certificates delivery Closure of the day and dinner

Many entrepreneurs dedicate all their efforts to achieve the knowledge and experience to develop initiatives to the social service. These initiatives have contributed to the growing process of our communities and have created many entrepreneurs, innovators and social leaders.

Bringing together these aspects, the convention took those initiatives that have showed gereating peace entrepreneurship and social change, with the aim of showing integrality between both aspects and propone throughout the talk a philosophy of motivational change to the construction of peace in different communities where the participants come from.

Furthermore were invited to the talk different leaders and organizations who shared with the participants academic and social aspects of their experiences throughout their way to the social entrepreneurship to the peace and the construction of a social network that brings it's thematics together to the community.

The participants could learn a lot of things from experiential activities that were put in similar situations to the entrepreneurial and social context.

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V NATIONAL CONVENTION Guest Speakers The actions are basically concentrated in generating awareness of the biodiversity, innovation, development and appropriation for the different communities in such a way that Human rights, youth and pedagogy for peace the ecosystems be valued, to generate are three key themes for nowadays' empowerment, defense of the territory, cooperation. governance, equity and undertaking actions in the ethnic territories. In general, the population The United States agency for international of Chocรณ biogeographic is quite located in development (USAID) of human rights program sites of high vulnerability that is the reason why seeks to strengthen respect and protection of the communities do not have access to the human rights wich have been unknown, information, likewise to a reading of the precisely affecting the vulnerable population economic world dynamics, therefore the including youth from different regions during fifty actions have been concentrating in coming to years of conflict. The presentation seeks to these vulnerable communities. By the date we explain all the program components have worked with an approximately number of (promotion, prevention and response)and all of 600 people, where can be outlined 5 groups of them can be used by the young aiming to women (60) shaped in 90 % for displaced generate empowerment. women, head of household, 5 associations shaped by victims of the armed conflict (130, 2 The post-agreement put to the test the cooperatives shaped by vulnerable young government and cooperation of human rights. women of scanty resources (40).

Of helping respond to the situation, the program make a continuous monitoring During these three years of the process it has focusing on the resources to maximize the been achieved to carry out investigations with impact on the most vulnerable populations. high impact on ecosystem and biological potential resources; plan of formation in topics BIOINNOVA a strategic center for the related to the innovation, development of study and sustainable utilization of products, business strengthening; they have the biodiversity in the Colombian supported the creation of more than 30 Pacific Coast. By. Mabel Torres cooperatives and associations; strengthening Torres. and creation of approximately 10 companies, more than 25 new products have developed; BIOINNOVA is a center that was created with furthermore, a process of patent has been the intention of articulating the scientific registered. On the other hand, technical knowledge with the ancestral one, in order to assistance has been put into effect to improve generate value added to the resources and products, agro-forest systems and production services of the biodiversity, through the of plants, more than 15 business plans have innovation and the investigation, thus in this been elaborated, new markets have been way to contribute to the socio-economic opened and products and plants of production transformation of Chocรณ Biogeographic. have been certified.

Human rights, youth and pedagogy for peace by Leonardo reales

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V NATIONAL CONVENTION Venture Project “fall in love with Choco” By. Andres Mosquera Project to build a positive reference to Choco and the Colombian Pacific by the use of virtual platforms and how the language join photography, design and publicity with cultural expressions, creating an own visual memory of the territory.

Youth´s role in the post conflict. By. Lorena Lopez (Workshop) The workshop took two phases. The first one of them is by a dynamic and interactive chat where the expositor showed a short video and then gave the idea if what will happen in the country with the peace process and the challenge that the youth will have as the main character of the change, The second part, was develop using the round table method that includes daily life activities, discussion circles and other techniques that build the group intelligence and the “collective intelligence”. All of them are based in investigations that had discovered the advantages when a connection between people exist. This seminary is designed to make the youths create group conclusions about their role as leaders building peace.

Benefits: - The workshop reinforces the cooperation between students and organizations - Awakes a major attention in social issues and problematics.

- It brings a major conscience about the different perspectives about a situation - It gives creative solutions to the problems that we face as a team or by our own - Find a new associations and comprehension between the participants - Gives a sense of hope and inspiration, security and motivation for the Multicultural progress.

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YOUTH SOCIAL DISCUSSION DISCUSSION “CREATIVITY AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP FOR THE PEACE, PLANTING HOPE FOR THE NEW GENERATIONS” During the discussion lead by Carolina Cabezas, reflections were made about several problems presented in the different cities, where the absence of the parents in the children and youth lives, drug addiction, begging, the lack of support for the sports and culture, the lack of identity, the gender violence, the contamination in every city, were the most common topics between the participants.

Everyone wants a healthy city and environment and they express their interest in replying projects such as ECOFEELING, fall in love with Choco, dance walking and interventions such as 100 in 1 day in favor of their communities.

Carolina presents the initiative that Youth Colombian Leaders is developing in Cali, called “A movement for your city”, where they pretend to have a pedagogical space of public intervention by the teaching and promotion of the civic culture, city tolerance, and the building of peace under the respect recognition as a fundamental principle. According to that Kevin Otero presents what was made by the YCL team in Cali where they have a structure based in the mandatory volunteering hours of the 10th and 11st grade students as a request to graduate.

The students can participate actively in peace, citizenship and civism construction, by workshops and interventions on the Colombian streets where the initiative is integrated. A movement for your city, not only wants to take a message of respect for the difference, for the environment, for the culture and civism, but also a message in favor of peace where the main

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character will be the human being. In the discussion, the project had a great acceptance between the participants and in Pereira, Santa Rosa de Cabal, Quibdo, Manizales and Cali wants to reply the experience. The discussion closed with the presentation about how the VI convention of volunteer leaders and Ex scholars 2017. Several proposals were made about the host city and the possible strategies. Carolina presents the challenges that are presented when hosting a convention, the participants listen carefully and the voting closed where the possible host cities are Medellin and Bogota.

The leaders from both cities compromised to send a formal proposal indicating the location and costs to discuss the viability of each proposal.

Finally the discussion closed with a compromise for the peace by each one of the participants, where they made a motto to be a deliver and promotor of peace everywhere they go.

V NATIONAL CONVENTION DO IT FOR OTHERS - AUGUST 14 YOUTH SERVICE DAY The day for community service took place in La Esmeralda neighborhood, in the city of Quibdó. Four activities were developed that day, each of them focused on a different public: children, teenagers, adults and a painting activity of a symbolic peace mural for all public.

which we influence the development of our territory.

The children's activities were carried out with 4-to-8-year-old kids and they helped promote painting through leisure. The activities that were developed with teenagers started with a basketball game and a dialogue about respect in sports.

Reviewing the most important historical milestones in each of the moments in our timeline we were adding dates to that story on a large poster that served us as fulcrum to propose some strategies of things we can, so that new generations can enjoy the place with an awareness of peace and territorial development.

A short presentation was exposed to adults and there was also some time for sharing life-experiences.

The goals for that day were to use guiding questions to share experiences through art and to make a poster to visualize the way in

When the activity´s preparation was done, it sought to allow participants to interact with each other in an exercise of reminiscing their life from birth until they came to settle in the sector.

Finally, a mural where the main theme was "PEACE BELONGS TO ALL US" was painted.

This mural was made to highlight and raise awareness of the Chocó’s cultural heritage, based on love, respect for life, nature and unity among peoples.

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CONVENTION EXPERIENCE

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CONVENTION EXPERIENCE

My name is Javier Alejandro Alvarez Ardila, and I had the opportunity to be youth ambassador 2014. For this reason, on August 12th, along with my colleague Nathalia Bernal and 2 youth ambassadors 2016, I was the Partners of the Americas booth’s exhibitor, at the project fair V National Convention, organized by Youth Colombian Leaders. This was a rewarding experience, it is an excellent way -from my point of view- to thank the program and share my experience and knowledge with others who, unfortunately, do not have the best living conditions.

Besides, there was another series of exhibitions that caught my attention. One of them, organized by the school... (I do not remember the name), in which the girls took their hair to obtain academic knowledge, without neglecting their ancestral and cultural significance. Also, the billboard built with the overall goals of the UN. The latter had an impact on me because it means that more people join the fight and work to meet targets, which do not depend on an entity or political power, but on all the inhabitants of planet Earth who seek a world with life quality.

The experiences mentioned above are just one example of how wonderful this experience was. The YCL foundation is doing a great job with these conventions and I am sure that they are transforming the lives of those who participate in them.

Alejandro Alvarez

The V National Convention Volunteer Leaders and Alumni, was a wonderful, memorable and unforgettable experience for all of the people who participated in it; and we learned and shared various types of knowledge, which has strengthened our leadership and dedication to serve others with love and brotherhood.

In addition, this convention allowed us to meet great people who already make part of our friends; and it also allowed us to meet with others who we shared with not long ago.

On the other hand, we are very satisfied and happy to have made day Sunday work community volunteer children, youth and seniors neighborhood populated, which ultimately led to that population feel swollen with happiness, joy and gratitude for this activity we take.

It also caused me much joy and satisfaction of seeing children get the message that we will, that without talking peace they ended the activity writing, painting and talking about peace.

This convention left a very special precedent which was changed the mindset of the people who attended the convention within the country about the city of Quibdó and the department of Choco.

Finally, I thank to YOUTH COLOMBIAN LEADERS Foundation for inviting me to participate in this great and important event, hoping and trusting that won’t be the last time.

THANK SO MUCH.

Wilmer Adolfo Serna

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CONVENTION EXPERIENCE My experience in the V Convention of young leaders is very difficult to explain in words. It honestly was one of the best times I've had in my life and I would like to repeat it in the future. It was an event where there was diversity in all aspects, but we all had something in common: we want a better country.

With this in mind, every one of us made a contribution, either with projects, ideas or social work. It was very beautiful to see how we all worked together to achieve a common goal.

"DO IT FOR OTHERS" was the motto of the V Convention and we definitely did it for others. We made many children smile on the outskirts of the city of Quibdó. We gave them love and joy during the time we were with them. We laughed, danced and enjoyed. By and for them.

Jamila Ruiz Paz It was my first time at the convention, I honestly did not know what to expect from the place where the event was held and the activities that were going to be carried out there.

The event for me it exceeded all my expectations, it was a space in which I found the motivation to continue working for my community, to think big; it was a space in which I filled with good energy and inspiration for projects in my city.

Chocó has a lot to give and each one of the activities we carried out there was a proof of it.

I wholeheartedly thank all those who made this meeting possible, they left their mark on each one of the assistants and Convention participants. This proves that it is possible to dream, that it is possible to positively change the country and that today, Peace is closer to us.

Thanks for doing this for us and have for sure that YCL will keep growing and that the projects will keep spreading all around the country. Being a volunteer along with you is one of the best things a Colombian teen can do.

THANKS A LOT! I was pleasantly surprised by the number of initiatives and people who make contributions to

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our people and peace every day. Then, I would like to highlight the participation of a public school located in the city of Quibdó that seeks to strengthen the Afro Colombian culture through braids, which had a deep meaning for their African ancestors because the braids helped them to shape maps of the areas where they lived in their heads and so, to fight against slavery. Nowadays, this initiative also seeks to attract youth to math.

This teacher, or “seño”, is a clear example of strength, since she loves her black roots and spreads that love to her students, who this day taught us a lot about their culture, crafts and learning. These girls’ project will contribute positively to the country, driving the black community and more specifically the Chocó department so that their inhabitants can get better opportunities.

We could also appreciate the participation of movements such as the YMCA, which every day contributes to all of the communities around world and now seeks to leaves its trace in all the regions in the country when encouraging Colombian youth to join their initiatives.

This stand showed everything the YMCA has done in Colombia and its emerging projects such as the immersion camps.

PLAYLEE was another of the most impressive projects to me, since it is proposed and developed by young alumni of the Youth Ambassadors Program and despite the initiative began in Barranquilla, it has spread to almost every region in Colombia. The exhibitors made me realize that sometimes it is hard to create new projects even if it is aimed to community’s sake, but perseverance and patience make everything possible.

A common denominator this day was education, there were tables only dedicated to this very important issue for the building of a country that lives in the long-awaited Peace.

Finalizing this day, in the white night, we had the opportunity to know more about the department through music. We had such an entertaining night along with other alumni. I met other people with interests in common to mine.

It was an outstanding night in the warm climate, the own spark of Chocó department and the kind people from other parts in Colombia.

Tonight we had a good time.

Tannia Ocampo

APPRECIATIONS TO ORGANIZERS AND VOLUNTEERS ORGANIZATIONS AMERICAN EMBASSY ASOUSA PARTNERS OF THE AMERICAS YMCA COLOMBIA MARTIN LUTHER KING PROGRAM Fundación TODOS POR LA EDUCACIÓN CASA DE ENCUENTROS PADRE ISAAC RODRÍGUEZ LEONOR PALACIOS - ARTESANÍAS BIOINNOVA INSTITUCIÓN EDUCATIVA FEMENINA DE ENSEÑANZA MEDIA Y PROFESIONAL IEFEMP HELADOS FRIOS Dr. Modesto Serna DELICIAS EL TRIGAL TODOS POR LA EDUCACION UNIVERSIDAD TECNOLOGICA DEL CHOCO RED DE MUJERES CHOCOANAS LÍDERES Y POBLADORES DEL BARRIO LA ESMERALDA, QUIBDÓ MUSIC GROUPS ETNIA COMPANY LEDYS MEDINA SHERALEE COORDINATOR STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS OF YOUTH COLOMBIAN LEADERS

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GALLERY AND VIDEOS

Link Official Photos V National Convention

1 day: http://bit.ly/2d65UP2 2 day: http://bit.ly/2d6HvZC 3 day: http://bit.ly/2d6HfKr

Official Video Link: http://bit.ly/2d65Bnt Help us sharing #DoIt4Others More videos: http://bit.ly/2d67WP4 http://bit.ly/2d66g8k

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ASSESSMENT OF THE SURVEY The internal feedback about the development of the convention and the survey results allow us to keep the record of the findings and communicate the results of the achievements and areas in order to improve in the coming events. These surveys show the closure of the event and expectations of the activities proposed based on the convention theme. We evaluate all areas involved as well as the presentations and exhibitors to see the aspects that worked well and the ones that we were weak on, as a way to keep them well visualized, and be able to implement the necessary changes in future events.

EVALUATION OF THE EVENT

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PROGRAM

Temática de Agenda Actividades Acomodació Transporte la Desarrollad Realizadas n en el lugar local Convención a

Día de servicio Social

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5

14

7

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70

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61

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EVALUATION OF THE SPEAKERS 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0

Ponente Ponente Ponente Ponente Ponente Ponente Ponente Ponente Ponente Ponente Ponente Ponente Ponente Ponente #1 #2 #3 #4 #5 #6 #7 #8 #9 #10 #11 #12 #13 #14

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65

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PONENTE 1 "Paz y Derechos Humanos" por Leonardo Reales PONENTE 2 "Emprendimiento Bioinnova" por Mabel Torres PONENTE 3 "Emprendimiento Enamórate Chocó" por Andrés Mosquera PONENTE 4 "Emprendimiento Red de Mujeres Chocoanas" por Mirla Valencia PONENTE 5 "Paz y Postconflicto " por Modesto Serna PONENTE 6 "YMCA: Lo que hacemos, cómo lo hacemos y con quién construimos paz" por Juan Carlos Martinez PONENTE 7 "Emprendimiento para la Paz" por Lorena Lopez PONENTE 8 "Alternativas sostenibles de desarrollo regional, comunidades víctimas del conflicto armado" por Paola Mosquera PONENTE 9 "Apostándole a la Paz construyendo tejido social" por Carolina Foronda PONENTE 10 "La Paz sí existe" por Cristoph Meyn PONENTE 11 "Desarrollo económico con las comunidades víctimas del conflicto armado en el departamento del Chocó" por Yineth Paola Rentería PONENTE 12 "Workshop Héroes de la Vida" por César Salazar PONENTE 13 "Asousa" por Rachel Wilson PONENTE 14 "Creatividad y emprendimiento para la paz" por Carolina Cabezas

TOTAL PARTICIPANTS %

Topics Highlighted for the next convention.

Personal Growth Solidarity economies and Sustainable Development Environment and Industrial Development Cultural Diversity and Social Inclusion Diversity and Discrimination Gender equality The role of youth in building public policies for youth, the importance of youth civil participation for the consolidation of political leaders who contribute to the development of the regions.

Social issues and postconflict Project Management Innovation and creativity to promote volunteering Youth public policies regarding to education, recreation and support to civil participation Art and culture for the building of identities, life and peace The reinvention of people towards the state abandonment Strategies to battle unemployment coming from our role as facilitators Finance and economy for postconflict

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