| In January 2002, Partners of the Americas received a grant of over $550,000 from USAID Colombia for the project Women for Peace: Responding to Conflict in Colombia that was implemented in the department of Tolima, Colombia through 2005.
This project offered intensive training, opportunities for microcredit and small grants to 480 low-income women in 6 municipalities, including Tolima's capital of Ibagué. Through this project, Partners collaborated with Women for Women International, a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering women living in conflict all over the world. The project also worked with Colombian local and national NGOs.
Through this project, Partners directed training and resources for displaced and non-displaced women in Tolima, built ties between the two groups, and created a solid base for peace and development. With the integration of themes such as peace, political participation, and economic development, this project targeted the central causes of conflict.
Significant achievements include:
- Training of 270 women through workshops on human rights, political participation, economic development, management and administration of microenterprises, peace and conflict resolution. Women in 14 groups met weekly in participatory workshops.
- Special events, such as a conference on women and peace, in which 3 women from each group participated.
- At the same time, participants received financial support through Women for Women International that came directly from women in the United States. This support was directed to community projects designed by the women themselves.
- In the second phase of project implementation, participants prepared and received support for citizen participation, advocacy or conflict resolution projects that they carrie out in their communities.
- Subgroups of an average of 5 participants were eligible for microcredit to support the development of small businesses.
This project worked closely with the project Colombianos Apoyando Colombianos (CAC), which was actively developed in the same municipalities of Tolima. CAC's objective is to train local government leaders in effective and democratic management of the municipalities. Through this collaborative relationship, participating women were able to meet directly with their municipal leaders, allowing them to express their needs and providing them with direct experience in participatory democracy.
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