Community approaches include the presence of community leaders, victims' liaisons, teachers, health post personnel, members of the local administration, municipal ombudsman and officials of the Victims Unit.

From the previous Monday to Saturday August 29, Magdalena Medio territorial office of the Victims Unit has been conducting community boarding in nine townships in the municipality of Morales (Bolívar).

Community approaches are meetings between the community, local authorities and the Victims Unit, in order to make a correct identification of the overcoming of vulnerability conditions of the returned and relocated communities.

According to Amparo Chicué Cristancho, director of Magdalena Medio Unit, “we are holding the meetings in compliance with all biosecurity measures (the Mayor's Office authorized a maximum of 15 people per meeting), in which we make adjustments to update the return plan and relocations that were made last year”.

“This time we tell the communities or we do the socialization of activities that are contemplated in the plan and, in accordance with the recommendations issued by the technical team, these actions are well identified. An example: there were actions that said 'endow the school in the district', so what we do in these sessions is to identify what the school is called or what endowment it requires, so that this is included in the return and relocation plan", said the civil servant and added that "in these days the censuses of the returned and relocated communities are also validated, which will be included in the return and relocation plans of each of the townships of Morales municipality".

Community approaches include the presence of community leaders, victims' liaisons, teachers, health post personnel, members of the local administration, municipal authority, and officials from the Victims Unit.

After the approaches and after making the respective updates, "we are going to go to the returns and relocations table to socialize it with the relevant entities and later it goes to the Transitional Justice Committee for approval", concluded Amparo Chicué.

So far the meetings have been held in the townships of Bodega Central, Dique, La Esmeralda, La Palma, Micoahumado, Corcovado and between this Friday and Saturday they will work in Villa Norys, Boca de la Honda and the municipal seat of Morales.   

(End/CMC/LMY)