Juan Fernando Lucio shares his vision of OEF's peacebuilding work through its PASO Colombia program by creating economic and environmental initiatives in coordination with rural communities, peace signatories, migrants, government actors, and businesses. In this conversation with Lucie Kneip, Juan Fernando mentions the Rural Alternative Schools (ERA) model, created to support the economic and collective reincorporation of peace signatories nationally. He also spoke about the Contingency Plan, implemented to support families that eradicated their illicit crops; and the key aspects of this project that contribute to the national conversation to improve productivity and rural development in Colombia. Thanks to these experiences, he recollects lessons learned that could contribute to the new negotiations that are underway between the Colombian government and various armed groups. Among them, it highlights the priority that the civil society agenda should have in these negotiations and the mechanisms for effective participation.
