CLED Project provides rural Innovation training in Silvia Colombia
The Cauca Local Economic Development (CLED) project is part of the Nuffic Orange Knowledge Programme and being carried out in the Cauca region of Colombia. The project is managed by Maastricht School of Management (MSM). CLED promotes sustainable peace and economic development by integrating entrepreneur / livelihood capacity building and peacebuilding activities in its three project phases: mapping, capacity building, and incubation/roll out.
One year after the suspension of the face-to-face sessions, due to the restrictions for meetings and gatherings, the training in participative rural innovation was happily reinitiated during the first trimester of 2021.
The training sessions took place from the 3 until the 5 of March in “Paraiso” in the Municipality of Silvia. The Secretary for Economic and Environmental Development of the Silvia Mayor's Office, Mr Pedro Chavaco, opened the event, which had the participation of representatives of the following organizations:
- Ecoturismo Misak tejar simple
- Piedra Santa Turismo
- Nasa Café pitayo
- Coomuren de Caldono
The first are new organizations from Silvia coming from a strengthening process for rural organizations from the Ministry of Agriculture. The last one is an organization from Caldono.
Other participants were representatives from the Silvia’s major office (in charge of tourism development) and representatives of a women’s coffee growers’ group which is supported by the Regional Committee of Coffee growers.
The Mayoress, Ms Mercedes Tunubala (first indigenous woman democratically elected as Major) welcomed the participants and reiterated the support from her administration to the training for the entrepreneurs in her community. In this municipality the project is also working in the implementation of Triple Helix models for tourism and coffee.
We expect to continue with the training cycle in May, this time including the visit to the organizations and the practical application of the tools for participative rural innovation.
About the project
The Cauca Local Economic Development (CLED) project is managed by Maastricht School of Management (MSM) and promotes sustainable peace and economic development by integrating entrepreneur / livelihood capacity building and peacebuilding activities in its three project phases: mapping, capacity building, and incubation/roll out. The project develops a Triple Helix+ framework for integrating capacity building, peace building and rural economic development in a holistic, inclusive and sustainable manner. MSM, along with UU-CC and the University of Medellin (UdeM), will work with key Colombian partners (the University Foundation of Popayan (FUP), National Service for Learning (SENA), Higher School for Public Management (ESAP), and the Regional Centre for Productivity and Innovation of Cauca (CREPIC)) to implement the CLED project in three rural Municipalities: Caldono, Tororo, and Silvia. Taking a Train the Trainer approach, the project will capacitate FUP, SENA, ESAP and CREPIC to be more effective training, research and extension organizations, with improved capabilities in offering market based and conflict sensitive programs. The approach will address the educational and opportunity gap in the project area while promoting and documenting peace building and economic development lessons learned.
Orange Knowledge Programme
This project is part of the Orange Knowledge Programme (OKP) which is funded by the Netherlands’ Ministry of Foreign Affairs and managed by Nuffic. For more information click here.
*En Espanol*
Entrenamiento de Innovación Rural en Silvia
Después de un año de haber suspendido las sesiones de formación presenciales por las restricciones a reuniones y aglomeraciones, la formación en innovación rural participativa fue felizmente reiniciada el primer trimeste del 2021.
La capacitación se llevó a cabo ente el 3 y 5 de marzo en las instalaciones del Paraíso en el municipio de Silvia y la apertura del evento fue realizada por el Secretario de desarrollo económico y ambiental de la alcaldía de Silvia, el señor Pedro Chavaco.
Se contó con la participación de las siguientes organizaciones:
- Ecoturismo Misak tejar simple
- Piedra Santa Turismo
- Nasa Café pitayo
- Coomuren de Caldono
Las primeras son nuevas organizaciones de Silvia que vienen de un trabajo de fortalecimiento del Ministerio de Agricultura. La última organización es de Caldono.
Adicionalmente participaron representantes de la Alcaldía de Silvia (en el área de turismo), y representantes de un grupo de mujeres cultivadoras de café que es apoyado por el Comité departamental de Cafeteros del Cauca.
La señora Alcaldesa de Silvia, Señora Mercedes Tunubala (primera mujer indígena elegida democráticamente como Alcalde en Colombia) dio un caluroso saludo a los asistentes y reiteró el apoyo de su gobierno a la formación para el fortalecimiento de los emprendedores sus comunidades. En este municipio también se trabaja en oportunidades dentro del marco del proyecto CLED en la implementación de enfoques de Triple Hélice como el establecimiento de la mesa de turismo y el comité municipal de café.
Se espera poder continuar con el ciclo de la formación en mayo y esta vez se incluirá una visita a las organizaciones para el acompañamiento y aplicación práctica de las herramientas de innovación rural participativa.
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