Health and Peacebuilding in Colombia: challenges and opportunities of a community training process for the post-accord

Abstract

Following the peace agreement process in Colombia and to guarantee the right to health, a national educational program to train community leaders in technical education in public health was designed and implemented. Using qualitative methodologies, we sought reflections about the impact of the training process on the 'participant's life projects, collecting information from previous and current experiences and expectations after the program. Participants (n = 44) included peasants, afro-Colombian and indigenous communities, displaced people, victims of the armed conflict, and ex-combatants of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia - Army of the People (FARC-EP). Data collection through ethnographic observation, focus groups, and individual semi-structured interviews took place between October and November 2018. Results indicate that the participants saw the program as an opportunity to meet their goals and have better opportunities for their lives; change their way of thinking, and be reflective and open to discussion. Historical governmental and institutional abandonment was identified as a barrier for trust in the program and uncertainty on its potential benefits. Daily life co-existence during the training was a challenge between participants given their diverse backgrounds in the context of conflict in Colombia. It is important to create friendly and explanatory strategies to generate trust with and among participants accompanied with psychological support, ease successful interaction, and generate wellbeing through the program's implementation.