Recently opened organic fertilizer plant employs 30 Colombian men and women demobilized from illegal

[Judi Lynn]

Date: 17 Jul 2008
Recently opened organic fertilizer plant employs 30 Colombian men and women demobilized from illegal armed groups
Adriana Correa, IOM Colombia

Colombia - The second of 10 planned organic fertilizer plants, which will provide employment to 300 men and women demobilized from illegal armed groups, recently opened in the city of Medellín.

The plants raise earthworms to produce solid and liquid humus, a brown or black organic substance consisting of partially or wholly decayed vegetable or animal matter that provides nutrients for plants and increases the ability of soil to retain water.

The 2,500 square metre plant treats up to 3.5 tonnes of organic waste per day, which translates into a monthly production of 40 tonnes of solid humus and 3,000 liters of liquid humus, all of which will purchased by Biprocol Company.

Biprocol Company is implementing the project under the coordination of Colombia's High Commission for Reintegration (ACR), with technical support from IOM, and funding from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Mayor's Office of Medellín.

The employees receive government assistance for education, health care and psychosocial support, while they are training to become technicians in earthworm raising.

At the plant's opening ceremony, Andrés Gonzalez, General Manager of Biprocol, said he is proud that the private sector, the government and international organizations have a chance to work together to create employment for Colombians who believe in contributing to a peaceful country.

The Presidential High Commissioner for Reintegration, Frank Pearl, added that these joint endeavours lead to the successful economic reintegration of demobilized persons who need support in order to fully reintegrate and become autonomous citizens.

From November 2003 to August 2006, more than 31,000 members of the illegal self-defense groups had demobilized as a result of a peace process with the Colombian government. IOM provides its support to the government of Colombia for the reintegration process of these men and women as they transition into civilian life.

More:
http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/db900SID/LSGZ-7GTG6P?OpenDocument

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If there had been some decent jobs open in Colombia (that means NOT working as slaves for multinationals) these people wouldn't have had to join the death squads in the FIRST PLACE!

My question is, do you think any of them will come up with the bright idea of digging up some of those mass graves into which their right-wing death squad commanders had them dump the bodies of Colombian villagers and farmers they terrorized, often torturing, before they killed them?

God only knows THAT would provide one hell of a lot of fertilizer for the crops the new multinationals will be growing on the land the death squads stole when they drove the previous owners away, and sent them into a state of displacement, second only to Sudan as the world's largest humanitarian crisis (which has been carefully left OUT of the information our own media shares with us).

[Judi Lynn]

1. And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords

King James Bible
And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.

Isaiah 2:4

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What are the chances?

[Bacchus39]

3. wasn't this an Uribe initiative? integrate former fighters into society

the same holds for the rebels if they are willing.

[Judi Lynn]

4. The Uribe initiative involved "confessions" from mass murderers and torturers,

in return for a clean slate, a new start, socially, legally.

As we have seen in Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, statements from churches, etc., probably the United Nations, there WAS no literal dissolution of the death squads. If some of them have "retired" it may have to do with personal "career" choices. Maybe they're getting burned out with torturing people, and cuttting them to bits with chain saws as testified to, and documented in court trials.

There are certainly still paras staggering around Colombia, as noted by the human rights groups in their statements, continuing to torture and assassinate political enemies. They will continue to be there as long as the fascists still need help controlling the population.

[Bacchus39]

5. of course there are, and you expected it to go smoothly and easily???

the leadership of the paras were to confess and serve a modest prison sentence in exchange for giving themselves up and not being extradited to the US, IF they refrained from further para activity. that doesn't apply to the rank and file. who are the people working at the worm farm??

[AlphaCentauri]

7. So now the Paras will work for the cartels indirectly

producing fertilizer for their coca farms


"Out of 955 reported cases of military killings of civilians over five years - including 'false positives' - only two have resulted in convictions."

[Bacchus39]

8. I don't know what to tell you, the demobilization/reintegration was the plan

got a better idea??

[Bacchus39]

2. what irony, now they are producing FARC !!

"The plants raise earthworms to produce solid and liquid humus, a brown or black organic substance consisting of partially or wholly decayed vegetable or animal matter"


oh brother, as if there is one country in Latin America without problems with poverty and unemployment.


you should propose your idea to the Colombian government or the "uninformed" citizenry as you referred to them.

[Texano78704]

6. Only 30,970 to go

What do you suppose 31,000 demobilized paramilitaries are doing these days?