Attachments
INTRODUCTION
In December 2022, Colombia was selected as one of the four countries to (4) pilot countries to implement the Flagship Initiative. In this context and with the leadership of the Protection Cluster, the Community Engagement Thematic Group (GTPC in Spanish) was formed. During 2023, the GTPC facilitated the National Forum on Community Participation in Humanitarian Action: recommendations, good practices and lessons learned from the voices of the communities. As a result, the Manifesto for Transformation: towards guaranteeing community participation, which sets out principles and recommendations from leaders and communitybased organizations (CBOs) on community participation in Colombia, was produced.
Continuing with this process of reflection, feedback and rethinking of community participation in humanitarian actions in Colombia, this document facilitated by the GTPC on approaches and methodologies for working with communities and community-based organizations, implemented by humanitarian organizations in the country, is presented. Without exception, each uses an approach focused on community participation, although they differ in the degree of participation of communities in the process of programming and implementation of humanitarian action.
During 2024, interviews were conducted with 17 humanitarian professionals, consultation processes with 3 community leaders and 2 humanitarian experts with experience in field work in Colombia. In addition, 10 working sessions were held with the organizations that make up the GTPC in which these recommendations, their scope, possibilities and needs in the transformation of humanitarian actions in Colombia were conceptualized. At the same time, 12 technical documents were reviewed, recognizing the contributions and theoretical and conceptual advances on this topic. This methodological process facilitated the projection of the recommendations on community participation contained in this document. The objective is to contribute to the improvement of humanitarian work in Colombia by strengthening community participation in the humanitarian action process.