Young people in Colombia will be able to fulfill their service by contributing to disaster prevention and response work in various regions of the country.
The National Unit for Disaster Risk Management presented a new mechanism that will allow youths lend the military service developing activities related to risk management and the climate change.
The initiative is part of the Social Service for Peacean alternative program to mandatory military service that already has more than 400 participants in the country. According to the official document, the first group of 60 young people will begin work in different regions.
The program offers young people training and participation in prevention, preparation and disaster risk reductionwith the objective that they can contribute from their communities to the understanding and management of natural or human-made threats.
During their service, they will be linked to entities such as the UNGRDthe Colombian Red Crossthe Civil defense, National Natural Parkshe Colombian Geological Survey and the Idiger. These institutions will receive support in educational, community and technical processes associated with the National Disaster Risk Management System.
Among the activities defined for this modality are the community orientation on prevention routes and protocols, accompaniment to community monitoringparticipation in early warning systems and strengthening the Comprehensive School Risk Management.
The document also indicates that young people will participate in pedagogical processes of the MAGMA Museuman educational initiative of the UNGRD dedicated to the dissemination of knowledge about risks and disasters.
This alternative is part of the total peace policy of the national Government and derives from the agreements signed in 2016. In total, the Social Service for Peace offers 11 lines of actionincluding digital literacy, work with victims, environmental protection, peace promotion, support for vulnerable people, and risk management and climate change activities. Each participant chooses the area in which they wish to work according to their interest and vocation.
The group of young people assigned to this modality will support actions of the National Risk Management System in several major cities, including Bogota, Cali, Medellin, Sincelejo, Saint Martha, Riohacha, Valledupar, Popayan and Cartagena.
There will also be presence in municipalities such as San Sebastian de Mariquita, Purace, Miranda, Ocaña, High Land, Uribia, Funza, The Catfish and The Uribe. The distribution seeks to strengthen local capabilities in various regions of the country.
You may be interested in: Accident in Robledo: dump truck without brakes hits buses and several cars
At the end of their participation, the young people will receive two certifications: one equivalent to the military booklet and another that accredits first job experience. The program also includes a monthly financial aid equivalent to 80% of what a regular soldier receives, which makes it easier for participants to remain during their service.
With these measures, the Social Service for Peace continues to consolidate itself as a additional alternative for young people who must define their military situation.
More than 400 young people They are already part of the first generation of the program, participating in projects that seek to strengthen the social fabric and promote a culture of peace in the country.
Source: Integrated Information System
