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  • The International AIDS Conference 2016 is attended by a large group of Lutheran Church young adults from the United States of America.
    PhotoByAlbinHillert_20160719_DSC_531...jpg
  • A displaced man listens to a Voice of America short wave broadcast early in the morning in Agok, a town in the contested Abyei region where tens of thousands of people fled in 2011 after an attack by soldiers and militias from the northern Republic of Sudan on most parts of Abyei, which sits on the contested border between Sudan and South Sudan.
    south-sudan-2013-jeffrey-abyei-175.jpg
  • Dr. Ulysses Burley III, program director of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Strategy on HIV and AIDS and a member of the U.S. Presidential Advisory Council on HIV and AIDS, lights a candle during a July 19 interfaith prayer service, held at the Roman Catholic Emmanuel Cathedral in Durban, South Africa, during the 2016 International AIDS Conference.
    south-africa-2016-jeffrey-iac-1935.jpg
  • 17 November 2018, Dabeiba, Antioquia, Colombia: "Harrison", the name by which he is known as a former commander in the Armed Revolutionary Forces of Colombia (FARC) is one of many ex-combatants currently trying to reconstruct their lives peacefully in Colombian civil society, following the 2016 peace treaty between the FARC Guerilla and the Colombian government. Challenges remain, however, as armed groups remain active in northwest Colombia, a strategically important corridor for trade into Central America, and ex-combatants face both stigma, threats of assassination, and suffer from a lack of fulfilment by the government on transfering ownership of lands to former guerilla combatants, which leads both to vulnerability and instability for life in the countryside. The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Colombia accompanies communities of ex-combatants, as well as the communities into which they are reintegrating, to help alleviate the risk of re-victimization or relapse into violent conflict.
    PhotoByAlbinHillert_20181117_AH1_914...jpg
  • 16 November 2018, San José de León, Mutatá, Antioquia, Colombia: Luz Alcira is part of both the gender and the health committees of the community in San José de León. Following the 2016 peace treaty between FARC and the Colombian government, a group of ex-combatant families have purchased and now cultivate 36 hectares of land in the territory of San José de León, municipality of Mutatá in Antioquia, Colombia. A group of 27 families first purchased the lot of land in San José de León, moving in from nearby Córdoba to settle alongside the 50-or-so families of farmers already living in the area. Today, 50 ex-combatant families live in the emerging community, which hosts a small restaurant, various committees for community organization and development, and which cultivates the land through agriculture, poultry and fish farming. Though the community has come a long way, many challenges remain on the way towards peace and reconciliation. The two-year-old community, which does not yet have a name of its own, is located in the territory of San José de León in Urabá, northwest Colombia, a strategically important corridor for trade into Central America, with resulting drug trafficking and arms trade still keeping armed groups active in the area. Many ex-combatants face trauma and insecurity, and a lack of fulfilment by the Colombian government in transition of land ownership to FARC members makes the situation delicate. Through the project De la Guerra a la Paz (‘From War to Peace’), the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Colombia accompanies three communities in the Antioquia region, offering support both to ex-combatants and to the communities they now live alongside, as they reintegrate into society. Supporting a total of more than 300 families, the project seeks to alleviate the risk of re-victimization, or relapse into violent conflict.
    PhotoByAlbinHillert_20181116_AH2_563...jpg
  • 16 November 2018, San José de León, Mutatá, Antioquia, Colombia: “People in this community have worked hard together, and we see the progress that we have made. My dream is to see this work continue, so we can move forward even if we see lack of fulfilment from the government on the peace treaty,” says Giovanni Duarte Duarte. Following the 2016 peace treaty between FARC and the Colombian government, a group of ex-combatant families have purchased and now cultivate 36 hectares of land in the territory of San José de León, municipality of Mutatá in Antioquia, Colombia. A group of 27 families first purchased the lot of land in San José de León, moving in from nearby Córdoba to settle alongside the 50-or-so families of farmers already living in the area. Today, 50 ex-combatant families live in the emerging community, which hosts a small restaurant, various committees for community organization and development, and which cultivates the land through agriculture, poultry and fish farming. Though the community has come a long way, many challenges remain on the way towards peace and reconciliation. The two-year-old community, which does not yet have a name of its own, is located in the territory of San José de León in Urabá, northwest Colombia, a strategically important corridor for trade into Central America, with resulting drug trafficking and arms trade still keeping armed groups active in the area. Many ex-combatants face trauma and insecurity, and a lack of fulfilment by the Colombian government in transition of land ownership to FARC members makes the situation delicate. Through the project De la Guerra a la Paz (‘From War to Peace’), the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Colombia accompanies three communities in the Antioquia region, offering support both to ex-combatants and to the communities they now live alongside, as they reintegrate into society.
    PhotoByAlbinHillert_20181116_AH2_560...jpg
  • 16 November 2018, San José de León, Mutatá, Antioquia, Colombia: Following the 2016 peace treaty between FARC and the Colombian government, a group of ex-combatant families have purchased and now cultivate 36 hectares of land in the territory of San José de León, municipality of Mutatá in Antioquia, Colombia. A group of 27 families first purchased the lot of land in San José de León, moving in from nearby Córdoba to settle alongside the 50-or-so families of farmers already living in the area. Today, 50 ex-combatant families live in the emerging community, which hosts a small restaurant, various committees for community organization and development, and which cultivates the land through agriculture, poultry and fish farming. Though the community has come a long way, many challenges remain on the way towards peace and reconciliation. The two-year-old community, which does not yet have a name of its own, is located in the territory of San José de León in Urabá, northwest Colombia, a strategically important corridor for trade into Central America, with resulting drug trafficking and arms trade still keeping armed groups active in the area. Many ex-combatants face trauma and insecurity, and a lack of fulfilment by the Colombian government in transition of land ownership to FARC members makes the situation delicate. Through the project De la Guerra a la Paz (‘From War to Peace’), the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Colombia accompanies three communities in the Antioquia region, offering support both to ex-combatants and to the communities they now live alongside, as they reintegrate into society. Supporting a total of more than 300 families, the project seeks to alleviate the risk of re-victimization, or relapse into violent conflict.
    PhotoByAlbinHillert_20181116_AH2_521...jpg
  • 16 November 2018, San José de León, Mutatá, Antioquia, Colombia: Woman leader Aida, who was part of the first group of ex-combatant families to settle in San José de León, tends to the community's poultry, caring for the chickens and hens, and collecting the eggs they provide. Following the 2016 peace treaty between FARC and the Colombian government, a group of ex-combatant families have purchased and now cultivate 36 hectares of land in the territory of San José de León, municipality of Mutatá in Antioquia, Colombia. A group of 27 families first purchased the lot of land in San José de León, moving in from nearby Córdoba to settle alongside the 50-or-so families of farmers already living in the area. Today, 50 ex-combatant families live in the emerging community, which hosts a small restaurant, various committees for community organization and development, and which cultivates the land through agriculture, poultry and fish farming. Though the community has come a long way, many challenges remain on the way towards peace and reconciliation. The two-year-old community, which does not yet have a name of its own, is located in the territory of San José de León in Urabá, northwest Colombia, a strategically important corridor for trade into Central America, with resulting drug trafficking and arms trade still keeping armed groups active in the area. Many ex-combatants face trauma and insecurity, and a lack of fulfilment by the Colombian government in transition of land ownership to FARC members makes the situation delicate. Through the project De la Guerra a la Paz (‘From War to Peace’), the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Colombia accompanies three communities in the Antioquia region, offering support both to ex-combatants and to the communities they now live alongside, as they reintegrate into society. Supporting a total of more than 300 families, the project seeks to alleviate the risk of re-victimization, or relapse into violent conflict.
    PhotoByAlbinHillert_20181116_AH2_548...jpg
  • 16 November 2018, San José de León, Mutatá, Antioquia, Colombia: A woman walks through the village with an umbrella as protection from the sun. Following the 2016 peace treaty between FARC and the Colombian government, a group of ex-combatant families have purchased and now cultivate 36 hectares of land in the territory of San José de León, municipality of Mutatá in Antioquia, Colombia. A group of 27 families first purchased the lot of land in San José de León, moving in from nearby Córdoba to settle alongside the 50-or-so families of farmers already living in the area. Today, 50 ex-combatant families live in the emerging community, which hosts a small restaurant, various committees for community organization and development, and which cultivates the land through agriculture, poultry and fish farming. Though the community has come a long way, many challenges remain on the way towards peace and reconciliation. The two-year-old community, which does not yet have a name of its own, is located in the territory of San José de León in Urabá, northwest Colombia, a strategically important corridor for trade into Central America, with resulting drug trafficking and arms trade still keeping armed groups active in the area. Many ex-combatants face trauma and insecurity, and a lack of fulfilment by the Colombian government in transition of land ownership to FARC members makes the situation delicate. Through the project De la Guerra a la Paz (‘From War to Peace’), the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Colombia accompanies three communities in the Antioquia region, offering support both to ex-combatants and to the communities they now live alongside, as they reintegrate into society. Supporting a total of more than 300 families, the project seeks to alleviate the risk of re-victimization, or relapse into violent conflict.
    PhotoByAlbinHillert_20181116_AH2_548...jpg
  • 16 November 2018, San José de León, Mutatá, Antioquia, Colombia: Community members gather for a joint meal at midday. Following the 2016 peace treaty between FARC and the Colombian government, a group of ex-combatant families have purchased and now cultivate 36 hectares of land in the territory of San José de León, municipality of Mutatá in Antioquia, Colombia. A group of 27 families first purchased the lot of land in San José de León, moving in from nearby Córdoba to settle alongside the 50-or-so families of farmers already living in the area. Today, 50 ex-combatant families live in the emerging community, which hosts a small restaurant, various committees for community organization and development, and which cultivates the land through agriculture, poultry and fish farming. Though the community has come a long way, many challenges remain on the way towards peace and reconciliation. The two-year-old community, which does not yet have a name of its own, is located in the territory of San José de León in Urabá, northwest Colombia, a strategically important corridor for trade into Central America, with resulting drug trafficking and arms trade still keeping armed groups active in the area. Many ex-combatants face trauma and insecurity, and a lack of fulfilment by the Colombian government in transition of land ownership to FARC members makes the situation delicate. Through the project De la Guerra a la Paz (‘From War to Peace’), the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Colombia accompanies three communities in the Antioquia region, offering support both to ex-combatants and to the communities they now live alongside, as they reintegrate into society. Supporting a total of more than 300 families, the project seeks to alleviate the risk of re-victimization, or relapse into violent conflict.
    PhotoByAlbinHillert_20181116_AH2_534...jpg
  • 16 November 2018, San José de León, Mutatá, Antioquia, Colombia: Community members partake in a workshop on forgiveness and reconciliation. Following the 2016 peace treaty between FARC and the Colombian government, a group of ex-combatant families have purchased and now cultivate 36 hectares of land in the territory of San José de León, municipality of Mutatá in Antioquia, Colombia. A group of 27 families first purchased the lot of land in San José de León, moving in from nearby Córdoba to settle alongside the 50-or-so families of farmers already living in the area. Today, 50 ex-combatant families live in the emerging community, which hosts a small restaurant, various committees for community organization and development, and which cultivates the land through agriculture, poultry and fish farming. Though the community has come a long way, many challenges remain on the way towards peace and reconciliation. The two-year-old community, which does not yet have a name of its own, is located in the territory of San José de León in Urabá, northwest Colombia, a strategically important corridor for trade into Central America, with resulting drug trafficking and arms trade still keeping armed groups active in the area. Many ex-combatants face trauma and insecurity, and a lack of fulfilment by the Colombian government in transition of land ownership to FARC members makes the situation delicate. Through the project De la Guerra a la Paz (‘From War to Peace’), the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Colombia accompanies three communities in the Antioquia region, offering support both to ex-combatants and to the communities they now live alongside, as they reintegrate into society. Supporting a total of more than 300 families, the project seeks to alleviate the risk of re-victimization, or relapse into violent conflict.
    PhotoByAlbinHillert_20181116_AH2_543...jpg
  • When it was opened in 1855, the Valo do Rocio canal - the Iguape shortcut - was only four meters wide and two meters deep. It was built as a shortcut for rice boats to get to ships on the coast, avoiding another 40km of waterways to get to the coast.<br />
<br />
But the flow of water fro the Ribeira de Iguape and the traffic of boats deepened the canal and eroded its banks. Now  the canal is seven metres deep and 300 meters wide at points. <br />
<br />
It feeds into the Mar Pequeno, the sea channel between Iguape and Ilha Comprida. Almost 70% of the water comes from the Ribeira de Iguape, which previously only reached the Atlantic some 40 kilometers further north. All this fresh water has changed the physical, chemical and biological characteristics of Mar Pequeno, and it is now one of the South Atlantic’s most important nurseries of fish and crustaceans. <br />
<br />
There is a plan to close the Iguape shortcut, but the impact this would have is unknown. Fishermen and others whose livelihoods depend on the fisheries in the area are concerned that there is insufficient concern about the impact of such changes.<br />
<br />
The Movement of People Affected by Dams are involved in consultations to protect the river and marine environment and prevent an ecological and social disaster here.<br />
<br />
Here a fisherman Jean pilots his boat through the shortcut.
    Brazil_Hawkey_water_WCC_20170915_957.jpg
  • 16 November 2018, San José de León, Mutatá, Antioquia, Colombia: “My dream is that my children will have a better future than the one we are living, that they will continue to study, not become a man without letters, like me,” says Edilberto Reyes. Following the 2016 peace treaty between FARC and the Colombian government, a group of ex-combatant families have purchased and now cultivate 36 hectares of land in the territory of San José de León, municipality of Mutatá in Antioquia, Colombia. A group of 27 families first purchased the lot of land in San José de León, moving in from nearby Córdoba to settle alongside the 50-or-so families of farmers already living in the area. Today, 50 ex-combatant families live in the emerging community, which hosts a small restaurant, various committees for community organization and development, and which cultivates the land through agriculture, poultry and fish farming. Though the community has come a long way, many challenges remain on the way towards peace and reconciliation. The two-year-old community, which does not yet have a name of its own, is located in the territory of San José de León in Urabá, northwest Colombia, a strategically important corridor for trade into Central America, with resulting drug trafficking and arms trade still keeping armed groups active in the area. Many ex-combatants face trauma and insecurity, and a lack of fulfilment by the Colombian government in transition of land ownership to FARC members makes the situation delicate. Through the project De la Guerra a la Paz (‘From War to Peace’), the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Colombia accompanies three communities in the Antioquia region, offering support both to ex-combatants and to the communities they now live alongside, as they reintegrate into society. Supporting a total of more than 300 families, the project seeks to alleviate the risk of re-victimization, or relapse into violent conflict.
    PhotoByAlbinHillert_20181116_AH2_557...jpg
  • 16 November 2018, San José de León, Mutatá, Antioquia, Colombia: Woman leader Aida, who was part of the first group of ex-combatant families to settle in San José de León, tends to the community's poultry, caring for the chickens and hens, and collecting the eggs they provide. Following the 2016 peace treaty between FARC and the Colombian government, a group of ex-combatant families have purchased and now cultivate 36 hectares of land in the territory of San José de León, municipality of Mutatá in Antioquia, Colombia. A group of 27 families first purchased the lot of land in San José de León, moving in from nearby Córdoba to settle alongside the 50-or-so families of farmers already living in the area. Today, 50 ex-combatant families live in the emerging community, which hosts a small restaurant, various committees for community organization and development, and which cultivates the land through agriculture, poultry and fish farming. Though the community has come a long way, many challenges remain on the way towards peace and reconciliation. The two-year-old community, which does not yet have a name of its own, is located in the territory of San José de León in Urabá, northwest Colombia, a strategically important corridor for trade into Central America, with resulting drug trafficking and arms trade still keeping armed groups active in the area. Many ex-combatants face trauma and insecurity, and a lack of fulfilment by the Colombian government in transition of land ownership to FARC members makes the situation delicate. Through the project De la Guerra a la Paz (‘From War to Peace’), the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Colombia accompanies three communities in the Antioquia region, offering support both to ex-combatants and to the communities they now live alongside, as they reintegrate into society. Supporting a total of more than 300 families, the project seeks to alleviate the risk of re-victimization, or relapse into violent conflict.
    PhotoByAlbinHillert_20181116_AH2_548...jpg
  • 16 November 2018, San José de León, Mutatá, Antioquia, Colombia: 22-year-old Rober Hernández Hernández lived 8 years as a FARC combatant, starting at the age of 12. He was imprisoned, but released as a result of the 2016 peace treaty in Colombia. Following the 2016 peace treaty between FARC and the Colombian government, a group of ex-combatant families have purchased and now cultivate 36 hectares of land in the territory of San José de León, municipality of Mutatá in Antioquia, Colombia. A group of 27 families first purchased the lot of land in San José de León, moving in from nearby Córdoba to settle alongside the 50-or-so families of farmers already living in the area. Today, 50 ex-combatant families live in the emerging community, which hosts a small restaurant, various committees for community organization and development, and which cultivates the land through agriculture, poultry and fish farming. Though the community has come a long way, many challenges remain on the way towards peace and reconciliation. The two-year-old community, which does not yet have a name of its own, is located in the territory of San José de León in Urabá, northwest Colombia, a strategically important corridor for trade into Central America, with resulting drug trafficking and arms trade still keeping armed groups active in the area. Many ex-combatants face trauma and insecurity, and a lack of fulfilment by the Colombian government in transition of land ownership to FARC members makes the situation delicate. Through the project De la Guerra a la Paz (‘From War to Peace’), the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Colombia accompanies three communities in the Antioquia region, offering support both to ex-combatants and to the communities they now live alongside, as they reintegrate into society. Supporting a total of more than 300 families, the project seeks to alleviate the risk of re-victimization, or relapse into violent conflict.
    PhotoByAlbinHillert_20181116_AH2_568...jpg
  • 16 November 2018, San José de León, Mutatá, Antioquia, Colombia: "My dream is to continue with education, and to bring more children into education," says Carlos Alberto, father of two children, aged 19 and 7. Following the 2016 peace treaty between FARC and the Colombian government, a group of ex-combatant families have purchased and now cultivate 36 hectares of land in the territory of San José de León, municipality of Mutatá in Antioquia, Colombia. A group of 27 families first purchased the lot of land in San José de León, moving in from nearby Córdoba to settle alongside the 50-or-so families of farmers already living in the area. Today, 50 ex-combatant families live in the emerging community, which hosts a small restaurant, various committees for community organization and development, and which cultivates the land through agriculture, poultry and fish farming. Though the community has come a long way, many challenges remain on the way towards peace and reconciliation. The two-year-old community, which does not yet have a name of its own, is located in the territory of San José de León in Urabá, northwest Colombia, a strategically important corridor for trade into Central America, with resulting drug trafficking and arms trade still keeping armed groups active in the area. Many ex-combatants face trauma and insecurity, and a lack of fulfilment by the Colombian government in transition of land ownership to FARC members makes the situation delicate. Through the project De la Guerra a la Paz (‘From War to Peace’), the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Colombia accompanies three communities in the Antioquia region, offering support both to ex-combatants and to the communities they now live alongside, as they reintegrate into society. Supporting a total of more than 300 families, the project seeks to alleviate the risk of re-victimization, or relapse into violent conflict.
    PhotoByAlbinHillert_20181116_AH2_558...jpg
  • 16 November 2018, San José de León, Mutatá, Antioquia, Colombia: “As a mother, I dream of my children continuing to study, to become maybe a secretary, or a teacher. That is my dream,” says 41-year-old mother of five Vianeth. Following the 2016 peace treaty between FARC and the Colombian government, a group of ex-combatant families have purchased and now cultivate 36 hectares of land in the territory of San José de León, municipality of Mutatá in Antioquia, Colombia. A group of 27 families first purchased the lot of land in San José de León, moving in from nearby Córdoba to settle alongside the 50-or-so families of farmers already living in the area. Today, 50 ex-combatant families live in the emerging community, which hosts a small restaurant, various committees for community organization and development, and which cultivates the land through agriculture, poultry and fish farming. Though the community has come a long way, many challenges remain on the way towards peace and reconciliation. The two-year-old community, which does not yet have a name of its own, is located in the territory of San José de León in Urabá, northwest Colombia, a strategically important corridor for trade into Central America, with resulting drug trafficking and arms trade still keeping armed groups active in the area. Many ex-combatants face trauma and insecurity, and a lack of fulfilment by the Colombian government in transition of land ownership to FARC members makes the situation delicate. Through the project De la Guerra a la Paz (‘From War to Peace’), the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Colombia accompanies three communities in the Antioquia region, offering support both to ex-combatants and to the communities they now live alongside, as they reintegrate into society. Supporting a total of more than 300 families, the project seeks to alleviate the risk of re-victimization, or relapse into violent conflict.
    PhotoByAlbinHillert_20181116_AH2_554...jpg
  • 16 November 2018, San José de León, Mutatá, Antioquia, Colombia: 48-year-old Ivan walks on crutches as he is missing a leg. He lived 31 years as a FARC guerilla combatant, before settling in San José de León after the 2016 peace treaty in Colombia. Following the 2016 peace treaty between FARC and the Colombian government, a group of ex-combatant families have purchased and now cultivate 36 hectares of land in the territory of San José de León, municipality of Mutatá in Antioquia, Colombia. A group of 27 families first purchased the lot of land in San José de León, moving in from nearby Córdoba to settle alongside the 50-or-so families of farmers already living in the area. Today, 50 ex-combatant families live in the emerging community, which hosts a small restaurant, various committees for community organization and development, and which cultivates the land through agriculture, poultry and fish farming. Though the community has come a long way, many challenges remain on the way towards peace and reconciliation. The two-year-old community, which does not yet have a name of its own, is located in the territory of San José de León in Urabá, northwest Colombia, a strategically important corridor for trade into Central America, with resulting drug trafficking and arms trade still keeping armed groups active in the area. Many ex-combatants face trauma and insecurity, and a lack of fulfilment by the Colombian government in transition of land ownership to FARC members makes the situation delicate. Through the project De la Guerra a la Paz (‘From War to Peace’), the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Colombia accompanies three communities in the Antioquia region, offering support both to ex-combatants and to the communities they now live alongside, as they reintegrate into society. Supporting a total of more than 300 families, the project seeks to alleviate the risk of re-victimization, or relapse into violent conflict.
    PhotoByAlbinHillert_20181116_AH2_553...jpg
  • 16 November 2018, San José de León, Mutatá, Antioquia, Colombia: 48-year-old Ivan walks on crutches as he is missing a leg. He lived 31 years as a FARC guerilla combatant, before settling in San José de León after the 2016 peace treaty in Colombia. Following the 2016 peace treaty between FARC and the Colombian government, a group of ex-combatant families have purchased and now cultivate 36 hectares of land in the territory of San José de León, municipality of Mutatá in Antioquia, Colombia. A group of 27 families first purchased the lot of land in San José de León, moving in from nearby Córdoba to settle alongside the 50-or-so families of farmers already living in the area. Today, 50 ex-combatant families live in the emerging community, which hosts a small restaurant, various committees for community organization and development, and which cultivates the land through agriculture, poultry and fish farming. Though the community has come a long way, many challenges remain on the way towards peace and reconciliation. The two-year-old community, which does not yet have a name of its own, is located in the territory of San José de León in Urabá, northwest Colombia, a strategically important corridor for trade into Central America, with resulting drug trafficking and arms trade still keeping armed groups active in the area. Many ex-combatants face trauma and insecurity, and a lack of fulfilment by the Colombian government in transition of land ownership to FARC members makes the situation delicate. Through the project De la Guerra a la Paz (‘From War to Peace’), the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Colombia accompanies three communities in the Antioquia region, offering support both to ex-combatants and to the communities they now live alongside, as they reintegrate into society. Supporting a total of more than 300 families, the project seeks to alleviate the risk of re-victimization, or relapse into violent conflict.
    PhotoByAlbinHillert_20181116_AH2_541...jpg
  • 16 November 2018, San José de León, Mutatá, Antioquia, Colombia: Following the 2016 peace treaty between FARC and the Colombian government, a group of ex-combatant families have purchased and now cultivate 36 hectares of land in the territory of San José de León, municipality of Mutatá in Antioquia, Colombia. A group of 27 families first purchased the lot of land in San José de León, moving in from nearby Córdoba to settle alongside the 50-or-so families of farmers already living in the area. Today, 50 ex-combatant families live in the emerging community, which hosts a small restaurant, various committees for community organization and development, and which cultivates the land through agriculture, poultry and fish farming. Though the community has come a long way, many challenges remain on the way towards peace and reconciliation. The two-year-old community, which does not yet have a name of its own, is located in the territory of San José de León in Urabá, northwest Colombia, a strategically important corridor for trade into Central America, with resulting drug trafficking and arms trade still keeping armed groups active in the area. Many ex-combatants face trauma and insecurity, and a lack of fulfilment by the Colombian government in transition of land ownership to FARC members makes the situation delicate. Through the project De la Guerra a la Paz (‘From War to Peace’), the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Colombia accompanies three communities in the Antioquia region, offering support both to ex-combatants and to the communities they now live alongside, as they reintegrate into society. Supporting a total of more than 300 families, the project seeks to alleviate the risk of re-victimization, or relapse into violent conflict.
    PhotoByAlbinHillert_20181116_AH2_540...jpg
  • 16 November 2018, San José de León, Mutatá, Antioquia, Colombia: 14-month-old girl Charli Stephany and her mother walk through the village in San José de León. Born in late October 2017, the girl is just over a year old and her mother went through pregnancy at a time when the plastic that today makes the foundation of fish farming tanks, served as roofs over community members’ heads. Following the 2016 peace treaty between FARC and the Colombian government, a group of ex-combatant families have purchased and now cultivate 36 hectares of land in the territory of San José de León, municipality of Mutatá in Antioquia, Colombia. A group of 27 families first purchased the lot of land in San José de León, moving in from nearby Córdoba to settle alongside the 50-or-so families of farmers already living in the area. Today, 50 ex-combatant families live in the emerging community, which hosts a small restaurant, various committees for community organization and development, and which cultivates the land through agriculture, poultry and fish farming. Though the community has come a long way, many challenges remain on the way towards peace and reconciliation. The two-year-old community, which does not yet have a name of its own, is located in the territory of San José de León in Urabá, northwest Colombia, a strategically important corridor for trade into Central America, with resulting drug trafficking and arms trade still keeping armed groups active in the area. Many ex-combatants face trauma and insecurity, and a lack of fulfilment by the Colombian government in transition of land ownership to FARC members makes the situation delicate. Through the project De la Guerra a la Paz (‘From War to Peace’), the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Colombia accompanies three communities in the Antioquia region, offering support both to ex-combatants and to the communities they now live alongside, as they reintegrate into society.
    PhotoByAlbinHillert_20181116_AH2_539...jpg
  • 16 November 2018, San José de León, Mutatá, Antioquia, Colombia: "I have worked the fields with my machete all my life" says Jorge, one of the community members in San José de León. Following the 2016 peace treaty between FARC and the Colombian government, a group of ex-combatant families have purchased and now cultivate 36 hectares of land in the territory of San José de León, municipality of Mutatá in Antioquia, Colombia. A group of 27 families first purchased the lot of land in San José de León, moving in from nearby Córdoba to settle alongside the 50-or-so families of farmers already living in the area. Today, 50 ex-combatant families live in the emerging community, which hosts a small restaurant, various committees for community organization and development, and which cultivates the land through agriculture, poultry and fish farming. Though the community has come a long way, many challenges remain on the way towards peace and reconciliation. The two-year-old community, which does not yet have a name of its own, is located in the territory of San José de León in Urabá, northwest Colombia, a strategically important corridor for trade into Central America, with resulting drug trafficking and arms trade still keeping armed groups active in the area. Many ex-combatants face trauma and insecurity, and a lack of fulfilment by the Colombian government in transition of land ownership to FARC members makes the situation delicate. Through the project De la Guerra a la Paz (‘From War to Peace’), the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Colombia accompanies three communities in the Antioquia region, offering support both to ex-combatants and to the communities they now live alongside, as they reintegrate into society. Supporting a total of more than 300 families, the project seeks to alleviate the risk of re-victimization, or relapse into violent conflict.
    PhotoByAlbinHillert_20181116_AH2_528...jpg
  • 16 November 2018, San José de León, Mutatá, Antioquia, Colombia: Community member Manuel (right) enjoys a brief break in building a tank to keep rain water from sinking too quickly into the ground. Instead, the tank will hold the water and help feed the community's many ponds of farmed fish. Following the 2016 peace treaty between FARC and the Colombian government, a group of ex-combatant families have purchased and now cultivate 36 hectares of land in the territory of San José de León, municipality of Mutatá in Antioquia, Colombia. A group of 27 families first purchased the lot of land in San José de León, moving in from nearby Córdoba to settle alongside the 50-or-so families of farmers already living in the area. Today, 50 ex-combatant families live in the emerging community, which hosts a small restaurant, various committees for community organization and development, and which cultivates the land through agriculture, poultry and fish farming. Though the community has come a long way, many challenges remain on the way towards peace and reconciliation. The two-year-old community, which does not yet have a name of its own, is located in the territory of San José de León in Urabá, northwest Colombia, a strategically important corridor for trade into Central America, with resulting drug trafficking and arms trade still keeping armed groups active in the area. Many ex-combatants face trauma and insecurity, and a lack of fulfilment by the Colombian government in transition of land ownership to FARC members makes the situation delicate. Through the project De la Guerra a la Paz (‘From War to Peace’), the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Colombia accompanies three communities in the Antioquia region, offering support both to ex-combatants and to the communities they now live alongside, as they reintegrate into society. Supporting a total of more than 300 families, the project seeks to alleviate the risk of re-victimization, or relapse into violent conflict
    PhotoByAlbinHillert_20181116_AH2_523...jpg
  • 16 November 2018, San José de León, Mutatá, Antioquia, Colombia: Laundry hangs to dry. Following the 2016 peace treaty between FARC and the Colombian government, a group of ex-combatant families have purchased and now cultivate 36 hectares of land in the territory of San José de León, municipality of Mutatá in Antioquia, Colombia. A group of 27 families first purchased the lot of land in San José de León, moving in from nearby Córdoba to settle alongside the 50-or-so families of farmers already living in the area. Today, 50 ex-combatant families live in the emerging community, which hosts a small restaurant, various committees for community organization and development, and which cultivates the land through agriculture, poultry and fish farming. Though the community has come a long way, many challenges remain on the way towards peace and reconciliation. The two-year-old community, which does not yet have a name of its own, is located in the territory of San José de León in Urabá, northwest Colombia, a strategically important corridor for trade into Central America, with resulting drug trafficking and arms trade still keeping armed groups active in the area. Many ex-combatants face trauma and insecurity, and a lack of fulfilment by the Colombian government in transition of land ownership to FARC members makes the situation delicate. Through the project De la Guerra a la Paz (‘From War to Peace’), the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Colombia accompanies three communities in the Antioquia region, offering support both to ex-combatants and to the communities they now live alongside, as they reintegrate into society. Supporting a total of more than 300 families, the project seeks to alleviate the risk of re-victimization, or relapse into violent conflict.
    PhotoByAlbinHillert_20181116_AH2_527...jpg
  • 16 November 2018, San José de León, Mutatá, Antioquia, Colombia: Sociologist Ana Eloísa Gómez leads a workshop on forgiveness and reconciliation. Following the 2016 peace treaty between FARC and the Colombian government, a group of ex-combatant families have purchased and now cultivate 36 hectares of land in the territory of San José de León, municipality of Mutatá in Antioquia, Colombia. A group of 27 families first purchased the lot of land in San José de León, moving in from nearby Córdoba to settle alongside the 50-or-so families of farmers already living in the area. Today, 50 ex-combatant families live in the emerging community, which hosts a small restaurant, various committees for community organization and development, and which cultivates the land through agriculture, poultry and fish farming. Though the community has come a long way, many challenges remain on the way towards peace and reconciliation. The two-year-old community, which does not yet have a name of its own, is located in the territory of San José de León in Urabá, northwest Colombia, a strategically important corridor for trade into Central America, with resulting drug trafficking and arms trade still keeping armed groups active in the area. Many ex-combatants face trauma and insecurity, and a lack of fulfilment by the Colombian government in transition of land ownership to FARC members makes the situation delicate. Through the project De la Guerra a la Paz (‘From War to Peace’), the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Colombia accompanies three communities in the Antioquia region, offering support both to ex-combatants and to the communities they now live alongside, as they reintegrate into society. Supporting a total of more than 300 families, the project seeks to alleviate the risk of re-victimization, or relapse into violent conflict.
    PhotoByAlbinHillert_20181116_AH2_526...jpg
  • 16 November 2018, San José de León, Mutatá, Antioquia, Colombia: Woman leader Aida, who was part of the first group of ex-combatant families to settle in San José de León, tends to the community's poultry, caring for the chickens and hens, and collecting the eggs they provide. Following the 2016 peace treaty between FARC and the Colombian government, a group of ex-combatant families have purchased and now cultivate 36 hectares of land in the territory of San José de León, municipality of Mutatá in Antioquia, Colombia. A group of 27 families first purchased the lot of land in San José de León, moving in from nearby Córdoba to settle alongside the 50-or-so families of farmers already living in the area. Today, 50 ex-combatant families live in the emerging community, which hosts a small restaurant, various committees for community organization and development, and which cultivates the land through agriculture, poultry and fish farming. Though the community has come a long way, many challenges remain on the way towards peace and reconciliation. The two-year-old community, which does not yet have a name of its own, is located in the territory of San José de León in Urabá, northwest Colombia, a strategically important corridor for trade into Central America, with resulting drug trafficking and arms trade still keeping armed groups active in the area. Many ex-combatants face trauma and insecurity, and a lack of fulfilment by the Colombian government in transition of land ownership to FARC members makes the situation delicate. Through the project De la Guerra a la Paz (‘From War to Peace’), the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Colombia accompanies three communities in the Antioquia region, offering support both to ex-combatants and to the communities they now live alongside, as they reintegrate into society. Supporting a total of more than 300 families, the project seeks to alleviate the risk of re-victimization, or relapse into violent conflict.
    PhotoByAlbinHillert_20181116_AH1_903...jpg
  • 16 November 2018, San José de León, Mutatá, Antioquia, Colombia: Woman leader Aida, who was part of the first group of ex-combatant families to settle in San José de León, tends to the community's poultry, caring for the chickens and hens, and collecting the eggs they provide. Following the 2016 peace treaty between FARC and the Colombian government, a group of ex-combatant families have purchased and now cultivate 36 hectares of land in the territory of San José de León, municipality of Mutatá in Antioquia, Colombia. A group of 27 families first purchased the lot of land in San José de León, moving in from nearby Córdoba to settle alongside the 50-or-so families of farmers already living in the area. Today, 50 ex-combatant families live in the emerging community, which hosts a small restaurant, various committees for community organization and development, and which cultivates the land through agriculture, poultry and fish farming. Though the community has come a long way, many challenges remain on the way towards peace and reconciliation. The two-year-old community, which does not yet have a name of its own, is located in the territory of San José de León in Urabá, northwest Colombia, a strategically important corridor for trade into Central America, with resulting drug trafficking and arms trade still keeping armed groups active in the area. Many ex-combatants face trauma and insecurity, and a lack of fulfilment by the Colombian government in transition of land ownership to FARC members makes the situation delicate. Through the project De la Guerra a la Paz (‘From War to Peace’), the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Colombia accompanies three communities in the Antioquia region, offering support both to ex-combatants and to the communities they now live alongside, as they reintegrate into society. Supporting a total of more than 300 families, the project seeks to alleviate the risk of re-victimization, or relapse into violent conflict.
    PhotoByAlbinHillert_20181116_AH1_902...jpg
  • 16 November 2018, San José de León, Mutatá, Antioquia, Colombia: Community members gather for a joint meal at midday. Following the 2016 peace treaty between FARC and the Colombian government, a group of ex-combatant families have purchased and now cultivate 36 hectares of land in the territory of San José de León, municipality of Mutatá in Antioquia, Colombia. A group of 27 families first purchased the lot of land in San José de León, moving in from nearby Córdoba to settle alongside the 50-or-so families of farmers already living in the area. Today, 50 ex-combatant families live in the emerging community, which hosts a small restaurant, various committees for community organization and development, and which cultivates the land through agriculture, poultry and fish farming. Though the community has come a long way, many challenges remain on the way towards peace and reconciliation. The two-year-old community, which does not yet have a name of its own, is located in the territory of San José de León in Urabá, northwest Colombia, a strategically important corridor for trade into Central America, with resulting drug trafficking and arms trade still keeping armed groups active in the area. Many ex-combatants face trauma and insecurity, and a lack of fulfilment by the Colombian government in transition of land ownership to FARC members makes the situation delicate. Through the project De la Guerra a la Paz (‘From War to Peace’), the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Colombia accompanies three communities in the Antioquia region, offering support both to ex-combatants and to the communities they now live alongside, as they reintegrate into society. Supporting a total of more than 300 families, the project seeks to alleviate the risk of re-victimization, or relapse into violent conflict.
    PhotoByAlbinHillert_20181116_AH1_893...jpg
  • 16 November 2018, San José de León, Mutatá, Antioquia, Colombia: Following the 2016 peace treaty between FARC and the Colombian government, a group of ex-combatant families have purchased and now cultivate 36 hectares of land in the territory of San José de León, municipality of Mutatá in Antioquia, Colombia. A group of 27 families first purchased the lot of land in San José de León, moving in from nearby Córdoba to settle alongside the 50-or-so families of farmers already living in the area. Today, 50 ex-combatant families live in the emerging community, which hosts a small restaurant, various committees for community organization and development, and which cultivates the land through agriculture, poultry and fish farming. Though the community has come a long way, many challenges remain on the way towards peace and reconciliation. The two-year-old community, which does not yet have a name of its own, is located in the territory of San José de León in Urabá, northwest Colombia, a strategically important corridor for trade into Central America, with resulting drug trafficking and arms trade still keeping armed groups active in the area. Many ex-combatants face trauma and insecurity, and a lack of fulfilment by the Colombian government in transition of land ownership to FARC members makes the situation delicate. Through the project De la Guerra a la Paz (‘From War to Peace’), the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Colombia accompanies three communities in the Antioquia region, offering support both to ex-combatants and to the communities they now live alongside, as they reintegrate into society. Supporting a total of more than 300 families, the project seeks to alleviate the risk of re-victimization, or relapse into violent conflict.
    PhotoByAlbinHillert_20181116_AH1_890...jpg
  • 16 November 2018, San José de León, Mutatá, Antioquia, Colombia: Rosa prepares a meal of sarapa - rice and chicken wrapped in a Cachibou leaf - for 80 community members in San José de León. Following the 2016 peace treaty between FARC and the Colombian government, a group of ex-combatant families have purchased and now cultivate 36 hectares of land in the territory of San José de León, municipality of Mutatá in Antioquia, Colombia. A group of 27 families first purchased the lot of land in San José de León, moving in from nearby Córdoba to settle alongside the 50-or-so families of farmers already living in the area. Today, 50 ex-combatant families live in the emerging community, which hosts a small restaurant, various committees for community organization and development, and which cultivates the land through agriculture, poultry and fish farming. Though the community has come a long way, many challenges remain on the way towards peace and reconciliation. The two-year-old community, which does not yet have a name of its own, is located in the territory of San José de León in Urabá, northwest Colombia, a strategically important corridor for trade into Central America, with resulting drug trafficking and arms trade still keeping armed groups active in the area. Many ex-combatants face trauma and insecurity, and a lack of fulfilment by the Colombian government in transition of land ownership to FARC members makes the situation delicate. Through the project De la Guerra a la Paz (‘From War to Peace’), the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Colombia accompanies three communities in the Antioquia region, offering support both to ex-combatants and to the communities they now live alongside, as they reintegrate into society. Supporting a total of more than 300 families, the project seeks to alleviate the risk of re-victimization, or relapse into violent conflict.
    PhotoByAlbinHillert_20181116_AH1_886...jpg
  • 16 November 2018, San José de León, Mutatá, Antioquia, Colombia: Rosa (right) and Mayerlis (left) prepare a meal of sarapa - rice and chicken wrapped in a Cachibou leaf - for 80 community members in San José de León. Following the 2016 peace treaty between FARC and the Colombian government, a group of ex-combatant families have purchased and now cultivate 36 hectares of land in the territory of San José de León, municipality of Mutatá in Antioquia, Colombia. A group of 27 families first purchased the lot of land in San José de León, moving in from nearby Córdoba to settle alongside the 50-or-so families of farmers already living in the area. Today, 50 ex-combatant families live in the emerging community, which hosts a small restaurant, various committees for community organization and development, and which cultivates the land through agriculture, poultry and fish farming. Though the community has come a long way, many challenges remain on the way towards peace and reconciliation. The two-year-old community, which does not yet have a name of its own, is located in the territory of San José de León in Urabá, northwest Colombia, a strategically important corridor for trade into Central America, with resulting drug trafficking and arms trade still keeping armed groups active in the area. Many ex-combatants face trauma and insecurity, and a lack of fulfilment by the Colombian government in transition of land ownership to FARC members makes the situation delicate. Through the project De la Guerra a la Paz (‘From War to Peace’), the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Colombia accompanies three communities in the Antioquia region, offering support both to ex-combatants and to the communities they now live alongside, as they reintegrate into society. Supporting a total of more than 300 families, the project seeks to alleviate the risk of re-victimization, or relapse into violent conflict.
    PhotoByAlbinHillert_20181116_AH1_886...jpg
  • 16 November 2018, San José de León, Mutatá, Antioquia, Colombia: Luz Alcira is part of both the gender and the health committees of the community in San José de León. Following the 2016 peace treaty between FARC and the Colombian government, a group of ex-combatant families have purchased and now cultivate 36 hectares of land in the territory of San José de León, municipality of Mutatá in Antioquia, Colombia. A group of 27 families first purchased the lot of land in San José de León, moving in from nearby Córdoba to settle alongside the 50-or-so families of farmers already living in the area. Today, 50 ex-combatant families live in the emerging community, which hosts a small restaurant, various committees for community organization and development, and which cultivates the land through agriculture, poultry and fish farming. Though the community has come a long way, many challenges remain on the way towards peace and reconciliation. The two-year-old community, which does not yet have a name of its own, is located in the territory of San José de León in Urabá, northwest Colombia, a strategically important corridor for trade into Central America, with resulting drug trafficking and arms trade still keeping armed groups active in the area. Many ex-combatants face trauma and insecurity, and a lack of fulfilment by the Colombian government in transition of land ownership to FARC members makes the situation delicate. Through the project De la Guerra a la Paz (‘From War to Peace’), the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Colombia accompanies three communities in the Antioquia region, offering support both to ex-combatants and to the communities they now live alongside, as they reintegrate into society. Supporting a total of more than 300 families, the project seeks to alleviate the risk of re-victimization, or relapse into violent conflict.
    PhotoByAlbinHillert_20181116_AH2_565...jpg
  • 16 November 2018, San José de León, Mutatá, Antioquia, Colombia: 22-year-old Rober Hernández Hernández lived 8 years as a FARC combatant, starting at the age of 12. He was imprisoned, but released as a result of the 2016 peace treaty in Colombia. Following the 2016 peace treaty between FARC and the Colombian government, a group of ex-combatant families have purchased and now cultivate 36 hectares of land in the territory of San José de León, municipality of Mutatá in Antioquia, Colombia. A group of 27 families first purchased the lot of land in San José de León, moving in from nearby Córdoba to settle alongside the 50-or-so families of farmers already living in the area. Today, 50 ex-combatant families live in the emerging community, which hosts a small restaurant, various committees for community organization and development, and which cultivates the land through agriculture, poultry and fish farming. Though the community has come a long way, many challenges remain on the way towards peace and reconciliation. The two-year-old community, which does not yet have a name of its own, is located in the territory of San José de León in Urabá, northwest Colombia, a strategically important corridor for trade into Central America, with resulting drug trafficking and arms trade still keeping armed groups active in the area. Many ex-combatants face trauma and insecurity, and a lack of fulfilment by the Colombian government in transition of land ownership to FARC members makes the situation delicate. Through the project De la Guerra a la Paz (‘From War to Peace’), the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Colombia accompanies three communities in the Antioquia region, offering support both to ex-combatants and to the communities they now live alongside, as they reintegrate into society. Supporting a total of more than 300 families, the project seeks to alleviate the risk of re-victimization, or relapse into violent conflict.
    PhotoByAlbinHillert_20181116_AH2_568...jpg
  • 16 November 2018, San José de León, Mutatá, Antioquia, Colombia: 22-year-old Rober Hernández Hernández lived 8 years as a FARC combatant, starting at the age of 12. He was imprisoned, but released as a result of the 2016 peace treaty in Colombia. Following the 2016 peace treaty between FARC and the Colombian government, a group of ex-combatant families have purchased and now cultivate 36 hectares of land in the territory of San José de León, municipality of Mutatá in Antioquia, Colombia. A group of 27 families first purchased the lot of land in San José de León, moving in from nearby Córdoba to settle alongside the 50-or-so families of farmers already living in the area. Today, 50 ex-combatant families live in the emerging community, which hosts a small restaurant, various committees for community organization and development, and which cultivates the land through agriculture, poultry and fish farming. Though the community has come a long way, many challenges remain on the way towards peace and reconciliation. The two-year-old community, which does not yet have a name of its own, is located in the territory of San José de León in Urabá, northwest Colombia, a strategically important corridor for trade into Central America, with resulting drug trafficking and arms trade still keeping armed groups active in the area. Many ex-combatants face trauma and insecurity, and a lack of fulfilment by the Colombian government in transition of land ownership to FARC members makes the situation delicate. Through the project De la Guerra a la Paz (‘From War to Peace’), the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Colombia accompanies three communities in the Antioquia region, offering support both to ex-combatants and to the communities they now live alongside, as they reintegrate into society. Supporting a total of more than 300 families, the project seeks to alleviate the risk of re-victimization, or relapse into violent conflict.
    PhotoByAlbinHillert_20181116_AH2_567...jpg
  • 16 November 2018, San José de León, Mutatá, Antioquia, Colombia: “My dream, it is to see this country in peace,” says Joverman Sánchez Arroyave, formerly known by the name of war Rubén Cano, as commander in the FARC guerrilla (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia). “I dream that what was agreed in Havana, witnessed by the international community, is fulfilled. That is the whole essence, to achieve the political transformation that is needed in our country, including peace.” Following the 2016 peace treaty between FARC and the Colombian government, a group of ex-combatant families have purchased and now cultivate 36 hectares of land in the territory of San José de León, municipality of Mutatá in Antioquia, Colombia. A group of 27 families first purchased the lot of land in San José de León, moving in from nearby Córdoba to settle alongside the 50-or-so families of farmers already living in the area. Today, 50 ex-combatant families live in the emerging community, which hosts a small restaurant, various committees for community organization and development, and which cultivates the land through agriculture, poultry and fish farming. Though the community has come a long way, many challenges remain on the way towards peace and reconciliation. The two-year-old community, which does not yet have a name of its own, is located in the territory of San José de León in Urabá, northwest Colombia, a strategically important corridor for trade into Central America, with resulting drug trafficking and arms trade still keeping armed groups active in the area. Many ex-combatants face trauma and insecurity, and a lack of fulfilment by the Colombian government in transition of land ownership to FARC members makes the situation delicate.
    PhotoByAlbinHillert_20181116_AH2_561...jpg
  • 16 November 2018, San José de León, Mutatá, Antioquia, Colombia: 14-month-old Charli Stephany climbs on a fence in the community of San José de León. Born in late October 2017, the girl is just over a year old and her mother went through pregnancy at a time when the plastic that today makes the foundation of fish farming tanks, served as roofs over community members’ heads. Following the 2016 peace treaty between FARC and the Colombian government, a group of ex-combatant families have purchased and now cultivate 36 hectares of land in the territory of San José de León, municipality of Mutatá in Antioquia, Colombia. A group of 27 families first purchased the lot of land in San José de León, moving in from nearby Córdoba to settle alongside the 50-or-so families of farmers already living in the area. Today, 50 ex-combatant families live in the emerging community, which hosts a small restaurant, various committees for community organization and development, and which cultivates the land through agriculture, poultry and fish farming. Though the community has come a long way, many challenges remain on the way towards peace and reconciliation. The two-year-old community, which does not yet have a name of its own, is located in the territory of San José de León in Urabá, northwest Colombia, a strategically important corridor for trade into Central America, with resulting drug trafficking and arms trade still keeping armed groups active in the area. Many ex-combatants face trauma and insecurity, and a lack of fulfilment by the Colombian government in transition of land ownership to FARC members makes the situation delicate. Through the project De la Guerra a la Paz (‘From War to Peace’), the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Colombia accompanies three communities in the Antioquia region, offering support both to ex-combatants and to the communities they now live alongside, as they reintegrate into society.
    PhotoByAlbinHillert_20181116_AH2_545...jpg
  • 16 November 2018, San José de León, Mutatá, Antioquia, Colombia: 48-year-old Ivan walks on crutches as he is missing a leg. He lived 31 years as a FARC guerilla combatant, before settling in San José de León after the 2016 peace treaty in Colombia. Following the 2016 peace treaty between FARC and the Colombian government, a group of ex-combatant families have purchased and now cultivate 36 hectares of land in the territory of San José de León, municipality of Mutatá in Antioquia, Colombia. A group of 27 families first purchased the lot of land in San José de León, moving in from nearby Córdoba to settle alongside the 50-or-so families of farmers already living in the area. Today, 50 ex-combatant families live in the emerging community, which hosts a small restaurant, various committees for community organization and development, and which cultivates the land through agriculture, poultry and fish farming. Though the community has come a long way, many challenges remain on the way towards peace and reconciliation. The two-year-old community, which does not yet have a name of its own, is located in the territory of San José de León in Urabá, northwest Colombia, a strategically important corridor for trade into Central America, with resulting drug trafficking and arms trade still keeping armed groups active in the area. Many ex-combatants face trauma and insecurity, and a lack of fulfilment by the Colombian government in transition of land ownership to FARC members makes the situation delicate. Through the project De la Guerra a la Paz (‘From War to Peace’), the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Colombia accompanies three communities in the Antioquia region, offering support both to ex-combatants and to the communities they now live alongside, as they reintegrate into society. Supporting a total of more than 300 families, the project seeks to alleviate the risk of re-victimization, or relapse into violent conflict.
    PhotoByAlbinHillert_20181116_AH2_553...jpg
  • 16 November 2018, San José de León, Mutatá, Antioquia, Colombia: Community members chat by the comminuty's small restaurant. Following the 2016 peace treaty between FARC and the Colombian government, a group of ex-combatant families have purchased and now cultivate 36 hectares of land in the territory of San José de León, municipality of Mutatá in Antioquia, Colombia. A group of 27 families first purchased the lot of land in San José de León, moving in from nearby Córdoba to settle alongside the 50-or-so families of farmers already living in the area. Today, 50 ex-combatant families live in the emerging community, which hosts a small restaurant, various committees for community organization and development, and which cultivates the land through agriculture, poultry and fish farming. Though the community has come a long way, many challenges remain on the way towards peace and reconciliation. The two-year-old community, which does not yet have a name of its own, is located in the territory of San José de León in Urabá, northwest Colombia, a strategically important corridor for trade into Central America, with resulting drug trafficking and arms trade still keeping armed groups active in the area. Many ex-combatants face trauma and insecurity, and a lack of fulfilment by the Colombian government in transition of land ownership to FARC members makes the situation delicate. Through the project De la Guerra a la Paz (‘From War to Peace’), the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Colombia accompanies three communities in the Antioquia region, offering support both to ex-combatants and to the communities they now live alongside, as they reintegrate into society. Supporting a total of more than 300 families, the project seeks to alleviate the risk of re-victimization, or relapse into violent conflict.
    PhotoByAlbinHillert_20181116_AH2_529...jpg
  • 17 November 2018, Dabeiba, Antioquia, Colombia: "Harrison", the name by which he is known as a former commander in the Armed Revolutionary Forces of Colombia (FARC) is one of many ex-combatants currently trying to reconstruct their lives peacefully in Colombian civil society, following the 2016 peace treaty between the FARC Guerilla and the Colombian government. Challenges remain, however, as armed groups remain active in northwest Colombia, a strategically important corridor for trade into Central America, and ex-combatants face both stigma, threats of assassination, and suffer from a lack of fulfilment by the government on transfering ownership of lands to former guerilla combatants, which leads both to vulnerability and instability for life in the countryside. The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Colombia accompanies communities of ex-combatants, as well as the communities into which they are reintegrating, to help alleviate the risk of re-victimization or relapse into violent conflict.
    PhotoByAlbinHillert_20181117_AH2_574...jpg
  • 17 November 2018, Dabeiba, Antioquia, Colombia: "Harrison", the name by which he is known as a former commander in the Armed Revolutionary Forces of Colombia (FARC) is one of many ex-combatants currently trying to reconstruct their lives peacefully in Colombian civil society, following the 2016 peace treaty between the FARC Guerilla and the Colombian government. Challenges remain, however, as armed groups remain active in northwest Colombia, a strategically important corridor for trade into Central America, and ex-combatants face both stigma, threats of assassination, and suffer from a lack of fulfilment by the government on transfering ownership of lands to former guerilla combatants, which leads both to vulnerability and instability for life in the countryside. The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Colombia accompanies communities of ex-combatants, as well as the communities into which they are reintegrating, to help alleviate the risk of re-victimization or relapse into violent conflict.
    PhotoByAlbinHillert_20181117_AH2_573...jpg
  • 17 November 2018, Dabeiba, Antioquia, Colombia: "Harrison", the name by which he is known as a former commander in the Armed Revolutionary Forces of Colombia (FARC) is one of many ex-combatants currently trying to reconstruct their lives peacefully in Colombian civil society, following the 2016 peace treaty between the FARC Guerilla and the Colombian government. Challenges remain, however, as armed groups remain active in northwest Colombia, a strategically important corridor for trade into Central America, and ex-combatants face both stigma, threats of assassination, and suffer from a lack of fulfilment by the government on transfering ownership of lands to former guerilla combatants, which leads both to vulnerability and instability for life in the countryside. The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Colombia accompanies communities of ex-combatants, as well as the communities into which they are reintegrating, to help alleviate the risk of re-victimization or relapse into violent conflict. Here, Harrison greets Rev. John Hernández, a Lutheran pastor who accompanies said communities.
    PhotoByAlbinHillert_20181117_AH1_916...jpg
  • 17 November 2018, Dabeiba, Antioquia, Colombia: "Harrison", the name by which he is known as a former commander in the Armed Revolutionary Forces of Colombia (FARC) is one of many ex-combatants currently trying to reconstruct their lives peacefully in Colombian civil society, following the 2016 peace treaty between the FARC Guerilla and the Colombian government. Challenges remain, however, as armed groups remain active in northwest Colombia, a strategically important corridor for trade into Central America, and ex-combatants face both stigma, threats of assassination, and suffer from a lack of fulfilment by the government on transfering ownership of lands to former guerilla combatants, which leads both to vulnerability and instability for life in the countryside. The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Colombia accompanies communities of ex-combatants, as well as the communities into which they are reintegrating, to help alleviate the risk of re-victimization or relapse into violent conflict.
    PhotoByAlbinHillert_20181117_AH1_915...jpg
  • 16 November 2018, San José de León, Mutatá, Antioquia, Colombia: Rain falls heavy over the village. Following the 2016 peace treaty between FARC and the Colombian government, a group of ex-combatant families have purchased and now cultivate 36 hectares of land in the territory of San José de León, municipality of Mutatá in Antioquia, Colombia. A group of 27 families first purchased the lot of land in San José de León, moving in from nearby Córdoba to settle alongside the 50-or-so families of farmers already living in the area. Today, 50 ex-combatant families live in the emerging community, which hosts a small restaurant, various committees for community organization and development, and which cultivates the land through agriculture, poultry and fish farming. Though the community has come a long way, many challenges remain on the way towards peace and reconciliation. The two-year-old community, which does not yet have a name of its own, is located in the territory of San José de León in Urabá, northwest Colombia, a strategically important corridor for trade into Central America, with resulting drug trafficking and arms trade still keeping armed groups active in the area. Many ex-combatants face trauma and insecurity, and a lack of fulfilment by the Colombian government in transition of land ownership to FARC members makes the situation delicate. Through the project De la Guerra a la Paz (‘From War to Peace’), the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Colombia accompanies three communities in the Antioquia region, offering support both to ex-combatants and to the communities they now live alongside, as they reintegrate into society. Supporting a total of more than 300 families, the project seeks to alleviate the risk of re-victimization, or relapse into violent conflict.
    PhotoByAlbinHillert_20181116_AH2_568...jpg
  • 16 November 2018, San José de León, Mutatá, Antioquia, Colombia: As the sun is soon to set, a man sits to rest on the balcony of his house in San José de León. Following the 2016 peace treaty between FARC and the Colombian government, a group of ex-combatant families have purchased and now cultivate 36 hectares of land in the territory of San José de León, municipality of Mutatá in Antioquia, Colombia. A group of 27 families first purchased the lot of land in San José de León, moving in from nearby Córdoba to settle alongside the 50-or-so families of farmers already living in the area. Today, 50 ex-combatant families live in the emerging community, which hosts a small restaurant, various committees for community organization and development, and which cultivates the land through agriculture, poultry and fish farming. Though the community has come a long way, many challenges remain on the way towards peace and reconciliation. The two-year-old community, which does not yet have a name of its own, is located in the territory of San José de León in Urabá, northwest Colombia, a strategically important corridor for trade into Central America, with resulting drug trafficking and arms trade still keeping armed groups active in the area. Many ex-combatants face trauma and insecurity, and a lack of fulfilment by the Colombian government in transition of land ownership to FARC members makes the situation delicate. Through the project De la Guerra a la Paz (‘From War to Peace’), the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Colombia accompanies three communities in the Antioquia region, offering support both to ex-combatants and to the communities they now live alongside, as they reintegrate into society. Supporting a total of more than 300 families, the project seeks to alleviate the risk of re-victimization, or relapse into violent conflict.
    PhotoByAlbinHillert_20181116_AH2_570...jpg
  • 16 November 2018, San José de León, Mutatá, Antioquia, Colombia: “My dream, it is to see this country in peace,” says Joverman Sánchez Arroyave, formerly known by the name of war Rubén Cano, as commander in the FARC guerrilla (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia). “I dream that what was agreed in Havana, witnessed by the international community, is fulfilled. That is the whole essence, to achieve the political transformation that is needed in our country, including peace.” Following the 2016 peace treaty between FARC and the Colombian government, a group of ex-combatant families have purchased and now cultivate 36 hectares of land in the territory of San José de León, municipality of Mutatá in Antioquia, Colombia. A group of 27 families first purchased the lot of land in San José de León, moving in from nearby Córdoba to settle alongside the 50-or-so families of farmers already living in the area. Today, 50 ex-combatant families live in the emerging community, which hosts a small restaurant, various committees for community organization and development, and which cultivates the land through agriculture, poultry and fish farming. Though the community has come a long way, many challenges remain on the way towards peace and reconciliation. The two-year-old community, which does not yet have a name of its own, is located in the territory of San José de León in Urabá, northwest Colombia, a strategically important corridor for trade into Central America, with resulting drug trafficking and arms trade still keeping armed groups active in the area. Many ex-combatants face trauma and insecurity, and a lack of fulfilment by the Colombian government in transition of land ownership to FARC members makes the situation delicate.
    PhotoByAlbinHillert_20181116_AH2_561...jpg
  • 16 November 2018, San José de León, Mutatá, Antioquia, Colombia: “My dream is that my children will have a better future than the one we are living, that they will continue to study, not become a man without letters, like me,” says Edilberto Reyes. Following the 2016 peace treaty between FARC and the Colombian government, a group of ex-combatant families have purchased and now cultivate 36 hectares of land in the territory of San José de León, municipality of Mutatá in Antioquia, Colombia. A group of 27 families first purchased the lot of land in San José de León, moving in from nearby Córdoba to settle alongside the 50-or-so families of farmers already living in the area. Today, 50 ex-combatant families live in the emerging community, which hosts a small restaurant, various committees for community organization and development, and which cultivates the land through agriculture, poultry and fish farming. Though the community has come a long way, many challenges remain on the way towards peace and reconciliation. The two-year-old community, which does not yet have a name of its own, is located in the territory of San José de León in Urabá, northwest Colombia, a strategically important corridor for trade into Central America, with resulting drug trafficking and arms trade still keeping armed groups active in the area. Many ex-combatants face trauma and insecurity, and a lack of fulfilment by the Colombian government in transition of land ownership to FARC members makes the situation delicate. Through the project De la Guerra a la Paz (‘From War to Peace’), the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Colombia accompanies three communities in the Antioquia region, offering support both to ex-combatants and to the communities they now live alongside, as they reintegrate into society. Supporting a total of more than 300 families, the project seeks to alleviate the risk of re-victimization, or relapse into violent conflict.
    PhotoByAlbinHillert_20181116_AH2_557...jpg
  • 16 November 2018, San José de León, Mutatá, Antioquia, Colombia: “I dream of seeing a Colombia truly in peace, a peace that includes social justice, and including a developed countryside, in education, in health, and in all aspects that affect the country,” says Luz Ledis López.  Following the 2016 peace treaty between FARC and the Colombian government, a group of ex-combatant families have purchased and now cultivate 36 hectares of land in the territory of San José de León, municipality of Mutatá in Antioquia, Colombia. A group of 27 families first purchased the lot of land in San José de León, moving in from nearby Córdoba to settle alongside the 50-or-so families of farmers already living in the area. Today, 50 ex-combatant families live in the emerging community, which hosts a small restaurant, various committees for community organization and development, and which cultivates the land through agriculture, poultry and fish farming. Though the community has come a long way, many challenges remain on the way towards peace and reconciliation. The two-year-old community, which does not yet have a name of its own, is located in the territory of San José de León in Urabá, northwest Colombia, a strategically important corridor for trade into Central America, with resulting drug trafficking and arms trade still keeping armed groups active in the area. Many ex-combatants face trauma and insecurity, and a lack of fulfilment by the Colombian government in transition of land ownership to FARC members makes the situation delicate. Through the project De la Guerra a la Paz (‘From War to Peace’), the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Colombia accompanies three communities in the Antioquia region, offering support both to ex-combatants and to the communities they now live alongside, as they reintegrate into society. Supporting a total of more than 300 families, the project seeks to alleviate the risk of re-victimization, or relapse into violent conflict.
    PhotoByAlbinHillert_20181116_AH2_555...jpg
  • 16 November 2018, San José de León, Mutatá, Antioquia, Colombia: Young girl Sirli Milena Giraldo. Following the 2016 peace treaty between FARC and the Colombian government, a group of ex-combatant families have purchased and now cultivate 36 hectares of land in the territory of San José de León, municipality of Mutatá in Antioquia, Colombia. A group of 27 families first purchased the lot of land in San José de León, moving in from nearby Córdoba to settle alongside the 50-or-so families of farmers already living in the area. Today, 50 ex-combatant families live in the emerging community, which hosts a small restaurant, various committees for community organization and development, and which cultivates the land through agriculture, poultry and fish farming. Though the community has come a long way, many challenges remain on the way towards peace and reconciliation. The two-year-old community, which does not yet have a name of its own, is located in the territory of San José de León in Urabá, northwest Colombia, a strategically important corridor for trade into Central America, with resulting drug trafficking and arms trade still keeping armed groups active in the area. Many ex-combatants face trauma and insecurity, and a lack of fulfilment by the Colombian government in transition of land ownership to FARC members makes the situation delicate. Through the project De la Guerra a la Paz (‘From War to Peace’), the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Colombia accompanies three communities in the Antioquia region, offering support both to ex-combatants and to the communities they now live alongside, as they reintegrate into society. Supporting a total of more than 300 families, the project seeks to alleviate the risk of re-victimization, or relapse into violent conflict.
    PhotoByAlbinHillert_20181116_AH2_556...jpg
  • 16 November 2018, San José de León, Mutatá, Antioquia, Colombia: 48-year-old Ivan walks on crutches as he is missing a leg. He lived 31 years as a FARC guerilla combatant, before settling in San José de León after the 2016 peace treaty in Colombia. Following the 2016 peace treaty between FARC and the Colombian government, a group of ex-combatant families have purchased and now cultivate 36 hectares of land in the territory of San José de León, municipality of Mutatá in Antioquia, Colombia. A group of 27 families first purchased the lot of land in San José de León, moving in from nearby Córdoba to settle alongside the 50-or-so families of farmers already living in the area. Today, 50 ex-combatant families live in the emerging community, which hosts a small restaurant, various committees for community organization and development, and which cultivates the land through agriculture, poultry and fish farming. Though the community has come a long way, many challenges remain on the way towards peace and reconciliation. The two-year-old community, which does not yet have a name of its own, is located in the territory of San José de León in Urabá, northwest Colombia, a strategically important corridor for trade into Central America, with resulting drug trafficking and arms trade still keeping armed groups active in the area. Many ex-combatants face trauma and insecurity, and a lack of fulfilment by the Colombian government in transition of land ownership to FARC members makes the situation delicate. Through the project De la Guerra a la Paz (‘From War to Peace’), the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Colombia accompanies three communities in the Antioquia region, offering support both to ex-combatants and to the communities they now live alongside, as they reintegrate into society. Supporting a total of more than 300 families, the project seeks to alleviate the risk of re-victimization, or relapse into violent conflict.
    PhotoByAlbinHillert_20181116_AH2_553...jpg
  • 16 November 2018, San José de León, Mutatá, Antioquia, Colombia: “In one way, one of our biggest threats today is the state,” explains Maribel David Galiano, president of the community board of San José de León. “For example, as we are in an area that is very rich in clean water, to make sure the state doesn’t allow mining companies or others to exploit or damage this resource. But also that people know about the reality of life in our communities, that we are people who want to work, live in peace, who want our communities to develop.” Following the 2016 peace treaty between FARC and the Colombian government, a group of ex-combatant families have purchased and now cultivate 36 hectares of land in the territory of San José de León, municipality of Mutatá in Antioquia, Colombia. A group of 27 families first purchased the lot of land in San José de León, moving in from nearby Córdoba to settle alongside the 50-or-so families of farmers already living in the area. Today, 50 ex-combatant families live in the emerging community, which hosts a small restaurant, various committees for community organization and development, and which cultivates the land through agriculture, poultry and fish farming. Though the community has come a long way, many challenges remain on the way towards peace and reconciliation. The two-year-old community, which does not yet have a name of its own, is located in the territory of San José de León in Urabá, northwest Colombia, a strategically important corridor for trade into Central America, with resulting drug trafficking and arms trade still keeping armed groups active in the area. Many ex-combatants face trauma and insecurity, and a lack of fulfilment by the Colombian government in transition of land ownership to FARC members makes the situation delicate.
    PhotoByAlbinHillert_20181116_AH2_550...jpg
  • 16 November 2018, San José de León, Mutatá, Antioquia, Colombia: Rev. John Hernández, a Lutheran pastor from Medellín (right) accompanies communities in the Antioquia area in northwest Colombia. Here, in conversation with children in the community of San José de León, together with project volunteer Octa Capella (left). Following the 2016 peace treaty between FARC and the Colombian government, a group of ex-combatant families have purchased and now cultivate 36 hectares of land in the territory of San José de León, municipality of Mutatá in Antioquia, Colombia. A group of 27 families first purchased the lot of land in San José de León, moving in from nearby Córdoba to settle alongside the 50-or-so families of farmers already living in the area. Today, 50 ex-combatant families live in the emerging community, which hosts a small restaurant, various committees for community organization and development, and which cultivates the land through agriculture, poultry and fish farming. Though the community has come a long way, many challenges remain on the way towards peace and reconciliation. The two-year-old community, which does not yet have a name of its own, is located in the territory of San José de León in Urabá, northwest Colombia, a strategically important corridor for trade into Central America, with resulting drug trafficking and arms trade still keeping armed groups active in the area. Many ex-combatants face trauma and insecurity, and a lack of fulfilment by the Colombian government in transition of land ownership to FARC members makes the situation delicate. Through the project De la Guerra a la Paz (‘From War to Peace’), the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Colombia accompanies three communities in the Antioquia region, offering support both to ex-combatants and to the communities they now live alongside, as they reintegrate into society.
    PhotoByAlbinHillert_20181116_AH2_549...jpg
  • 16 November 2018, San José de León, Mutatá, Antioquia, Colombia: 14-month-old Charli Stephany climbs on a fence in the community of San José de León. Born in late October 2017, the girl is just over a year old and her mother went through pregnancy at a time when the plastic that today makes the foundation of fish farming tanks, served as roofs over community members’ heads. Following the 2016 peace treaty between FARC and the Colombian government, a group of ex-combatant families have purchased and now cultivate 36 hectares of land in the territory of San José de León, municipality of Mutatá in Antioquia, Colombia. A group of 27 families first purchased the lot of land in San José de León, moving in from nearby Córdoba to settle alongside the 50-or-so families of farmers already living in the area. Today, 50 ex-combatant families live in the emerging community, which hosts a small restaurant, various committees for community organization and development, and which cultivates the land through agriculture, poultry and fish farming. Though the community has come a long way, many challenges remain on the way towards peace and reconciliation. The two-year-old community, which does not yet have a name of its own, is located in the territory of San José de León in Urabá, northwest Colombia, a strategically important corridor for trade into Central America, with resulting drug trafficking and arms trade still keeping armed groups active in the area. Many ex-combatants face trauma and insecurity, and a lack of fulfilment by the Colombian government in transition of land ownership to FARC members makes the situation delicate. Through the project De la Guerra a la Paz (‘From War to Peace’), the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Colombia accompanies three communities in the Antioquia region, offering support both to ex-combatants and to the communities they now live alongside, as they reintegrate into society.
    PhotoByAlbinHillert_20181116_AH2_545...jpg
  • 16 November 2018, San José de León, Mutatá, Antioquia, Colombia: Edwin Mosquera, project coordinator of De la Guerra a la Paz, helps lead a workshop on forgiveness and reconciliation. Following the 2016 peace treaty between FARC and the Colombian government, a group of ex-combatant families have purchased and now cultivate 36 hectares of land in the territory of San José de León, municipality of Mutatá in Antioquia, Colombia. A group of 27 families first purchased the lot of land in San José de León, moving in from nearby Córdoba to settle alongside the 50-or-so families of farmers already living in the area. Today, 50 ex-combatant families live in the emerging community, which hosts a small restaurant, various committees for community organization and development, and which cultivates the land through agriculture, poultry and fish farming. Though the community has come a long way, many challenges remain on the way towards peace and reconciliation. The two-year-old community, which does not yet have a name of its own, is located in the territory of San José de León in Urabá, northwest Colombia, a strategically important corridor for trade into Central America, with resulting drug trafficking and arms trade still keeping armed groups active in the area. Many ex-combatants face trauma and insecurity, and a lack of fulfilment by the Colombian government in transition of land ownership to FARC members makes the situation delicate. Through the project De la Guerra a la Paz (‘From War to Peace’), the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Colombia accompanies three communities in the Antioquia region, offering support both to ex-combatants and to the communities they now live alongside, as they reintegrate into society. Supporting a total of more than 300 families, the project seeks to alleviate the risk of re-victimization, or relapse into violent conflict.
    PhotoByAlbinHillert_20181116_AH2_546...jpg
  • 16 November 2018, San José de León, Mutatá, Antioquia, Colombia: Community members partake in a workshop on forgiveness and reconciliation. Following the 2016 peace treaty between FARC and the Colombian government, a group of ex-combatant families have purchased and now cultivate 36 hectares of land in the territory of San José de León, municipality of Mutatá in Antioquia, Colombia. A group of 27 families first purchased the lot of land in San José de León, moving in from nearby Córdoba to settle alongside the 50-or-so families of farmers already living in the area. Today, 50 ex-combatant families live in the emerging community, which hosts a small restaurant, various committees for community organization and development, and which cultivates the land through agriculture, poultry and fish farming. Though the community has come a long way, many challenges remain on the way towards peace and reconciliation. The two-year-old community, which does not yet have a name of its own, is located in the territory of San José de León in Urabá, northwest Colombia, a strategically important corridor for trade into Central America, with resulting drug trafficking and arms trade still keeping armed groups active in the area. Many ex-combatants face trauma and insecurity, and a lack of fulfilment by the Colombian government in transition of land ownership to FARC members makes the situation delicate. Through the project De la Guerra a la Paz (‘From War to Peace’), the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Colombia accompanies three communities in the Antioquia region, offering support both to ex-combatants and to the communities they now live alongside, as they reintegrate into society. Supporting a total of more than 300 families, the project seeks to alleviate the risk of re-victimization, or relapse into violent conflict.
    PhotoByAlbinHillert_20181116_AH2_545...jpg
  • 16 November 2018, San José de León, Mutatá, Antioquia, Colombia: Edwin Mosquera, project coordinator of De la Guerra a la Paz, helps lead a workshop on forgiveness and reconciliation. Following the 2016 peace treaty between FARC and the Colombian government, a group of ex-combatant families have purchased and now cultivate 36 hectares of land in the territory of San José de León, municipality of Mutatá in Antioquia, Colombia. A group of 27 families first purchased the lot of land in San José de León, moving in from nearby Córdoba to settle alongside the 50-or-so families of farmers already living in the area. Today, 50 ex-combatant families live in the emerging community, which hosts a small restaurant, various committees for community organization and development, and which cultivates the land through agriculture, poultry and fish farming. Though the community has come a long way, many challenges remain on the way towards peace and reconciliation. The two-year-old community, which does not yet have a name of its own, is located in the territory of San José de León in Urabá, northwest Colombia, a strategically important corridor for trade into Central America, with resulting drug trafficking and arms trade still keeping armed groups active in the area. Many ex-combatants face trauma and insecurity, and a lack of fulfilment by the Colombian government in transition of land ownership to FARC members makes the situation delicate. Through the project De la Guerra a la Paz (‘From War to Peace’), the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Colombia accompanies three communities in the Antioquia region, offering support both to ex-combatants and to the communities they now live alongside, as they reintegrate into society. Supporting a total of more than 300 families, the project seeks to alleviate the risk of re-victimization, or relapse into violent conflict.
    PhotoByAlbinHillert_20181116_AH2_545...jpg
  • 16 November 2018, San José de León, Mutatá, Antioquia, Colombia: Community member Carlos enjoys the view from his porch. Following the 2016 peace treaty between FARC and the Colombian government, a group of ex-combatant families have purchased and now cultivate 36 hectares of land in the territory of San José de León, municipality of Mutatá in Antioquia, Colombia. A group of 27 families first purchased the lot of land in San José de León, moving in from nearby Córdoba to settle alongside the 50-or-so families of farmers already living in the area. Today, 50 ex-combatant families live in the emerging community, which hosts a small restaurant, various committees for community organization and development, and which cultivates the land through agriculture, poultry and fish farming. Though the community has come a long way, many challenges remain on the way towards peace and reconciliation. The two-year-old community, which does not yet have a name of its own, is located in the territory of San José de León in Urabá, northwest Colombia, a strategically important corridor for trade into Central America, with resulting drug trafficking and arms trade still keeping armed groups active in the area. Many ex-combatants face trauma and insecurity, and a lack of fulfilment by the Colombian government in transition of land ownership to FARC members makes the situation delicate. Through the project De la Guerra a la Paz (‘From War to Peace’), the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Colombia accompanies three communities in the Antioquia region, offering support both to ex-combatants and to the communities they now live alongside, as they reintegrate into society. Supporting a total of more than 300 families, the project seeks to alleviate the risk of re-victimization, or relapse into violent conflict.
    PhotoByAlbinHillert_20181116_AH2_541...jpg
  • 16 November 2018, San José de León, Mutatá, Antioquia, Colombia: Manuel and his friends have spent three days mounting a new wooden house construction in the community of San José de León. The wooden parts of the house are expected to be finalized within a period of two weeks. Following the 2016 peace treaty between FARC and the Colombian government, a group of ex-combatant families have purchased and now cultivate 36 hectares of land in the territory of San José de León, municipality of Mutatá in Antioquia, Colombia. A group of 27 families first purchased the lot of land in San José de León, moving in from nearby Córdoba to settle alongside the 50-or-so families of farmers already living in the area. Today, 50 ex-combatant families live in the emerging community, which hosts a small restaurant, various committees for community organization and development, and which cultivates the land through agriculture, poultry and fish farming. Though the community has come a long way, many challenges remain on the way towards peace and reconciliation. The two-year-old community, which does not yet have a name of its own, is located in the territory of San José de León in Urabá, northwest Colombia, a strategically important corridor for trade into Central America, with resulting drug trafficking and arms trade still keeping armed groups active in the area. Many ex-combatants face trauma and insecurity, and a lack of fulfilment by the Colombian government in transition of land ownership to FARC members makes the situation delicate. Through the project De la Guerra a la Paz (‘From War to Peace’), the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Colombia accompanies three communities in the Antioquia region, offering support both to ex-combatants and to the communities they now live alongside, as they reintegrate into society. Supporting a total of more than 300 families, the project seeks to alleviate the risk of re-victimization, or relapse into violent conflict.
    PhotoByAlbinHillert_20181116_AH2_541...jpg
  • 16 November 2018, San José de León, Mutatá, Antioquia, Colombia: “The difference is in our everyday life,” says Joni Pertuz as he feeds a school of 300 Tilapia fish just outside his house. “To not have to get up at six in the morning and check the map to see where the enemy is. Now things have changed. We get up in the morning to look after our kids, to check on the animals that we have. But what has not changed is our sense of collective. We stay united.” Joni is one of some 10 families who have their own stocks of fish, apart from the community collective's larger schools of farmed fish. Following the 2016 peace treaty between FARC and the Colombian government, a group of ex-combatant families have purchased and now cultivate 36 hectares of land in the territory of San José de León, municipality of Mutatá in Antioquia, Colombia. A group of 27 families first purchased the lot of land in San José de León, moving in from nearby Córdoba to settle alongside the 50-or-so families of farmers already living in the area. Today, 50 ex-combatant families live in the emerging community, which hosts a small restaurant, various committees for community organization and development, and which cultivates the land through agriculture, poultry and fish farming. Though the community has come a long way, many challenges remain on the way towards peace and reconciliation. The two-year-old community, which does not yet have a name of its own, is located in the territory of San José de León in Urabá, northwest Colombia, a strategically important corridor for trade into Central America, with resulting drug trafficking and arms trade still keeping armed groups active in the area.
    PhotoByAlbinHillert_20181116_AH2_537...jpg
  • 16 November 2018, San José de León, Mutatá, Antioquia, Colombia: A young man rides a horse through the community in San José de León. Following the 2016 peace treaty between FARC and the Colombian government, a group of ex-combatant families have purchased and now cultivate 36 hectares of land in the territory of San José de León, municipality of Mutatá in Antioquia, Colombia. A group of 27 families first purchased the lot of land in San José de León, moving in from nearby Córdoba to settle alongside the 50-or-so families of farmers already living in the area. Today, 50 ex-combatant families live in the emerging community, which hosts a small restaurant, various committees for community organization and development, and which cultivates the land through agriculture, poultry and fish farming. Though the community has come a long way, many challenges remain on the way towards peace and reconciliation. The two-year-old community, which does not yet have a name of its own, is located in the territory of San José de León in Urabá, northwest Colombia, a strategically important corridor for trade into Central America, with resulting drug trafficking and arms trade still keeping armed groups active in the area. Many ex-combatants face trauma and insecurity, and a lack of fulfilment by the Colombian government in transition of land ownership to FARC members makes the situation delicate. Through the project De la Guerra a la Paz (‘From War to Peace’), the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Colombia accompanies three communities in the Antioquia region, offering support both to ex-combatants and to the communities they now live alongside, as they reintegrate into society. Supporting a total of more than 300 families, the project seeks to alleviate the risk of re-victimization, or relapse into violent conflict.
    PhotoByAlbinHillert_20181116_AH2_535...jpg
  • 16 November 2018, San José de León, Mutatá, Antioquia, Colombia: Community members gather for a joint meal at midday. Following the 2016 peace treaty between FARC and the Colombian government, a group of ex-combatant families have purchased and now cultivate 36 hectares of land in the territory of San José de León, municipality of Mutatá in Antioquia, Colombia. A group of 27 families first purchased the lot of land in San José de León, moving in from nearby Córdoba to settle alongside the 50-or-so families of farmers already living in the area. Today, 50 ex-combatant families live in the emerging community, which hosts a small restaurant, various committees for community organization and development, and which cultivates the land through agriculture, poultry and fish farming. Though the community has come a long way, many challenges remain on the way towards peace and reconciliation. The two-year-old community, which does not yet have a name of its own, is located in the territory of San José de León in Urabá, northwest Colombia, a strategically important corridor for trade into Central America, with resulting drug trafficking and arms trade still keeping armed groups active in the area. Many ex-combatants face trauma and insecurity, and a lack of fulfilment by the Colombian government in transition of land ownership to FARC members makes the situation delicate. Through the project De la Guerra a la Paz (‘From War to Peace’), the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Colombia accompanies three communities in the Antioquia region, offering support both to ex-combatants and to the communities they now live alongside, as they reintegrate into society. Supporting a total of more than 300 families, the project seeks to alleviate the risk of re-victimization, or relapse into violent conflict.
    PhotoByAlbinHillert_20181116_AH2_532...jpg
  • 16 November 2018, San José de León, Mutatá, Antioquia, Colombia: Construction work rarely stops in the village. Horses help move wooden logs from one site to another, to help construction of new houses and homes. Following the 2016 peace treaty between FARC and the Colombian government, a group of ex-combatant families have purchased and now cultivate 36 hectares of land in the territory of San José de León, municipality of Mutatá in Antioquia, Colombia. A group of 27 families first purchased the lot of land in San José de León, moving in from nearby Córdoba to settle alongside the 50-or-so families of farmers already living in the area. Today, 50 ex-combatant families live in the emerging community, which hosts a small restaurant, various committees for community organization and development, and which cultivates the land through agriculture, poultry and fish farming. Though the community has come a long way, many challenges remain on the way towards peace and reconciliation. The two-year-old community, which does not yet have a name of its own, is located in the territory of San José de León in Urabá, northwest Colombia, a strategically important corridor for trade into Central America, with resulting drug trafficking and arms trade still keeping armed groups active in the area. Many ex-combatants face trauma and insecurity, and a lack of fulfilment by the Colombian government in transition of land ownership to FARC members makes the situation delicate. Through the project De la Guerra a la Paz (‘From War to Peace’), the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Colombia accompanies three communities in the Antioquia region, offering support both to ex-combatants and to the communities they now live alongside, as they reintegrate into society. Supporting a total of more than 300 families, the project seeks to alleviate the risk of re-victimization, or relapse into violent conflict.
    PhotoByAlbinHillert_20181116_AH2_534...jpg
  • 16 November 2018, San José de León, Mutatá, Antioquia, Colombia: 48-year-old Ivan greets one of the community's little ones. Ivan walks on crutches as he is missing a leg. He lived 31 years as a FARC guerilla combatant, before settling in San José de León after the 2016 peace treaty in Colombia. Following the 2016 peace treaty between FARC and the Colombian government, a group of ex-combatant families have purchased and now cultivate 36 hectares of land in the territory of San José de León, municipality of Mutatá in Antioquia, Colombia. A group of 27 families first purchased the lot of land in San José de León, moving in from nearby Córdoba to settle alongside the 50-or-so families of farmers already living in the area. Today, 50 ex-combatant families live in the emerging community, which hosts a small restaurant, various committees for community organization and development, and which cultivates the land through agriculture, poultry and fish farming. Though the community has come a long way, many challenges remain on the way towards peace and reconciliation. The two-year-old community, which does not yet have a name of its own, is located in the territory of San José de León in Urabá, northwest Colombia, a strategically important corridor for trade into Central America, with resulting drug trafficking and arms trade still keeping armed groups active in the area. Many ex-combatants face trauma and insecurity, and a lack of fulfilment by the Colombian government in transition of land ownership to FARC members makes the situation delicate. Through the project De la Guerra a la Paz (‘From War to Peace’), the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Colombia accompanies three communities in the Antioquia region, offering support both to ex-combatants and to the communities they now live alongside, as they reintegrate into society.
    PhotoByAlbinHillert_20181116_AH2_532...jpg
  • 16 November 2018, San José de León, Mutatá, Antioquia, Colombia: Mayerlis serves 48-year-old Ivan a meal of sarapa – rice and chicken wrapped in a Cachibou leaf. Ivan walks on crutches as he is missing a leg. He lived 31 years as a FARC guerilla combatant, before settling in San José de León after the 2016 peace treaty in Colombia. Following the 2016 peace treaty between FARC and the Colombian government, a group of ex-combatant families have purchased and now cultivate 36 hectares of land in the territory of San José de León, municipality of Mutatá in Antioquia, Colombia. A group of 27 families first purchased the lot of land in San José de León, moving in from nearby Córdoba to settle alongside the 50-or-so families of farmers already living in the area. Today, 50 ex-combatant families live in the emerging community, which hosts a small restaurant, various committees for community organization and development, and which cultivates the land through agriculture, poultry and fish farming. Though the community has come a long way, many challenges remain on the way towards peace and reconciliation. The two-year-old community, which does not yet have a name of its own, is located in the territory of San José de León in Urabá, northwest Colombia, a strategically important corridor for trade into Central America, with resulting drug trafficking and arms trade still keeping armed groups active in the area. Many ex-combatants face trauma and insecurity, and a lack of fulfilment by the Colombian government in transition of land ownership to FARC members makes the situation delicate.
    PhotoByAlbinHillert_20181116_AH2_532...jpg
  • 16 November 2018, San José de León, Mutatá, Antioquia, Colombia: Mayerlis (left) serves Aida (right) a meal of sarapa - rice and chicken wrapped in a Cachibou leaf. Following the 2016 peace treaty between FARC and the Colombian government, a group of ex-combatant families have purchased and now cultivate 36 hectares of land in the territory of San José de León, municipality of Mutatá in Antioquia, Colombia. A group of 27 families first purchased the lot of land in San José de León, moving in from nearby Córdoba to settle alongside the 50-or-so families of farmers already living in the area. Today, 50 ex-combatant families live in the emerging community, which hosts a small restaurant, various committees for community organization and development, and which cultivates the land through agriculture, poultry and fish farming. Though the community has come a long way, many challenges remain on the way towards peace and reconciliation. The two-year-old community, which does not yet have a name of its own, is located in the territory of San José de León in Urabá, northwest Colombia, a strategically important corridor for trade into Central America, with resulting drug trafficking and arms trade still keeping armed groups active in the area. Many ex-combatants face trauma and insecurity, and a lack of fulfilment by the Colombian government in transition of land ownership to FARC members makes the situation delicate. Through the project De la Guerra a la Paz (‘From War to Peace’), the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Colombia accompanies three communities in the Antioquia region, offering support both to ex-combatants and to the communities they now live alongside, as they reintegrate into society. Supporting a total of more than 300 families, the project seeks to alleviate the risk of re-victimization, or relapse into violent conflict.
    PhotoByAlbinHillert_20181116_AH2_531...jpg
  • 16 November 2018, San José de León, Mutatá, Antioquia, Colombia: Mayerlis prepares a meal of sarapa - rice and chicken wrapped in a Cachibou leaf. Following the 2016 peace treaty between FARC and the Colombian government, a group of ex-combatant families have purchased and now cultivate 36 hectares of land in the territory of San José de León, municipality of Mutatá in Antioquia, Colombia. A group of 27 families first purchased the lot of land in San José de León, moving in from nearby Córdoba to settle alongside the 50-or-so families of farmers already living in the area. Today, 50 ex-combatant families live in the emerging community, which hosts a small restaurant, various committees for community organization and development, and which cultivates the land through agriculture, poultry and fish farming. Though the community has come a long way, many challenges remain on the way towards peace and reconciliation. The two-year-old community, which does not yet have a name of its own, is located in the territory of San José de León in Urabá, northwest Colombia, a strategically important corridor for trade into Central America, with resulting drug trafficking and arms trade still keeping armed groups active in the area. Many ex-combatants face trauma and insecurity, and a lack of fulfilment by the Colombian government in transition of land ownership to FARC members makes the situation delicate. Through the project De la Guerra a la Paz (‘From War to Peace’), the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Colombia accompanies three communities in the Antioquia region, offering support both to ex-combatants and to the communities they now live alongside, as they reintegrate into society. Supporting a total of more than 300 families, the project seeks to alleviate the risk of re-victimization, or relapse into violent conflict.
    PhotoByAlbinHillert_20181116_AH2_531...jpg
  • 16 November 2018, San José de León, Mutatá, Antioquia, Colombia: A narrow path leads the way towards pools of farmed fish, in a community in San José de León. Following the 2016 peace treaty between FARC and the Colombian government, a group of ex-combatant families have purchased and now cultivate 36 hectares of land in the territory of San José de León, municipality of Mutatá in Antioquia, Colombia. A group of 27 families first purchased the lot of land in San José de León, moving in from nearby Córdoba to settle alongside the 50-or-so families of farmers already living in the area. Today, 50 ex-combatant families live in the emerging community, which hosts a small restaurant, various committees for community organization and development, and which cultivates the land through agriculture, poultry and fish farming. Though the community has come a long way, many challenges remain on the way towards peace and reconciliation. The two-year-old community, which does not yet have a name of its own, is located in the territory of San José de León in Urabá, northwest Colombia, a strategically important corridor for trade into Central America, with resulting drug trafficking and arms trade still keeping armed groups active in the area. Many ex-combatants face trauma and insecurity, and a lack of fulfilment by the Colombian government in transition of land ownership to FARC members makes the situation delicate. Through the project De la Guerra a la Paz (‘From War to Peace’), the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Colombia accompanies three communities in the Antioquia region, offering support both to ex-combatants and to the communities they now live alongside, as they reintegrate into society. Supporting a total of more than 300 families, the project seeks to alleviate the risk of re-victimization, or relapse into violent conflict.
    PhotoByAlbinHillert_20181116_AH2_527...jpg
  • 16 November 2018, San José de León, Mutatá, Antioquia, Colombia: 30-year-old Jorge rests on the porch of his house. Following the 2016 peace treaty between FARC and the Colombian government, a group of ex-combatant families have purchased and now cultivate 36 hectares of land in the territory of San José de León, municipality of Mutatá in Antioquia, Colombia. A group of 27 families first purchased the lot of land in San José de León, moving in from nearby Córdoba to settle alongside the 50-or-so families of farmers already living in the area. Today, 50 ex-combatant families live in the emerging community, which hosts a small restaurant, various committees for community organization and development, and which cultivates the land through agriculture, poultry and fish farming. Though the community has come a long way, many challenges remain on the way towards peace and reconciliation. The two-year-old community, which does not yet have a name of its own, is located in the territory of San José de León in Urabá, northwest Colombia, a strategically important corridor for trade into Central America, with resulting drug trafficking and arms trade still keeping armed groups active in the area. Many ex-combatants face trauma and insecurity, and a lack of fulfilment by the Colombian government in transition of land ownership to FARC members makes the situation delicate. Through the project De la Guerra a la Paz (‘From War to Peace’), the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Colombia accompanies three communities in the Antioquia region, offering support both to ex-combatants and to the communities they now live alongside, as they reintegrate into society. Supporting a total of more than 300 families, the project seeks to alleviate the risk of re-victimization, or relapse into violent conflict.
    PhotoByAlbinHillert_20181116_AH2_531...jpg
  • 16 November 2018, San José de León, Mutatá, Antioquia, Colombia: Following the 2016 peace treaty between FARC and the Colombian government, a group of ex-combatant families have purchased and now cultivate 36 hectares of land in the territory of San José de León, municipality of Mutatá in Antioquia, Colombia. A group of 27 families first purchased the lot of land in San José de León, moving in from nearby Córdoba to settle alongside the 50-or-so families of farmers already living in the area. Today, 50 ex-combatant families live in the emerging community, which hosts a small restaurant, various committees for community organization and development, and which cultivates the land through agriculture, poultry and fish farming. Though the community has come a long way, many challenges remain on the way towards peace and reconciliation. The two-year-old community, which does not yet have a name of its own, is located in the territory of San José de León in Urabá, northwest Colombia, a strategically important corridor for trade into Central America, with resulting drug trafficking and arms trade still keeping armed groups active in the area. Many ex-combatants face trauma and insecurity, and a lack of fulfilment by the Colombian government in transition of land ownership to FARC members makes the situation delicate. Through the project De la Guerra a la Paz (‘From War to Peace’), the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Colombia accompanies three communities in the Antioquia region, offering support both to ex-combatants and to the communities they now live alongside, as they reintegrate into society. Supporting a total of more than 300 families, the project seeks to alleviate the risk of re-victimization, or relapse into violent conflict.
    PhotoByAlbinHillert_20181116_AH2_526...jpg
  • 16 November 2018, San José de León, Mutatá, Antioquia, Colombia: “My dream, it is to see this country in peace,” says Joverman Sánchez Arroyave, formerly known by the name of war Rubén Cano, as commander in the FARC guerrilla (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia). “I dream that what was agreed in Havana, witnessed by the international community, is fulfilled. That is the whole essence, to achieve the political transformation that is needed in our country, including peace.” Following the 2016 peace treaty between FARC and the Colombian government, a group of ex-combatant families have purchased and now cultivate 36 hectares of land in the territory of San José de León, municipality of Mutatá in Antioquia, Colombia. A group of 27 families first purchased the lot of land in San José de León, moving in from nearby Córdoba to settle alongside the 50-or-so families of farmers already living in the area. Today, 50 ex-combatant families live in the emerging community, which hosts a small restaurant, various committees for community organization and development, and which cultivates the land through agriculture, poultry and fish farming. Though the community has come a long way, many challenges remain on the way towards peace and reconciliation. The two-year-old community, which does not yet have a name of its own, is located in the territory of San José de León in Urabá, northwest Colombia, a strategically important corridor for trade into Central America, with resulting drug trafficking and arms trade still keeping armed groups active in the area. Many ex-combatants face trauma and insecurity, and a lack of fulfilment by the Colombian government in transition of land ownership to FARC members makes the situation delicate.
    PhotoByAlbinHillert_20181116_AH1_909...jpg
  • 16 November 2018, La Fortuna, Mutatá, Antioquia, Colombia: The Urabá region, in northwest Colombia, forms a strategically important corridor for trade into Central America, with resulting drug trafficking and arms trade still keeping armed groups active in the area, causing insecurity for families trying to live a life of peace.
    PhotoByAlbinHillert_20181116_AH2_520...jpg
  • 16 November 2018, San José de León, Mutatá, Antioquia, Colombia: “My dream, it is to see this country in peace,” says Joverman Sánchez Arroyave, formerly known by the name of war Rubén Cano, as commander in the FARC guerrilla (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia). “I dream that what was agreed in Havana, witnessed by the international community, is fulfilled. That is the whole essence, to achieve the political transformation that is needed in our country, including peace.” Following the 2016 peace treaty between FARC and the Colombian government, a group of ex-combatant families have purchased and now cultivate 36 hectares of land in the territory of San José de León, municipality of Mutatá in Antioquia, Colombia. A group of 27 families first purchased the lot of land in San José de León, moving in from nearby Córdoba to settle alongside the 50-or-so families of farmers already living in the area. Today, 50 ex-combatant families live in the emerging community, which hosts a small restaurant, various committees for community organization and development, and which cultivates the land through agriculture, poultry and fish farming. Though the community has come a long way, many challenges remain on the way towards peace and reconciliation. The two-year-old community, which does not yet have a name of its own, is located in the territory of San José de León in Urabá, northwest Colombia, a strategically important corridor for trade into Central America, with resulting drug trafficking and arms trade still keeping armed groups active in the area. Many ex-combatants face trauma and insecurity, and a lack of fulfilment by the Colombian government in transition of land ownership to FARC members makes the situation delicate.
    PhotoByAlbinHillert_20181116_AH1_910...jpg
  • 16 November 2018, San José de León, Mutatá, Antioquia, Colombia: The area of San José de León is rich in clean water - a great asset, but also a threat to the community, as mining companies and other interests may enter the scene to exploit or damage the natural resource. Following the 2016 peace treaty between FARC and the Colombian government, a group of ex-combatant families have purchased and now cultivate 36 hectares of land in the territory of San José de León, municipality of Mutatá in Antioquia, Colombia. A group of 27 families first purchased the lot of land in San José de León, moving in from nearby Córdoba to settle alongside the 50-or-so families of farmers already living in the area. Today, 50 ex-combatant families live in the emerging community, which hosts a small restaurant, various committees for community organization and development, and which cultivates the land through agriculture, poultry and fish farming. Though the community has come a long way, many challenges remain on the way towards peace and reconciliation. The two-year-old community, which does not yet have a name of its own, is located in the territory of San José de León in Urabá, northwest Colombia, a strategically important corridor for trade into Central America, with resulting drug trafficking and arms trade still keeping armed groups active in the area. Many ex-combatants face trauma and insecurity, and a lack of fulfilment by the Colombian government in transition of land ownership to FARC members makes the situation delicate. Through the project De la Guerra a la Paz (‘From War to Peace’), the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Colombia accompanies three communities in the Antioquia region, offering support both to ex-combatants and to the communities they now live alongside, as they reintegrate into society. Supporting a total of more than 300 families, the project seeks to alleviate the risk of re-victimization, or relapse into violent conflict.
    PhotoByAlbinHillert_20181116_AH1_901...jpg
  • 16 November 2018, San José de León, Mutatá, Antioquia, Colombia: “In one way, one of our biggest threats today is the state,” explains Maribel David Galiano, president of the community board of San José de León. “For example, as we are in an area that is very rich in clean water, to make sure the state doesn’t allow mining companies or others to exploit or damage this resource. But also that people know about the reality of life in our communities, that we are people who want to work, live in peace, who want our communities to develop.” Following the 2016 peace treaty between FARC and the Colombian government, a group of ex-combatant families have purchased and now cultivate 36 hectares of land in the territory of San José de León, municipality of Mutatá in Antioquia, Colombia. A group of 27 families first purchased the lot of land in San José de León, moving in from nearby Córdoba to settle alongside the 50-or-so families of farmers already living in the area. Today, 50 ex-combatant families live in the emerging community, which hosts a small restaurant, various committees for community organization and development, and which cultivates the land through agriculture, poultry and fish farming. Though the community has come a long way, many challenges remain on the way towards peace and reconciliation. The two-year-old community, which does not yet have a name of its own, is located in the territory of San José de León in Urabá, northwest Colombia, a strategically important corridor for trade into Central America, with resulting drug trafficking and arms trade still keeping armed groups active in the area. Many ex-combatants face trauma and insecurity, and a lack of fulfilment by the Colombian government in transition of land ownership to FARC members makes the situation delicate.
    PhotoByAlbinHillert_20181116_AH1_906...jpg
  • 16 November 2018, San José de León, Mutatá, Antioquia, Colombia: Water pipes ensure oxygen flow through fish farming tanks in San José de León. Following the 2016 peace treaty between FARC and the Colombian government, a group of ex-combatant families have purchased and now cultivate 36 hectares of land in the territory of San José de León, municipality of Mutatá in Antioquia, Colombia. A group of 27 families first purchased the lot of land in San José de León, moving in from nearby Córdoba to settle alongside the 50-or-so families of farmers already living in the area. Today, 50 ex-combatant families live in the emerging community, which hosts a small restaurant, various committees for community organization and development, and which cultivates the land through agriculture, poultry and fish farming. Though the community has come a long way, many challenges remain on the way towards peace and reconciliation. The two-year-old community, which does not yet have a name of its own, is located in the territory of San José de León in Urabá, northwest Colombia, a strategically important corridor for trade into Central America, with resulting drug trafficking and arms trade still keeping armed groups active in the area. Many ex-combatants face trauma and insecurity, and a lack of fulfilment by the Colombian government in transition of land ownership to FARC members makes the situation delicate. Through the project De la Guerra a la Paz (‘From War to Peace’), the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Colombia accompanies three communities in the Antioquia region, offering support both to ex-combatants and to the communities they now live alongside, as they reintegrate into society. Supporting a total of more than 300 families, the project seeks to alleviate the risk of re-victimization, or relapse into violent conflict.
    PhotoByAlbinHillert_20181116_AH1_900...jpg
  • 16 November 2018, San José de León, Mutatá, Antioquia, Colombia: ‘Take care of nature, do not litter,” a sign by the River Fortuna reads. The area of San José de León is rich in clean water - a great asset, but also a threat to the community, as mining companies and other interests may enter the scene to exploit or damage the natural resource. Following the 2016 peace treaty between FARC and the Colombian government, a group of ex-combatant families have purchased and now cultivate 36 hectares of land in the territory of San José de León, municipality of Mutatá in Antioquia, Colombia. A group of 27 families first purchased the lot of land in San José de León, moving in from nearby Córdoba to settle alongside the 50-or-so families of farmers already living in the area. Today, 50 ex-combatant families live in the emerging community, which hosts a small restaurant, various committees for community organization and development, and which cultivates the land through agriculture, poultry and fish farming. Though the community has come a long way, many challenges remain on the way towards peace and reconciliation. The two-year-old community, which does not yet have a name of its own, is located in the territory of San José de León in Urabá, northwest Colombia, a strategically important corridor for trade into Central America, with resulting drug trafficking and arms trade still keeping armed groups active in the area. Many ex-combatants face trauma and insecurity, and a lack of fulfilment by the Colombian government in transition of land ownership to FARC members makes the situation delicate. Through the project De la Guerra a la Paz (‘From War to Peace’), the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Colombia accompanies three communities in the Antioquia region, offering support both to ex-combatants and to the communities they now live alongside, as they reintegrate into society.
    PhotoByAlbinHillert_20181116_AH1_900...jpg
  • 16 November 2018, San José de León, Mutatá, Antioquia, Colombia: Mayerlis prepares a meal of sarapa - rice and chicken wrapped in a Cachibou leaf. Following the 2016 peace treaty between FARC and the Colombian government, a group of ex-combatant families have purchased and now cultivate 36 hectares of land in the territory of San José de León, municipality of Mutatá in Antioquia, Colombia. A group of 27 families first purchased the lot of land in San José de León, moving in from nearby Córdoba to settle alongside the 50-or-so families of farmers already living in the area. Today, 50 ex-combatant families live in the emerging community, which hosts a small restaurant, various committees for community organization and development, and which cultivates the land through agriculture, poultry and fish farming. Though the community has come a long way, many challenges remain on the way towards peace and reconciliation. The two-year-old community, which does not yet have a name of its own, is located in the territory of San José de León in Urabá, northwest Colombia, a strategically important corridor for trade into Central America, with resulting drug trafficking and arms trade still keeping armed groups active in the area. Many ex-combatants face trauma and insecurity, and a lack of fulfilment by the Colombian government in transition of land ownership to FARC members makes the situation delicate. Through the project De la Guerra a la Paz (‘From War to Peace’), the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Colombia accompanies three communities in the Antioquia region, offering support both to ex-combatants and to the communities they now live alongside, as they reintegrate into society. Supporting a total of more than 300 families, the project seeks to alleviate the risk of re-victimization, or relapse into violent conflict.
    PhotoByAlbinHillert_20181116_AH1_891...jpg
  • 16 November 2018, San José de León, Mutatá, Antioquia, Colombia: Manuel and his friends have spent three days mounting a new wooden house construction in the community of San José de León. The wooden parts of the house are expected to be finalized within a period of two weeks. Following the 2016 peace treaty between FARC and the Colombian government, a group of ex-combatant families have purchased and now cultivate 36 hectares of land in the territory of San José de León, municipality of Mutatá in Antioquia, Colombia. A group of 27 families first purchased the lot of land in San José de León, moving in from nearby Córdoba to settle alongside the 50-or-so families of farmers already living in the area. Today, 50 ex-combatant families live in the emerging community, which hosts a small restaurant, various committees for community organization and development, and which cultivates the land through agriculture, poultry and fish farming. Though the community has come a long way, many challenges remain on the way towards peace and reconciliation. The two-year-old community, which does not yet have a name of its own, is located in the territory of San José de León in Urabá, northwest Colombia, a strategically important corridor for trade into Central America, with resulting drug trafficking and arms trade still keeping armed groups active in the area. Many ex-combatants face trauma and insecurity, and a lack of fulfilment by the Colombian government in transition of land ownership to FARC members makes the situation delicate. Through the project De la Guerra a la Paz (‘From War to Peace’), the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Colombia accompanies three communities in the Antioquia region, offering support both to ex-combatants and to the communities they now live alongside, as they reintegrate into society. Supporting a total of more than 300 families, the project seeks to alleviate the risk of re-victimization, or relapse into violent conflict.
    PhotoByAlbinHillert_20181116_AH1_897...jpg
  • 16 November 2018, San José de León, Mutatá, Antioquia, Colombia: Joni Pertuz feeds the community collective's stock of farmed fish in San José de León. Joni is one of some 10 families who have their own stocks of fish, but this week he is also responsible for feeding the community collective's larger schools of farmed fish. Following the 2016 peace treaty between FARC and the Colombian government, a group of ex-combatant families have purchased and now cultivate 36 hectares of land in the territory of San José de León, municipality of Mutatá in Antioquia, Colombia. A group of 27 families first purchased the lot of land in San José de León, moving in from nearby Córdoba to settle alongside the 50-or-so families of farmers already living in the area. Today, 50 ex-combatant families live in the emerging community, which hosts a small restaurant, various committees for community organization and development, and which cultivates the land through agriculture, poultry and fish farming. Though the community has come a long way, many challenges remain on the way towards peace and reconciliation. The two-year-old community, which does not yet have a name of its own, is located in the territory of San José de León in Urabá, northwest Colombia, a strategically important corridor for trade into Central America, with resulting drug trafficking and arms trade still keeping armed groups active in the area. Many ex-combatants face trauma and insecurity, and a lack of fulfilment by the Colombian government in transition of land ownership to FARC members makes the situation delicate.
    PhotoByAlbinHillert_20181116_AH1_896...jpg
  • 16 November 2018, San José de León, Mutatá, Antioquia, Colombia: Sociologist Ana Eloísa Gómez leads a workshop on forgiveness and reconciliation. Following the 2016 peace treaty between FARC and the Colombian government, a group of ex-combatant families have purchased and now cultivate 36 hectares of land in the territory of San José de León, municipality of Mutatá in Antioquia, Colombia. A group of 27 families first purchased the lot of land in San José de León, moving in from nearby Córdoba to settle alongside the 50-or-so families of farmers already living in the area. Today, 50 ex-combatant families live in the emerging community, which hosts a small restaurant, various committees for community organization and development, and which cultivates the land through agriculture, poultry and fish farming. Though the community has come a long way, many challenges remain on the way towards peace and reconciliation. The two-year-old community, which does not yet have a name of its own, is located in the territory of San José de León in Urabá, northwest Colombia, a strategically important corridor for trade into Central America, with resulting drug trafficking and arms trade still keeping armed groups active in the area. Many ex-combatants face trauma and insecurity, and a lack of fulfilment by the Colombian government in transition of land ownership to FARC members makes the situation delicate. Through the project De la Guerra a la Paz (‘From War to Peace’), the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Colombia accompanies three communities in the Antioquia region, offering support both to ex-combatants and to the communities they now live alongside, as they reintegrate into society. Supporting a total of more than 300 families, the project seeks to alleviate the risk of re-victimization, or relapse into violent conflict.
    PhotoByAlbinHillert_20181116_AH1_889...jpg
  • 16 November 2018, San José de León, Mutatá, Antioquia, Colombia: Community members note their attendance on a sheet following a workshop on peace and reconciliation, held as part of the project De la Guerra a la Paz, in San José de León. Following the 2016 peace treaty between FARC and the Colombian government, a group of ex-combatant families have purchased and now cultivate 36 hectares of land in the territory of San José de León, municipality of Mutatá in Antioquia, Colombia. A group of 27 families first purchased the lot of land in San José de León, moving in from nearby Córdoba to settle alongside the 50-or-so families of farmers already living in the area. Today, 50 ex-combatant families live in the emerging community, which hosts a small restaurant, various committees for community organization and development, and which cultivates the land through agriculture, poultry and fish farming. Though the community has come a long way, many challenges remain on the way towards peace and reconciliation. The two-year-old community, which does not yet have a name of its own, is located in the territory of San José de León in Urabá, northwest Colombia, a strategically important corridor for trade into Central America, with resulting drug trafficking and arms trade still keeping armed groups active in the area. Many ex-combatants face trauma and insecurity, and a lack of fulfilment by the Colombian government in transition of land ownership to FARC members makes the situation delicate. Through the project De la Guerra a la Paz (‘From War to Peace’), the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Colombia accompanies three communities in the Antioquia region, offering support both to ex-combatants and to the communities they now live alongside, as they reintegrate into society. Supporting a total of more than 300 families, the project seeks to alleviate the risk of re-victimization, or relapse into violent conflict.
    PhotoByAlbinHillert_20181116_AH1_891...jpg
  • 16 November 2018, San José de León, Mutatá, Antioquia, Colombia: Water pipes ensure oxygen flow through fish farming tanks in San José de León. Following the 2016 peace treaty between FARC and the Colombian government, a group of ex-combatant families have purchased and now cultivate 36 hectares of land in the territory of San José de León, municipality of Mutatá in Antioquia, Colombia. A group of 27 families first purchased the lot of land in San José de León, moving in from nearby Córdoba to settle alongside the 50-or-so families of farmers already living in the area. Today, 50 ex-combatant families live in the emerging community, which hosts a small restaurant, various committees for community organization and development, and which cultivates the land through agriculture, poultry and fish farming. Though the community has come a long way, many challenges remain on the way towards peace and reconciliation. The two-year-old community, which does not yet have a name of its own, is located in the territory of San José de León in Urabá, northwest Colombia, a strategically important corridor for trade into Central America, with resulting drug trafficking and arms trade still keeping armed groups active in the area. Many ex-combatants face trauma and insecurity, and a lack of fulfilment by the Colombian government in transition of land ownership to FARC members makes the situation delicate. Through the project De la Guerra a la Paz (‘From War to Peace’), the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Colombia accompanies three communities in the Antioquia region, offering support both to ex-combatants and to the communities they now live alongside, as they reintegrate into society. Supporting a total of more than 300 families, the project seeks to alleviate the risk of re-victimization, or relapse into violent conflict.
    PhotoByAlbinHillert_20181116_AH1_885...jpg
  • A young woman works with a sewing machine in Ciudad Bolivar in the South of Bogota.
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  • A mechanic in his overalls in Ciudad Bolivar in the south of Bogota
    Colombia_Hawkey_CiudadBolivar_200710...jpg
  • Yuliana Cardona, 21, left, is one of 950 students who have been subsidised with the Fairtrade Premium through the Andes Coop to study at university. She is studying for a degree in agriculture. So far, the Andes coffee-producing coop has spent $1.5 million on the programme.<br />
<br />
Yuliana lives on a farm about an hour's walk from the town of Andes where the coop is headquartered. Her father is one of 3,500 members aof the coop. Any coop member, their partner or children can take part in the superior education programme.<br />
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This is Yuliana at the Universtiy of Antioquia, South East Section in the town of Andes.
    Colombia_Hawkey_FT_Antioquia_2017090...jpg
  • When it was opened in 1855, the Valo do Rocio canal - the Iguape shortcut - was only four meters wide and two meters deep. It was built as a shortcut for rice boats to get to ships on the coast, avoiding another 40km of waterways to get to the coast.<br />
<br />
But the flow of water fro the Ribeira de Iguape and the traffic of boats deepened the canal and eroded its banks. Now  the canal is seven metres deep and 300 meters wide at points. <br />
<br />
It feeds into the Mar Pequeno, the sea channel between Iguape and Ilha Comprida. Almost 70% of the water comes from the Ribeira de Iguape, which previously only reached the Atlantic some 40 kilometers further north. All this fresh water has changed the physical, chemical and biological characteristics of Mar Pequeno, and it is now one of the South Atlantic’s most important nurseries of fish and crustaceans. <br />
<br />
There is a plan to close the Iguape shortcut, but the impact this would have is unknown. Fishermen and others whose livelihoods depend on the fisheries in the area are concerned that there is insufficient concern about the impact of such changes.<br />
<br />
The Movement of People Affected by Dams are involved in consultations to protect the river and marine environment and prevent an ecological and social disaster here.<br />
<br />
Here a fisherman Jean pilots his boat through the shortcut.
    Brazil_Hawkey_water_WCC_20170915_101...jpg
  • When it was opened in 1855, the Valo do Rocio canal - the Iguape shortcut - was only four meters wide and two meters deep. It was built as a shortcut for rice boats to get to ships on the coast, avoiding another 40km of waterways to get to the coast.<br />
<br />
But the flow of water fro the Ribeira de Iguape and the traffic of boats deepened the canal and eroded its banks. Now  the canal is seven metres deep and 300 meters wide at points. <br />
<br />
It feeds into the Mar Pequeno, the sea channel between Iguape and Ilha Comprida. Almost 70% of the water comes from the Ribeira de Iguape, which previously only reached the Atlantic some 40 kilometers further north. All this fresh water has changed the physical, chemical and biological characteristics of Mar Pequeno, and it is now one of the South Atlantic’s most important nurseries of fish and crustaceans. <br />
<br />
There is a plan to close the Iguape shortcut, but the impact this would have is unknown. Fishermen and others whose livelihoods depend on the fisheries in the area are concerned that there is insufficient concern about the impact of such changes.<br />
<br />
The Movement of People Affected by Dams are involved in consultations to protect the river and marine environment and prevent an ecological and social disaster here.<br />
<br />
Here a fisherman Miguel makes nets on the banks of the shortcut.
    Brazil_Hawkey_water_WCC_20170915_902.jpg
  • Indigenous children who live on the contested Hacienda El Prado, near Cayambe, Ecuador, pray during an activity led by a United Methodist missionary.
    ecuador-2013-jeffrey-church2932.JPG
  • Rebecca Dean, a United Methodist mission intern, teaches English to students in Pastocalle, Ecuador.
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  • Carmen Castaneda (second from right) speaks with indigenous woman in Pijal, Ecuador. Castaneda is pastor of the United Methodist Church in the community.
    ecuador-2013-jeffrey-church2111.JPG
  • A boy eats lunch during an educational program for children in the United Methodist Church in Gonzalez Suarez, Ecuador.
    ecuador-2013-jeffrey-church0477.JPG
  • A group plays music during worship at the Methodist Church in Romerillos, Ecuador.
    ecuador-2013-jeffrey-church0224.JPG
  • Wichi indigenous children in Santa Victoria Este, Argentina. The Wichi in this area have struggled for decades to recover land that has been systematically stolen from them by cattleraisers and large agricultural plantations. After years of negotiation supported by Church World Service, a landmark 2014 agreement will divide the land in this region between indigenous communities and settlers, guaranteeing the survival of the Wichi.
    argentina_2014_jeffrey_chaco_822-10.JPG
  • Alberto Torres, a Wichi indigenous leader (a "cacique") from Aila de la Sierra, a town in the Chaco region in northern Argentina, participates in a meeting about the division of land between his people and non-indigenous families living in the area. The Wichi, who traditionally survived as hunter-gatherers, have struggled against the systematic expropriation of their land for over a century by mestizo cattleraisers who migrated into the region from elsewhere in Argentina. In 2014, the two groups finally agreed on a division of the land which recognizes the traditional land rights of the indigenous, and which resettles many mestizo families onto non-indigenous land. Church World Service has worked as a partner with local residents as they negotiated the landmark settlement.
    argentina_2014_jeffrey_chaco_821-20.JPG
  • A Weenhayek indigenous man pulls a fishing net from the Pilcomayo River outside of Villamontes, Bolivia. The river has been plagued by contamination from upstream mining and road construction, and the Weenhayek have had to struggle against large agricultural plantations and cattleraisers to retain access to the river.
    bolivia_2014_jeffrey_chaco_824-27.JPG
  • Tomas Rivero displays a fish he caught on the Pilcomayo River outside of Villamontes, Bolivia. The river has been plagued by contamination from upstream mining and road construction. This portion of the river is inside the protected Aguaragüe National Park and Integrated Management Natural Area.
    bolivia_2014_jeffrey_chaco_824-07.JPG
  • Tomas Rivero rows the boat as Samuel Delgado casts a net as the two men fish on the Pilcomayo River outside of Villamontes, Bolivia. Rivero is a leader of the Union of Pilcomayo River Fishers, and an advocate for cleaning up the river, which has been plagued by contamination from upstream mining and road construction. This portion of the river is inside the protected Aguaragüe National Park and Integrated Management Natural Area.
    bolivia_2014_jeffrey_chaco_824-01.JPG
  • Children who live on the contested Hacienda El Prado, near Cayambe, Ecuador, pray during an activity led by a United Methodist missionary.
    ecuador-2013-jeffrey-church2869.JPG
  • Pastor Alonso Tocagon teaches a guitar class during an educational program for children in the United Methodist Church in Gonzalez Suarez, Ecuador.
    ecuador-2013-jeffrey-church1715.JPG
  • A woman in Romerillos, Ecuador.
    ecuador-2013-jeffrey-church0155.JPG
  • A Wichi indigenous man uses a net to catch a fish in the Pilcomayo River in Santa Victoria Este, Argentina. The Wichi in this area, largely traditional hunters and gatherers, have struggled for decades to recover land that has been systematically stolen from them by cattleraisers and large agricultural plantations, and to preserve their access to a river which has suffered increasing levels of contamination from upstream mining and other uses. After years of negotiation supported by Church World Service, a landmark 2014 agreement will divide the land in this region between indigenous communities and settlers, guaranteeing the survival of the Wichi and their access to the river.
    argentina_2014_jeffrey_chaco_822-33.JPG
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