Informe Milestone # 4: Selección de Iniciativas Técnicas de Paz para la Implementación de MINGALAB VII

MINGALAB VII is a program that aims to strengthen community organizations of the Corporación Manos Visibles (CMV) in the Pacific region of Colombia. The program is aligned with the priorities of USAID and its Country Development Cooperation Strategy (CDCS), which seeks to achieve a more stable, peaceful, and prosperous Colombia through inclusive governance and equitable development. Avanza Pacífico operates under three lines of action, including the development of an educational ecosystem, empowerment of youth and community leadership, and the strengthening of community organizations. MINGALAB VII is part of the second line of action, specifically focused on strengthening community organizations in ethnic communities through MingaLab. The program has been implemented since 2015 and has benefited over 70 initiatives with training, financial support, and knowledge exchange. The program aims to identify, diagnose, train, finance, and manage resources to enable community organizations to develop and scale solutions that add value to their territories. In its seventh edition, MINGALAB VII has selected 101 organizations with prototype and high recognition levels at the territorial level. The program has identified several challenges faced by ethnic communities in Colombia, including low levels of education, poverty, and victimization. According to the Registro Único de Víctimas (2017), one in five people from ethnic communities has suffered some form of victimization. The program aims to address these challenges through the implementation of technical initiatives that promote education, economic development, and community empowerment. The selection of technical initiatives is based on a thorough analysis of the needs and challenges faced by the selected organizations. The initiatives will be implemented in phases, with a focus on capacity building, financial support, and knowledge exchange. The program will also establish a monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) system to document results and learnings from the implementation of the initiatives. The technical initiatives selected for implementation are: 1. Semblanzas del Río Guapi de Guapi 2. Mariposas de Amor de Buenaventura 3. Narrarte, de Cartagena 4. Fundación Bejuco, de Tumaco 5. JMD - La Voz de Quibdó 6. Flor Púrpura de Medellín 7. Huellas que Transforman Buenaventura 8. Literatura para Todos Cartagena 9. Contralo Corriente, de Cartagena 10. Cimarrón producciones de Bogotá These initiatives will be implemented in the Pacific region of Colombia, with a focus on promoting education, economic development, and community empowerment. The program will also establish partnerships with local organizations and stakeholders to ensure the sustainability and impact of the initiatives.