The Alliance of Women "Weavers of Life" of the Department (province) of Putumayo (Alianza de Mujeres Tejedoras de Vida del Putumayo) in Colombia was created in 2005. Several leaders joined the project in order to work alongside and help manage humanitarian aid for the inhabitants of Putumayo who were in the midst of an armed blockade and strike of more than 30 days that besieged the population, resulting in widespread hunger. As heads of family, mothers who were widowed in the armed conflict began to work as weavers to survive so that the social fabric of their villages would not crumble.
Alianza de Mujeres Tejedoras de Vida del Putumayo work with three strategic axes:
- Women, Human Rights, and Peacebuilding: The Department of Putumayo has been one of the most violent departments throughout 50 years of war in Colombia. Thus, the work of the Alianza de Mujeres Tejedoras, for 10 years, has been the fight for the defense of the rights of women and peace, which, in the middle of the armed conflict, have been violated by the armed groups outside the law, as well as by public force.
- Women and Social and Economic Development: The Alianza empowers women to influence the different social scenarios of the Department where the economic work of women's organisations is made visible and strengthened. Women believe that “Peace needs Opportunities.” This is why they work: because the strengthening of the productive social fabric is a reality in the region.
- Woman, History, and Political Participation: From the Alianza, they seek to ensure that the history and daily struggle of women for peace in Colombia is not forgotten and that everyone can remember it as a symbolic example of peaceful resistance and reconstruction of the social fabric affected by war and violence. They also hope that this struggle is reflected in the different scenarios of social participation and that women are members and active participants in the political processes of their communities.
Alianza de Mujeres Tejedoras de Vida del Putumayo broadcast the radio programme Al Nude, a programme that develops topics on politics and sexuality and that is broadcast by the radio station Waira 104.7FM. Their website is the means to communicate all activities and promote the participation of women. They have a fairly large bank of photographs, which tells in images the different forums, workshops, marches, mobilisations, and initiatives that they develop, as well as information related to their active social participation.
In 2017, they benefited from a British Council project executed in partnership with the Ministry of Education, Putumayo ITP Technological Institute, the University of Cauca, and the Putumayo Technical Institute, resulting in the development of a programme training called "Eco Radio Putumayo" - a transmedia strategy project for the technical training of Putumayo women in the post-conflict.
Based on the Radio Sutatenza model of the fifties in Colombia which used radio as a medium for training, this training programme revolves around 3 main components: nature tourism, formulation of community initiatives, and basic English for tourism. The training course in ecotourism and bird tourism is the basis of a gradual training path towards a technical and technological route for the region. The programme will provide elements of international reference, gender approach, bilingualism, and entrepreneurship - which gives an added value so that the training received by women allows for educational, labor (occupational) mobility and encourages regional entrepreneurship projects.
The transmedia radio strategy stimulates an innovative pedagogical process and allows flexibility in the curricular model in such a way that the permanence in the programme is guaranteed, and it will encourage the participation of other women to replicate this process. The strategy will then be "in situ" which is beneficial to encourage these programmes in the region and to guarantee access and permanence.
This programme develops a process of entrepreneurship training and leaves seed capital for projects to start. In this way, new trades and occupations in the region can be stimulated to eradicate illicit actions. In turn, new trades and occupations allow development progress and generate a new culture of recovery in the Department in a sustainable and lasting peace environment.
The alliance established for the development of the programme is a confluence of efforts from the government sector, academia, social organisations, and international contribution, which builds capacity for future projects. Each one of the members can contribute from their expertise.
Women, conflict, media development, economic development
The Alianza de Mujeres Tejedoras de Vida del Putumayo has achieved the following since its creation:
- Study and characterisation of the situation of the women of Putumayo.
- Extensive training in women's rights, human rights and gender: "From Victims to Empowered".
- Visibility of the situation of women and recovery of historical memory. "A strategy of struggle to weave life through the murals of truth".
- Antonio Nariño Prize for Human Rights in 2011 from the Embassy of Germany and France in Colombia.
- Project for "Strengthening capacities, autonomy and participation of women's organizations in the construction of peace in Putumayo and the Colombian-Ecuadorian border".
- Formulation of the first public policy for women in Putumayo with the support of the Government of Putumayo.
Alianza de Mujeres Tejedoras de Vida del Putumayo, British Council, Ministry of Education, Putumayo ITP Technological Institute, the University of Cauca, the Putumayo Technical Institute
Alianza de Mujeres Tejedoras de Vida del Putumayo website, June 25 2019.