Over 3,000 proposals from Colombia’s civil society will be considered by negotiators as part of the on-going peace talks between FARC and the Colombian government.
Ambassadors from Norway and Cuba received Saturday ten packed folders containing proposals from certain social groups in Colombia as part of FARC’s request to include the participation of civil society.
Certain social groups such as production unions, indigenous communities, human rights activists and the gay community were given the chance to put forward their grievances and complaints which were collated from 24 October to 24 November.
A joint statement from Colombia’s largest guerrilla group FARC and Juan Manuel Santos’ government said that it “appreciated the timely arrival of these proposals” and announced that the proposals would “become valuable input to enrich the current talks.”
It was reported that the proposals were gathered from at least nine of the 32 departments in Colombia the content of which will be first considered by the negotiators before their details are released.
Ambassador of Norway Lars Vaagen refused to comment on the content saying: “We simply have a mission of receiving the findings and conclusions to carry those negotiating table and that is all our job and we have no comment on the content.”
Colombia’s government also recently activated a website where citizens can submit agricultural reform proposals to the government’s peace negotiators.