Wanda Muñoz, from Mexico, Sebastian Kasack, from Germany and Davide Naggi, from Italy, are the experts that took part in the ‘Antipersonnel mine victims’ assistance’ seminar, from August 18th through the 21st in Medellin, Antioquia. During an interview for the Paicma’s website they shared their experiences in Colombia and handed out some recommendations to strengthen the country’s action in the matter.

How was your experience at the antipersonnel mine victims’ assistance seminar in Colombia?

Wanda Muñoz, Socioeconomic Inclusion working group: For me, it was a very interesting experience that laid the foundations to keep working, given the great number of very competent people who show great commitment to this matter, particularly in the generation of income and job posts aspect, which is what we focused on. It was also an exercise to exchange practices, share what we have been doing and what has worked on different places; to establish more networks and more cooperation between the organizations, and to better focus the work done on Human Rights and see how it can all be applied in practice.

Sebastian Kasack, Psychosocial Assistance working group: This seminar cost a lot and I think it is very appropriate to hold a specific seminar on victims’ assistance, it’s quite enriching; they failed to do it in many other countries and I think it’s a positive experience. They managed to group 200 people from the entire country. I believe it’s important to bring people from the most affected areas, but a few key people from the Ministry of Social Protection are missing, as well as from other applicable areas such as justice, truth and reparation, who also work on the mental health and psychosocial support.

Davide Naggi, Physical Rehabilitation working group: The experience has been very positive and I have found many organizations working with this issue and with ample participation.

What subject generated the biggest controversy at your working group?

Wanda Muñoz: we were covering different sectors: food, housing, education and participation in cultural, recreational, sports, work and employment activities. The latter has the most priority for the greatest number of people. However, the others also contribute and are equally important, and that is why we touched upon all those issues.

Sebastian Kasack: I think focusing on rights is a good entry point, but it’s the same issue, and sometimes it’s good to look at it from another point of view. I was surprised to see that the matter of reparation was barely addressed.

Davide Naggi: there’s more than one, mostly the matter of coordination and how to start a nationally coordinated effective financing system, as well as the decentralization of services in terms of increasing capacity at a community level in order to see to the victims’ needs. 

Any recommendations for the country?

Wanda Muñoz: there are many experiences that can be replicated. For me, one of my first recommendations for the people who came and who began exchanging practices is that they should continue doing it because many of the good things done in a town or community can surely be applied to several other places. Another recommendation, which is very important, is what we’ve been reinforcing about not thinking in terms of what project we can develop for one or several victims, but to change that perspective of saying what can we do; so the victims may participate when we build a school, when there are any work initiatives or development programs, because as long as all the projects get the victims involved we can move forward, rather than if we try to develop one project per victim, which will surely last 3 months, 6 months or a year.

Sebastian Kasack: I think that the public health area needs to learn the importance of psychosocial work, because Colombia has already undergone 40 years of conflict. With the decisions made by the Constitutional and Inter-American Court the Government must provide psychosocial support to the victims, but it’s good to use this matter in order to look for methods to solve it.

Davide Naggi: Work in Colombia has been very good until now and everyone is well aware of what the problems are, so now is the moment to put all those ideas into practice and solve those problems once and for all, otherwise they will never move forward