Colombia civil society hand over proposals to FARC

Members of civil society on Thursday sent close to 500 proposals to peace negotiators for the country's largest left-wing guerrilla group, FARC.

According to the FARC negotiators, most of the proposals concerned government neglect, abandonment and misery in rural areas. Lack of infrastructure and markets for agricultural projects, deficiencies in the credit system, health, education and housing, were also expressed, reported newspaper El Espectador.

Other proposals included that the right to land be declared a constitutional right, limit land ownership of businesses to no more than 10% of the total land in a given municipality, formalize property rights and what plots are to be given to displaced people as well as regulating against large-scale landowners who leave land unused.

The FARC also highlighted proposals which stressed the importance of victims of forced displacement receiving political, economic and cultural guarantees. Some proposals addressed women’s rights.

Turning the central La Macarena national park into a peasant reserve, with “agricultural, human and ecological development in the rural context,” was another proposal mentioned by the FARC.

Rebel negotiators have previously said proposals from individuals and society groups would be studied "in great detail” and that the inclusion of civil society in the peace process would be crucial for a successful dialogue.

FARC said these and other proposals would be taken into account at the next round of peace talks with the government, due to start January 15 after a brief holiday break.

Source http://colombiareports.com/colombia-news/news/27642-colombia-civil-society-hand-over-proposals-to-farc.html