[{"bbox": [118, 153, 1112, 207], "category": "Text", "text": "the FARC-EP, the promotion of new peace negotiations, the development of strategies for de-escalating violence, and the promotion of a culture of peace in everyday life."}, {"bbox": [118, 219, 1112, 379], "category": "Text", "text": "In this framework, the Colombian State has initiated various dialogue and negotiation scenarios with conflict actors, including: 1. *Sociopolitical dialogues with politically recognised organisations.* Progress is being made in a dialogue table with the National Liberation Army – ELN, with the Segunda Marquetalia, and with the Central High Command of the FARC - EMC (dissidents from the 2016 peace process). 2. *Socio-judicial conversations* are mainly conducted with high-impact criminal structures. In this urban line, progress has been made in regional processes mainly in Quibdó, Buenaventura, and Medellín."}, {"bbox": [118, 390, 1112, 524], "category": "Text", "text": "In addition, as a strategy for de-escalating violence, the National Programme “Youth in Peace” (*Programa Nacional Jóvenes en Paz*) is being developed. It aims to implement a comprehensive care route for youth aged 14 to 28 in extreme poverty, poverty, and vulnerability, rural youth, those victims of sexual exploitation, or at risk of involvement in criminal dynamics in violence-affected territories. The goal of this programme is 100,000 young people during the government’s term¹⁷."}, {"bbox": [118, 534, 1112, 696], "category": "Text", "text": "The current government's efforts to address the multiplicity of armed groups and counteract expressions of violence in Colombia face enormous challenges. Mainly due to the complexity of coordinating various dialogue processes in parallel, coupled with the characteristics and particularities of the armed and criminal groups involved, and the uncertainty about the legal norms of submission or transitional justice applicable to each conversation scenario. Likewise, there is little public support due to the lack of knowledge about the progress of the processes, limited dissemination, and the absence of strategies for civil society participation."}, {"bbox": [118, 706, 1112, 814], "category": "Text", "text": "The progressive materialisation of agreements from the various dialogue fronts and negotiations with the involved armed groups implies structuring policies and programmes tailored to the needs and characteristics of ex-combatants who lay down their arms to transition to civilian life and effectively integrate into the democratic system at social, economic, political, and community levels."}, {"bbox": [118, 825, 1112, 1012], "category": "Text", "text": "Colombia's experience with policies for the incorporation into civilian life of ex-combatants from various armed groups can be capitalised on for these new negotiation scenarios and future demobilisations. The Agency for Reincorporation and Normalisation (ARN) has been the entity responsible for coordinating reincorporation policies in Colombia. However, there are multiple challenges for national and regional institutions to receive and carry out the necessary programmes for the comprehensive care of these new ex-combatants who are dispersed in different territories of the country and with differentiated profiles according to their group of origin."}, {"bbox": [109, 1038, 363, 1070], "category": "Section-header", "text": "## 2.2 Problem Analysis"}, {"bbox": [118, 1084, 1112, 1219], "category": "Text", "text": "**There are barriers to economic sustainability of ex-combatants of armed groups:** For those who were part of an armed organisation, starting the transition to civilian life implies building a new life project based on creating conditions that enable integration into legality. This process requires implementing strategies for economic stabilisation aimed at consolidating productive alternatives for sustainable income sources in the short, medium, and long term, either through a productive project or through employment."}, {"bbox": [118, 1229, 1112, 1496], "category": "Text", "text": "Among the factors that increase the recidivism of former members of armed groups are economic reasons related to the lack of opportunities that lead to unemployment and poverty among ex-combatants, limiting their ability to have a stable life within legality. Therefore, one of the most significant challenges of Disarmament, Demobilisation, and Reintegration (DDR) processes worldwide is to ensure sustainable income generation for former members of armed groups, at-risk youth, and their families. In this sense, much of the success of peace processes and the economic inclusion of ex-combatants depends largely on the implementation of labour inclusion strategies that incorporate, on one hand, actions with companies, the private and public sectors that allow for job inclusion opportunities, and on the other hand, actions with the population aimed at strengthening their general and specific labour skills, enabling them to overcome the various barriers they face to access the job market."}, {"bbox": [118, 1507, 1112, 1561], "category": "Text", "text": "Barriers to the employability of the ex-combatant population, in general, can be classified into three groups: (i) Personal: those related to their educational trajectories, academic levels, or professional training, which"}, {"bbox": [109, 1588, 1070, 1615], "category": "Footnote", "text": "¹⁷ Government of Colombia, Decree 1649 of 2023, by which the National Youth in Peace Programme is regulated."}, {"bbox": [1003, 1655, 1122, 1682], "category": "Page-footer", "text": "Page 7 of 24"}]