Colombia: urban futures in conflict zones
The 2014-15 peace negotiations in Havana between the Colombian government and the FARC guerrilla movement are expected to end the long conflict between these two armed actors. The accords reached thus far reiterate a commitment to human rights and development in neglected rural areas, but do not prioritise the dire situation faced by regional medium-sized cities in conflict zones. Millions of victims have sought refuge in these cities and are likely to remain there. This report argues that achieving urban integration, strengthening institutions and increasing productivity in urban settings are fundamental to peace.
All cities have suffered in multiple ways from the massive influx of internally displaced persons (IDPs). Medium-sized cities are growing faster than the largest cities, having received the highest percentage of conflict victims in relation to their pre-existing local populations. Today they are largely unable to integrate IDPs living in their jurisdictions either administratively or economically. New infrastructure, stronger institutions and extended public services are badly needed. Taking two Colombian cities as illustrations, the report examines efforts to improve the well-being of IDPs and other victims, focusing on the urban resources and regional development that will be needed in post-conflict Colombia.
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Patricia Weiss Fagen worked in academia before joining the UN High Commissioner for Refugees in 1988, where she served in Washington, DC, El Salvador and Geneva. She has worked for the World Bank, the InterAmerican Development Bank and on a fellowship grant at the U.S. Institute for Peace. From 2000 to 2013 she was a senior associate at the Institute for the Study of International Migration at Georgetown, and is presently a senior fellow. Her work has encompassed research, field studies and evaluations related to post-conflict reconstruction, refugees, refugee/returnee integration, migrant remittances, disaster management and urbanisation. Her recent research has taken her to Colombia, Liberia, Haiti and the Middle East.
Patricia Weiss Fagen se dedicó al mundo académico hasta su entrada en el Alto Comisionado de las Naciones Unidas para los Refugiados en 1988, para el que trabajó desde Washington DC, El Salvador y Ginebra. Además, ha trabajado para el Banco Mundial, el Banco Interamericano de Desarrollo y con una beca en el Instituto para la Paz de Estados Unidos (USIP). De 2000 a 2013 fue asociada senior del Instituto para el Estudio de la Migración Internacional de Georgetown, donde actualmente es catedrática emérita. Sus actividades han girado en torno a la investigación, estudios de campo y evaluaciones relacionadas con la reconstrucción posconflicto, refugiados, integración de refugiados/repatriados, remesas de emigrantes, gestión de desastres y urbanización. Para sus últimas investigaciones se ha desplazado hasta Colombia, Liberia, Haití y Oriente Medio.
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