A community strengthening process in Cali, Colombia thanks to Javeriana University and the LEO Fund

The project Multisectoral Alliances to Strengthen the Sustainability Management of Community Communication Organizations in Cali, Colombia, implemented by Javeriana University Cali in cooperation with the LEO Fund, has been completed.

The project included the participation of five community-based organizations from the hillside and eastern part of Cali, Colombia and one from Buenaventura, Colombia.  These organizations included Talentos Altos de Menga Foundation, Multipropaz, Punto de Enfoque, the Art and Life Foundation, Hip Hop Peña, and the Mariposas de Amor Reading Club.

One of the key components of the process was to develop a Partnership Lab, which pooled the collective resources and efforts of these community organizations to strengthen their engagement with other sectors to improve organizational sustainability. To achieve this, a governance structure, engagement protocol, and lines of work were collectively agreed upon for what through the collective discussion was to become the Alliance of Community Organizations for Peace (AOCP).

During the development of this work, the specific interests of local businesses, public entities, and non-profit organizations were identified by the AOCP to create more opportunities for support of community-based organizations. A three-stage engagement approach was designed through the initial exploratory conversations with 14 organizations, more investigative conversations were held with 7 organizations, and in-depth conversations with the three, in which a more defined possibility of working collectively was identified.

Applying the knowledge gathered through this process, the participating organizations then presented a project proposal cost to Compromiso Valle (Valley Commitment), a agency connected with the German Cooperation. Another project proposal to the Ministry of Culture secured $50 million pesos worth of funding and was executed between July and December 2024 on the Cali hillside, with two of the participating organizations Talentos Altos de Menga and Multipropaz.  Fundación Pazajeros also joined in this alliance contributing to building peace withing communities through everyday conversations.

Additionally, the Art and Life Foundation presented a project proposal to Javeriana University Cali for $10 million pesos worth of funding to design and present a multisector effort to respond to external grants offerings, which was completed in April 2025.

Another achievement of the project came when the five participating organizations that make up the Alliance designed, produced and performed a play entitled "The Transformation of Ocoró, a Journey for Peace", in which each one added its expertise and experience in education, communication production, art and culture. The play presents the story of a seed confused and angry with the forest, who is transformed thanks to its encounter with books, circus arts, video cameras, hip hop, ethnic education and education for life and peace. The moral of the story, as communicated by those in attendance, invites each of us to build peace daily.

Currently, the AOCP is continuing its efforts to expand multisectoral engagement towards peacebuilding and reconciliation.