2006 Conrad N. Hilton Humanitarian
Prize Recipient

Colombia is among the top ten oil producers in the world, but despite enormous wealth from mineral and agricultural resources, two-thirds of its population lives in poverty—eleven million in extreme poverty—yielding it one of the most unequal wealth and land distributions in the world. (1) The civil conflict that has raged for fifty years is deeply rooted in the political, social and economic inequalities prevalent in Colombian society. The conflict has been further fueled by the cocaine drug trade, as Colombia produces about 90 percent of the world’s cocaine, and about 70 percent of heroin consumed in the U.S., situating it as a major recipient of U.S. anti-narcotics military
aid. (2) Various armed actors, including left-wing guerilla groups, right-wing paramilitary organizations, state security forces, organized crime rings and cartels, drug traffickers, and common criminals, are responsible for the violence and human rights violations that have disproportionately affected civilians. This violence is the primary cause of one of the most massive civilian displacements in the world, with estimates that nearly three million citizens, primarily from rural areas, have been forced from their homes since 1985. (3)

Women and girls account for more than 55 percent of those displaced, and a large number of female-headed households in displacement result from the loss of men to violence. (4) Displaced populations often lack access to electricity, clean water, sanitation, healthcare, employment, or education. A three-year peace process, under former President Andres Pastrana failed, and President Alvaro Uribe was elected in 2002, with a mandate to re-start this process and improve the nation’s security situation. Although the government favors military solutions to the conflict, civil society groups are designing and implementing programs to produce alternatives to violence and promote equitable development.