Affiliate Safe Community Support Centre
CISALVA Institute for Peace Promotion and Injury/Violence Prevention
Country: Colombia
Number of inhabitants: 44 millions
Programme started year: 2007
Affiliate Safe Community Support Centre: Designation year: 2009
http://www.cisalva.univalle.edu.co/
For further information contact:
Maria Isabel Gutierrez
CISALVA Institute for Peace Promotion and Injury/Violence Prevention
Calle 4 B # 36-00
Santiago de Cali
Colombia
Phone (57-2) 557-7206
Fax: (57-2) 556-0253
E-mail: cisalva@univalle.edu.co
1) The provision of Centre programs and services utilize multidisciplinary and cross sectoral approaches.
CISALVA has developed different projects and studies with a network that includes local communities, local authorities, governmental institutions, international and national Universities and private institutions. Through this network CISALVA institute has been able to developed tasks related to information production, design, execution of interventions, and planning of measures that injury prevention covers. The institute human resource is integrated by epidemiologists, medical doctors, biologists, social workers, statisticians and system engineers, which create a multidisciplinary environment where studies are analysed from different approaches. CISALVA also cooperates with different movements worldwide, disseminating different WHO and PAHO programs and activities and supporting these organizations with actualized and good quality injury and violence data. An example of this multidisciplinary and cross sectarian approaches, CISALVA is the responsible in the execution of the Project "Strengthening and consolidation of the crime observatories at municipalities ADAM in Colombia ” CISALVA carried out in partnership with Georgetown University and USAID the implementation of the proposed activities. In this phase the current observatories were strengthen and new were developed to enhance national coverage to contribute to the governability in Colombia . As a result of this project, CISALVA became the technical supporter at national level for the Colombian Crime Observatory National Network. This activity has been made at the National Police of Colombia, at the Direction of Justice Police (DIJIN CISALVA with the Inter-American Coalition for the Prevention of Violence (IACPV) have implemented a project of municipal Crime Observatories in El Salvador, Nicaragua and Panama, due to the increasing interest from Latin America to develop useful tools in order to monitor violence in its different expressions. The best practices were compiling and publishing looking for the opportunity to be adapted in other places. CISALVA in partnership with the University Institute of Public Opinion of The Central-American University "Jose Simeón Cañas" from El Salvador organized the Workshop “Observatories of Violence "best practices "”, where were invited institutions and organizations which have been working on violence issues.
2) The Centre provides a framework for promoting collective action which includes involvement with community networks.
In 1996 The Institute started to implement Communication strategies to promote coexistence and interpersonal violence prevention thought the media at the communitarian and interpersonal level. At the same time those activities helped to strengthen community´s work linking different actors to generate an impact in the formulation of actions of the Sub-committee of childhood and family , Council of Social Policy, Promotion Networks about good treat and others networks at the National, governmental and local level. At the same time CISALVA works on developing community training methodologies through radio forums, workshops about giving Discipline without violence, among others issues. The program was designed to build skills in conflict solutions as to promote participative formulation of Public Policy in order to prevent different violence expressions and injuries caused by road accidents. CISALVA has also worked in the development of community empowerment using community based strategic tools for violence and injury prevention. The strategies are planned in such way that allows the community to be involved in the generation of alternatives. CISALVA has also worked in the communication and promotion of a culture of peace (a communication strategy developed by CISALVA, based in the ACTIVA PAHOs landmark successful study). In this program the Institute developed the project “Study of intervention in communication to promote pacific coexistence and contribute to prevent domestic violence in Neiva , Colombia ”. In this project ACTIVA survey was conducted, the outcomes were shared to the community throughout a show organized by State Secretary of Heath, having the participation of about 50 people. The outcomes also were showed to the media getting the support of the radio, press and television. The intervention made thought out the strategy ¨let´s better talk¨, to this propose 12 histories of coexistence, prevention of child physical punishment were designed and shared with the media.
3) The Centre provides consultative support to communities in the establishment of Safe Community initiatives.
CISALVA Institute has encouraged the development of abilities, knowledge and attitudes for violence prevention and peace promotion among government, community, and other organization members and individuals.
CISALVA Institute has programmed visits with the Representatives of the PAHO and authorities of Latin Americans' countries as Ecuador , Peru , Bolivia and Chile in 2007. During February 2008, visits were programmed with Trinidad and Tobago , Guyana , Panama , Costa Rica , Nicaragua , Honduras , Guatemala and El Salvador , to present the initiative and to build a safe communities
network in the region. Also these visits allowed knowing the work that is realized in the topic of the Safe Communities or similar. Through this visits agreements were achieved and networking among the Institute CISALVA and the authorities of every country were fortified. In 2007 a Seminar on Safe Communities was organized by the Council of Medellin and Cisalva was asked to present the initiative of Safe Communities, Violence and Road Safety; Regional Advisers of PAHO were invited as well. During this event took place a presentation on Safe Communities, as the most significant experiences from certified cities. Such activity propitiated a space of reflection and discussion of safety at Medellin city. At the same time, the Town council of Medellin invited the Community, Municipal Authorities and State Government to know this initiative, as well national political actors as Carlos Gaviria former presidential candidate; Sergio Fajardo, who was the Mayor of Medellin; Anibal Gaviria, who was the Governor of Antioquia, and his different sectors secretariats and the whole city Council. In addition, the Dean of the National Faculty of Public Health of Antioquia University was a lecturer as well. CISALVA offered support for Medellin to apply and follow the process to become a Safe Community. CISALVA has supported the initiative of cities interested in becoming safe communities. As a result, CISALVA, as certifying Center of Safe Communities has followed the certification process in South-American communities such as Pasto in Colombia, San Borja in Perú and Peña Flor in Chile. In addition, CISALVA has collaborated with other Colombian cities which are interested in initiating the process of being established as Safe Communities.
Pasto is the first Colombian city which has started the certification process of becoming a Safe Community since February 2007 with the visit of the Social Medicine Department Director from Karolinska Institute in Stockholm-Sweden, Dr. Leif Svanström. During this visit local authorities seemed to be enthusiastic about begin the process to become a Safe Community so there was agreed that Cisalva would realize the Technical Assistance in the complete process. The municipality of Peñaflor in Santiago de Chile was designated as the first Safe Community in South America . Also Brampton Canada was designated in the 2008 spring. In Peru Safe Communities initiative was presented to Peru's Ministry of the Interior, the National Safety Council of Peru (CONASEC), the PAHO Regional Office in Lima; Local authorities of Miraflores, San Isidro and San Borja, and Cayetano Heredia University . One of the compromises of that meeting was consolidate San Borja as a Safe Community. March2007. The municipality of San Borja was certified on June 2008.
Conference referring the Institute´s work and Safe Communities initiative was held with the Mayor of Santa Cruz de la Sierra in Bolivia . There were also meetings with PAHO Representatives and local authorities to promote Santa Cruz as a Safe Community with the guidance from the Institutions involved in this process. March 2007
4) The Centre facilitates and supports community-based strategic planning processes.
CISALVA has developed community based projects that allowed strengthening social communities as they have contributed to their own growing process. Among these projects, is the Tumaco's violence prevention strategy, where different activities were coordinated as part of the program “Collective draws for a better family coexistence and a happy childhood in Tumaco". This project is supported by Plan Foundation. Additionally, the Institute has developed the project “generating spaces for family living with guarantors”, where an ecological frame is adopted to sensitize, formulate and strengthen the leadership and network activities. These initiatives allow communities to develop human capacities as well as childhood guarantors: family, community, the State and children themselves. In April 2007, the II Inter-American Citizen Security Forum " Cities for Peace " that took place in Lima - Peru, which aimed to help local governments through diagnosis, design, execution and evaluation of their plans about citizen security and violence prevention. CISALVA was invited by the Inter-American Development Bank. Two projects from the Institute were presented in this Forum. As a result of this meeting, CISALVA was asked to help with the implementation of information systems on citizen security in Latin America .
5) The Centre demonstrates leadership and stewardship in addressing priority injury issues, high risk, and vulnerable groups.
CISALVA Institute is focussed in violence and injury prevention, including traffic, self-inflicted, intentional and non-intentional injuries through the designing and implementation of intervention strategies based in information, education and communication processes.
CISALVA has been involved in the development of Domestic Violence Surveillance Systems, injury surveillance systems and social observatories, which objective is to generate valid information to identify risks and vulnerable communities. CISALVA´s work is performed through the development of epidemiological and sociological studies that used
qualitative and quantitative tools. This work has allowed the Institute to recognize groups at risk of suffering injuries and to contribute to decision makers with quality information for the implementation of public health interventions. As an example of this work, CISALVA was part of the project ¨Associated Suicide risk factors and validation of an intervention young population model in Nariño¨, which involved researchers from the University of Nariño , functionaries of the Health Secretariat of Pasto and from the National Institute of Health. This study allowed recognizing vulnerable groups and identifying risk factors that can be prevented. In 2008 in Mexico FD, CISALVA was part of the meeting of Collaborators Centers and Reference Centers for a Sustainable Development and Environmental Heath Program (SDE) from the Pan-America Health Organization/ World Health Organization, which addressed the health problems of the region and intended to promote solutions for vulnerable communities.
6) The Centre provides expert services and knowledge in the area of injury data and injury surveillance issues.
Due to this multifaceted process conducted at the local level, CISALVA has been a manager and one of the promoting institutions of relevant and needed information for appropriate governmental action on fatal and non-fatal injuries of violent origin. For this purpose, CISALVA has promoted the sustainability of an epidemiological surveillance network for injuries at the municipal level with the participation of all entities in charge of gathering information and dealing with these matters. This activity has become the major tool for decision making in several municipal administrations since its implementation, thanks to the Council for Development, Security, and Peace (DESEPAZ). CISALVA supports the action of local secretaries in the development of strategies based on vulnerable groups using the information from surveillance systems adequately design and implemented in different health institutions. The institute has supported the development of mortality observatories in different cities in Colombia and also internationally, to strengthen the capacity of governments to better address mortality related factors. CISALVA has been able to reproduce this experience in other cities from Colombia , supporting creating an environment that allows local governments to better understand the dynamics of violence and external cause injuries which leads to a safe community process.
In September 2008, the Institute formulated in partnership with the Secretaria Departamental del Atlántico , in Colombia formulated a proposal to consolidate an Integrated Information System and Analysis, which refers the methodology of a Crime Observatory. This proposal consolidates a State system and generates information from the municipal level towards a state level. It is important to mention that the Integrated System of Information and Analysis is a part of a macro initiative, on which the Interior Secretariat bid on “the consolidation of a center of analysis and investigations in coexistence, justice and human security in the Atlantic State” integrated by governmental institutions as well as the state universities. In September of 2008 in Asunción Paraguay, As a regional expert CISALVA was invited to Asunción-Paraguay by PAHO to present Latin American experiences in road safety strategies and traffic injury prevention. Also it was to explain the role of Observatories in the region. This activity was carried out in the national week for road safety. As a consulting institution, it was advise the tools and structure for the implementation of the Crime Observatories. Prevention plans and strategies were checked relating with the reduction of violence in Asuncion-Paraguay and other cities. The International border authorities were sensitized for a bilateral work related to the actions for prevention of traffic injuries and safety promotion. Meetings were conducted with the Regional Committee of Road Security in order to organize Observatories and consolidate alliances in the area. The CISALVA Institute was part of the experts meeting on developing a methodology for the generation of the Traffic Injuries Prevention World Report, which was financed by the Bloomberg Foundation. CISALVA was one of eight international experts for this project, and was responsible for the consolidation of the lines of action for the execution of the project. As a result of the meeting a Road Safety Manual was generated. The World Health Organization (WHO) and world Injuries Global Network experts have collaborated to develop MENTOR-VIP; this is a program focus on the person to person injuries and violence prevention training around the world. CISALVA Institute has participated on these meetings in 2008 as a part of The Core Group for MENTOR-VIP, which has 9 members from different countries reviewing this WHO initiative and participated on the matching of the new applicants with the selected mentors as well as its evaluation and adjustment.
7) The Centre demonstrates a long term commitment to supporting Safe Communities and the Safe Community Network within their organizations strategic plan.
Maria Isabel Gutierrez, director of the Institute CISALVA has been a leader in the development and dissemination of the safe community movement in Colombia and Latin America . CISALVA has helped to disseminate the word of the Karolinska safe community initiatives and that of the organizers of different safe community conferences. CISALVA has demonstrated a commitment to this movement and it is proud to be the host of the 18 th International Conference of Safe Communities that will be held in Cali , Colombia in August 2009. This is the first time the Conference of Safe Community would be held in an American country. This opportunity would approach the Safe Community perspective to many American countries and Colombian cities and make aware authorities and civil society to know the benefits of this world wide movement. The designation of Peñaflor from Santiago de Chile was the first one in Latin America ; this designation allowed presenting this first experience in other municipalities of Santiago de Chile. From meetings with PAHO and local authorities a commitment was made to consolidate relations with the University of Chile . During this visit, CISALVA also participated in meetings and seminars at the School of Public Health , of the University of Chile .
8) The Centre supports those responsible at the community level to utilize appropriate indicators to evaluate community processes, effects of change and injury rates.
Among several projects CISALVA has been very interested in developing regional injury and violence indicators that can be used by governments to compare data from different municipalities and countries. In this way and in collaboration with five countries of the region, CISALVA was awarded to perform a project to seek a Regional System for Standardize indicators on Citizen Security and coexistence with the support of the IADB. The participating countries are Colombia , Ecuador , Peru , Dominican Republic and Honduras . With those partner countries a sharing process with the national authorities has been developed to agree on the first national Formulation of Indicators. In 2008 the first sharing meetings with National authorities have taken place. The main objective of this project is to develop and to start in the three following years, a regional system of standardized safe community indicators that allows to measure, monitor and compare the different regional phenomena related with public safety, in order to strengthen the capacity of decision makers from Andean, Central American and Caribbean countries, for the formulation, implementation and evaluation of safety public policies.
9) The Centre disseminates their experiences both at national and international levels.
International Support: CISALVA researchers are very active attending conferences internationally where the experiences from local activities and interventions of the Institute can be shared with other researchers from all over the world. CISALVA has presented its research results at the WHO world Conferences on injury prevention and safety promotion and also at the International Conferences on Safe Communities. Among the papers presented in Congresses CISALVA presented the paper “Alcohol Consumption and effects on Interpersonal Violent Deaths” in the XVIII Epidemiology World Congress and the VII Epidemiology Brazilian Congress. In this Congress research academic spaces were opened to achieve technical cooperation with other institutions at International Level. CISALVA also shares its research results and experiences with different organizations such as Universities, government agencies and research institutions worldwide. As a result of this, the institution has been recognized with the CARSO award for outstanding institution to its contribution to the improvement of health in Latin-American. The experience with Crime observatories has been disseminated nationally and internationally. As an example of this, since November of 2008, technical assistance has been offered to the Juarez city for the implementation of a Criminal Observatory, in El Paso , Texas . CISALVA is part of the local Committee of Health which includes local and regional authorities from the University and other institutions in Juarez . The initiative promotes a nice co-existence among individuals from this community and helps to prevent injuries in the North area of El Paso , the border between México- The United States. The Cisalva Institute participated also in the Pre-Congress Seminary around injuries surveillance and also in the 4ª Regional Asiatic Conference about Safe Communities. The Conference topic was “Surveillance systems to action and public policies” in Bangkok , Thailand . This activity allowed a technical support to the Surveillance systems for Control and Prevention of Injuries in Asia . At the end of this participation, compromises were generated to continue supporting the observatory processes in countries such as Thailand , China y Japan. National Support:
CISALVA has been active presenting its work to local governments and research institutions in Colombia through its participation in several injury prevention courses, forums and conferences. As a result of this CISALVA has been recognized as one the most important research institutions in the country. CISALVA has disseminated in Colombia the experiences of already certified safe communities in Latin-America, trough a process that involves the participation of local authorities and communities motivated in their development as safe communities. The CISALVA Institute participated in the IX Health Research Symposium of Valle University. The following studies were presented: 1. High Injuries by extreme cause; 2. Context determinant of injuries; 3. Design of a Information System of crime in Peru; 4. Evaluation Program of the Interagency Project, Piema El Salvador; 5. Risk Factors related with suicides in Pasto, Nariño; 6. Intervention Model in Communication at Neiva, Huila; 7. Prevalence of Physical Punishment to the manor in Tumaco, Nariño; and 8. A view on domestic violence in 18 towns in Tolima. In the “Violence, Coexistence and Reconciliation” seminar, María Isabel Gutiérrez participated presenting the paper “From Investigation to Public Policies: In violence prevention” which include 3 modules; the first module “The neighborhood related with aggressive and behavior problems during late childhood and early Teenage”, the second module “The Strategy We Better Talk” and the third module “Epidemiology Surveillance on Generation of Public Policies to violence prevention”. This information was spread to psychology students from Los Andes University in Bogotá, as well as Students from Cali and Medellin thought teleconference. During the II National Congress of Public Health Investigation and in the General Assembly of ASOCEPI (Colombian Association of Epidemiology) in Bucaramanga , CISALVA participated in the Health and Violence Session in the thematic “Construction of citizenship co-existence, violence prevention and health perspective”.
10) The Centre reports on their Safe Community activities and research efforts.
Publications: All publications are being posted in the website of the Institute and may be visited at: http://www.cisalva.univalle.edu.co/ Information material: Information on safe communities that have been certified as well as conference and other safe communities activities are posted on the website.
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