|
The Alternative Development
Unit of CICAD/OAS is currently conducting projects in the following countries:
The
most common illicit drugs are being cultivated in the zones that are most
remote, exacerbating the socioeconomic, environmental and military levels of
conflict of the producing countries. Also, the producers of illicit crops
usually have little access to health services and education and are especially
vulnerable to the threat of the violence and intimidation from the drug
trafficking industry.
The
Unit of Alternative Development of CICAD executes and coordinates development
programs in regions that produce illicit crops such as BOLIVIA,
COLOMBIA, JAMAICA
and PERU. The unit
also implements programs in areas that are potential to the production of
illicit crops and/or expulse areas of manual labor, in this case being DOMINICA
and ECUADOR. The programs have been formed under a context of traditional
alternative development. Nevertheless, this concept has been evolving under
their extension to preventive alternative development. The main intention of
these programs is that of dissuading the inhabitants of the region to turn to
illicit activities, generating activities that encourage licit economy and
infrastructure in order to mitigate the possibility of expansion from these
crops to adjacent areas.
The
programs that CICAD promotes and finances with funds contributed by the
international community are designed in such a way that they are integrated with
national programs of alternative development and are elaborated and implemented
with the support of the States members of the CICAD.
Due
to the dynamic nature of alternative development and illicit crops, CICAD has
focused their activities in such a way that it gives priority to
regional
efforts. A fundamental component of the Hemispheric Strategy is the promotion of
the horizontal cooperation between the States members. It is for that reason
that CICAD promotes consultation mechanisms, regional coordination and joint
operation.
|
