In this episode of the Colombia Calling podcast, Richard McColl interviews Simon Faulkner - Senior Lecturer of Academic Excellence at University College Birmingham - about the impact of natural disasters on Colombia's tourism industry, exploring recovery models, infrastructure challenges, and strategies for building resilient destinations. Key topics: Disaster management frameworks in tourism Impact of earthquakes on Colombian destinations Infrastructure challenges in Colombia's tourism sector Community involvement in recovery efforts Diversification of tourism products post-disaster

Today, they are joined by Juan Camilo Jiménez, currently in Pereira working for World Central Kitchen, and Pamela Londoño, working in Cali for Hope Project Colombia.

Beyond the drama of rubble and rescue, World Central Kitchen and Hope Project work with food and health to accompany people directly after a disaster but also in the weeks which follow, as they find new homes, rebuild their lives, and process what has happened to their communities.

World Central Kitchen (WCK) provides fresh meals in response to humanitarian and climate crises: they have set up food trucks and community kitchens, as well as funding local restaurants to cook meals for victims of the crisis which followed the earthquake.

https://donate.wck.org/campaign/749360/donate

Project Hope is a global health and humanitarian organisation which has been assessing the impact of the earthquake on local medical facilities and the wider health system.

Juan Camilo and Pamela spoke about the importance of local knowledge and community, especially when it comes to sustainability and getting responses right: they tell us that the humility of arriving with energy and the right questions is crucial to forming a response which not only serves but also makes the most of the community itself, incorporating its existing structures and expertise.

Tailoring responses to local needs and local wants, the two told us about the importance of adaptation, arepas de chócolo, and creating the conditions for local solutions: Colombians supporting Colombians.

In this episode of the Colombia Calling Podcast, Richard McColl speaks with Kristian Erskog, a Colombian adoptee raised in Sweden. Kristian shares the emotional journey of discovering his roots, reuniting with his birth family, and navigating the complexities of identity and belonging. The conversation delves into the impact of adoption on family dynamics, the trauma associated with it, and the healing that comes from reconnecting with one's origins. Kristian's story is a testament to the resilience of family bonds and the importance of sharing these narratives. In this conversation, Kristian Erskog shares his profound journey of self-discovery as an adoptee from Colombia, exploring the complexities of family dynamics, cultural identity, and the emotional connections that shape his life. He reflects on his experiences in Colombia, the relationships he has built with his biological family, and the contrasting approaches to adoption and identity among fellow adoptees. The discussion highlights the importance of understanding one's roots and the personal growth that comes from embracing one's heritage.

La Escombrera, a vast rubble pile overlooking Medellín, is considered to be Colombia's largest urban mass grave. Its excavation this year has unearthed the remains of people whose families have been searching for them for decades.

Earlier this month, it was announced that the excavation there is being expanded. Some hope that what is found in that rubble will answer deeper questions - about how the conflict unfolded here in the city, and how the state was complicit in murders and human rights violations committed by paramilitary groups.

This week, Emily Hart, journalist and Colombia Calling host, takes us through an article she wrote on her Substack about La Escombrera, the dynamics and history of Colombia's civil conflict, and about how this war - largely characterised by rural conflict and guerrilla tactics - ended up radically changing the face of Colombia's cities.

Sign up and subscribe to Emily's Substack: https://harte.substack.com

And don't miss the Colombia Briefing reported by Emily as well.