Colombia Calling - The English Voice in Colombia

Author Tom Feiling joins us once again on Colombia Calling to talk about his new book entitled: "The Island that Disappeared. Old Providence and the Making of the Western World."

In a fascinating discussion we explore the history of the Colombian Caribbean island of Providencia, how the Puritans settled there in the 17th century, what the island has become and what the history means to today's island population.

Feiling is the author of two previous excellent books related to Colombia, including the Candy Machine about the cocaine trade and Short Walks from Bogotá, exploring a little of the contemporary history of this complex country.

Tune in to hear about the themes of Pirates and Puritans and how they affect both Britain and Providencia and a frank discussion of the island today. Then, buy the book on Amazon!

The global “war on drugs” has been fought for several decades now and without preventing the long-term trend of increasing drug supply and use. Beyond this failure, the UNODC has identified many serious negative “unintended consequences” of the drug war – including the stigma and discrimination faced by a range of populations.

So, this week on Ep182 we get international finance expert Luc LaPointe on the line from the southern Colombian city of Cali where he is studying the possibilities of changing the image of marijuana and coca in Colombia to include an awareness of their traditional and medicinal properties.

We talk frankly about what needs to be done, how medicinal marijuana can be a force for change for the campesinos in the region, the politics, the meetings being held and beyond. Certainly, for LaPointe this is a challenge on a day to day basis and one which definitely merits listening to.

Having grovelled, begged and possibly lost a couple of friendships in the process, I managed to secure permission to visit Colombia's FARC guerrillas at their temporary camp in Las Colinas, Guaviare.

This is my summation of events and my take on what is going on in Guaviare, one of Colombia's most problematic regions. It's here we have coca growing, demobilizing FARC guerrillas, paramilitary groups, dissident groups of the FARC, little Colombian state presence and huge areas of land covering strategic rivers which lead to neighbouring Brazil and Venezuela.

Who did I meet with and what was the experience like? Well you'll have to tune in. But, I can let you know that I had a long conversation with El Medico Mauricio, a high-ranking guerrilla who was present at the peace dialogues in Havana, Cuba. It was quite the experience.

In an dynamic and fun episode we get together with Suzie Q (Hoban) of the Colombian Chocolate Club (https://www.colombianchocolateclub.com) and Karen Attman of Flavors of Bogotá (http://www.flavorsofbogota.com) to discuss two of my favourite vices....Chocolate and Coffee.

Both Attman and Hoban are working hard and have succeeded in expanding the offer available to visitors coming to Bogotá with both coffee and chocolate experiences. But, Episode 180 is not just about what these entrepreneurs and experts in some of the finer things in life can offer you, but also what you as a consumer can offer to the small coffee and cacao producer in Colombia by purchasing their products.

We take a Colombian geography lesson through the different regions of Colombia and the Chocolate and Coffee offerings they provide us with and the resulting episode is not only for foodies and travellers, but for those interested in the far-reaching importance of a quality and locally sourced product.

Be sure to check out their websites and of course, purchase Attman's popular book entitled: "Permission to Slurp", all about Colombian coffee and now available on Amazon.

Did you hear the story about the young economist from the Czech Republic who decided to give up a stable job in Prague, come to Colombia and teach himself how to make chocolate?

No, well it's not suprising since Jiri Petrak's tale is one of derring do up there with the most impressive of stories. Self-educated in the world of cacao and having gleaned how to make chocolate (in his Colombian girlfriend's kitchen when she is away on business!) from youtube.com, Jiri has become a regular feature negotiating with Cacao farmers in Granada, Meta and selling his impressive product in the cafés of Bogotá's colonial Candelaria district.

Tune in to this Episode 179 to be inspired by a story of stubborness and creativity in the world of Czech "punk" chocolate production with www.checao.co

This week we get to sit down with Joelle and Alexander of Peaceworks - a Swedish NGO - which works in the empowerment of young people in Colombia with a focus on sustainable peace and a non-violent approach.

Perhaps their most important task is to provide youth organizations by giving them methodological and judicial advice and additionally providing micro funding to organizations that have a project or an idea related to creating a culture of peace and to strengthening young and marginalized people in Colombia.

So, we get to chat about the future plans being organized by Peaceworks, the details of a 20 person exchange program they are organizing for ex combatants in Colombia and further information about what they are so admirably doing here.

Check out their website and donate here! http://peaceworks.se/colombia/

With Colombia's President Santos lauding the possibilities for tourism growth in post conflict Colombia, we take a look around the recent annual Anato Tourism fair in Bogotá and share our thoughts on the future of this growth industry for the country.

Certainly, tourism will increase now that some of the inaccurate and negative perceptions and images of Colombia are being laid to rest such as those of terrorism, violence and kidnapping. But, are the political powers that be addressing an appropriate brand management for Colombia? Are the strategic infrastructure challenges being addressed and how does the price of the US dollar come in to play?

In 2016 Colombia received 5,100,000 tourists and in 2017 we are aiming for 5,300,000. Is there are robust plan in place? Will corruption continue to stifle growth? How will the tax reforms affect tourism and will the country's bureaucratic miasma continue?

This is an informant piece where the questions are asked and discussed by your host Richard McColl

This week on Colombia Calling our guest host Laura Brown is back and is talking to Janelle Gray, a Texan author living in Bogota, about her new book.

Entitled, "Echoes of the Struggle" Gray's work is about the civil rights movement in the United States. It takes the 1960s American Civil Rights Movement and places it in 2014 among the deaths of unarmed Blacks and racial divide.

According to Gray, this juxtaposition of injustice forces the conversations we should be having within our interracial communities thus fostering a better understanding of the effects our history continues to have on our present.

The author also touches on race issues in Colombia and how they can be compared to those in the US, while acknowledging that our host country is far more welcoming to foreigners than is the case in the US.

Read more about Echoes of the Struggle or purchase the book from http://www.echoesofthestruggle.com/

You can also join the conversation by contributing to the blog at the same address.

Hailing originally from the Yukon in the great Canadian North, Anna Vogt has seen more of Colombia than most Colombians and has gained an insight into this country that is both profound and appropriately sympathetic. We sit down with Anna in Bogotá and discuss her work with the Mennonite Central Committee and their Colombian partners and how she is here working, on the ground, on peace building, relief and development issues.

Dawson City to Mampujan in the Montes de Maria is a huge chasm to breach, but Anna first spent two years in the very heart of this community - not too far from Cartagena - which had been displaced from their ancestral lands by the AUC paramilitaries. Now she is based in Bogotá but enjoys frequent travel all through the region.

We discuss the issues facing Colombia in the future, the hopes we both have for this country and indeed the issue of conscientious objectors to the mandatory military service here.

Check out Anna's blog at https://thellamadiaries.com for more insights into her life in Colombia and the work performed admirably by the MCC.