Colombia: A conversation on #dev4peace

A growing economy, a bigger middle class, and less poverty: three attributes which aren’t necessarily associated with a country that has seen 50 years of armed conflict. However, Colombia is all this and more, and the hopes for the country’s well-being are even higher in a post-conflict era.

While the country is ready to finally put an end to half a century of violence, it is also winning other battles, for example the fight against poverty, which lifted more than 6 million Colombians from poverty between 2002 and 2014. Colombia’s vibrant economy is projected to grow more than the regional average of 3%, which will protect the social gains of the last decade. Nonetheless, the enormous challenge of consolidating the peace process in a lasting and sustainable way remains.

Colombia has learned many lessons and faces yet more challenges on how to deal with development and the conflict, some of which will be the topic of a diverse online debate this week.

The president of the World Bank Group, Jim Yong Kim, will talk about the forecasts for peace and development in Colombia. Ana María Ibáñez, dean of the economics faculty at the University of the Andes, will open the conversation, which will be moderated by Claudia Palacios, journalist and radio presenter on W Radio and CM. The event will take place on Friday, Jan. 15 at 3 p.m. in Bogota. You are cordially invited to join live and send in your questions.

You can follow and take part in the conversation with #dev4peace.