A group of executives of major enterprises in Colombia took part in
Una Puntada por la Paz or A Stitch for Peace, an event organized to
encourage the business sector to become involved in efforts to
reintegrate into civil society young former combatants who have
demobilized from illegal armed groups.

Puntada Joven or Young Stitch is a factory that specializes in
work clothes and uniforms.  It was created by IOM and its
partners to generate employment for 180 demobilized persons in the
process of reintegrating into civilian life.  The project is
funded by the United States Agency for International Development
(USAID) and the Presidential High Council for Reintegration
(ACR). 

General Motors Colmotores ordered 9,000 uniforms per month for
its employees, making it the most important and consistent client
of the factory buying 70 per cent of its production. 

"This project, however, has been hard-hit by the economic
crisis.  The main customer, General Motors Colmotores, has
been forced to reduce its order.  So it is vital that other
companies join the Puntada Joven initiative in order to guarantee
its sustainability," explains José Angel Oropeza, IOM Chief
of Mission in Colombia.

To date more than 100 beneficiaries have received human
development and technical training in clothing manufacturing and 45
people have been directly employed through the Puntada Joven
initiative.  Those who were not able to continue working in
the factory have been assisted with finding employment elsewhere in
the same sector or to start their own businesses.

Currently, the factory employs 20 people full time with salaries
ranging between USD 250 and USD 350 per month, depending on
productivity.

Executives who took part in the IOM-organized event committed to
identifying employment opportunities for Colombians demobilized
from illegal armed groups.

In October 2008 the initiative was given the "Emprender Paz" or
Peace Undertaking award which is given to companies that develop
business and social programmes that make a significant contribution
to reducing armed conflict and to the creation of opportunities for
people affected by the violence.

IOM has been providing support to the Colombian government since
2006 in the task of reintegrating 51,000 demobilized people from
illegal armed groups into civil society.  IOM supports the
demobilized population through job training and employment search,
as well assistance with the development of micro enterprises.

For more information, please contact:

Jorge Andrés Gallo

IOM Bogota

Tel. + 5715946410 Ext. 142

E-mail: "mailto:jgallo@iom.int">jgallo@iom.int