Israeli Kibbutznik to build Kibbutz for Former Colombian Guerrilla

January 15, 2008

Huan Gomez, a former Colombian who made an aliyah 20 years ago to kibbutz Grufit in the Arava dessert (south of Be'er Sheva), will be leaving for Colombia this week to help establish the first "Social Agriculture Kibbutz" in the country.

For nearly four decades, the guerrilla war has affected Colombia's citizens mainly in rural areas, characterized by fighting in far jungles and increasingly frequent massacres of civilians in marginal, dirt-path settlements. In the past few years the war has moved into major cities.

In recent years the government was able to achieve middle ground with thousands of guerrilla fighters who agreed to drop their weapons in return for no jail time. Unfortunately many were unable to find suitable employment and became Coca farmers. Coca is a plant which is used to produce drugs.

During government meetings efforts were made to try and find a way to tackle this situation. An suggestion was made to try and copy the Israeli 'kibbutz' model to Colombia, training former fighters in agricultural methods, thus enabling them to earn a decent leaving.

Colombia's minister of Agriculture turned to the kibbutz movement in Israel (through Israel's ambassador in Bogota). The TAKAM, United Kibbutz Movement, immediately agreed to help in this important task. Huan Gomez was chosen to help establish the first social agriculture kibbutz in Colombia.