After 50 years of civil war, in November 2016 the government signed the peace agreement with the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (FARC).  In the 15-17 July 2019, ex guerrillas were trained by University Researchers working in the GROW Colombia project to familiarize with the latest technologies and science findings that can support the development of eco-friendly businesses (e.g. ecotourism)

Jaime Erazo, CSERGE researcher, was responsible to the economic training and he commented that “I think this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for all the scientists involved in this training workshop to share some knowledge that can help these new businesses to be successful,” 

International newspaper coverage:

https://www.eltiempo.com/vida/medio-ambiente/excombatientes-reciben-taller-sobre-biodiversidad-y-turismo-cientifico-398696

https://cosmosmagazine.com/society/colombia-s-ex-guerillas-learn-biodiversity-and-business-models