Bolivia

In Bolivia, social and political disputes have often tended to escalate to the brink of conflict. One of the poorest countries in the Western Hemisphere, Bolivia's ethnic and cultural diversity, as well as struggles over natural resources, fuel strong social and economic tensions. But training provided by The Carter Center through a variety of projects to thousands of Bolivians, including civic organizations, social groups, government authorities, media organizations, and young political leaders, is helping to create specific conflict prevention and transformation skills and greater political will for dialogue.

Waging Peace

The Carter Center has worked in Bolivia since 2003 with the overall aim of supporting a democratic transformation process that is peaceful, inclusive, and respectful of human rights. From 2003–2007, the Center helped Bolivia to establish access to information legislation. Since 2007, The Carter Center has helped build capacity for conflict management by providing comprehensive training to government officials, particularly those in the National Institute for Agrarian Reform. From August to December 2009, an observation mission focused on long-term observation of the new biometric voter registration process. Also in 2009, the Center began a project to strengthen Bolivian democracy by fostering the practice of professional journalism and strengthening the role of media in the promotion of peace and stability. The project engages media organizations and their journalists, editors, and directors throughout the country, fostering dialogue and training them to present news on socio-political processes, social movements, and land reform issues in a balanced and constructive way that does not lead to the escalation of conflicts.

Read full text on the Carter Center's peace work in Bolivia >