MINE RISK EDUCATION AS AN INTEGRAL PROTECTION STRATEGY IN A CONTEXT OF ARMED CONFLICT: THE EXPERIENCE OF THE I.E. PUERTO RICO EDUCATIONAL IN ARGELIA, CAUCA

Abstract

This reflection paper analyzes the implementation of Mine Risk Education (MRE) at the Puerto Rico Educational Institution in Argelia, Cauca—a comprehensive protection strategy within a context defined by armed conflict, forced displacement, and the recruitment of minors. Grounded in the framework of International Humanitarian Law and children’s rights, the study documents how eleventh-grade students became community agents, not only promoting safe behaviors regarding anti-personnel mines but also strengthening community resilience in the face of various forms of violence. The experience demonstrates that, in contexts of structural violence, education can denaturalize war and position life as a core value, fostering significant transformations through dialogical and collaborative pedagogical processes. This work highlights that the school—beyond its academic function—serves as a space for peace and civil resistance, where every educational action aimed at protection and peacebuilding, however small it may seem, contributes to the reconstruction of the social fabric in historically                    marginalized communities.