They are using social media platforms to entrap young people and encourage them to take up arms. They make false promises of smart phones, money and security to prey on vulnerable young people who just want a safe future.
No child should have to grow up in fear. That’s why we are partnering with REDEPAZ to protect children from armed groups and offer them a future free from violence.
They are opening paths away from violence for young people in Colombia. A donation from you today will support their vital work by helping to keep a child closer to school and further from war.
The conflict in Colombia is one of the longest running in the Americas. Many think that it’s ‘over’, but in truth the violence never ended.
Armed groups still operate all over Colombia. Although often at odds with one another, they all have one thing in common: A fundamental disregard for human rights.
Every day, children and teenagers are being kidnapped and manipulated into joining these groups. For many children in rural Colombia, violence can seem like the only option for survival.
Through social media, we are increasingly aware of where and how forced child recruitment is happening.
Research from our local partner, REDEPAZ, shows armed groups are using social media – especially TikTok and Instagram – to glamorise violence and gun culture, making it seem cool and desirable to take up arms. They’re targeting football matches and shopping centres where teenagers spend their time to more easily recruit and kidnap them.
“We know where it happens, how it operates and who they target. The recruitment of children and teenagers hasn’t ended; it has simply changed.”
Our partner, REDEPAZ, directly supports communities who have been impacted by the Colombian conflict. They offer opportunities for those who have experienced violence from armed groups to become part of the change – not passive victims, but active peacebuilders.
Your support is needed to rebuild child protection services and ensure that every child has the chance to thrive in a safer, violence-free Colombia.
A donation today will help change the future for children in Colombia and warzones around the world.
Our partner, REDEPAZ, is on the ground, transforming lives—one child, one school, one community at a time. Your support today can make a tangible difference.
👉 School meals for a vulnerable family.
👉 Safe transport for a child to attend school.
👉 School supplies for a child in a rural area
👉 A school uniform and set of textbooks for a former child soldier to return to school.
👉 An after-school club to keep young people away from violence.
👉 A counselling session for a child affected by armed conflict.
👉 One month of educational support and protection for children at risk of forced recruitment.
👉 Community workshops on peacebuilding in areas affected by armed groups.
👉 Emergency support for families.
In March 2025, REDEPAZ launched Champions of Respect, Scorers of Peace. The campaign took football, something millions of young Colombians already love, and used it to show them what collective, non-violent joy looks like.
During Colombian football league matches, radio stations broadcast the campaign’s message to fans across the country.
The campaign brought young people together in Bogotá to debate peace and the issues shaping their lives. These young people are now running social media campaigns to reach Colombian youth, just like them.
REDEPAZ plan to expand these groups into a network of young people across Colombia who will lead peacebuilding efforts in their communities, using creativity, sport and organising as their tools to build a peaceful tomorrow.
After over 50 years of conflict, local peacebuilders trained by REDEPAZ are playing a pivotal role in building a safe future for Colombia. Donate today to continue supporting their courageous work.
There are general elections taking place in Colombia this year. The choices we make now will shape whether children grow up with opportunities to live a life free from violence – or remain trapped in cycles of conflict and poverty.
Your donation isn’t just charity – it’s a vote for a future Colombia that protects and educates its children.
Donate today to support peacebuilders protecting children in Colombia and around the world.
