The former president of Colombia gave the highest award granted by the country's government, the Cross of Boyaca, to the regional director of the OEI

Who is Ángel Martín Peccis?

He is from Zaragosa, Spain, but lives and works in Colombia. He is the regional director of the Organization of Ibero-American States for Education, Science, and Culture (OEI). He has dedicated himself to promoting education from early childhood, teacher training, educational support for vulnerable populations, artistic education and the training of community mothers, as highlighted by the official website of the OEI.

Leer en español: La última Cruz de Boyacá de Juan Manuel Santos: Ángel Martín Peccis

In his career, one of the programs he has developed is Luces para Aprender, (Lights to Learn) which "aims to improve the educational quality of more than 55,000 rural schools of difficult access in Latin America, especially favoring indigenous populations, people of African descent and vulnerable populations", as the OEI explains. To achieve its objectives, they work with 5 components: energy, connectivity, teacher training, community strengthening, and sustainability.

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In Colombia in 2012, Luces para Aprender brought solar power and an internet connection to 9 schools in the rural area of ​​the Pacific, as reported by the AZ Education and Culture Magazine. In 2014, it brought electricity to 26 schools in La Guajira, according to El Espectador. These are just some of the achievements of this initiative under Peccis's direction.

The last Cruz de Boyacá of the Santos government

On August 6, 2018, Juan Manuel Santos gave him the highest award that can be granted to Colombians or foreigners to Peccis as one of his last official acts before the possession of the current president, Iván Duque.

According to the OEI press release, "The Director of the Organization of Ibero-American States and Director for Ibero-America of the Human Rights Education Institute – IDEDH – OEI, has been recognized for his commitment, commitment and leadership in programs and projects in the promotion and defense of Human Rights, in the construction and consensus of citizenship, in education with quality and in regional integration, which have benefited the Colombian population, especially the most vulnerable."

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The recognition of the former president who signed peace with the FARC shows the commitment that this organization manifests on its website: "With the signing of the Peace Accords, between the National Government and the FARC, the [OEI] leads and supports in productive projects and education for the construction of a stable and lasting peace for Colombia".

Under Peccis's leadership, this commitment has been fulfilled, and despite the fact that the Santos government has come to an end, Peccis continues to lead the OEI in Colombia and will continue to fight for education and peace in the country.

LatinAmerican Post | Laura Rocha Rueda

Translated from "La última Cruz de Boyacá de Juan Manuel Santos: Ángel Martín Peccis"