When you think of Colombia, what first comes to mind?
….Yeah, me too.
The word pops up in every conversation, it starts with a C and rhymes with “eruption”.
Colombia has had an often violent history, marked with guerilla warfare and drugs. But this picture of the country is far from reflective of it’s people and their hopes for the future.
Today, the cities are safe, the people are welcoming and Project Managers are taking a stance against corruption by working together in the private sector to create change. Far from the Netflix Narcos depicted towns of the 80s and 90s, Colombia is progressive and accessible.
However, Project Managers and companies are navigating a delicate political situation. With upcoming elections, many projects are on the table, but there is uncertainty if there will be a go for these initiatives, keeping in mind that corruption, not only in Colombia, but in many countries in Latin America is a common “currency” to do business at different levels. While it is easy to discuss the problems, I didn’t travel around the world to get information I could have Googled. I’m here to discuss solutions from the community of visionaries who care so much about their profession that they give of their free time to move their country forward through project management best practices.
On November 5th, I arrived in Bogota to meet and have a coffee (when in Colombia, coffee of course) with PMI-Bogota Colombia Chapter volunteer, Juan Carlos Velandia, PMP, who works with the chapter in communications and digital marketing. Hey, that’s what I do too!
The full article is published on PMI-Montreal's blog page. Click here to read the full article.
Also in French
Medellin, Colombia. The view from Comuna 13.