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Afro-Colombians Issues: Technical Assistance a. National Documentation and Research Center for Afro-Colombian Cultures A National Center for the Study and Documentation of Afro-Colombian Cultures was inagaugurated on the 25 - 27 of September, 2007, in Quibdó (Chocó) to contribute to the awareness, knowledge, and preservation of the diverse Afro-Colombian culture in Colombia. The Colombian Ministry of Culture, Technological University of Choco (UTCH), National Library of Colombia, Instituto Colombiano de Antropología e Historia (ICANH), and Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, along with techinical assistance from the Colombia Program at Georgeotown Univeristy and the Embassy of the United States have been working since 2003 towards the establishment of the center, which was opened during a ceremony at the center in Quibdó. The overarching mission is to " construct and advance the creation of a national memory of cultural expression, with the objective of consolidating and integrating a process of national inclusion for Afro-Colombians." Included in the functions of the center are: to conduct socio-anthropological research on the diverse Afro-Colombian cultures; Document the cultural richness of the Afro-Colombian people; Design, evaluate, and monitor public policies on behalf of the Afro-Colombian population; and design and hold events (academic and cultural) for the promotion of Afro-Colombian culture within institutions including: universities, government, and community centers. The Constitution of 1991 states that Colombia must promote and protect its pluralistic and ethnically diverse country. The National Center for the Study and Documentation of Afro-Colombian Cultures is one more step in that direction. Inaugaración del Centro Nacional de Estudios y Documentación de las Culturas Afrocolombianas Primer Plan Estratégico Bianual 2006-2008 para el Centro de Documentación de las Culturas Afro-Colombianas Brochure del Centro de Documentación de las Culturas Afro-Colombianas b. Participatory design and implementation of Department wide strategies with Violence Reduction The Colombia Program has coordinated activities with the governments of Nariño, Valle, Tolima, Cauca, Chocó and Huila to improve their support towards municipal governments in terms of technical assistance and resources (through Plan de Atención Básica Departamental en Salud) in order to help local governments define sound municipal policies for violence prevention and crime reduction. This has helped the Colombia Program better understand the difficulties and challenges confronted by departments in exercising their functions, and the type of support the departments need in this field. In addition the Colombia Program is providing technical assistance to the National Police to implement a new country wide initiative called Departamentos y Municipios Seguros. The program’s objective is to promote and consolidate President Uribe’s Democratic Security Policy through a complementary strategy of security plans and policies implemented by mayors and governors from 2004-2007. Since March 2004 a series of regional and departmental meetings have taken place in order to train  governors and mayors throughout the country in implementing security policies.