What is the mission of Siempre por Colombia?

Siempre por Colombia seeks to organize an influential constituency and collective action platform that empowers Colombia’s middle- class citizens, particularly disillusioned with the persistent polarization of politics. Our focus is on

uniting those who identify as centrists and middle class and are ready to organize around three core objectives:

1

2

3

To build a constituency and collective action platform for the centrist, middle class.

To craft policy innovations on economic and democratic agendas that boost the security, income, and assets of this social bracket.

To do issue campaigns to double the overall base, well-being and representation of the centrist, middle class.

1 To build a constituency and collective action platform for the centrist, middle class.

2 To craft policy innovations on economic and democratic agendas that boost the security, income, and assets of this social bracket.
3 To do issue campaigns to double the overall base, well-being and representation of the centrist, middle class.

While Colombia’s centrist middle class has the numbers and potential, it currently lacks the identity, narrative, organization, and lasting representation required to elevate their priorities to the national agenda and transform their size into a decisive constituency force. That’s the void our organization works to fill.

Colombia’s civil society is well organized in issues such as defending armed conflict victims, human rights, or ethnic base groups’ identity, but it lacks organization of the centrist middle-class citizens and agendas. The purpose of Siempre por Colombia is to transform centrists and middle-class citizens and groups into an organized and mobilized constituency, willing and able to achieve change by doubling their representation, their average income and assets, and their overall well-being.

OUR TEAM

Marta Lasprilla

Economist from Universidad de los Andes with more than 15 years of experience in leadership positions in two financial sector associations (Asobancaria and ICAV) in Colombia. Experienced in policy formulation and public and private initiatives and project management with components of social participation, consensus-building, execution, monitoring, and evaluation of results. Expert in topics related to housing finance and policy structuring. Involvement in studies aimed at identifying barriers and solutions to access credit and financial services for middle-class families seeking to purchase housing. Defined, structured, and implemented the Savings Accounts and Construction Promotion programs (AFC) and the interest rate subsidy for housing loans (the program known as Mi Casa Ya). These programs significantly impacted formal housing access for the population. Public sector experience as Coordinator of the Industrial Monitoring Project at the Ministry of Development and in the National Planning Department as head of the Industrial and Technological Development Unit and head of the International Technical Cooperation Division. Participated in structuring and initiating the 'Economy Modernization' program.

Felipe Jiménez

Professor and researcher at the Center for Research and Special Projects (CIPE) at Universidad Externado and a professor at Universidad Javeriana. A distinguished professional in Government and International Relations, specialist in Applied Statistics, and Master of Public Policy from Columbia University and Universidad Externado. He is a Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Fellow. For over 15 years, he has spearheaded key initiatives in both the public and private sectors of Colombia, establishing himself as an expert in territorial development, crisis management, and the implementation of innovative public policies. He has held various executive roles, including Secretary of Government, Secretary of Planning, and Chief of Staff at the Bogotá Mayor's Office. Felipe is co-founder of the Electoral Observation Mission (MOE), one of the most influential organizations in political and electoral matters in Colombia and the region.

Jorge Iván Hermida

International facilitator and trainer specializing in intercultural learning, social inclusion, and the development of professional and team capacities. He holds a Master’s degree in Social Intervention and is a Social Communicator and Journalist. With over 15 years of experience, he has worked extensively on international cooperation and volunteering projects.

What is the mission of Siempre por Colombia?

Our work aims at benefitting not only the current middle class (16 million people earning between one to four minimum wages), but also 16 million Colombians currently classified as vulnerable (earning more than one third, but less than one minimum salary). Our mission is to secure five key outcomes for the centrist, middle class citizens we will organize and work with:

1 A job or business that guarantees income above one minimum wage for every adult in middle-class families.

2 Access to affordable housing (an asset)
3 Access to post-secondary and higher education to improve labor prospects (another asset).

4 A safe neighborhood for their families and community.

5 Transparent and accountable officials and decision makers.

How are we going to achieve our mission?

Through tools like organization, mobilization, and public narrative as well as through policy innovations, rigorous research, and issue campaigns, Siempre por Colombia will transform centrist and middle-class citizens and groups into an organized and effective constituency, from the local, to the regional to the national level, with the capacity to craft their policies, defend their causes effectively and to double their level of representation at all levels of society.

This will ultimately provide Colombian democracy with a solid constituency and networks of political stability and national purpose.

Such organized constituencies and networks will use their mobilization and representation to increase in the short-mid-term the provision and access to affordable housing, higher education, as well as to labor and entrepreneurial opportunities, and in the mid-long-term to expand Colombia’s economic base in sectors where it has high potential but current low