Luis Gilberto Murillo
Encyclopedia
Luis Gilberto Murillo Urrutia is the Former Elected Governor of the predominantly Afro-Colombian
Department of Chocó
in Colombia
. He is currently the Vice President for Programs and Strategy at Phelps Stokes
in Washington, DC.
in Mining Engineering
and Master's degree
in Engineering Science with a concentration in Open Pit Mining
, in 1990. He also received a Certificate as Instructor of Russian Language
. Because Mr. Murillo graduated with honors, he was offered to continue in a PhD
program in Mining Engineering. Although initially he accepted the offer and started the program, six months later, he returned to his native country and region to contribute to his community and to gain professional experience.
to the Office of Director General of the Corporation for Sustainable Development of the State of Chocó (CODECHOCO), under the National Department of Planning. As Director of CODECHOCO, Mr. Murillo reorganized and transformed that public institution. Although difficult, this transformation was needed to respond to the challenges of developing pioneering programs to promote the protection of biodiversity
and the tropical rainforest
. These reforms also incorporated the defense of land rights
of rural Afro-Colombian and Indigenous communities that populate Choco’s River Valley Region. In this position, Mr. Murillo played an important role in the discussion of Colombia’s National Environmental Law (Law 99/93). This law mandated the creation of the Ministry of Environmental Protection. Due to his accomplishments and managerial skills, Mr. Murillo was awarded the prestigious honor as Chocó Executive of the Year in two consecutive years, 1993 and 1994.
In 1995, Bogotá
’s Mayor Antanas Mockus Sivickas
and the Director of the then Department of Environmental Protection of Bogotá (DAMA), Eduardo Uribe Botero, appointed Mr. Murillo as the Deputy Director of Planning of this agency. Mr. Murillo’s tenure as a key member of DAMA’s Leadership Team was a watershed in Colombia’s history of urban environmental management
, which, heretofore, had been a sector largely underdeveloped. Mr. Murillo combined his passion for environmental policy
with developing a brain-trust
of University Scholars. To this end, he has taught environmental policy in Colombia’s top universities.
generated by the new 1991 Colombian Constitution and other encouraging developments in Latin America
, Mr. Murillo, as an independent political figure, defeated the competitors of major traditional movements in Chocó and was elected governor – as one of the youngest people (age 31) elected to this office in Colombia’s history.
Determined to follow his platform of reform, Governor Murillo proposed a reorganization of the institutional structure of the state government
. He pioneered the creation of a Secretariat of Ethnic Affairs and the Office of Environmental Development. He also designed and implemented the state plan for ethnic development. During Mr. Murillo’s tenure, Colombian government formalized the biggest collective land title to Afro-Colombians rural communities, under the umbrella of the Asociacion Campesina del Bajo Atrato (ACIA).
However, the intimidation
and massacres against Afro-Colombian communities and their subsequent displacement from their ancestral lands had already begun. All armed groups, paramilitaries and guerrillas, committed atrocities against rural communities. Given the seriousness and difficulty of the situation of Afro-Colombian and Indigenous communities of Chocó, Governor Murillo declared the state of Chocó a territory of peace. At this point, Governor Murillo favored the creation of forces under the United Nations
’ leadership and authority. At the time of this proposal, Governor Murillo was the subject of an illegal harassment. He and his family were threatened.
In January 1999, Murillo was stripped of his office by a controversial court ruling, which has been described in editorial
s of Colombia’s second most important newspaper El Espectador
as unjust. The most influential Colombian Newsweek-style magazine Revista Semana
wrote that because of a legal technicality
, the political career of one of the most influential leaders in Colombia was about to end. Governor Murillo’s removal from his office had several negative ramifications for the common people of Chocó. First, public confidence in the democratic process suffered. Second, state government policies that protected the environment
, the rainforest
and other needed reforms were abandoned. Third, issues of concern for people of Chocó lost prominence in the national political debate.
, security
, and development. In 2000, Murillo was kidnapped
by an illegal armed group. After being released some hours later, and because of the lack of government protection, he was forced to leave the country with his family. Governor Murillo relocated to the United States
, where he became one of the most visible voices for equality
, security, and development in Colombia. Undaunted by the turbulence of his political life, Mr. Murillo was determined from the outcome of his debacle of a greater need for political debate and organizing and he began working at the Lutheran World Relief
(LWR), as the US-Colombia Policy Coordinator and was later, promoted to the position of Senior International Policy Analyst. Governor Murillo worked hard to make the voices of marginalized global citizens, especially Colombians, heard in the foreign policy
debate in Washington, D.C. and the international community. His work was part of Lutheran World Relief’s efforts to resolve conflict and to build peace around the world through local projects backed by education
and advocacy
in the United States.
Governor Murillo is one of the most active international advocates of Afro-Colombians and Afro-Latinos
. He has been a catalystic force in creating links between Afro-Colombian, Afro-Latino and African American
civil society, public, and popular elected leaders. Moreover, Governor Murillo is a well-known political advocate for U.S. foreign aid that promotes equality and just development in Latin America and, hence calls for broad changes in U.S. policy toward the region. Governor Murillo regularly participates in Congressional Briefings and lectures about critical topics of foreign policy in the United States. Articles written by, or about Governor Murillo have appeared in the Washington Post, Baltimore Sun, Miami Herald, New Amsterdam, Chicago Tribune
, Source
and Crisis Magazines
, among others.
Governor Murillo also has served on the board of directors and on advisory committees of various U.S. based organizations, such as the Colombian Human Rights Committee, US Office on Colombia, American Friends Service Committee
, the Global Exchange Speaking Bureau, and the Center for International Policy
.
, and the United States, Governor Murillo has accumulated a great deal of practical knowledge and a variety of experiences. Now he is combining those experiences and putting then into practice at Phelps Stokes Fund. In his capacity as Senior Fellow and Vice President for Programs and Strategy, Mr. Murillo is leading an ambitious initiative that integrates leadership, development, security, energy, environment, and culture within the framework of foreign policy. The aim of this initiative is to promote just development and diversity in Latin America and throughout the world, through the promotion of youth leadership
, creative social and economic inclusion, and policy and institutional transformation that are sensitive to Afro-Descendants, Indigenous, and other marginalized social groups.
Afro-Colombian
Afro Colombians refers to Colombians of African ancestry, and the great impact they have had on Colombian culture. Notable Afro-Colombians include Colombian scientists like Raul Cuero, writers like Manuel Zapata Olivella and politicians:...
Department of Chocó
Chocó Department
Chocó is a department of Colombia known for its large Afro-Colombian population. It is in the west of the country, and is the only Colombian department to have coastlines on both the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean. It also has all of Colombia's border with Panama. Its capital is...
in Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
. He is currently the Vice President for Programs and Strategy at Phelps Stokes
Phelps Stokes
Established in 1911 as the Trustees of Phelps Stokes Fund by an act of the New York State legislature and known for much of its history as the Phelps-Stokes Fund, Phelps Stokes connects emerging leaders and organizations in Africa and the Americas with resources to help them advance social and...
in Washington, DC.
Education
Mr. Murillo’s meteoric ascent to an influential Afro-Colombian political figure began as a teenager, when he earned an unusually high score for his state on the national collegiate qualifying exams. This allowed him to be awarded Colombia’s prestigious ICETEX Scholarship to study abroad. As a result, he earned his Bachelor's degreeBachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in Mining Engineering
Mining engineering
Mining engineering is an engineering discipline that involves the practice, the theory, the science, the technology, and application of extracting and processing minerals from a naturally occurring environment. Mining engineering also includes processing minerals for additional value.Mineral...
and Master's degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
in Engineering Science with a concentration in Open Pit Mining
Open-pit mining
Open-pit mining or opencast mining refers to a method of extracting rock or minerals from the earth by their removal from an open pit or borrow....
, in 1990. He also received a Certificate as Instructor of Russian Language
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
. Because Mr. Murillo graduated with honors, he was offered to continue in a PhD
PHD
PHD may refer to:*Ph.D., a doctorate of philosophy*Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*PHD finger, a protein sequence*PHD Mountain Software, an outdoor clothing and equipment company*PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
program in Mining Engineering. Although initially he accepted the offer and started the program, six months later, he returned to his native country and region to contribute to his community and to gain professional experience.
CODECHOCO and DAMA
In 1993, at the age of 27, Mr. Murillo was promoted by Colombian President César GaviriaCésar Gaviria
César Gaviria Trujillo is a Colombian politician and a Latin American statesman. He served as President of Colombia from 1990 to 1994, and Secretary General of the Organization of American States from 1994 until 2004.-Early life:...
to the Office of Director General of the Corporation for Sustainable Development of the State of Chocó (CODECHOCO), under the National Department of Planning. As Director of CODECHOCO, Mr. Murillo reorganized and transformed that public institution. Although difficult, this transformation was needed to respond to the challenges of developing pioneering programs to promote the protection of biodiversity
Biodiversity
Biodiversity is the degree of variation of life forms within a given ecosystem, biome, or an entire planet. Biodiversity is a measure of the health of ecosystems. Biodiversity is in part a function of climate. In terrestrial habitats, tropical regions are typically rich whereas polar regions...
and the tropical rainforest
Tropical rainforest
A tropical rainforest is an ecosystem type that occurs roughly within the latitudes 28 degrees north or south of the equator . This ecosystem experiences high average temperatures and a significant amount of rainfall...
. These reforms also incorporated the defense of land rights
Land rights
Land law is the form of law that deals with the rights to use, alienate, or exclude others from land. In many jurisdictions, these species of property are referred to as real estate or real property, as distinct from personal property. Land use agreements, including renting, are an important...
of rural Afro-Colombian and Indigenous communities that populate Choco’s River Valley Region. In this position, Mr. Murillo played an important role in the discussion of Colombia’s National Environmental Law (Law 99/93). This law mandated the creation of the Ministry of Environmental Protection. Due to his accomplishments and managerial skills, Mr. Murillo was awarded the prestigious honor as Chocó Executive of the Year in two consecutive years, 1993 and 1994.
In 1995, Bogotá
Bogotá
Bogotá, Distrito Capital , from 1991 to 2000 called Santa Fé de Bogotá, is the capital, and largest city, of Colombia. It is also designated by the national constitution as the capital of the department of Cundinamarca, even though the city of Bogotá now comprises an independent Capital district...
’s Mayor Antanas Mockus Sivickas
Antanas Mockus
Aurelijus Rutenis Antanas Mockus Šivickas is a Colombian mathematician, philosopher, and politician.The son of Lithuanian immigrants, he left his post as the president of the National University of Colombia in Bogotá in 1993, and later that year ran a successful campaign for mayor...
and the Director of the then Department of Environmental Protection of Bogotá (DAMA), Eduardo Uribe Botero, appointed Mr. Murillo as the Deputy Director of Planning of this agency. Mr. Murillo’s tenure as a key member of DAMA’s Leadership Team was a watershed in Colombia’s history of urban environmental management
Environmental management
Environmental resource management is “a purposeful activity with the goal to maintain and improve the state of an environmental resource affected by human activities” . It is not, as the phrase suggests, the management of the environment as such, but rather the management of the interaction and...
, which, heretofore, had been a sector largely underdeveloped. Mr. Murillo combined his passion for environmental policy
Environmental policy
Environmental policy is any [course of] action deliberately taken [or not taken] to manage human activities with a view to prevent, reduce, or mitigate harmful effects on nature and natural resources, and ensuring that man-made changes to the environment do not have harmful effects on...
with developing a brain-trust
Brain Trust
Brain trust began as a term for a group of close advisors to a political candidate or incumbent, prized for their expertise in particular fields. The term is most associated with the group of advisors to Franklin Roosevelt during his presidential administration...
of University Scholars. To this end, he has taught environmental policy in Colombia’s top universities.
Governorship
In 1998, a coalition of the Afro-Colombian National Movement Party, the Liberal Party, and Afro-Colombian leaders drafted Mr. Murillo as their Gubernatorial Candidate for the state of Chocó, only five months before the election. Riding the wave of democratic optimismOptimism
The Oxford English Dictionary defines optimism as having "hopefulness and confidence about the future or successful outcome of something; a tendency to take a favourable or hopeful view." The word is originally derived from the Latin optimum, meaning "best." Being optimistic, in the typical sense...
generated by the new 1991 Colombian Constitution and other encouraging developments in Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
, Mr. Murillo, as an independent political figure, defeated the competitors of major traditional movements in Chocó and was elected governor – as one of the youngest people (age 31) elected to this office in Colombia’s history.
Determined to follow his platform of reform, Governor Murillo proposed a reorganization of the institutional structure of the state government
State government
A state government is the government of a subnational entity in a federal form of government, which shares political power with the federal or national government. A state government may have some level of political autonomy, or be subject to the direct control of the federal government...
. He pioneered the creation of a Secretariat of Ethnic Affairs and the Office of Environmental Development. He also designed and implemented the state plan for ethnic development. During Mr. Murillo’s tenure, Colombian government formalized the biggest collective land title to Afro-Colombians rural communities, under the umbrella of the Asociacion Campesina del Bajo Atrato (ACIA).
However, the intimidation
Intimidation
Intimidation is intentional behavior "which would cause a person of ordinary sensibilities" fear of injury or harm. It's not necessary to prove that the behavior was so violent as to cause terror or that the victim was actually frightened.Criminal threatening is the crime of intentionally or...
and massacres against Afro-Colombian communities and their subsequent displacement from their ancestral lands had already begun. All armed groups, paramilitaries and guerrillas, committed atrocities against rural communities. Given the seriousness and difficulty of the situation of Afro-Colombian and Indigenous communities of Chocó, Governor Murillo declared the state of Chocó a territory of peace. At this point, Governor Murillo favored the creation of forces under the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
’ leadership and authority. At the time of this proposal, Governor Murillo was the subject of an illegal harassment. He and his family were threatened.
In January 1999, Murillo was stripped of his office by a controversial court ruling, which has been described in editorial
Editorial
An opinion piece is an article, published in a newspaper or magazine, that mainly reflects the author's opinion about the subject. Opinion pieces are featured in many periodicals.-Editorials:...
s of Colombia’s second most important newspaper El Espectador
El Espectador
El Espectador is a newspaper with national circulation within Colombia, founded by Fidel Cano Gutiérrez on 22 March 1887 in Medellín and published since 1915 in Bogotá...
as unjust. The most influential Colombian Newsweek-style magazine Revista Semana
Revista Semana
Semana or Revista Semana is a Colombian-based weekly magazine. It was founded in 1946 by Alberto Lleras Camargo , but was shut down after a controversial cover depicting Cuban leader Fidel Castro.In 1983, journalist Felipe López Caballero re-founded the magazine...
wrote that because of a legal technicality
Legal technicality
The term legal technicality is a casual or colloquial phrase referring to a technical aspect of law. The phrase is not a term of art in the law; it has no exact meaning, nor does it have a legal definition. It implies that that strict adherence to the letter of the law has prevented the spirit of...
, the political career of one of the most influential leaders in Colombia was about to end. Governor Murillo’s removal from his office had several negative ramifications for the common people of Chocó. First, public confidence in the democratic process suffered. Second, state government policies that protected the environment
Natural environment
The natural environment encompasses all living and non-living things occurring naturally on Earth or some region thereof. It is an environment that encompasses the interaction of all living species....
, the rainforest
Rainforest
Rainforests are forests characterized by high rainfall, with definitions based on a minimum normal annual rainfall of 1750-2000 mm...
and other needed reforms were abandoned. Third, issues of concern for people of Chocó lost prominence in the national political debate.
Exile
After leaving the Governor’s Office, Mr. Murillo continued being an outspoken leader on issues of environment, democracyDemocracy
Democracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law...
, security
Security
Security is the degree of protection against danger, damage, loss, and crime. Security as a form of protection are structures and processes that provide or improve security as a condition. The Institute for Security and Open Methodologies in the OSSTMM 3 defines security as "a form of protection...
, and development. In 2000, Murillo was kidnapped
Kidnapping
In criminal law, kidnapping is the taking away or transportation of a person against that person's will, usually to hold the person in false imprisonment, a confinement without legal authority...
by an illegal armed group. After being released some hours later, and because of the lack of government protection, he was forced to leave the country with his family. Governor Murillo relocated to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, where he became one of the most visible voices for equality
Egalitarianism
Egalitarianism is a trend of thought that favors equality of some sort among moral agents, whether persons or animals. Emphasis is placed upon the fact that equality contains the idea of equity of quality...
, security, and development in Colombia. Undaunted by the turbulence of his political life, Mr. Murillo was determined from the outcome of his debacle of a greater need for political debate and organizing and he began working at the Lutheran World Relief
Lutheran World Relief
Lutheran World Relief is an international nonprofit organization specializing in International Development and Disaster Relief. It was headquartered in New York, but has been based in Baltimore, Maryland since 1995....
(LWR), as the US-Colombia Policy Coordinator and was later, promoted to the position of Senior International Policy Analyst. Governor Murillo worked hard to make the voices of marginalized global citizens, especially Colombians, heard in the foreign policy
Foreign policy
A country's foreign policy, also called the foreign relations policy, consists of self-interest strategies chosen by the state to safeguard its national interests and to achieve its goals within international relations milieu. The approaches are strategically employed to interact with other countries...
debate in Washington, D.C. and the international community. His work was part of Lutheran World Relief’s efforts to resolve conflict and to build peace around the world through local projects backed by education
Education
Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
and advocacy
Advocacy
Advocacy is a political process by an individual or a large group which normally aims to influence public-policy and resource allocation decisions within political, economic, and social systems and institutions; it may be motivated from moral, ethical or faith principles or simply to protect an...
in the United States.
Governor Murillo is one of the most active international advocates of Afro-Colombians and Afro-Latinos
Afro-Latin American
An Afro-Latin American is a Latin American person of at least partial Black African ancestry; the term may also refer to historical or cultural elements in Latin America thought to emanate from this community...
. He has been a catalystic force in creating links between Afro-Colombian, Afro-Latino and African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
civil society, public, and popular elected leaders. Moreover, Governor Murillo is a well-known political advocate for U.S. foreign aid that promotes equality and just development in Latin America and, hence calls for broad changes in U.S. policy toward the region. Governor Murillo regularly participates in Congressional Briefings and lectures about critical topics of foreign policy in the United States. Articles written by, or about Governor Murillo have appeared in the Washington Post, Baltimore Sun, Miami Herald, New Amsterdam, Chicago Tribune
Chicago Tribune
The Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
, Source
Source (magazine)
Source magazine is a free bi-monthly magazine published by the John Brown Group on behalf of Greenbee, John Lewis, and Waitrose, all three of which are owned by the John Lewis Partnership, with articles covering interior design, beauty, the arts, travel, finance, and lifestyle...
and Crisis Magazines
The Crisis
The Crisis is the official magazine of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People , and was founded in 1910 by W. E. B. Du Bois , Oswald Garrison Villard, J. Max Barber, Charles Edward Russell, Kelly Miller, W.S. Braithwaite, M. D. Maclean.The original title of the journal was...
, among others.
Governor Murillo also has served on the board of directors and on advisory committees of various U.S. based organizations, such as the Colombian Human Rights Committee, US Office on Colombia, American Friends Service Committee
American Friends Service Committee
The American Friends Service Committee is a Religious Society of Friends affiliated organization which works for peace and social justice in the United States and around the world...
, the Global Exchange Speaking Bureau, and the Center for International Policy
Center for International Policy
The Center for International Policy is a non-profit public policy research and advocacy think tank with offices in Washington, D.C. and New York City. It was founded in 1975 in response to the Vietnam War. The Center describes its mission as "promoting a U.S...
.
Phelps Stokes
Through all of his years in Colombia, RussiaRussia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, and the United States, Governor Murillo has accumulated a great deal of practical knowledge and a variety of experiences. Now he is combining those experiences and putting then into practice at Phelps Stokes Fund. In his capacity as Senior Fellow and Vice President for Programs and Strategy, Mr. Murillo is leading an ambitious initiative that integrates leadership, development, security, energy, environment, and culture within the framework of foreign policy. The aim of this initiative is to promote just development and diversity in Latin America and throughout the world, through the promotion of youth leadership
Youth leadership
Youth leadership is the practice of teens exercising authority over themselves or others.Youth leadership has been eleborated upon as a theory of youth development in which young people gain skills and knowledge necessary to lead civic engagement, education reform and community organizing activities...
, creative social and economic inclusion, and policy and institutional transformation that are sensitive to Afro-Descendants, Indigenous, and other marginalized social groups.