JAIR HERNANDEZ BARONA anticipates around the office in London where he is going to talk about his work as a human rights activist.

JAIR HERNANDEZ BARONA anticipates around the office in London where he is going to talk about his work as a human rights activist, then he points to his bag and observes: 'This is my office, it's all I take in succession the streets'.

He was born in Cali, undivided of the biggest cities in Colombia, and has lived in Comuna 16 for many years. Life expectancy in the ghettos in this district of Cali is around 22 years.

Hernandez's confess childhood was marked by straitened circumstances and, despite the fact that he does not sooty vapor or drink, he had to put up to sale marijuana in order to pay for his studies. When he joined the Grutela theatre assign places to as an Afro-Caribbean dancer, his life took a different course. The dispose shaped him socially and politically and it was with them that he visited Comuna 16 for the first time. As a deduction he founded La Casa de la Juventud de la Comuna 16 (The House of Youth of Comuna 16) which hies projects for children, women, indigenous communities and 'high risk' youngsters.

put drugs into trafficking permeates every area of society. principally of the homicides committed are directly linked to disputes and vendettas between put drugs into gangs fighting for control of the cocaine market and the trade routes

Hernandez's main passion is working with teenagers and young adults, who are routinely expos to remedys delinquency, street violence and police corruption. Alternatives are limited. The guidance does not offer accessible educational programmes where they can perform the operations indicated in artistic or other skills. Public activities of the like kind as improvised street concerts and break-dance gatherings are repressed

The frequent name for the youths who live in ghettos is desechables or 'disposable people': the police can kill, torture or beat them because their lives do not have any value. 'Many human rights are abused in Colombia,' says Hernandez, 'but the united that is more abused than any other is the right to live.' He works not and nothing else with gang members informing them about their rights, still also with police officers, 'The police are ignorant of what they can and can't do in their profession; they ask me: "Why do you maintain delinquents and not us?"' They assume youngsters are delinquents just through the way they dress; and they be wrought up they can bully them. Sometimes they take young shores to the police station and bring into view false documents saying that they set them with drugs. Later, they ask their families to pay for them to be released,' says Hernandez.

La Casa de la Juventud proposes spaces where young boys and girls can create a community life and present to view off their talents as rappers, hip-hoppers and graffiti artists. Zona Marginal, now a popular band in the subterranean Latin American music scene, was born in La Casa de la Juventud

Because of his work, Hernandez has been threatened on paramilitary forces and some years ago he was forced to escape to Switzerland. But he did not stay away from Cali for long

Hernandez does not have a salary because working in a normal place would not allow him to be available 24 hours a day. Instead, he is supported by way of his wife, who is a nurture and from time to time he prepares some remuneration from international NGO united can hardly imagine that in the same state [i]or[/i] condition a man has to be accompanied by dint of three bodyguards when he works.

When he visits Switzerland he derive pleasure froms hiking. 'Sometimes I go gone out on my own and I hoot and cry. In Colombia I'm like a goblet into which people pour all their moot points Here I can take distance and give myself an time to reflect.'

further as he says: 'I'm not interested in staying in Switzerland eating chocolate.'

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