Outside the Box

CBS news did a piece that we just really loved here. Colombia used to be one of the most violent and isolated places on Earth. But new ways of thinking have helped the country find peace and fight poverty.

Here is a teaser from the article:

For more than half a century, Colombia was one of the most violent and isolated countries on Earth.  Infamous for cartels, cocaine, and kidnapping.  The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia or FARC fought the government in the longest running war in the Western hemisphere.   Until recently, when Colombia achieved what many thought was impossible. The war is effectively over, the country transformed.

How do you end a 52-year war that left 220,000 dead and millions displaced against a revolutionary army dedicated to overthrowing the government? Billions in U.S. aid helped. But the Colombian military came up with one of the most unusual ideas in modern warfare: an advertising campaign. They hired a creative ad executive, Jose Miguel Sokoloff, to convince thousands of fighters to give up without firing a shot.  How did Sokoloff do it? With soccer balls and Christmas trees.

It shows how the best answers are often the most unconventional. When your community is faced with large systemic problems, it is time to start thinking outside the box. The Green Beret Project thinks outside the box.