Project Ruth Database

"Displaced people place their hope in the church and say, 'Father we trust you. Take this information and use this to advocate for our families.' If these families have been displaced by the violence, let them not be displaced again by indifference."
— Father Rafael Castillo Torres of the Archdiocese of Cartagena, Bolivar Province

Project RUTH is named after the biblical figure Ruth who abandoned everything she had, and placed her trust in God as she expressed her solidarity with the displaced. The Catholic Relief Services supported RUTH project promotes the development of a nationwide database in Colombia for the displaced to increase understanding about this phenomenon and to design pastoral intervention programs that benefit the displaced population through emergency assistance, socioeconomic reintegration, and that provide the means to prevent further displacement.

The RUTH database is not the solution to displacement, but it is a part of the answer. It is not enough to say how many displaced there are. The results of the RUTH database can become a tool to help discern pertinent and appropriate social policies that respond to the challenges of the displaced.

RUTH is an instrument that enables the church, civil society, and government to coordinate and form an inter-institutional response to the crisis.

"The project is of great importance to both the interviewers and those interviewed, as they share the story of a human crisis and document its experience. Many organizations are interested in the RUTH database, and we have shared survey results with the International Red Cross and other organizations, which has enabled them to target their responses appropriately to meet the needs of the population," said Fr. Torres.

The information collected is formatted and utilized in project design as well as for advocacy and research. The project expanded its activities in 2002, reaching a total of 60 dioceses with training on the use of the survey tool and installation of the related software program.

How Do We Do This Project And What Are Our Accomplishments To Date?

The RUTH database consists of a collection of interviews done with the approval and support of the displaced population. The interviews are carried out by local diocesan social ministry volunteers trained by the Human Mobility Department of the National Pastoral Ministry of the Colombian Episcopal Conference. The Human Mobility Department consists of a core team of three people who:

• Provide training on the use and application of the survey,
• Install the system,
• Monitor the results, and
• Produce quarterly reports on information received through the database.

The RUTH project has produced some of the most reliable data on displaced individuals in the country. Detailed information on family composition, help received, principal needs, amount of land abandoned, and desire to stay where they are, return to their homes or reestablish elsewhere are included in the reports.

Furthermore, interviews and case studies have identified the particular challenges faced by displaced women, identified receiving and expulsive territories and strengthened the capacity of parishes and dioceses to attend to the crisis. The time donated by church volunteers across the country has been crucial to the project's success.

Background of the Project

Today, as never before, it is important for us to manage information about the forcibly displaced. This project was created with the needs of the displaced population in mind and it abides by the clear guidelines set forth for working with displaced individuals.These guidelines include respecting their human dignity, and promoting equality, non-discrimination, and solidarity. The project is built on dialogue and consensus with displaced communities and relies upon the active participation of all involved. Project RUTH acknowledges the displaced as people with individual life histories, hopes and dreams.