Through Superior Agreement Number 016 of 2023, the honorable Superior Council of the University of Cauca, in line with its steadfast commitment to contribute to the construction of peace, approved on June 8 of the current year special slots for victims of the armed conflict in the department of Cauca to access higher education at the Alma Mater Cauca.

As the University of Cauca, we are aware of the duty we have being located in a territory like Cauca, a department that not only enjoys deep ethnic, cultural, and environmental richness but has also been affected, for more than five decades, by the violence derived from the armed conflict. Therefore, as one of the higher education institutions with a significant impact in the region, we have been working for several years to promote concrete actions that contribute to the construction of the long-awaited Total Peace.

In this sense, as a place of thought, the Alma Mater Cauca has been evolving into a space for encounter, dialogue, and consensus, fostering scenarios and creating connections that allow political influence in the construction of peace, as "The University of Cauca is, above all, a University for peace." Hence, the importance of working for a more equitable and just society through education; an education that generates real and transformative opportunities for the young people of Cauca.

"This is a commitment to provide opportunities for our young people, who have experienced the pain of war, and at the same time, a way to bet on the search for peace in a department like Cauca, which needs it so much," emphasized the rector, Dr. Deibar René Hurtado Herrera, who also specified that the measure will take effect from the first semester of 2024 and consists of a special quota for the 54 programs offered at Unicauca. It is important to note that young people who wish to enter through this special quota must have completed their high school studies in an educational institution in the department of Cauca, be registered in the Single Registry of Victims, and attach a certification issued by the National Government's Victims Unit.

It is important to consider that high school graduates who have been admitted previously to the University of Cauca or have benefited from another special admission program cannot access the quota for victims of the armed conflict.

On the other hand, it is noteworthy that young people entering through this special quota for victims of the armed conflict will have special support within the lines of credit and subsidies to cover educational and maintenance costs when the student requires it or requests it. This is framed in the fact that as a university, we seek to offer support to the needs and realities that continually arise in our immediate context.

Finally, we share that at the University of Cauca, and from this rectoral project that aims for a Bicentennial, Excellent, and Solidary University, we are highly convinced that education is the most powerful tool to build a better future for the young people of the region. Without a doubt, when a young person enters higher education, we are not only sowing the seed of a future professional who will contribute from their expertise to the economic, social, and cultural development of the region, but we are also taking a young person away from war.