En 6AM de Caracol Radio se conectó Cecilia Rico Torres, Directora de Gestión de Impuestos de la DIAN, quien habló sobre la importancia de la factura electrónica y por qué hay más de 27.000 establecimientos sin facturación electrónica en sus operaciones

I am convinced that the only path to lasting peace in Colombia consists of dialogue, negotiation, cooperation, inclusion and fairness – which is also the high road to sustainable development [...]

Four hundred years ago, escaped slaves formed the village of Palenque. The town’s younger generations have reconnected with their African roots through cultural traditions handed down from their ancestors (Kenneth Fletcher/SmithsonianMag.com). Read more at http://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/colombia-dispatches.html

Read more at http://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/colombia-dispatches.html In Valledupar, Colombia, Turco Gil operates a school to teach local children how to play vallenato music. Listen to Juan David Atencia, a blind 9-year-old prodigy play the accordion.

The bone, described two decades after its discovery, suggests the species might have grown up to 20 percent bigger than other terror birds

EPICS in IEEE, a service learning program for university students supported by IEEE Educational Activities, offers students opportunities to engage with engineering professionals and mentors, local organizations, and technological innovation to address community-based issues.

The following two environmentally focused projects demonstrate the value of teamwork and direct involvement with project stakeholders. One uses smart biodigesters to better manage waste in Colombia’s rural areas. The other is focused on helping Turkish olive farmers protect their trees from climate change effects by providing them with a warning system that can identify growing problems.

No time to waste in rural Colombia

Proper waste management is critical to a community’s living conditions. In rural La Vega, Colombia, the lack of an effective system has led to contaminated soil and water, an especially concerning issue because the town’s economy relies heavily on agriculture.

The Smart Biodigesters for a Better Environment in Rural Areas project brought students together to devise a solution.

Vivian Estefanía Beltrán, a Ph.D. student at the Universidad del Rosario in Bogotá, addressed the problem by building a low-cost anaerobic digester that uses an instrumentation system to break down microorganisms into biodegradable material. It reduces the amount of solid waste, and the digesters can produce biogas, which can be used to generate electricity.

“Anaerobic digestion is a natural biological process that converts organic matter into two valuable products: biogas and nutrient-rich soil amendments in the form of digestate,” Beltrán says. “As a by-product of our digester’s operation, digestate is organic matter that can’t be transferred into biogas but can be used as a soil amendment for our farmers’ crops, such as coffee.

“While it may sound easy, the process is influenced by a lot of variables. The support we’ve received from EPICS in IEEE is important because it enables us to measure these variables, such as pH levels, temperature of the reactor, and biogas composition [methane and hydrogen sulfide]. The system allows us to make informed decisions that enhance the safety, quality, and efficiency of the process for the benefit of the community.”

The project was a collaborative effort among Universidad del Rosario students, a team of engineering students from Escuela Tecnológica Instituto Técnico Central, Professor Carlos Felipe Vergara, and members of Junta de Acción Comunal (Vereda La Granja), which aims to help residents improve their community.

“It’s been a great experience to see how individuals pursuing different fields of study—from engineering to electronics and computer science—can all work and learn together on a project that will have a direct positive impact on a community.” —Vivian Estefanía Beltrán

Beltrán worked closely with eight undergraduate students and three instructors—Maria Fernanda Gómez, Andrés Pérez Gordillo (the instrumentation group leader), and Carlos Felipe Vergara-Ramirez—as well as IEEE Graduate Student Member Nicolás Castiblanco (the instrumentation group coordinator).

The team constructed and installed their anaerobic digester system in an experimental station in La Vega, a town located roughly 53 kilometers northwest of Bogotá.

“This digester is an important innovation for the residents of La Vega, as it will hopefully offer a productive way to utilize the residual biomass they produce to improve quality of life and boost the economy,” Beltrán says. Soon, she adds, the system will be expanded to incorporate high-tech sensors that automatically monitor biogas production and the digestion process.

“For our students and team members, it’s been a great experience to see how individuals pursuing different fields of study—from engineering to electronics and computer science—can all work and learn together on a project that will have a direct positive impact on a community. It enables all of us to apply our classroom skills to reality,” she says. “The funding we’ve received from EPICS in IEEE has been crucial to designing, proving, and installing the system.”

The project also aims to support the development of a circular economy, which reuses materials to enhance the community’s sustainability and self-sufficiency.

Protecting olive groves in Türkiye

Türkiye is one of the world’s leading producers of olives, but the industry has been challenged in recent years by unprecedented floods, droughts, and other destructive forces of nature resulting from climate change. To help farmers in the western part of the country monitor the health of their olive trees, a team of students from Istanbul Technical University developed an early-warning system to identify irregularities including abnormal growth.

“Almost no olives were produced last year using traditional methods, due to climate conditions and unusual weather patterns,” says Tayfun Akgül, project leader of the Smart Monitoring of Fruit Trees in Western Türkiye initiative.

“Our system will give farmers feedback from each tree so that actions can be taken in advance to improve the yield,” says Akgül, an IEEE senior member and a professor in the university’s electronics and communication engineering department.

“We’re developing deep-learning techniques to detect changes in olive trees and their fruit so that farmers and landowners can take all necessary measures to avoid a low or damaged harvest,” says project coordinator Melike Girgin, a Ph.D. student at the university and an IEEE graduate student member.

Using drones outfitted with 360-degree optical and thermal cameras, the team collects optical, thermal, and hyperspectral imaging data through aerial methods. The information is fed into a cloud-based, open-source database system.

Akgül leads the project and teaches the team skills including signal and image processing and data collection. He says regular communication with community-based stakeholders has been critical to the project’s success.

“There are several farmers in the village who have helped us direct our drone activities to the right locations,” he says. “Their involvement in the project has been instrumental in helping us refine our process for greater effectiveness.

“For students, classroom instruction is straightforward, then they take an exam at the end. But through our EPICS project, students are continuously interacting with farmers in a hands-on, practical way and can see the results of their efforts in real time.”

Looking ahead, the team is excited about expanding the project to encompass other fruits besides olives. The team also intends to apply for a travel grant from IEEE in hopes of presenting its work at a conference.

“We’re so grateful to EPICS in IEEE for this opportunity,” Girgin says. “Our project and some of the technology we required wouldn’t have been possible without the funding we received.”

A purpose-driven partnership

The IEEE Standards Association sponsored both of the proactive environmental projects.

“Technical projects play a crucial role in advancing innovation and ensuring interoperability across various industries,” says Munir Mohammed, IEEE SA senior manager of product development and market engagement. “These projects not only align with our technical standards but also drive technological progress, enhance global collaboration, and ultimately improve the quality of life for communities worldwide.”

For more information on the program or to participate in service-learning projects, visit EPICS in IEEE.

On 7 November, this article was updated from an earlier version.

Jun 10, 2022

This book is intended to advance the next phase of the U.S.-Colombia relationship. In a rapidly changing world, the following chapters present a roadmap for a new type of engagement that challenges our ambitions and extends the ties that bind our countries. 

Nov 18, 2022

Former Colombian President Iván Duque discussed Latin America’s resurgent left wing and advocated for environmental action at the Harvard Kennedy School on Thursday afternoon.

The Colombian Government has issued Decree 939 of August 19, 2021, which enables the tax agency to revise an assessment for potentially viable companies that are facing insolvency, where doing so may save the company and jobs.

Cambridge, MA. : National Bureau of Economic Research, 2023

Cambridge, MA. : National Bureau of Economic Research, 2023

The guerrillas are handing weapons over to the UN, but they are in fear. Thomas Mortensen reports from Urabá.

Articles Eritrean Ladies → Tips for meeting women from Eritrea Why carry out Columbia -mail order brides make most suitable wives? Mucutuy, who have arrived at the hospital at start with other family, said the youngsters had been provided mental overall health services. “I thank the president to get his help and the Local people […]

As the world grapples with plummeting levels of biodiversity, Colombia is hosting two weeks of meetings for the United Nations Biodiversity Conference

National Bureau of Economic Research

National Bureau of Economic Research

(May 5, 2020) On March 28, 2020, Colombian President Iván Duque Márquez issued Legislative Decree 491/2020, which permits governmental bodies, including the legislature, to conduct business virtually during the COVID-19 pandemic. Article 12 of the decree allows for remote sessions in which members can deliberate by any means (por cualquier medio) and make decisions by […]

Martha Ardila spent several years serving in OM's ship ministry. This year, after visiing the OM Andean Region headquarters in Ecuador and being commmissioned, she returns to Colombia to official begin OM's work in her native country.

Nearly two million people have been affected by the recent flooding in Colombia. The torrential rains that hit the country in the past few months caused its worst flooding in 40 years. Over 240 people have died and many had to leave their homes behind, especially along the Pacific and Atlantic coastlines. OM Colombia is helping out with relief work.

Though it’s one of the smallest teams in OM, OM Colombia, lead by Colombian Martha Ardila, makes big plans for the future.

Barranquilla, Colombia :: Logos Hope's volunteers speak the international language of mime as they learn how to clown around as a means of connecting.

1 Ugandan Shilling = 1.0253 Colombian Peso

1 Salvadoran Colon = 445.2293 Colombian Peso

1 Romanian Leu = 874.9495 Colombian Peso

1 Ukrainian Hryvnia = 145.1843 Colombian Peso

1 Tanzanian Shilling = 1.6837 Colombian Peso

1 Venezuelan Bolivar Fuerte = 390.1377 Colombian Peso

1 Yemeni Rial = 15.5627 Colombian Peso

1 Paraguayan Guarani = 0.5966 Colombian Peso

1 Hong Kong Dollar = 501.677 Colombian Peso

1 Kuwaiti Dinar = 12595.7246 Colombian Peso

1 Saudi Riyal = 1037.335 Colombian Peso

1 Tunisian Dinar = 1337.8541 Colombian Peso

1 South African Rand = 212.3329 Colombian Peso

1 Norwegian Krone = 381.3742 Colombian Peso

1 Argentine Peso = 58.618 Colombian Peso

1 Moroccan Dirham = 396.5887 Colombian Peso

1 US Dollar = 3896.5 Colombian Peso

1 Icelandic Krona = 26.6446 Colombian Peso

1 Kazakhstan Tenge = 9.2336 Colombian Peso

1 Namibian Dollar = 210.2761 Colombian Peso

1 Israeli New Sheqel = 1111.1586 Colombian Peso

1 Costa Rican Colon = 6.8487 Colombian Peso

1 British Pound Sterling = 4833.9954 Colombian Peso

1 Omani Rial = 10161.7694 Colombian Peso

1 Honduran Lempira = 155.6707 Colombian Peso

1 Australian Dollar = 2546.0664 Colombian Peso

1 Chinese Yuan Renminbi = 550.8043 Colombian Peso