Jairo Arboleda

Mr. Jairo Arboleda, a Colombian national, holds a Ph. D. in Sociology from Indiana University in the US. He was Lead Social Development Specialist of the World Bank in Colombia where he built the Sustainable Peace Pillar of the Colombian Portfolio, consisting of a series of analytical studies, loans and grants dealing with conflict, development and peace. He retired from the World Bank at the end of 2007, and continued as a Consultant on the Peace Pillar activities.  

Before the World Bank, Mr. Arboleda worked for 14 years at Save the Children in a variety of posts, including Country Manager for Colombia, Director of Training, and Regional Director for the Latin American and Caribbean Region.  

In the public sector, he was appointed Deputy Director of the Colombian Institute of Family Welfare between 1977 and 1979, and was a Professor and main researcher for the Open Education Project, a pioneering innovation in distance education in Colombia, at the State University of Antioquia.   

He currently works as a member of the Technical Assistant Team of the GIZ-IS and the European Union in the Regional Development, Peace and Stabilization Program of the Colombian government, funded by the European Union, dealing with issues of political economy, social analysis and participation strategies.