2. Eubiosys: a proposal for sustainable development based on
education and health that takes into account the environment,
community and water.
Carlos-Augusto Gonzalez-Correa 1*, Luz-Stella Velásquez-Barrero 2 and Liliana Robledo-
Palacio 3.
1*
Research Group on Electrical Bio-Impedance, University of Caldas, Calle 65 # 26-15, Laboratory
Building, Office 601, Manizales-Caldas-Colombia-South America; c.gonzalez@ucaldas.edu.co,
Telefax.: +57-6-8781500 Extension 14160.
2
Institute of Environment Studies (IDEA), National University, Manizales, Caldas, Colombia,
bioluz@emtelsa.net.co.
3
Unemployed, Calle 54 # 23-39, Manizales-Caldas-Colombia-South America;
liliana.robledopalacio@gmail.com.
Received: / Accepted: / Published:
Abstract: One paragraph only (Maximum 200 words).
Keywords: shared environmental administration; biodiversity; environmental education; territorial
planification; eubiosis; disbiosys; sustainable development; education, health; community; water.
1. Introduction
Bacteria are the most ubiquitous living organisms in Gaia (Margulis and Chapman 2009). We, animal
humans, being mammals, are surrounded by them, both internally and externally. In recent years, the
concepts of microbiota (and its functioning as a metaorgan), microbioma, metagenomics, eubiosis,
disbiosis, pathobiota, eubiota and micro-ecology, have emerged in the scientific literature in relation to
the bacteria that inhabit our body surfaces: skin and the different mucosae (alimentary, respiratory and
reproductive). Microbiota is the pool of bacteria present in a specific environment (Paliy and Agans
2012), microbiome is its study and characterization through its genetic content (Floch 2012, Yuan et
al 2012, Cani and Delzenne 2011), metagenomics are techniques and methodology used for it
(Maccaferri et al 2011, Simon and Daniel 2011); eubiosis (Zawodsky 1966) is the dynamic and
complex equilibrium between what some authors call pathobiota (bacteria that can do harm to us) and
what we would like to call eubiota (bacteria that can be considered as beneficial for us, as, for
instance, what is now known as probióticos, mainly lactobacillus and bifidobacteria). Disbiosis occurs
when the harmonic balance among a bacterial complex community is lost, giving rise to disease

3. Sustainability 2012, 4 2
(Hawrelak and Myers 2004, Zawodsky 1966). Intestinal microbiota, in general, but, more specifically,
that of the colon, is being now considered as a kind of metaorgan, with more extended functions that
those traditionally assigned to it. In fact, an old concept of its key role in health and disease has begun
to be reinforced. Many authors have begun to use more frequently the term micro-ecology (Floch
2012) to refer to the scientific study of the relations between the living microorganisms inhabiting our
body, both among themselves and with our own cells. Micro-ecology could also be referred as endo-
or internal ecology, while macro-ecology could be referred as exo- or external ecology. Some other
authors refer to human beings (and mammals in general), as super-organisms conformed by our own
pool of cells (all of them sharing a common genoma) and the microbiota that inhabit our internal and
external surfaces. There are even some who suggest that “…large mammals including ourselves serve
mainly to provide them [the bacteria] with their anaerobic environment.” (Margulis Lynn, quoted by
Lovelock 2000).
We can, then, extend the scope of the definition of eu- and dys-biosis to any biotic system. Therefore,
we can talk of internal eu-biosis and internal dis-biosis (endo- or micro-eubiosis and endo- or micro-
dis-biosis) as well as external eubiosis and external dis-biosis (exo- or macro-eubiosis and exo- or
macro-dis-biosis). If both systems (macro and micro) present internal equilibrium/disequilibrium
(within themselves) and are in equilibrium/disequilibrium with each other, we could talk of a systemic
eubiosis/disbiosis, two new concepts that we would like to call eubiosys (with “y”), meaning global
eubiosis or systemic eubiosis (or Eu-Biological-System), and disbiosys (also with “y”) meaning
global disbiosis or systemic disbiosis (or Dis-Biological-System). We illustrate the concept of
Eubiosys in figure 1.
Figure 1. Eubiosys as global eubiosis.
Global eubiosis = EUBIOSYS
Internal eubiosis External eubiosis
(micro-ecology) (macro-ecology)
In physiological conditions, the intestinal eubiota controls the pathobiota, and we could say, therefore,
that it constitutes the first line of our defensive system. When either the former is debilitated, or the
latter strengthened, or both, the result is disbiosis. When this occurs, the pathobiota crosses the mucous
bilayer that covers our intestines (our second line in defense), and, at this point, our immunological
systems has to intervene. This, in turn, produces a general state of inflammation named meta-
inflammation (Scrivo et al 2011, Hotamisligil 2006), meaning a general, chronic and subclinic

4. Sustainability 2012, 4 3
inflammation, a condition that, when advanced, produces different chronic ailments and diseases,
depending on what organs are attacked. Target organs depend on the individual genetics, life history
(via of birth delivery, lactation, medicaments consumed, etc.) and the particular macro environment in
which s/he lives. The scientific evidence of metainflammation as a common way towards chronic
diseases is increasing. We summarize these concepts in Figure 2.
Figure 2. The Tree of Life and the Tree of Death. What we have now is a NCDs pandemic,
caused by risk factors that produce microdisbiosis. Our organism responds with
metainflammation and this is expressed as NCDs which imply early disease and death (entire
arrows, the Tree of Death). The way to revert this situation (doted arrows) is transforming risk
factors into healthy ones to produce eubiosis and fertilize the Tree of Life, which will produce
general well being, health and longevity. See text for more details.
NON-COMMUNICABLE DISE ASES:
degenerative, cardiovascular, TREE OF DEATH:
TREE OF LIFE: metabolic, psico-affective. Early disease and
Well being, death
health and
longevity
HUMANS AS
SUPER-ORGANISMS
Human Genoma: (immune
system, epithela)
Mucous
bilayer
Meta-
inflammation
Intestinal Microbiota (10X
more cells, 100-150x mores
genetic information, > 500 0-
35000 diferent spe scies
Eubiosis Disbiosis
Factors: Healthy Unhealthy (risk factors)
Heredity, macroenvironment, lifehistory, lifestyle and habits, personality.
It is now accepted that both environments (micro-, internal- or endo- and macro-, external- or exo-)
interact and influence each other. For instance, the quality of food, water and air that come into our
organisms, influence the composition of the microbiota. In turn, the conditioning of what individuals
consume, in part mediated through their microbiota composition, affects the planet (type of food that
we consume or demand and therefore type of food that we produce and the way we do it).
Some clear consequences of what we are inflicting to our planet are global warming, the destruction of
biodiversity, the uncontrolled growth of humans and the pandemic of chronic diseases (in the case of
hyperadiposity, some authors use the term globesity to refer to it). All these are interconnected and,

5. Sustainability 2012, 4 4
therefore, a global action ought to take place if we are to reestablish some kind of eubiosys. Politicians
worldwide, based on scientific evidence, are beginning to show some consciousness about it. As an
example, the declaration emanated from the UN General Assembly in September 2011 about non-
communicable diseases (NCDs) is somehow encouraging (UN 2011). Clear key points stated in it are:
• As elements of the problem, NCDs have huge socio-economic impact (low productivity and
huge economic costs needed to deal with them and their consequences), share common risk
factors, mainly hiperadiposity, poor diet and sedentarism, they have collapsed health systems
and threaten to collapse the economies;
• As elements in the solution, global action is needed at all levels (locally, nationally and
internationally), with decided participation of all actors: government, academia, civil society
and, when appropriate, private sector;
• Actions needed involve, among others: health promotion and disease prevention, creation of
more healthy environments and promotion of better life styles, including the consumption of
healthier food, mainly based on local products, more physical activity both in workplaces and
in public sites as parks and sport facilities; research is needed, as well as the supporting of
actions that show beneficial and successful.
A multidisciplinary group of researchers in Manizales, Colombia, South America, has been developing
a long term and broad scope action and research program that aims at integrating all the above
mentioned elements. The concept of Eubiosys was born in the academic discussions that have taken
place in the development of the proposal and it is precisely the name that we gave to it. The program
can be considered as a local sustainable development proposal based on education (as the main
vehicle to implement it, but education in its true meaning as the process of ethically forming humans
and not only instructing them), health as the probably best indicator of well being, community as the
key actor of the whole process, environment (both external and internal, macro and micro) as a
determinant of development and health, and, finally, water as the essence of life and the element that
should be taken as the key factor to define a territory for socio-economic (human) organization.
The Eubiosys group is proposing two levels of action: a) a regional level where we are proposing
actions that involve what is known as the Colombian Coffee Ecoregion, and b) a local level to develop
a model for small communities organized around what we call hydrographic micro basins. At a
regional level, we are proposing the creation of a Coffee Region Centre for the Study, Prevention and
Control of Chronic Diseases and, at the local level, we are concentrating our efforts around a project
called Central Eco Park. In this paper we will present some results related to the latter.
We conceive a city as a complex system where two main orders interact: the ecosystemic order and the
cultural order, where the former is mainly the geographic space and macro biotic system before human
intervention, and the latter the man made artificial structure made of technology, the economic, social
and political relations, and the symbiotic expression of all them (Velásquez-Barrero 2010, p. 18). In its
present form and functioning, cities are not viable. We propose the concept of Biocity as an alternative
model for environmental sustainability, where the following considerations have to be integrated:

6. Sustainability 2012, 4 5
Reduction of urban social marginality, improvement of the physical infrastructure, monitoring of
governmental intervention, and investment in the environmental quality of human settlements. A Bio-
city is conceived, thus, as a place: a) for and pro-life, b) with a healthy environment, c) technically
developed, d) economically efficient, e) socially fair, and f) democratically governed, e) where its
inhabitants are healthy and enjoy an state of well being. We also propose six structures that we need to
take into consideration and where some strategies are defined: geological, hydrologic, green (biotic),
built, circulatory and socio-economical, where the first three can be considered as par of the
ecosystemic order (non-human structures), while the last three can be considered as part of the cultural
order (i.e., specifically human structures). In table 1 we show some considerations, principles and
strategies (proposals) to adopt in relation to each of these structures.
2. Methodology
Nowadays, with seemingly increasing activation of massive geophysical liberations of planetary
energy (volcanoes, earthquakes, storms), in conjunction with the global warming phenomena (which is
traduced in an accelerated water cycle causing massive rains and, with these, landslides and floods),
geo- and hydro-logical risks seem to be operating in a synergistic way. This is why we are proposing
to introduce both factors into the planning of sustainable development. We are, in consequence,
proposing that spatial planning should be undertaken under the principle of water circulation, i.e.,
according to the hydrological basins. This applies especially in cities like Manizales, located on the
steep Andean hills (elevation of 2150 m), where an initial proposal of this methodology was made by
Agredo 2008. This proposal diverges from traditionally concepts, where boundaries set to divide the
territory into administrative sub-units usually only take in consideration urbanistic and socio-economic
reasons.
According to our methology, 14 different micro basins have been identified in the municipality of
Manizales, one of them pertaining to the Stream of “San Luis” (Quebrada San Luis). Some interesting
features of the territorial area that it covers are: campuses of two public universities are located in it
(University of Caldas and National University of Colombia-Manizales branch), it covers
approximately one half of the urban area of the city, and it has a protected natural area where we are
proposing the creation of what we call the Central Eco-Park (CEP). In this specific project, we want to
further develop the community integration approach that we have used in other occasions (see, for
instance, Velásquez LS 1999). In this experience, nine phases for the environmental action plan for the
commune Olivares (1997-2000) were designed: a) Induction, b) Dissemination of the plan, c)
Environmental education and training for active participation in the plan, d) Creation of a political
culture, e) Updating of the commune’s environmental profile (“Enviromental quality traffic lights”), f)
Preparing the commune’s environmental agenda, g) Plan Implementation, h) Monitoring and
evaluation, i) Decisions about priority programs and projects.
It can be seen that at least the first four phases of this proposal are educational actions. Thus, at this
point, we have to clarify that we understand for education the deliberated societal transmission of
knowledge, skills, customs and moral values. Regrettably, the Colombian formal education system, as

7. Sustainability 2012, 4 6
those of many other countries, has hypertrophied the two first components (knowledge and skills),
neglecting the last two (customs and moral values). In order to educate biocitizens, we ought,
therefore, to begin by initiating a dialogical interaction with the community that we aim to work with.
This implies that we will approach the persons treating them as thinking beings and equal
conversational partners. In this way, we are rescuing the following two main themes: a) ethical
literacy (difference between modernization, modernity, pre-modernity and post-modernity; the
concepts of human dignity, moral, ethics and difference between the last two; moral values; values
inherent to a civic ethics: liberty, equity, solidarity, respect and dialogue; citizenship, and moral
development); and B) civic ethics (role of the citizens against governmental institutions; difference
between private and public spheres; dialogic search of the common good; citizen empowerment
through free vote; implications of civic participation without ethical commitment; the danger of
unethical strategic agreements; the value of mistake recognition; justice as the core value; norm
acceptance as the basis for living in community). Once the ethical foundation has been covered
(customs and moral values), we can proceed to implement the transmission of knowledge and skills,
firstly in the fields of human and environmental health.
In summary, what we have in mind is a policy of shared environmental management, guided by our
experience in territorial environment planning. All this has to be done with the active participation of
the community inhabiting the micro basin area, the only way to incorporate it in the project is through
education, as a liberating and empowering action: not just imposing the transmission of empty
knowledge (the banking concept of education), but making people aware of their role as bio-citizens,
as dignified human beings, who should be the main actors of the everyday life, as well as of all
governmental decision, both at a local and at a global level. We, therefore, aim at educating people
from the perspective of the moral values of a civic ethics, as defined by the Spanish thinker Adela
Cortina (1998).

8. Table 1. Considerations, principles and strategies for six different structures of the ecosystemic and cultural orders
ECOSYSTEMIC ORDER CULTURAL ORDER
Structures Geological Hydrologic Green Built Circulatory Human (Socio-
(macro biotic) cultural)
Considerations Geological risks: Basins, wetlands, Relationship Urban Topography, Different socio-
geological faults, flooding and between external infrastructure, geological and economic classes
steep hillsides, landslide risks, (macro) and industrial hydrological risks. inhabiting the
instable soils, ground water and internal (micro) architecture. Safety as a key micro basins.
landslides, seismic aquifers. ecosystems. factor for adequate Energy and raw
factors, volcanic use. materials sources,
activity. waste production
and management.
Principles Geology should be the Water is basic for A dynamic Buildings should Need of lowering Community and
starting point of any life but, at the planetary (Gaian) be efficient, fossil energy. civil society as the
consideration about same time, with the and micro aesthetic, Active transport as key actor of the
the use of the soil. global warming, is equilibrium comfortable and a key contribution whole project.
a threat to life. (EuBiosys) is need healthy, in to reduce the Welfare principles
to obtain well harmony with the impact on health of and bioethical
being and health. environment. sedentary lifestyle. moral values.
Strategies Integration of a Aqua parks, Ecoparks. Bioarchitecture, Alternative public University for and
(proposals) geological perspective communal Biological conservation of the transport (bicycle pro life (UniBios),
into the soil use. aqueducts. Urban corridors. architectural paths, aerial trams, empowerment of
hydrographic Urban agriculture heritage, urban urban walks, the civil society,
basins as and tree planting. revitalization and biotourist paths, development and
administrative and Food security and restoration. street parks. appropriation of a

9. Sustainability 2012, 4 8
integrating units sovereignty. civil ethics. Civic
for sustainability. observatory.

10. 3. The Central Ecopark (CEP)
Laying on the upper right corner of South America, Colombia is crossed from South to North by the
Andes mountains, considered as the largest mountain range in world. In the south of Colombia, this
range divides in three branches (cordilleras in Spanish): Eastern, Central and Western, being the
central one the highest of all three and harboring part of what is known as Northern Volcanic Zone
(NVZ) of the Andean Volcanic Belt (AVB). The volcano Nevado del Ruiz (Coordinates: 4°53′43″N
75°19′21″W) is the northernmost member of the NVZ, and Manizales (Coordinates: 5°06′N 75°33′W)
is located on the western (left) slope of the Central cordillera, along a watershed between the river
Chinchina on the south, and the stream Olivares on the north, both of them running from east to west.
Total area of the municipality of Manizales is estimated as 508 km2, divided into urban and rural. The
former is, in turn, divided into eleven communities (“Comunas”), each of them comprising several
districts (“Barrios”)1. According to the Colombian National Department of Statistics (DANE)
projections, the population of Manizales should be by 2012 around 400.000 people (391640). The city
shows 8 different micro climates, and its average temperature is around 18°C (64°F). It high rain falls
favor a vegetation of wet tropical forest, and it has a bimodal weather pattern, with two main rain
seasons around the two equinoxes (21st of March and 22nd September) and two wet seasons around
the two solstices (22nd of June and 21st of December). Climate change and global warming have
begun to show their effects in the form of massive landslides and the melting of the glacier covering
the volcano Nevado del Ruiz, which in only a quarter of a century has been reduced from about 20
km2 to about half of that.
The area where the CEP project operates lies in the south east part of the city of Manizales, at the
south of the mentioned watershed, and forming part of the hydrographical micro basin of the San Luis
stream (SLS). This location is schematically represented in figure 3. In figure 4. we locate the project
using maps.
1
By law, each community has the right to elect, through popular vote, a Local Administrative
Board (Junta Administradora Local or JAL), while each district can also elect Communal Action
Board. The regulation of the latter boards has been established by the national law 743 from 2002.
These two kind of entities operate nationwide, as mechanisms to encourage and increase civil
participation in administrative tasks. See appendix 1 for more information

11. Figure 3. Location of the Central EcoPark in Manizales, Caldas, Colombia, South America.
Cauca
river Magdalena
river
Guacaica
River
Olivares
stream
Manizales
SLS CEP
Chinchiná
river
Western Volcano Nevado
Cordillera del Ruiz Eastern
Cordillera
Central
Cordillera

12. Figure 4. Location of the Central EcoPark in Manizales, Caldas, Colombia, South America.
MANIZALES
COLOMBIA
MICRO BASIN SAN LUIS
(The source and initial part of
the stream is delimited by the
yellow line. Reproduced with
permission from Suarez-
Hincapié 2008
CENTRAL ECO PARK

13. To the present, some research has been carried out on different aspects of the microbasin and we want
to briefly summarize them, before we describe our intended agenda to fully implement and test our
proposed model. Basically, the first three structures mentioned in table 1 have received some partial
attention: geological (Sánchez-Zapata 1997), hydrologic (Suárez-Hincapie 2008) and green (Boada &
Sánchez 2011).
3.1. Geological Structure
From the deepest to the more superficial, the geological profile of the San Luis Stream’s microbasin
presents the following strata, as illustrated in figure 5: Manizales formation (Late Miocene and Early
Pliocene), Casabianca formation (Upper Pliocene and Pleistocene), pyroclastic deposits (from at least
seven pyroclastic eruptions) and anthropic fillings (mainly dating from the second half of the 20 th
century). These antrhopic fillings began from the watershed downwards, involving deeper layers of the
pyriclastic deposits and, probably, from the Casabianca formation as they descended.
Anthropic fillings
Alluvial deposit Piroclastic deposits
Casabianca formation
Manizales formation
Figure 5. Geological profile of the San Luis stream microbasin.
Modified with permission from González-C et al 200.
The author (Sánchez-Zapata) also notes that the riverbeds of the river Chinchiná and its affluents have
very steep slopes, a torrential hydraulic regime and, therefore, a great erosive power. He differentiates
three zones according with their prevalent slopes: a) upper, with very low or low slope, b) middle with
low to moderate slopes, and c) lower, with high slopes. Among the conclusions of his work, we would
like to highlight the following two: a) the slopes of the microbasin show a very precarious stability, b)
although he considers that the antrhopic adaptation of the soil for urban construction is adequate in that
it began from the top to the bottom, it is inadequate because the soil preparation before the fillings was
not.

14. 3.2. Hydrological structure
Some physiografic characteristics of the microbasin are: altitudes oscillate between 1930 and 2170
(average 2095) m above the sea level. The stream is approximately 1244 m long from the source to the
mouth, as estimated for the year 1996, although the estimation for 1949 is of 2235 m. It covers an area
that is estimated as 0,9705 km2 for 1996 and as 0,9489 Km2 for 1949. The width of the basin is
0,7801 km. Average slope of its bed is 17,4%, while average slope of the sides is 24,6%, with a
standard deviation of 21,45 and a predominant slope of 11%. (Data from Loaiza-Romero and
Castañeda-Castro 2003).
Some of the conclusions by González-C et al (2000) in their study of the actual source of the SLS are:
1. the urbanistic grow of the city of Manizales did not take in consideration high threatening
situations due to mass movements, and it has dramatically changed the slopes of the microbasin,
obstructing the drainages, and the distribution of fillings and dumps;
2. There is an increased mainly due to waste waters, thus contributing to the widening of the
riverbed and favoring denudation of the soil and erosive phenomena;
3. Underground waters are very rich in oxides;
4. Environmental aspects of the basin merit to be studied in detail.
Some of their recommendations are:
1. The dumping of debris to the slopes of the basin have to be avoided at any cost;
2. If fillings are to be done, water has to be adequately channeled;
3. The microbasin has to be cleaned,
4. An appropriate draining system should be constructed.
3.3. Green structure
In 2010, Boada and Sánchez (2011) carried out a research in part of the territory included in the
proposal of the EPC, namely the Botanical Garden of the University of Caldas. They applied the
methodology described by Boada y Capdevila (2000), where, basically they establish what they call
three worlds: gray (man constructed structures), green (the biota) and blue (water). In each world, there
is possible to define different biotopes, which, for this specific place, they identify as:
Gray world: buildings, walls, vial infrastructure, underground systems, streets and squares;
Green world: fallows, buildings sites, parks, wooded land, gardens and forest;
Blue world: fountains, springs, artificial lakes and streams.
These authors aimed at identifying the main plant and animal species of the studied area, as an
indicator of the urban system sustainability and quality of life. With their won observations and

15. information taken from some work carried out by local groups, the identified 637 different taxas, as
shown in table 2.
Table 2. Taxas (species, families, gender) found in the
Botanical Garden of the University of Caldas
FLORA
PLANTS FUNGI
Families 55 Families 21
Gender 65 Gender 33
Species 84 Species 36
FAUNA
Presence of Andean forest
fragments
Birds Small mammals Amphibia
Species 117 Species 17 Species 6
All pertaining to anuridae.
Quiroptera having the Colombia is the first
Representing 28,39% of the species largest number of country with more
registered for Manizales species (7) amphibia species (669)
Arachnidae Other non vertebrae Reptils
Morphoarachnidae 40 Species 149 Ophidiae 10
60 of the are
Scorpia 2 butterflies Sauria 2
Source: After Boada and Sabchez (2011), with permission.
3.4. The agenda
As the integration and active participation of the community and the civic society is in the core of our
proposal, our first an main task is to integrate the community in the project. We want to first
concentrate our efforts in the territory and community living around the area of the EPC, as to work
with the whole territory of the microbasin would involve approximately a third of the city and its
population. At present, the territorial division of Manizales is made of communities (comunas) that
integrate different districts (barrios). There are 8 districts around the area covered by the EPC (in
parenthesis, total estimated population living in the district, according to information provided on line
by the Manizales local government –Alcaldía de Manizales): Versalles (2372), Arboleda (1970), Belén
(1501), Palogrande (920), Fátima (5614), Betania (1190), Kennedy (2663) and Persia (4397). In the
first four districts, people living there pertain to the middle class, while the people living in the last
four districts are mainly working class. The sum of the population of these eight “Barrios” would be,
then, 20.627 people. Interestingly, only the four working class communities have Community Action
Boards while the middle class communities do not. Therefore, we aim at, firstly, integrate the existing
CABs to the project, and, secondly, promote the organization of the CABs in those districts where they
do not exist.

16. We are in a position of offering an initial pedagogic and motivational action, mainly through
theoretical and practical workshops, where practical activities will be developed and the following
themes will be dialogically discussed:
a) Education (Ethics): modernity, pre modernity and post modernity (concepts and differences);
moral, ethics, values (specially those of a civic ethics: freedom, equity, solidarity, respect and
dialogue), red codes; citizenship, biocitizenship and physical, human and social capital; welfare
state and synergy between civil society, state, biocitizenship and opinion groups.
b) Environment: What is it?; water as the key element for life, both planetary and individually; our
ecosystemic patrimony; our built patrimony; risk management; Biomanizales and its observatories.
c) Health: atoms, molecules and life; nutrients and food; structure and functioning of the human
body; body composition; microbiota and immune system; nutritional status and physical condition;
life styles: a healthy diet and physical exercise.
Once these two first steps have been initiated, the following step will be the shared constructions of a
new agenda, with the active participation of the community
4. Conclusions
The municipality of Manizales-Caldas in Colombia-Soutn America, has a relatively long regional
history of achievements in the fields of education, environmental activities and health. We aim at
integrating these three key elements needed for a sustainable development into a comprehensive
action-research proposal with the active participation of the civil society through the involvement of
different actors as non-profitable organization, universities, local government and community action
boards (Juntas de Acción Comunal or JACs).
In the last 20-30 years we have gained a lot of experience in different fields, and we are now
integrating it in a model that we expect to develop further and go beyond the theoretical frame
translating it into action. The participation of the community is pivotal for success and we will initially
work with those that live around the CEP in an attempt to validate our vision of a better future basedn
on sustainable development, or, maybe, we ought better say a healthy development, both at planetary
(Gaian) level as well as at a community and individual level. Health is perhaps one of the best
indicators of welfare and wellbeing, and, therefore, we emphasize this aspect. Finally we stress our
conviction that, in order to achieve this integral healthy development, education is the key element, but
education meant as ethical formation of the individuals and communities, and not the mere
transference of empty knowledge and mechanical skills.
Acknowledgments
Main text paragraph
Conflict of Interest
The authors declare no conflict of interest.

17. References and Notes
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7-19
Agredo, L.S. Modelo de Cuencas Urbanas como Unidad de Desarrollo Sostenible. [A Urban Basins
Model as Sustainable Development Unit]. Master degree thesis. Universidad Nacional de
Colombia.-Sede Manizales, 2008.
Alcaldía de Manizales [Manizales Local Government]. http://www.alcaldiamanizales.gov.co/.
Accessed on 21st April 2012.
Ángel Maya, A.; Baron, M.. Asentamientos humanos, Urbanismo y sus Efectos Ambientales. Fescol,
Bogotá. 1989
Boada, M., Sánchez, S. Cambio global: biodiversidad urbana. Biiodiversidad urbana en el Ecoparque
Central Universitario (Manizales, Colombia). Institut de Ciencia i tecnología Ambientals
(ICTA) de la Universitat Autónoma de Barcelona (UAB) 2011.
Cani,P.D., Delzenne, N.M. The gut microbiome as therapeutic target. Pharmacol Therapeutics 2011,
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20. Annex 1. Colombian entities elected by popular vote.
President (Country)
National level
Parliament
Governor (Department) Regional level
Departmental Assembly
Mayor (Municipality)
City Consejo Local level
Community (JAL)
District
(JAC)