Colombia: Ways of reconciliation

Treaties and agreements between and within states alone cannot secure peace. Paper is patient. Peace is a path that must be walked every day in order to find reconciliation. In view of the war in Ukraine, the topic is more topical than ever. The presence of peace in Europe can no longer be taken for granted.

In Colombia, even six years after the signing of the peace agreement, there is still a long way to go to restore social cohesion after more than 50 years of civil war: Peace is fragile and social divides are wide. Poverty, violence and the effects of the pandemic exacerbate social tensions and inequalities. Sustainable peace remains at risk.  

Despite ongoing conflicts that destabilize social life in Colombia, there are attempts from civil society to create reconciliation between the conflicting parties. There is a need for driving forces in peace work. Our guests tell how this can succeed. Kelly Echeverry and Nelson Restrepo from Colombia are experienced activists and have dealt with the decades-long conflict, its causes and consequences. In their direct work with the population, they use a variety of methods that both strengthen their own roots and open up room for maneuver for a culture of peaceful coexistence. The creative confrontation with the conflict and the traumas additionally creates a new culture of political participation.  Eva Huber has worked for the United Nations in Colombia, trying to support national and local peace efforts.

Kelly Echeverry coordinates the "Women's Peace Route" (Ruta Pacífica de las Mujeres) network. As a historian and aspiring lawyer, she is working with thousands of women activists to ensure that Colombia's peace accords are respected. Commissioned by the Colombian government and the appointed Truth Commission, she has documented women's stories. She shares her experiences in the peace movement, the current human rights situation, and the challenges around peace treaty compliance in Colombia.

Nelson Restrepo is a sociologist and has a master's degree in regional planning. For many years he has been the coordinator of the "Citizenship for Environmental Protection" work area of the Conciudadania organization (partner organization of the Epiphany Action). He accompanies democratization and political participation through environmental issues and community processes. The care for the earth as our common home and the strengthening of an environmentally aware population is essentially related to participatory urban planning and spatial planning.

Eva Huber is a political scientist and staff member at the Austrian Study Center for Peace and Conflict Resolution. Currently working as a project manager in the field of conflict transformation, she has long been involved in supporting the implementation of peace processes, most recently for four years as part of the United Nations Political Peace Mission in Colombia, verifying the implementation of selected chapters of the peace agreement between the Colombian government and the former rebel group FARC-EP.