In 2016, the Colombian government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (the FARC) signed comprehensive peace accords to end over five decades of conflict. The momentous step toward a more peaceful Colombia marked the end of the longest-lasting internal warfare in the world. While the accords were an historic example of negotiation and reconciliation between two political institutions, the years-long process has also involved promoting peace-building and conflict resolution programs, skills, and policies across the broader society. These initiatives have included mandating peace education, promoting positive civic culture, and recognizing the rights and concerns of segments of the population who have long been overlooked.
A peaceful, stable future for Colombia still faces many challenges, but on Conflict Resolution Day, those involved in the Pozen Family Center for Human Rights special project on Colombia would like to recognize the great strides being made to make Colombia a country that better manages and resolves conflict across many levels.
—Gabriel Velez, Preceptor & Graduate Lecturer, Pozen Family Center for Human Rights, and PhD student, Comparative Human Development
In honor of Conflict Resolution day, we've posted more images and stories from the Colombia Project on Facebook.
You can also read more about the Colombia project on our website.
Header photo by Atticus Ballesteros.