Entries by Embrace dialogue

New Commissioner for the Colombian Truth Commission (CEV)

Rodeemos el Diálogo (Embrace Dialogue) celebrates the appointment of Leyner Palacios as the new commissioner for the Colombian Truth Commission (CEV). His reputation as a social leader and defender of the rights of victims from el Chocó makes him ideal for the role. His profile encompasses all of the requirements established by the Commission for the appointment of a new commissioner. For the Commission, it is fundamental to include an individual with experience in defending human rights, that has been in proximity to social processes as well as the communities of the Pacific, and that has an understanding of the dynamics of the violence present in Colombia. Leyner meets all of these requirements.

1st October 2020 by

A Communitised Security Approach as an Instrument of Peace

Despite progress in technical aspects of reintegration, there are serious delays in the full implementation of the peace agreement as our previous snapshot showed. Of particular concern are the lack of security guarantees and the increasing violence in areas historically affected by the conflict. A central theme of the Ethnic Chapter of the agreement is the proposal to address the issue of security from a territorial, more participatory and inclusive perspective that goes beyond the traditional state approach based on the deployment of police and military forces. This snapshot reflects on the need to quickly and effectively implement the Ethnic Chapter, which aims to safeguard the territorial and collective rights of indigenous communities and Afro-Colombian peoples.

1st October 2020 /0 Comments/by

The Challenges of Transitional Justice from an Afro-Colombian Perspective

Between August and September 2020, the Transitional Justice team of ReD organised two online dialogues that addressed the perspectives of Afro-Colombian social leaders on transitional justice. We discussed the three regional cases currently under the Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP): Case 002 focused on Nariño, Case 004 on Urabá, and Case 005 on Cauca and Valle del Cauca; and what the leaders considered to be the JEP’s greatest challenges. This snapshot gathers some of the reflections, concerns, and proposals that arose during those events.

23rd September 2020 /0 Comments/by

Angela Salazar’s legacy: Recognising the Complex History of the Diverse Black Colombia

Walking with the victims, you learn to listen. This phrase was one of the most distinctive phrases Angela Salazar used to say. Until her death, she was the only Black woman truth commissioner, and before that, was a women’s rights defender. Born in Chocó, Colombia, Salazar lived most of her life in Apartadó, Antioquia, where she began her career as an advocate of Black people’s and women’s rights. Salazar died in the first week of August from COVID-19. During her work as a truth commissioner, she understood that the history of Black people (including Raizal and Palenque ethnic communities) was a priority for the Truth Commission (TC). On various opportunities, Salazar asserted that Colombian national history neglects the critical input of Black people’s culture and history in its narrative. The TC would be a tool to depart from these silences surrounding Colombian Black history. This Snapshot shows Angela Salazar’s legacy within the Commission, reflecting on how the TC is dealing with Black history in the context of the internal armed conflict.

16th September 2020 /0 Comments/by
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Casos Étnicos en la JEP: Una Visión desde las Víctimas

En el año 2018 la Jurisdicción Especial para la Paz-JEP abrió tres macrocasos territoriales en los que se refleja el grave impacto generado por el conflicto armado en varias regiones del país.

Este evento busca escuchar y amplificar la voz del liderazgo social en Nariño (Caso 002), Urabá (Caso 004) y Cauca (Caso 005), con relación a los avances, retos y las expectativas de estos tres macro-casos desde una visión territorial.

24th August 2020 /2 Comments/by

The JEP Protects the Remains of the Victims of the Armed Conflict

On 11 August 2020, the Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP) prohibited any kind of tampering in two places –  La Escombrera (The Dump) and La Arenera (Sandpit), both located in the Comuna 13 area of Medellín – where victims of forced disappearances are thought to be buried. The JEP can order precautionary measures where there are good reasons for doing so in the framework of its cases. This snapshot presents the progress that the JEP has made in protecting the remains of those who disappeared during the armed conflict in Colombia.

20th August 2020 /1 Comment/by