One of the main pillars in the Commission’s work is knowledge management, which focuses on the clarification, investigation, and gathering of information in order to develop a diverse understanding of the dynamics of the Colombian armed conflict. The purpose of this effort is to construct a collective narrative that takes into account such dynamics, acknowledging all sectors of society, most importantly the victims.
Between 5 and 11 March, a delegation from the Colombian Truth Commission organised a crucial series of events with the Colombian community in the UK, including victims of the state living in exile, students and migrants, along with leaders from different NGOs, unions, academics and UK political representatives. The visit achieved three objectives. First, to take the Truth Commission beyond London where it has focused the majority of its work over the past year. Second, to build confidence in the Commission and its work. And third, to build political support from the UK government which will help continue to reaffirm and legitimise the work of the Commission within the international community.
One of the central challenges of the Truth Commission is that both those giving their testimonies and the interviewers who are taking the testimonies require certain tools to manage the emotional impact of giving and listening to these stories. For the Commission, the importance of these testimonies lies not only in understanding the complexity of the internal armed conflict in the country, but also in recognising the stories of both victims and perpetrators throughout the years.
In this snapshot, we discuss the fourth Encuentro por la Verdad which focused on the experiences of rural farmers, in an effort to build bridges between rural and urban Colombia.
This snapshot offer some timely reflections about the TC’s progress in 2019 and we highlight some of the key challenges that lie ahead in 2020.
In this snapshot we explore how Colombia’s Truth Commission (TC) is working with children and young people to sow the seeds for an inclusive peace.
Embrace Dialogue participated and organised a public dialogue at the University College London, to spread the word about the work of the CTC. Learn more about innovations and challenges.
Forced displacement has been recognised as a major consequence of the armed conflict in Colombia, sometimes forcing victims to leave the country in exile. According to the National Victims’ Registry, there are over 8,500,000 victims of the armed conflict and 7,500,000 victims of forced displacement. It is unknown exactly how many victims are living abroad but the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) estimates it to be approximately 400,000 – it is likely to be even higher.
“How is it possible that 4,757 social leaders have been murdered in Colombia in the last 30 years?”, What does Colombia lose every time a social leader is killed?.
Sexual violence has been used strategically in Colombia’s armed conflict to breakdown community ties, to punish, humiliate and subordinate, and to silence those who denounce atrocities. But the magnitude of conflict-related sexual violence against women and LGBTI people in Colombia is yet to be fully understood. It is a crime that remains massively underreported, silenced and denied.
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