Following President Álvaro Uribe’s visit to Washington in late June and his meeting with President Obama, Representative Jim McGovern (D-MA) offered his views on how the U.S. should approach Colombia and prospects for peace in the country’s decades-long internal conflict.

 

Rep. McGovern is the co-chairman of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission. Serving his 7th term in the House of Representatives, Rep. McGovern is the second-ranking member of the House Rules Committee and serves on the House Budget Committee. Rep. McGovern has a long history of advocacy in support of human rights and equitable development in Latin America. He first traveled to Colombia in 2001, and has since been a leader in Congress with respect to Colombia.

This event was part of USIP’s Congressional Newsmaker Series, designed to educate the public about issues related to war and peace with a special focus on international conflict prevention and resolution.

The day after this event, on Tuesday, July 14, USIP held a public event to launch its new book "Colombia: Building Peace in a Time of War," edited by Virginia Bouvier and published by USIP Press.

Read about the related event on Colombia with Virginia Bouvier

Speaker

Representative Jim McGovern
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
Massachusetts 3rd District

Richard Solomon, Welcome and Introductions
President, U.S. Institute of Peace

Virginia Bouvier, Moderator
Senior Program Officer, Grant and Fellowship Program, U.S. Institute of Peace

Related

 

 

Related Publications

Steve Hege on Restorative Justice and Colombia’s Search for Missing Persons

Steve Hege on Restorative Justice and Colombia’s Search for Missing Persons

Monday, October 21, 2024

More than 100,000 Colombians have been forcibly disappeared over the last six decades. Finding their remains is “tremendously healing” and can “repair the social fabric” by giving closure to the victims’ loved ones and allowing former armed actors “to regain their own dignity” by contributing to the process, says USIP’s Steve Hege.

Type: Podcast

Cartographie du chemin de la justice en Haïti : Leçons de la Colombie et du Guatemala

Cartographie du chemin de la justice en Haïti : Leçons de la Colombie et du Guatemala

Wednesday, July 10, 2024

Le nouveau gouvernement intérimaire d'Haïti fait face à des défis immenses, mais aucun n'est aussi urgent que de briser l'emprise des gangs sur la capitale du pays, Port-au-Prince. La force seule ne suffira pas à apporter la paix, même avec l'arrivée de la mission multinationale de soutien à la sécurité dirigée par le Kenya, de taille modeste. Le pays a plutôt besoin de mécanismes créatifs et globaux impliquant toute la société — et non seulement l'ensemble du gouvernement — pour détourner les membres des gangs du crime et de la violence dans le cadre d'une stratégie globale de lutte contre les gangs.

Type: Analysis

Justice, Security & Rule of LawReconciliation

Mapping Haiti’s Road Toward Justice: Lessons from Colombia and Guatemala

Mapping Haiti’s Road Toward Justice: Lessons from Colombia and Guatemala

Wednesday, July 10, 2024

Haiti’s new interim government faces immense challenges, but none are as urgent as breaking the stranglehold that gangs have over the country’s capital, Port au Prince. Force alone will not bring peace, even with the arrival of the modestly-sized and Kenyan-led multinational security support mission. The country instead requires creative, whole-of-society — not just whole-of-government — mechanisms to divert gang members from crime and violence as part of a comprehensive counter-gang strategy.

Type: Analysis

Justice, Security & Rule of LawReconciliation

China-Colombia Relations are Growing, if Slowly

China-Colombia Relations are Growing, if Slowly

Wednesday, November 15, 2023

Colombian President Gustavo Petro’s visit to Beijing in October amounted to a notable — if quite small — step forward for China and Colombia, building on growing trade and other ties, while also laying the groundwork for cooperation on issues, such as media and security, which China has promoted across the region.

Type: Analysis

Global Policy

View All Publications