Colombia’s Recovery from War: Victims’ Rights and Returning Fighters
Renowned Photojournalist, Key Officials Discuss Elements Crucial for Lasting Peace
Reparations for victims and reintegration of combatants are key provisions of Colombian law and of the year-old peace agreement that ended a half century of war between the government and the country’s largest rebel group. The effect of the conflict and how the government is fulfilling its commitments was the focus of a discussion on October 31st at the U.S. Institute of Peace, co-hosted with the Woodrow Wilson Center’s Latin American Program. The latest event in USIP’s Colombia Peace Forum series featured key Colombian officials and award-winning photojournalist Jesús “Chucho” Abad Colorado.
The Colombian government has registered more than 8 million victims of the armed conflict, and the historic peace accord calls for measures to address vexing issues that, left unaddressed, could undermine a sustainable peace. The success or failure of accord implementation and reparations to victims will stand as an example for other violent conflicts worldwide.
Abad Colorado has long documented the violence-- human, environmental, and otherwise. He presented and discussed some of his images, followed by a panel of leading officials involved in supporting implementation of the peace agreement: the director of Colombia’s Victims’ Unit and the director of the country’s Agency for Reincorporation and Normalization.
Continue the conversation on Twitter with #ColombiaPeaceForum.
Agenda
8:30am - 9:00am - Registration and coffee
9:00am - 9:05am - Welcoming Remarks: Carla Koppell, Vice President, Applied Conflict Transformation, U.S. Institute of Peace
9:05am - 10:15am - Colombia’s Recovery from War
- Jesús “Chucho” Abad Colorado, Colombian Photojournalist
10:15am - 11:00am - Moderated Panel Discussion
- Yolanda Pinto, Director, Unidad de Víctimas
- Camilo Rojas Alvarez, International Cooperation Advisor, Agencia para la Reincorporación y la Normalización
- Cynthia Arnson, Director, Woodrow Wilson Center Latin American Program
11:00am - Audience Question and Answer
