USIP supported the work of SEMBRANDOPAZ, directed by Mennonite peacemaker Ricardo Esquivia Ballestras, to launch a network in the North Atlantic coastal region of Colombia that creates and links eight departmental Citizens' Reconciliation Commissions (CCR) in the Departments of Córdoba, Sucre, Bolívar, Atlántico, Magdalena, Cesar, Guajira and San Andrés.  This network is a vehicle through which to promote and channel citizen participation around issues related to truth, justice, reparations, reconciliation, and reintegration, and to foster national reconciliation processes and debates at the local and regional levels. 

Background

Colombia’s Caribbean coast is one of the regions most deeply affected by paramilitary and other illegal armed actors' influence and violence. Demobilization of paramilitaries under the terms of the Justice and Peace law has led to the reintegration of many ex-combatants, but without adequate rehabilitation. Moreover, the "truth-telling" phase of the demobilization, disarmament and reintegration (DDR) process has uncovered a web of complicity by local authorities with armed groups that has significantly hindered reconciliation in these communities. This project is a two-phase effort to build reconciliation and trauma healing capacity at the local level. Phase I included:

• Five local workshops, one sub-regional workshop and one regional workshop focused on community reconciliation
• Monthly meetings in partnership with local universities that consolidated a Citizens' Reconciliation Commission that now serves as a link between national DDR efforts and local communities.

Activities

Phase II of this project will continue to promote and consolidate local and regional reconciliation processes, will strengthen the Citizens' Reconciliation Commissions (CCR), consolidate the regional network, and leverage the regional experiences to influence national reconciliation processes.   Activities and training in this phase of the project will:

• Focus on citizen participation, local community involvement in national demobilization and reintegration efforts, and regional input into the formal national commissions
• Strengthen norms of citizen participation, social justice, and respect for the rule of law
• Promote local and regional reconciliation processes by consolidating CCRs within the public and political framework of reconciliation
• Strengthen departmental CCRs and their regional network
• Facilitate citizen dialogue and action at the local, regional and national levels.

PROJECT DIRECTOR: Ricardo Esquivia Ballestra, Sowing Peace (Sembrandopaz), Sincelejo, Sucre, Colombia

Explore Further

• Read about a roundtable co-sponsored by USIP, the International Institute for Sustained Dialogue, and the Esquel Group