This article was originally published by the Council on Foreign Relations. When Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos awoke to news that he’d won the Nobel Peace Prize, he dedicated it to the millions of victims of Colombia’s fifty-two-year-long conflict. He chose also to share it with the many who work for peace. That includes Colombian […]
This article was originally published by The Washington Post. On Friday, October 7, 2016, Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to negotiate and sign peace accords with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) guerillas, after 52 years of violent conflict. The award came just five days […]
Today the Norwegian Nobel Committee bestowed the 2016 Peace Prize on Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos, sending the ultimate signal of international encouragement. After 52 years of devastating conflict, Colombia needs it. Voters rejected the nation’s delicate peace accord last Sunday in a referendum. Yet expectations for peace persist. The Nobel committee especially cited “the […]
The Colombian civil war is winding down after more than 50 years and 222,000 casualties. How will the country help 8,000 guerrilla fighters transition back into civilian life? A key step will be ensuring that female combatants—who make up 30-40% of the FARC armed forces—are meaningfully integrated in the disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration process. In […]
This article was originally published by Foreign Policy. After 50-plus years, 222,000 deaths, $9 billion in U.S. aid, and 34 rounds of negotiations, one of the world’s longest civil wars might finally be nearing its end. The Colombian government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (known by its Spanish acronym FARC) have agreed to […]
As the Colombian government and the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (FARC) negotiate terms to end more than a half century of violence, a crucial issue is the future of the FARC’s 8,000 combatants, close to 40% of whom are female. For a peace agreement to result in enduring stability, former combatants must be meaningfully […]
The Colombian National Commission for Reparation and Reconciliation (CNRR) is a transitional justice mechanism effectively structured for involving women and addressing their priorities and needs. Mainstreaming gender has involved advocating for particular women to serve as commissioners, support for the creation of a gender unit within the commission, close collaboration with women’s civil society organizations, […]
From May 19-24, 2004, The Institute for Inclusive Security hosted 16 Colombian women peace builders in Washington, DC. In collaboration with other experts, these Colombian leaders developed recommendations for concrete ways policymakers can include women in their attempts to bring stability and security to the country. The conference aimed to elevate the voices of women in […]
Women have been victims and actors in Colombia’s cycles of violence and peace. In talks organized by President Andrés Pastrana in 1999, women represented both the government and FARC, the major guerrilla group. In 2000, 600 women participated in a women’s public forum that pressed FARC and government leaders to consider women’s concerns. In 2002, […]
