Believing peace is possible

Colombian schoolgirls [Annie Bungeroth]

Colombia's internal conflict has been going on for more than 40 years but the Peace is Possible campaign is trying to bring the warring factions together with international help

The Catholic Church has been working for a sustainable peace through negotiations, encouraging the guerrilla movements as well as others involved in the conflict and the national government to enter into serious negotiations.

Archbishop Ruben Salazar explains how the Church needs to build up confidence between the different parties in each other, and in the process itself, for negotiations to succeed.

“Our conflict is not only an internal conflict; it has an international dimension because of the drug trafficking. This means our conflict must be treated as part of the wider process and in a wider context.

“The guerrillas, especially the FARC, are not so keen to negotiate. They have lived for 40 years in conflict so now it is very difficult for them to think about living in peace in other conditions.

“But armed groups must start serious peace negotiations and recognise the damage they are doing, especially in isolated, rural areas. In our opinion the only way is to negotiate with the government.”

Working for peace

In an attempt to build confidence in the peace process, the Catholic Church is focusing on the need for a humanitarian agreement, an exchange to deliver those kidnapped by the guerrillas over the years in return for freedom for those guerrillas still in jail.

“This could be a first step,” explains Archbishop Salazar. “It would increase confidence on both sides, between the guerrillas and the government."

On another level, the church is working for peace bringing together families, neighbours and communities, trying to creating the conditions for a new country, for a new society, for a new way of living together.

Archbishop Salazar says: "We are trying to rebuild the social fabric, illuminating the life of people with the light of the Gospel, leading them to live in brotherhood, to help each other, to understand each other, to reconcile.

“We talk of a civilisation of love, of fraternity, of solidarity. We try to teach people to live together, to pardon each other. Family is important as a focus as the social fabric strengthens communities, changes their mentality, way of life and attitudes.

"It happens little by little, and is a long process but it is like a new civilisation. Most dioceses in Colombia have a systematic plan and try to include all the community and encourage them to have a clear idea what sort of society, country, region, they are looking for."

The plan has different phases and focuses on different values. A community may focus on one value such as solidarity, reconciliation or dialogue, for a whole year.

“It’s not just in the masses, listening to these messages, but trying to build real communities, trying to have very alive communities, sharing their goods and their lives.

“In a very difficult situation of armed conflict the people survive through their communities, because they belong to a community. They don’t lose their identity; they remain together and preserve their identity.

SNPS provides training for women and ethnic groups to rediscover their cultural identities in order to cope better with the pressures of Colombia's ongoing conflict [SNPS/CAFOD]

“This is good for protecting people in an area of conflict like Colombia, by building very concrete and real communities.”

The Peace is Possible campaign

CAFOD believes that a lasting peace in Colombia will only be possible if there is social justice. The Peace is Possible campaign, co-ordinated by Caritas Internationalis, is working with the international community and Colombian society to achieve this.

The campaign is asking the UK government to support the London-Cartagena process – a dialogue between the international community through the embassies in Colombia, the Colombian government and Colombian civil society.

A fundamental principle is respect for human rights and compliance with the recommendations of the United Nations Human Rights Office in Colombia. CAFOD partner Caritas Colombia is part of this process.

Caritas Internationalis, through its Working Group on Colombia, has been working for more than four years on ways of drawing attention to the humanitarian crisis in Colombia, the policies needed to address the causes of displacement, and the possibilities for negotiation.The Caritas campaign is based on this work.

The campaign is also asking the UK government to focus on the humanitarian crisis in Colombia, to raise awareness, and to support the peace process in Colombia.

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