“The intricacies of peace”: recent GIGA and FESCOL publication
The Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung Foundation in Colombia (FESCOL) in partnership with the German Institute for Global and Area Studies (GIGA) in Hamburg recently published the book, The intricacies of peace: reflections on the long road to the transformation of the armed conflict in Colombia. The publication was edited by Kristina Birke Daniels and Sabine Kurtenbach and is a compilation of essays and articles on the transformations of the country’s armed conflict.
The book is divided into four parts: glocal peace, key elements for peacebuilding, key actors, and lessons learned, and includes contributions from academics and social organizations such as Corporación Caribe Afirmativo and Fundación Paz y Reconciliación, and Pares, at its Pacifico headquarters.
«The intricacies of peace, edited by Kristina Birke and Sabine Kurtenbach, presents an accurate snapshot of Colombia’s complex situation four years after the signing of the Peace Accord. It includes the voices of the citizens who, through a survey and focus groups, describe very similar visions of peace as a peaceful life in conditions of dignity. However, this consensus takes place in a situation full of challenges and possibilities, well described in the multiple chapters, which include experiments of rural reincorporation of former FARC combatants, the armed conflicts over legal and illegal wealth in the border areas and the Pacific, the social mobilizations and the national and international actors that have committed to peace, and the still uncertain outcome of this commitment. The study leaves the capital cities and locates itself in those places where territorial peace must be built, identifying the importance of the leadership of women, and young and ethnic peoples in peacebuilding. It is a must read at this time of uncertainty, when only certain and verifiable information can support the decisions that the country must make to avoid a new cycle of insecurity and violence».
Access the e-book in Spanish here.
Access the e-book in English here.
Find out more about FESCOL here.
Find out more about GIGA here.
(Text summary: Taken from the Acknowledgements section of the book. Written by: Julieta Lemaitre)