Mauricio - CivilResistance.info

Nonviolent Movements for Peace in Colombia & International Solidarity

Mauricio García-Durán, PhD Center of Research and Popular Education - CINEP

Content of the presentation  Some conceptual remarks  Peace mobilization as non-violent movement  Experiences of resistance in the Colombian context  International solidarity

Some conceptual remarks regarding the Colombian context  Peace initiatives and non-violent perspective: a claim for peace does not mean necessarily a non-violent perspective  Civil resistance as:   

Events of resistance facing the armed actors Events that express rejection of violent acts Communal efforts to protect life

A repertoire of collective action for peace  The Colombian peace mobilization has displayed a varied repertoire of collective action, normally with nonconfrontational style. 

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Strategy 1 – Educating: meetings, forums and seminars, campaigns and education, cultural and sporting events, religious celebrations, and awards  50,1% Strategy 2 – Organizing: creation of organisations and networks  3,6% Strategy 3 – Politicking: electoral participation, processes of citizen coordination, and dialogue and negotiation  10,1% Strategy 4 – Protesting: demonstrations and marches, strikes, occupations and blockades  31,5% Strategy 5 – Resisting: actions of civil resistance, and declarations of peace zones  4,7%

Collective action for peace by strategies (1978-2005) 300

250

150

100

50

Educating

Organizing

Politicking

Protesting

Resisting

TOTAL

2005

2004

2003

2002

2001

2000

1999

1998

1997

1996

1995

1994

1993

1992

1991

1990

1989

1988

1987

1986

1985

1984

1983

1982

1981

1980

0

1979

Actions per year

200

A wide mobilizing infrastructure for resistance and peace CATEGORIES

NATIONAL INITIATIVES

REGIONAL INITIATIVES

LOCAL INITIATIVES

Protection, Defence and Resistance to Violence

Citizen’s Mandate for Peace; The ‘No Más’ Mo-vement; Ruta Pacífica de las Mujeres; Conscientious Ob-jector’s Group

Bajo Atrato Peace Com-munities (S. Francisco de Asís, Nuestra Señora del Carmen y Natividad de María); ‘Nasa’ Project; Indigenous Communities in Cauca, Chocó and Antioquia

Carare-Opón Campesinos As-sociation; S. José de Apartadó Peace Community; Self-De-termination, Life and Dignity Communities (Cacarica, Da-beiba and Balsita); Women in Black; Murindo Committee of All United for Life and Peace

Peace and Conflict Resolution Education

Children’s Movement for Peace; Youth Network for Peace; Peace Week (Rede-paz); National Pilgrimage for Life, Justice and Peace (Bishops Conference); Mo-vement for Non-Violence in Colombia

School of Peace and Coha-bitation (Peace Program-me); Montes de María Co-mmunication Collective; Network for Community Justice and Treatment of Conflicts (Justapaz)

100 Territories of Peace (or Municipalities of Peace); 100 Experiences of Participation (Redepaz)

Deepening Democracy

Strengthening of Marginali-zed Sectors (Planetapaz); Monitoring of Plan Colom-bia (Paz Colombia); Citizen’s Working Groups for an Agenda for Peace (Inde-paz); School for the Deve-lopment of Democratic Leadership (Viva la Ciudada-nia); Initiative of Colombian Women for Peace

Departmental Constituent Assemblies of Antioquia, Tolima, and Nariño; Cons-tituent Assembly and Pea-ce Laboratory of Eastern Antioquia; Governors of the South’s Consensus for Peace

Public Consultation in Agua-chica; Constituent Assemblies of Mogotes, Tarso, S. Luis, Micoahumado, Samaniego, Floridablanca, Sonsón, Guata-pé, & Granada; Community Peace Assemblies of Argelia, El Olival, El Hato, & Tibu; Pensilvania Vivid Community

… (continuation) CATEGORIES

NATIONAL INITIATIVES

REGIONAL INITIATIVES

LOCAL INITIATIVES

Dialogue and Negotiation

National Peace Council; National Conciliation Com-mission; National Network of Mayors for Peace; Civilian Facilitation Com-mission with ELN; Ideas for Peace Foundation; Peace Observatory

14 Departmental Councils for Peace; Association of Municipalities of Alto Ariari

Municipal Peace Councils

Peace and Development

Network of Peace and Development Programmes

17 Peace and Development Programmes (4 of them as a peace ‘laboratories’)

Networks and Coordinating Bodies

Redepaz; Permanent As-sembly of Civil Society for Peace; National Network (& Alliance) of Women for Peace; University Network for Peace; Businessmen for Peace; Media for Peace

24 Departmental Working Groups for Peace; Soli-darity Network (Pueblos Hermanos, Lazos Visibles)

Municipal Working Groups for Peace (around 150 in the whole country)

Evolution of resisting as a strategy in the peace movement 20

18

16

14

Actions per year

12

10

8

6

4

2

0 1995

1996

1997

1998

Actions of civil resistance

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

Declarations of peace zones

2004

2005

Types of actions in the resisting dynamic  Declarations of neutrality and peace zones  Actions of civil resistance  Resisting as organizative and community processes

International solidarity  Local actions, campaigns and lobbying  Witness and accompaniment  Humanitarian assistance  Funding