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.





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