Peace is possible

Fabio Benavides, Caritas Colombia's advocacy officer [CAFOD]

CAFOD's partners are striving for peace in Colombia, but there is a lot of work to be done first, explains Fabio Benavides of Caritas Colombia

Fabio, the advocacy officer at Caritas Colombia, says there is more to creating a lasting peace than just getting the high ranks of the paramilitaries and the guerrillas to sign a peace agreement with the government.

For it to hold there must be reconciliation so, through peace communities, Caritas - the social department of the Colombian Catholic Church - aims to create an environment for peace.

Caritas coordinates a network of offices throughout Colombia that seek to promote peace and reconciliation, defend human rights, assist the victims of the conflict and support the most vulnerable. Caritas also analyses government policy and provides recommendations for improving strategies through its advocacy work .Trying to build communities of peace is just one part of the puzzle in rebuilding peace.

Fabio says: “If someone has kidnapped or killed one of my relatives, I need to be able to forgive so that they can be reintegrated into society. It is our work to reconcile people. This is thinking of the future.”

“ Peace is not just a piece of paper. It's about reintegrating former armed actors who have committed crimes into communities to ensure that the cycle of violence does not reignite. Without justice and reconciliation we can't move towards peace."

Rights of the displaced

The aim is to create an environment in which over three million people in Colombia who had to flee their homes feel safe to return.

Many of them left behind documents, which establish their rights to their homes and land and now they no longer have any way of proving their ownership.

2007 marked ten years since Law 387 came into force. This law requires the government to provide a wide range of services for displaced people including food, clothing and assistance for three months as well as helping them to earn a living, gain access to education and health services so that they can rebuild their lives.

Fabio says it is important that international aid is used to help people rebuild their lives for the long-term.

The big capital cities are very prosperous, so there are some profitable businesses - but these profits go to the wealthy few. Fabio says the government should ensure that they are more evenly distributed.

“Giving food only partially solves the problem. Displaced people receive a flood of aid but without teaching them how to survive.

"The state is seen as responsible for seeing to their needs. But they must also be responsible, the state can’t endlessly support them.

"They must be able to help themselves too. Caritas has projects, which help people make a living, for example.

“With Colombia, there’s a strong tendency for people in other countries to think ‘Oh, poor people, they need help’ and stroke their heads.

"It is much more important that people support the Peace is Possible campaign as a way of showing solidarity with the Colombian community – to recognise it as a community that has the strength and ability to move forwards positively."

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