colombia

John Paul's involvement in peacebuilding in Colombia began in the late 1980s. Beginning with Justapaz (the Mennonite Church of Colombia) and extending to community-based work, including with the Catholic Bishops Conference Social Outreach Program, Pastoral Social, he has accompanied the country’s long journey of building peace. Leading up to the 2016 peace agreement, John Paul worked the Office of the High Commissioner for Peace to develop a set of initiatives focused on invigorating local and regional peacebuilding in regions that have suffered a great deal of violence. Wide use of the terms ‘peacebuilding’ and ‘conflict transformation’ in Colombia trace their roots to John Paul’s early community level involvement, with contribution to the Accord’s use of the concept ‘territorial peace.’ John Paul currently serves on the Advisory Council to the Colombian Truth Commission. The resources in this section include books, articles, presentations, and interviews shared in or about the journey toward peace in Colombia.

Resiliency and Healthy Communities: An Exploration of Image and Metaphor

A contribution to a report on Community Resiliency that explores the ways we organize our thinking around the concepts of "health" and "community" through metaphor and professional experience in the fields of peacebuilding and conflict transformation.

La paz resiliente

An interview for the radio station Javeriana Estéreo on the topics of resilience, creativity, and reconciliation in the context of Colombia.

John Paul Lederach y la rehumanización

A short clip of John Paul's reflections on dehumanization and rehumanization in Colombia.

Ponencia de John Paul Lederach

A lectured delivered for a conference entitled, “Desarme integral en América Latina y el Caribe,” organized by the Alianza por el Desarme.

Cómo funciona y cuáles son los riesgos de la polarización

Con miras a las elecciones de 2022 en Colombia, el experto en construcción de paz John Paul Lederach analiza los riesgos de la polarización en el país.

Caminos y conversaciones de cuatro décadas

Conferencia de John Paul Lederach, con comentarios y reflexiones de Gastón Aín y Francisco Diez, en el marco del III Congreso Americano de Mediación, organizado por Fundación Mediar.

¿A qué te comprometes por la paz?

A short video clip of John Paul's remarks at a conference entitled ¿Cómo construir paz en los territorios? held in Bogotá, Colombia in February 2016.