PAX has become an official partner of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in Colombia.
The commission was created following the historic Peace Agreement between the government and the FARC, which was ratified in November 2016. PAX will provide the Commission with technical support.
According to their agreement, PAX will contribute to the work of the Commission in several regions of the country. PAX will share the results of its research publications and other specialized information resulting from its involvement in regional peace-building efforts.
Win-win
“We have experience in the regions, we support dialogue between victims and perpetrators, and we can contribute to the work of the Truth Commission. At the same time, the Commission’s participation in our work gives us legitimacy; it guarantees visibility for the communities that work with us,” says Joris van de Sandt, PAX´s Latin America Programme Leader.
In addition to providing technical support, PAX will also support the Commission’s work through its advocacy work and publicity activities.
Complex
Following the signing of the agreement, the Commission’s Chair, Francisco de Roux, thanked PAX for their support. “Needless to say, a very difficult task lies ahead, but as a Truth Commission we seek to contribute to victims’ right to know what happened during the conflict. PAX is active in very complex regions of Colombia, and it’s exactly in these place that peace needs to be built,” said Mr. de Roux.
The Commission for the Clarification of Truth, Coexistence, and Non-Repetition started taking statements in November 2018. Its principle task consists of constructing a historical truth of Colombia’s internal armed conflict from the stories of millions of victims.
See also (in Spanish): New Truth Commission Partner
and Supporting Victims in Colombia