Resources & Tools

July 2009 | Book by Virginia M. Bouvier, editor

Bringing together the experiences and insights of more than thirty experienced and emerging authors, human rights activists, and peace practitioners from Colombia and abroad, Colombia: Building Peace in a Time of War documents and analyzes the vast array of peace initiatives that have emerged in Colombia in recent years.

November 2008

The Religion and Peacemaking program at USIP visited Colombia in November 2008 to support a joint-initiative of the Conferencia de Religiosos y Religiosas de Colombia, the organizing body of Catholic men’s and women’s religious orders, and Justapaz, a Menonite organization, to convene a four-day workshop outside of Bogota for Catholic and Protestant women peacemakers. This workshop provided an opportunity for women doing peace work on the ground through their churches to share best practices, network, and conceive future joint-initiatives.

Countries: Colombia | Issue Areas: Peacebuilding, Women
November 2008 | Special Report by Jonathan Morgenstein

An essential component of any post-conflict stabilization program is the permanent dismantlement of armed groups and their fruitful absorption into civilian society—this process is known as disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration. Although Colombia continues to wrestle with violent conflict at the hands of multiple armed factions, the country embarked on a major DDR program in 2003 with the goal of permanently ending the threat of violence from one of those armed factions—the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (Autodefensas Unidas de Colombia, or AUC).

June 2008 | Peace Briefing by Virginia M. Bouvier

This USIPeace Briefing discusses the condition of the Colombian Revolutionary Armed Forces, their hostages and the potential direction of this situation. The briefing stresses insights that key figures in the issue raised in recent visits to Washington, DC.

January 2008 | On the Issues by Virginia M. Bouvier
Countries: Colombia
September 2007 | Working Paper by Virginia M. Bouvier

Drawing from a series of conferences and events organized by USIP, this report examines the status of current peace initiatives in Colombia with the National Liberation Army (ELN) and the Colombian Revolutionary Armed Forces (FARC). It also assesses the paramilitary demobilization process and analyzes the role of local, national, and international third-party actors in each of these processes. The analysis reflects developments on the ground through the end of September 2007.

August 2006 | Special Report by Virginia M. Bouvier

Colombia is poised at a crucial juncture - an opportunity to achieve lasting peace or, alternatively, to spiral into another cycle of violence. How can local, regional, and national actors help build upon peace initiatives to acheive a reconciled society in Colombia?

February 2004 | Special Report by Virginia M. Bouvier
Countries: Colombia | Issue Areas: Civil Society, Conflict Analysis, Governance
May 2003

Describing impressions from his recent trip to Colombia, U.S. Congressman James P. McGovern stresses that the conflict deserves more attention and concern within the United States.

Countries: Colombia
May 2003
Countries: Colombia