“Virginia Bouvier’s volume documents how different actors in Colombia’s struggle for peace and security engage in preventing state failure. Lessons from this volume can serve a larger readership as the U.S. government ponders its policy options in places like Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Iraq.”
—Johanna Mendelson Forman, Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS)

“An essential book on the Colombian struggle for peace from a bottom up approach."
—Gorka Espiau Idoiaga, Special Advisor for Peace Building to the President of the Basque Country

“Bouvier 's collection combines insightful analysis with a much needed message of hope for the conflict in Colombia. It is a welcome reminder that only through the participation and innovation of civil society will Colombia find a peace that endures.”
—Joy Olson, Washington Office on Latin America

“The volume offers a detailed map that Colombian government authorities, civil society leaders, and the international community can follow to help construct an enduring peace. Other societies undergoing similar conflicts will benefit enormously from this singular contribution.”
—Michael Shifter, Inter-American Dialogue, and Georgetown University

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. The volume explores how local and regional initiatives relate to national efforts, provides insights into the negotiating practices of the past two decades, and identifies possible synergies. Additionally, it examines the multiple roles of civil society and the international community in the country's complex search for peace. Its textured conclusions offer a wide spectrum of analytical and practical lessons for Colombia and those seeking to transform violent conflicts in other parts of the globe.

About the Editor

Virginia M. Bouvier is a senior program officer at the United States Institute of Peace, where she heads the Colombia Conflict Team and the Colombia grants initiative. She is the editor ofThe Globalization of U.S.-Latin American Relations: Democracy, Intervention, and Human Rights.