Guest Lecture on Truth, Justice and Reconciliation in Colombia

This lecture will be given by Fabio Andres Díaz Pabón. He is a PhD candidate at the International Institute of Social Studies (ISS) of Erasmus University Rotterdam. He has lectured at different universities in Colombia, the Netherlands and South Africa. He also has worked as a consultant in Colombia and Southern Africa on issues related with public policy evaluation and budgeting, capacity building and mathematical models for supporting policy making.

The signing of the peace agreements between the FARC-EP and the Colombian Government in late November 2016 generated hopes for peace in Colombia. However, the consolidation of peace and justice requires us to think about how to operationalize peace agreements. Agreements are not enough. Thus reflecting on the existing challenges for the implementation of the agreements allows us to understand the current landscape in which the Colombian state is defaulting on its promise to implement a peace accord. This is the result of the tension between theory―the legislative frameworks guaranteeing human rights―and practice―the realization of these ideas― which frames Colombia’s challenges in consolidating the implementation of the peace agreements with the FARC-EP. Fabio’s work brings together reflections by Colombian academics and practitioners alongside pieces provided by researchers and practitioners in other countries where transitional justice initiatives have taken place (Bosnia and Herzegovina, South Africa, Sri Lanka and Peru).