How Peace Takes Shape Locally

The Experience of Civil Resistance in Samaniego, Colombia

Bibliographic Data

ID11218896
AuthorsCécile Mouly (0000-0002-0499-8213, corresponding author), María Belén Garrido (0000-0002-2496-7561), Annette Idler (0000-0002-3747-5558)
Year2016
Volume41
Issue2
Pages129-166
Publication date2016-04-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenuePeace & Change (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0149-0508 • E-ISSN: 1468-0130
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/pech.12184
OpenAlexW2315449767
LanguageEN
Citations received9

Drawing on the experience of S amaniego, C olombia, this article explores processes of civil resistance in the midst of armed conflict. Based on data from fieldwork in S amaniego and other localities in C olombia, as well as literature on civil resistance, peacebuilding, and rebel governance, we analyze the process of mobilization of the population of this war‐affected municipality against armed violence from its beginning in 1997 until the year 2014. As we contend, this process arose as the combined result of factors related to agency and structure. The national and departmental contexts, particularly the holding of peace negotiations between the government and N ational L iberation A rmy ( ELN ) rebels and the existence of similar local peace initiatives, contributed to the establishment of a propitious environment for the mobilization that took place in 1997 and led to the declaration of S amaniego as a peace territory. In terms of agency, two mayors and various civil society actors played a leading role in the process. Several factors accounted for the success of this initiative in achieving, at least to some extent, its objective of reducing violence. We cluster these into three sets of factors: structural factors, the characteristics of the civil resistance movement, and the strategic decisions made by the movement. A better understanding of these factors and their interactions can shed light on the dynamics of civil resistance in situations of armed conflict and their outcomes, offering significant insights into scholarly debates about civil resistance and local peace formation

Agency (philosophy · Civil society · Corporate governance · Declaration · Government (linguistics · Management · Mobilization · Negotiation · Peacebuilding · Political economy · Political science · Politics · Population · Resistance (ecology · Social science · Sociology · Spanish Civil War · Conflict, Peace, and Violence in Colombia · History and Politics in Latin America · International Relations in Latin America · Law · Public Administration

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