Colombian peace communities

The role of NGOs in supporting resistance to violence and oppression

Bibliographic Data

ID4801348
AuthorsGretchen Alther (1855 Newton Street NW, Washington, DC, 20010, USA, corresponding author)
Year2006
Volume16
Issue3-4
Pages278-291
Publication date2006-06-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueDevelopment in Practice (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0961-4524 • E-ISSN: 1364-9213
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/09614520600694828
OpenAlexW1977661303
LanguageEN
Citations received19

Colombia's chronic war is one of the world's worst humanitarian crises. Amid armed actors, pervasive violence, and increasing militarisation, many citizens experience hostility from all sides. This violence continues the historical marginalisation of Afro-descendant, indigenous, and campesino communities and is intensified by the ‘global war on terror’. Some ‘peace communities’ are rejecting violence and seeking ways to survive within war—becoming protagonists in their own protection. This is risky: it draws accusations, threats, and attacks by all armed actors, including the state. Over time, the lack of sustainable livelihoods, weak internal cohesion, and antagonistic external dynamics test the determination of such communities. This article examines four peace communities and explores factors that generate and sustain grassroots protagonism. It ends by suggesting ways in which development organisations can enhance community-level protection and reinforce local peace processes, in order to contribute to broader peace building

Community cohesion · Criminology · Grassroots · Indigenous · Oppression · Political economy · Political science · Politics · Sociology · Structural violence · Conflict, Peace, and Violence in Colombia · Law · Peace and Human Rights Education · Peacebuilding and International Security

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