Practicum in Peacebuilding
(curso en inglés)

This is a fieldwork practicum course that explores peacebuilding through a social transformation lens. Students will explore some of the ways peacebuilding is experienced in Colombia, a country that has witnessed the longest internal violent conflict of the western hemisphere. During this course, students will engage with peacebuilding actors in the field, listen to their stories, and collectively map out the dynamics leading and sustaining peacebuilding in their communities. Peacebuilding in Colombia has been approached in two fundamental ways: one of these ways is top-down, as many attempts to negotiate peace agreements have emanated from institutional attempts to negotiate peace with illegal groups, including the successful peace agreements of 2016 between the Colombian government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). Another way is the ongoing peacebuilding practices that happen at the community level. This is a type of peacebuilding that develops organically and creatively as conflicts escalate. In this case, communities come together to respond peacefully to the effects of war that disrupts their personal and social lives. This course explores these two approaches both theoretically and empirically, in addition to a multitrack approach to diplomacy.