PEACE AND RECONCILIATION: RESEARCH WITH THE LONDON SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS

The chapter on Colombia is part of a research platform that will be developed over five years.

Two questions that motivated new research from the Department of Political Science at the Universidad de los Andes, which has partnered with the UKRI GCRF Gender, Justice and Security Hub led by Professor Christine Chinkin at the London School of Economics were: How has war affected cohabitation? And, how have the communities that lived through the conflict overcome their legacy and their own past?

According to Angelika Rettberg, the main researcher for this Hub in Colombia and professor of Political Science at the Universidad de los Andes, the central topics of this alliance are reconciliation and development.

The chapter on Colombia is part of a research platform that will be developed over five years in Sri Lanka, Uganda, Sierra Leone, Afghanistan, Iraq, Lebanon, and Myanmar. It is funded by UK Research and Innovation.

Christine Chinkin, Emerita Professor of International Law at the London School of Economics, explains that: “We are exploring ways in which gender justice and inclusive security can improve societies that have been affected by conflict”.

This research, which will be simultaneously carried out in different countries, also looks to contribute to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). According to Chinkin, the work is linked to Objectives 5 and 16, which relate to gender equality and peace, justice, and strong institutions under a framework of peace and security.

According to Chinkin, analyzing these topics in depth is important as conflict and gender violence have devastating consequences for individuals, families, and communities as well as impeding the advancement of the SDGs.

Rettberg points out that the majority of surviving victims of the conflict are women: the majority of whom are heads of the household. They are also the ones who are the most skeptical about reconciliation processes.

The results produced by this Hub will be used to create public policies and will help to have an impact on local communities.

Rettberg details that this partnership will have a two-way contribution for Colombia. “First because we can reflect on peace and reconciliation beyond just our national context, and we can also provide our particular experience of being a country that is transitioning from war to peace”.