An organization of returned Peace Corps volunteers (RPCV).
We connect Colombia RPCVs and others, and support community-based activities in Colombia.

USIP Works for Peace in Colombia

Gail Gordon

Many of us who have lived in and loved Colombia have watched her with interest, and sometimes sadness, since we left. So it’s heartening to know that even though the Peace Corps left in 1981, there are still organizations with concerned Americans working there.

One of those is the United States Institute of Peace (USIP), an independent, non-partisan institution established and funded by the United
States Congress. It engages directly and indirectly in the peace-building process throughout the world. Its goals are to prevent and resolve violent conflicts, promote post-conflict stability and development, and increase peace building capacity, tools, and intellectual capital.

During 2006-2007 USIP targeted Colombia as a priority conflict zone, prompting activities that include holding public events to discuss the
Colombian crisis; development of on-line courses in conflict resolution in Spanish; publishing papers on Colombian Peace initiatives (among them an up-to-date analysis of peace initiatives that have created hope, and suggestions for new approaches for peace in Colombia); an advanced “train the trainer” conflict resolution program in Colombia which will expand on previous USIP training in Cucutá; faith-based initiatives for peace consultation among Colombian Catholic and Evangelical Protestant churches about ways to promote Colombian peace; and hosting conferences with leaders from around the world to focus on peace in Colombia.

In addition, there are grants for specific activities, such as a project to create and test materials for youth aged 14-18 that integrates trauma healing, conflict resolution, and violence prevention; a research project to examine incentives for private firms to support the reintegration of former combatants into society; and a project to document missing persons and clandestine cemeteries in order to address how to build peace after political violence.

For more information, check the USIP website at www.usip.org. Their printed materials are excellent.