Agape for Colombia

Since 2007 Agape for Colombia, a foundation run entirely by volunteers, has been working with Colombian victims and perpetrators of armed violence, alongside members of civil society with the collective goal of reconciliation.  In its direct community work and through peace building and reconciliation workshops, Agape has been able to follow and identify the multiple and complex stages that victims and former perpetrators go through as they walk the path towards reconciliation and peace.  This engagement work has also highlighted the importance of identity and the ways in which – over time and through healing – victims abandon their perception of themselves as “victims” and begin to see themselves as “survivors”.  Moreover, in many cases, former victims and perpetrators have become Peace Promoters who help other victims and perpetrators walk along the same path, while providing valuable lessons to members of civil society who have witnessed this process. This experience has also demonstrated the impact of community building in the development of counter-narratives.