The Military and Reconciliation in Colombia: Dr. Alejandra Ortiz-Ayala Participates in the Series "Critical Dialogue on Reconciliation"

The event was hosted by Rodeemos el Diálogo (ReD) a transnational network, which emerged in the United Kingdom between September and October 2012, when the peace talks between the Santos government and the FARC-EP began, in order to raise public awareness about the importance of a negotiated solution to the armed conflict. First in London, and then in Bogota, ReD began to create spaces for dialogue to share information and analyze the evolution of the negotiations between the Colombian government and the FARC guerrillas. Along the way, we discovered the power of a culture of dialogue to transform conflicts that fracture the social fabric.

ReD has had a presence in Bogotá since 2014, in Cali since 2017 and in Pasto since 2019. Currently, it has more than 100 members in Colombia, the United Kingdom and in various countries around the world (Canada, Mexico, France, United States, Scotland and Spain) who work voluntarily in different lines of action.

Dr. Ortiz-Ayala addressed the role of the military in human rights violations during the conflict, the current participation of members of the military in the country's transitional justice mechanisms, and the impact of their narratives on the healing process of reconciliation between civilian victims of state violence and state forces. Finally, she addressed the challenges and opportunities for reconciliation and the role of the security sector, as well as the role of academia in transforming the behavior of state forces towards civilians after the peace agreement with the FARC-EP was signed.