September 21, 2017
Today is the International Day of Peace. As we celebrate, I think about our colleagues in Colombia, a country that has experienced decades of armed conflict and is finally on a path towards a more peaceful future. Last year, the Colombian government and the guerrilla forces of Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) reached a peace agreement and just a few weeks ago, Colombian officials signed a temporary cease-fire with National Liberation Army (ELN), the second largest rebel group. After half a century of war, Colombians – and the world – are hopeful for peaceful resolution.
As Colombia pursues a political solution on key issues – including rural reform, victims’ rights, transitional justice, and political participation – we at Heartland Alliance International (HAI) look forward to continuing to support the communities most impacted by the conflict, including Colombia’s indigenous and Afro-Colombian communities. On Colombia’s Pacific Coast, where survivors of trauma experience high rates of anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder, and access to mental health services is limited, we partner with local organizations to train and deploy community psychosocial workers who know firsthand what it’s like to be a survivor.
Gloria, a community psychosocial worker, uses her own story to connect with other survivors of the conflict. After violence forced her from her hometown in 2003, she ended up in Buenaventura, a city where many displaced Colombians have resettled. In the individual and group therapy sessions she facilitates, she listens to the stories of other survivors, like the woman who was so traumatized after her husband and children were killed by a group of guerilla fighters that she was unable to speak. Gloria pulls from her own experiences to connect with other survivors. She helps them open up and begin to heal.
On this International Day of Peace, we look forward to continuing our efforts to support Colombian communities that have been affected by decades of conflict. Your support for Heartland Alliance International will help us bring healing and justice to Colombian communities as they move towards a more peaceful future.
