Community members of Mampuján meet with government representatives to discuss reparations for the massacre and displacement that occurred in their community in 2000.
By Anna Vogt, a Seed program worker with MCC Colombia.
On January 18, 2012, I stood with Mampuján community members as they listened to the paramilitary leaders responsible for the massacre of 13 people and displacement of their community in March 2000 and government representatives talk about reconciliation and reparations. The community is the first in Colombia to participate in a new peacebuilding effort.
The journey of peace and reconciliation is not a straight trajectory towards a perfect goal. Just as armed conflict has impacted so many different areas of society, so peace processes must support healing and rebuilding in each of these different areas.
Setting a Standard for other Displaced Communities?
Mampuján is the first displaced community to have received a ruling under the country’s Justice and Peace Law , that grants various reparations to both individuals and the community as a collective, and determines the responsibilities of each of the various parties involved, including national, municipal, and even the perpetrators of the displacement itself. The January, 2012 follow-up hearing was the first of its kind to be held in a community of victims, to examine the steps being made by various Colombian entities and institutions.
One clear aspect of peace and reconciliation taking place was the legal process of establishing material reparations. To date, the community has not received the physical reparations they have been promised. The judges were very clearly on the side of the victims, grilling the entities for specific dates and threatening investigations if these dates are missed. While many of the dates still ended up being a vague “during the year 2012,” there were several clear instances of specific dates and promises that no one was really expecting, including individual reparations.
If these reparations are actually complied with, this will have sweeping ramifications for not only Mampuján, but for the rest of the over 5 million victims of displacement in Colombia, showing political will to actively rebuild the country by focusing on the segment of the population who have truly lost everything- the victims.
Face to Face: Perpetrators and Victims
Personal reconciliation must also take place for lasting peace. Most community members did not know until the night before the hearing that the paramilitary leaders who ordered the displacement of the community and massacres that took place in surrounding communities would be present during the hearing. Many had never before seen the men who are directly responsible for their current living conditions, and there was palpable tension in the air.
However, people listened respectfully and the woman standing beside me leaned over to whisper in my ear that she had forgiven them a long time ago. Forgiveness has been a theme at the local church, and whether or not the para-leader’s speech was political or sincere, the fact the some people have made the decision to forgive and move forward without bitterness is important for the healing of the community and the individual members within.
Scenery in the community of Mampuján.
Community Empowerment
Another part of peace and reconciliation is community-building and empowerment, as victims realize that they have agency and can impact the processes taking place around them. In Mampuján, the original hearing was scheduled to take place in a separate location, but community leaders lobbied together to demand the hearing take place in the centre of Mampuján, so everyone present would see the lack of progress of the reparations. The community is learning that they have an important role, not solely as victims, but as people who need to be listened to if this process is ever going to reach completion.
There are many challenges yet to face in the coming months, and still more questions than answers. Will promises be kept? How will an influx of money change Mampuján? How can sustainable structures be put in place that will continue to allow victims to be heard? However, the hearing was, on the whole, a positive experience that highlighted the many facets of peace and reconciliation taking place in the community.
This is a shortened version of Anna’s original blog. View the original post here.