The International Office for Human Rights Action on Colombia

Buenaventura: more than a port, a community.

The commitment of women, children and young people to peace in Buenaventura

We are delighted to share here the report from one of the French organisations in the OIDHACO network – Agir Ensemble pour les Droits Humains.

The report begins with this poem written by the children and young people involved in the project.

In Buenaventura, fear sometimes touches us,
but in our hearts, hope springs forth.
We want violence to be just a story,
and peace to be felt in every moment.
When we unite, we are a river that flows forward,
stronger than any conflict or vengeance.
Our voices together, a chorus of love,
so that friendship and warmth reign on this earth.
We want love, we want a hug,
so that the painful traces are erased from every street.
With joy and faith, we paint a better future,
where every boy and girl lives without fear.
From Buenaventura, beautiful port of the sea,
a cry for justice rises without violence.
Together we march, one heart,
because we know that peace is our mission.

This poem sums up the spirit of the report: it speaks of violence, yes, but above all it speaks of resistance. In Buenaventura, community and civil society organisations are creating safe spaces, devising peace education programmes, reviving art, culture, ancestral knowledge, restorative justice and the traditions of the Colombian Pacific as resources for rebuilding the social fabric. Peace, here, is not a slogan: it is patient, embodied work, applied to everyday gestures.

The report will be presented at a side event during the 61st session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva.

Here is the link to the report in Spanish, and the link to the report in French.

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