Reconciliation Experiences
Reconciliation is a fundamental pillar in the transition to peace, but it must go hand in hand with justice and memory to foster genuine coexistence. It is a complex, evolving process that unfolds over time rather than a fixed endpoint.
Wars and armed conflicts leave deep wounds—some may heal, while others remain open. From the individual level to communities, societies, and even national and international frameworks, reconciliation is inherently fragile. Its success depends largely on how processes of memory and reparation are experienced in all their dimensions—physical, social, economic, symbolic, and spiritual.
For those of us dedicated to peace—whether through research, activism, or civil society efforts—it is crucial to place healing at the center of our work. We can effectively support and strengthen reconciliation efforts at every level by prioritising healing as a core element.
Related Publications
Cooking and Peace: From Ceasefire to Slow Fire
At the initiative of the Consulate of Colombia in Barcelona, and with the collaboration of ICIP, dozens of Colombians living in Catalonia took part, between September and December 2024, in the Cocina y Paz workshop series.
The workshops, held in El Masnou (Barcelona), were aimed at victims of the Colombian armed conflict. Through traditional Colombian cuisine, group therapy and mindfulness, participants were able to work on recognition, memory and reconciliation, key elements linked to the peacebuilding process in Colombia following the Peace Agreement between the Colombian Government and the FARC-EP.
The initiative was guided by the experience of Colombian filmmaker Iván Guarnizo. His mother was kidnapped by the FARC for several years and, subsequently, Guarnizo embarked on a process of searching for and reconciling with her kidnapper, guerrilla commander Güérima Mahecha. Both feature in the documentary Del otro lado.
The workshop experience captured in a book
The Cocina y Paz experience has now been captured in the digital book Colombia Cocina en Paz. Del alto al fuego al fuego lento, published by the Consulate of Colombia in Barcelona.
The publication brings together recipes, stories and testimonies from workshop participants, capturing their experiences, memories and connections to Colombia. The book explores cooking as a space for memory, encounter and the rebuilding of bonds, and continues the process that began during the workshops.
Alongside the Consulate of Colombia in Barcelona and ICIP, the project and publication involved Mujer Diáspora and its team of facilitators, the Colegio de Psicología de Catalunya, En Palabras [relatos migrantes], the Recorrido Sensorial team, Polen Estudio, Euromarket and the Escritorio de Víctimas del Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores de Colombia.
The book is available in digital format and can be freely accessed, downloaded and shared here.
Grammatical bodies (Cuerpos Gramaticales)
The Cuerpos Gramaticales project originated in Comuna 13 of Medellín, Colombia, and was later developed in Barcelona in 2017 through a collaboration between ICIP, the Agroarte collective, and the Barcelona City Council.
Bringing together Colombian women, the initiative fosters memory practices that contribute to peacebuilding, symbolic reparation, peaceful resistance, and the recognition of civil society efforts. In Barcelona, the project has combined artistic training with a final performance piece, exploring themes of memory and reconciliation.
For more insight, read “Cuerpos gramaticales”. Live Sculptures in the Ground, an article by Sandra Álvarez Martínez, published in the magazine Peace in Progress in November 2017.
The sowing of Life
In 2018, photographer and documentary filmmaker Ingrid Guyon created the documentary La sembra de la vida (The Sowing of Life) in Barcelona as part of the Cuerpos Gramaticales project in collaboration with ICIP.
Guyon has closely followed the work of Colombian women in the diaspora for years, capturing their stories and contributions.