11 May 2018

The University of York, with whom Protection International organized its International Roundtable on Rethinking the protection of Human Rights Defenders: A critical and creative reflection on protection approaches, in December 2017, presents this paper on the peacebuilding strategies used by human rights defenders (HRDs) in Colombia. In particular, this document written by Sylvain Lefebvre, Protection International’s Senior Adviser, looks at those strategies used by three peasant communities to establish control over their territory. These communities were created by internally displaced peasants to protect civilians, challenge the power structures that sustain the conflict, and eventually, build peace. The paper argues that the spatial dimension is key to accounting for the success of peasant communities in protecting their territory, claiming their rights, and growing as a community.

Read the paper on the following link: https://www.hrdhub.org/working-paper-5