Internal Displacement and Peacebuilding in Colombia

The Colombian government has implemented political reconciliation and stabilization measures in recent years, yet internal displacement continues to be a major problem with estimates of the number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) ranging from 2.6 to 4.3 million people. The relationship between internal displacement and peacebuilding is an important but complex one. Until IDPs find solutions to their displacement, it will be difficult to establish sustainable peace and security. At the same time, the lack of security makes the search for durable solutions for IDPs problematic. Issues around transitional justice and land are central to both peacebuilding and to resolving internal displacement.

On February 25, the Brookings-Bern Project on Internal Displacement hosted the launch of a new report on internal displacement and peacebuilding in Colombia, written by Roberto Vidal of the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana in Bogota. After his presentation, panelists commented on the report and displacement in Colombia from a variety of perspectives.