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Regional Peace Co-construction in Nariño, Colombia: a personal account of transforming conflict
Following over a half a century of conflict, the Colombian government is now pursuing a “Total Peace” strategy, which involves negotiating with all armed and political rebel groups including the National Liberation Army (ELN) and dissent groups of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). Peace negotiations have also involved efforts towards reconciliation, including assistance and reparation for victims of conflict.
In this event, Andrei will share his first-hand experience of growing up in Nariño and negotiating as part of the Colombian government’s delegation in Nariño with the guerrilla group Comuneros del Sur.
He will present his new book We Are Not Made of Sugar a childhood memoir from Colombia and discuss the achievements so far to build lasting peace, while also sharing the challenges inherent in fostering inclusive dialogue and navigating complex regional dynamics.
Following the presentation, there will be an opportunity for attendees to participate in a Q&A.
Speaker: Andrei Gómez-Suárez
Andrei (PhD University of Sussex) is part of the Colombian government’s delegation in a peace process in Nariño, living in Edinburgh but spending part of each year in Colombia.
He is Senior Policy Affiliate at PeaceRep, University of Edinburgh, associate researcher at CCRJ, SOAS, and co-founder of peacebuilding organisation Rodeemos el Diálogo (ReD, or Embrace Dialogue).
He has lectured at the Universities of Bristol, Oxford, Sussex, and Winchester and has done consultancies for Conciliation Resources, the International Organisation for Migrations, and in Colombia for the Office of the High Commissioner for Peace, the National Centre for Historical Memory, and the Ombudsman’s Office.
His books include Genocide, Geopolitics and Transnational Networks: a Con-textualisation of the Destruction of the Patriotic Union in Colombia (Routledge, 2015), El Triunfo del No: la Paradoja Emocional detrás del Plebiscito (Icono, Colombia, 2016), and We are not made of sugar: a childhood memoir from Colombia (Fuller Vigil 2025).