The attached videos summarize activities between November 6 to 11, 2023 related to the presentation of the GAMIP (Global Alliance for Ministries and Infrastructures for Peace) proposal to the Colombia Congress on November 9’th, 2023 – Bogota.
English – https://drive.google.com/file/d/1vltJTPRurs3p5qp6AcKzsFbQKAPidBkd/view
Spanish – https://drive.google.com/file/d/19wfu0uYiPzp7drEH1Jv0JU8R0jzIQrPP/view
Excerpt from “DECLARATION of the Global Alliance for Ministries & Infrastructures for Peace – GAMIP – in support of the establishment of ministries of peace and infrastructures for peace”, which was signed by a number of organizations globally.
The planning of a Ministry of Peace and the development of Infrastructures for Peace in Colombia, as well as in all Latin American countries and worldwide, represents an unprecedented political and strategic challenge. It involves simultaneously carrying out two extraordinarily significant processes that will profoundly impact the region’s future history:
- DECONSTRUCTING the prevailing Culture of Violence – both direct armed violence, and all its manifestations within domestic, interpersonal, educational, communal, urban, rural, institutional, and governmental spheres.
- CONSTRUCTING clear processes, methods, or mediating tools for a Culture of Peace – building on the numerous experiences, practices, traditions, laws, and “uses and customs” present within Latin American societies and other regions around the world.
The establishment of Ministries of Peace at the governmental level and the integration of Peace Infrastructures into the fabric of our political, social, and economic structures would provide spaces for productive dialogue, citizen participation, conflict resolution, and the prevention of violence in all its forms.
Moreover, they serve as platforms for collective memory and the pursuit of truth regarding past events, which are essential for acknowledging legitimate rights, redefined within the context of respective histories and the complexities of today’s conflict-ridden times.
Ministries of Peace are indispensable for safeguarding social coexistence, ensuring full citizen participation, strengthening justice mechanisms, and guaranteeing, despite current complexities, that everyone can lead a life marked by dignity and a respect for democratic values in societies that are increasingly equal.
The presence and creation of Infrastructures for Peace are equally essential in nurturing a culture of solidarity and inclusivity. This is achieved through strategies and methodologies for peace education, human rights advocacy, solidarity, and the promotion of positive attitudes and behaviours that reject violence as a solution to conflicts.
Ministries and Infrastructures of Peace must be acknowledged as fundamental components of state policy, with institutional mandates for promoting and providing peacebuilding tools and strategies across government entities, communities, civil society organizations, academia, and religious institutions, both public and private.
Peace is a choice that enhances the quality of life and coexistence. It represents a state of equilibrium and security, free from violence, upheld by principles of respect, tolerance, justice, human rights, and dialogue, which, in turn, fortify social bonds.
Ministries of Peace and Infrastructures for Peace have the potential to actualize these aspirations in Latin America and beyond.”