Amy Garmer reposted this
An excellent write-up of the visit last week of Afro-Colombian peacebuilder, Maria Eugenia Mosquera, winner of USIP's women building peace award for 2022. I spent much of the week with her, really extraordinary and courageous woman who has worked under constant threat. She told her 17-year old daughter if anything happens to her the daughter should continue her work. Also said the attention of the international community provides something of a protective umbrella for her and others -- a higher profile invites official protection and wards off enemies. Maru talked about a concept of "integral peace" as opposed to "total peace," trying to capture the work that is needed to build and reinforce peace locally and with groups that have already signed before moving on to new accords. She wasn't critical of the latter, but saw little point if it won't be secured on the other end. She works incessantly to provide a place for dialogue to take place locally to reduce the temperature in areas with violent armed groups, and to provide a future to youth who will provide cannon fodder for those groups. #colombia #youth4peace #womenpeacesecurity https://lnkd.in/edRQYrnm
