Women and Conflict Survivors Unite for Peace: IWPG Signs MOU with Colombia’s ASOVIAFOR
The agreement marks an important step in expanding women- and victim-led peace cooperation in South America, moving beyond institution-centered approaches toward community-based reconciliation.
A Partnership Rooted in Lived Experience
ASOVIAFOR is a victim-led organization made up largely of women who experienced forced displacement, family loss, and gender-based violence during Colombia’s prolonged internal conflict. Rather than focusing solely on victim assistance, the group has worked to transform personal trauma into collective action.
Through local networks across Colombia, ASOVIAFOR has been engaged in:
Community healing and social recovery
Expanding women’s participation in civic life
Promoting peace and reconciliation education
Encouraging dialogue grounded in victims’ lived experiences
This grassroots approach has positioned ASOVIAFOR as a meaningful voice within Colombia’s victim-centered civil society movement.
Expanding Women-Led Peace Cooperation Across South America
The MOU represents a formal collaboration between an international women’s peace organization and a conflict-affected community alliance in Latin America. According to the announcement, the partnership is designed to explore long-term cooperation based on trust, shared values, and gradual implementation.
Rather than imposing predefined programs, both sides agreed to develop cooperation step by step, reflecting local realities and community needs. Specific joint initiatives will be discussed in future meetings.
This approach highlights a growing recognition that sustainable peace cannot be separated from the voices of those most affected by violence, particularly women.
Peace Through Education, Dialogue, and Local Solidarity
At the signing ceremony, IWPG Global Region 2 Director Lee Seoyeon emphasized that peace must be practiced, not declared.
She noted that peace becomes real when it is supported through education, local solidarity, and continuous dialogue, especially in communities shaped by conflict. The partnership, she explained, aims to support women and local citizens in becoming active agents of peace, rather than passive recipients of support.
ASOVIAFOR President Rosi Albani Perez Belalcazar echoed this view, stating that collaboration with IWPG strengthens the role of women survivors as participants in peace implementation, not merely symbols of suffering.
A Meaningful Starting Point for Regional Peace Networks
This agreement is being viewed as more than a bilateral exchange. It lays the groundwork for expanding women- and victim-led peace cooperation beyond Colombia, offering a model that may resonate across South America.
By connecting international peace networks with community-based survivor groups, the partnership highlights a broader shift in peacebuilding:
from top-down frameworks to locally grounded, experience-driven initiatives.
As IWPG and ASOVIAFOR move forward, their collaboration reflects a shared belief that peace grows strongest when those who endured conflict are empowered to shape the future themselves.
Source: https://vo.la/45ssShr
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