What does it take to heal? What does it take to forgive? What does it take to heal and forgive in the face of horror and evil? I'm thinking of the physical and psychological torture inflicted by Hamas against Israeli citizens earlier this month and of the ongoing loss of innocent life in Gaza. I see images of lifeless children and anguished parents and think: what if this were me and my family? My heart is pierced and I feel enveloped by fear. Peace, peace, peace, I pray. But how? Then a thought: Colombia. I've taught my students about Colombia's peace building efforts for the last several years, but the information takes on a new relevance and urgency in light of what is happening in Israel and Palestine and how this war has the potential to draw many nations (including our own) directly into global conflict.
Juan Manuel Santos, Colombia's former president, was awarded the Nobel Peace prize in 2016 for his efforts in brokering a peace deal between his government and the FARC, the country's most violent rebel group. At the time, I read that Santos hoped Colombia would serve as an example to other regions affected by war. Today, 7 years after the deal was signed, the terms have not reached their full potential, hindered by both a lack of political will on the part of Santos' successors, and by a lack of economic opportunity for those still caught up in the FARC's grasp. Yet Santos' vision for peace and his ethical leadership style provide hope (in my mind) and a potential template for other leaders to follow. I first learned about Colombia's path toward peace while attending a fundraising event for NEACOL (New England Association for Colombian Children). There, I was introduced to an organization called Respira en Colombia, which promotes peace by teaching la atención plena (mindfulness) and breathing exercises to citizens throughout the country. Respira makes a pointed effort to train schoolteachers in rural zones most affected by the armed conflict. See video below:
This organization is but a small cog in a larger wheel churning Colombia toward peace. As Santos was drawing together the peace accords, he understood that peace building necessitated a multifaceted approach. Therefore all sectors of Colombian society -- arts, business, education, pop culture, etc. -- were involved in promoting peace under his leadership. For instance, there was an ad campaign called "Respira Paz," co-sponsored by the United Nations, which included TV commercials where celebrities adorned with blue nasal stripped that said "Respira" (Breathe) encouraged people to breathe deeply before reacting. Along with these adverts, there were billboards and print ads featuring the split faces of disparate individuals connected via blue strips. See print ad from Behance.net below:
The hugely popular musical group Bomba Estéreo, known for hits like "Soy Yo," released a single called "Respira Paz" (Breathe Peace), which includes the lyric, "We are all capable of changing the way we do things by breathing." Full lyrics and Youtube video below:
I asked my students what they thought. Could a mindfulness campaign play a pivotal role in ending war? Could something as simple as pausing and breathing deeply give people the fortitude to not seek revenge? Of course, first I needed to give my students background on the armed conflict. I gave them these questions and sent them off to Google:
The next question -- what role does the FARC play in Colombia now? -- is complicated. Peace building is imperfect and messy. Santos is a realist about that. I had my students watch this hard hitting interview between Santos and a journalist from Al Jazeera who challenged him on whether his peace deal had actually been a failure. Specifically we watched minutes 2:55 to 9:40 of the clip below:
My students were impressed by (1) Santos' impeccable English and (2) his unflappable demeanor, which brought us back to the idea of developing personal calm.
A couple of years ago, a student asked if we could integrate mindfulness exercises (of the type Respira was teaching to Colombian schoolchildren) into our class. Yes, I said. We experimented with several things, but eventually settled on sitting in the dark in silence for the first three minutes of class. Given how much of a trendy buzzword "mindfulness" is these days, it wouldn't have surprised me if the majority of students had rolled their eyes at this request. But they were connected to what they were learning and didn't see sitting in stillness as a hokey gimmick, but rather as something worth experiencing (at least based on their end of year evaluations). Stillness and non action build restraint. From restraint comes better action. So I ask: Can Juan Manuel Santos' playbook for peace offer lessons for world leaders now? In this quick three minute clip, I am struck by his compassionate reimagining of what a "body count" in war can be, his idea of a "humanized" war:
I'll end with this quote from an interview Santos did with Globovisión after his two-term presidency ended. Screenshot below, followed by my translation in English.
Do you believe that the peace process can teach something to the international community?
"...That there is no conflict that can't be resolved, as difficult as it may be. No one in Colombia thought that what we did could be possible. But we did it. With difficulties, but we achieved it. And if we can in Colombia create the necessary conditions and maintain political will for resolving conflicts, I know that it's possible to resolve any kind of conflict. " - Juan Manuel Santos
I pray his words ring true in Israel and Palestine and elsewhere in the world. I ask world leaders to look to Santos' example.
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