Marino Córdoba
President, National Association of Displaced Afro-Colombians (AFRODES)
Erlendy Cuero Bravo
Vice President, National Association of Displaced Afro-Colombians (AFRODES)
Moderated by
Carlos Quesada
Global Rights
With commentary by
Gimena Sánchez-Garzoli
Washington Office on Latin America
Friday, November 1, 2013
12:00 – 2:00 p.m.
Global Rights
1200 18th Street, NW, Suite 602
Washington, DC 20036
After over half a century of conflict, millions of people displaced from their lands, and hundreds of thousands left dead, Colombia appears to be nearing a peaceful end to its conflict. Since October 2012, the Colombian government has been engaged in peace talks with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia, FARC), and there are signs that the government is exploring the possibility of negotiations with the country’s second largest guerrilla group, the National Liberation Army (Ejército de Liberación Nacional, ELN).
Yet while the talks are encouraging, the conflict continues to leave a disproportionate scar on Afro-Colombian communities. As negotiations progress in Havana, Cuba, mass displacement has continued along the primarily afrodescendant Pacific coast; 2012 saw a 22 percent increase in displacements compared to 2011. Despite bearing the brunt of Colombia’s conflict, though, Afro-Colombian voices have been notably absent from the ongoing negotiations.
In this event, two noted Afro-Colombian leaders will share their perspectives on the conflict and chart how Colombia can include some of its most marginalized voices in the talks. The event will begin with a light lunch at noon, followed by a panel discussion.
