Colombia Acuerdo de Paz NGO and the Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA) cordially invite you to a hybrid event:
Peace, Reconciliation and Victims’ Rights in Colombia: a Female and Afro-Colombian Veterans’ Perspective
with:
Yuly Cepeda Bernal, Director, Corporación Veteranos por Colombia
Danis Antonio Renteria, Director for Pacific Region, Corporación Veteranos por Colombia
and
Comments by Gimena Sánchez, Director for the Andes, WOLA
Moderation by Raudemar Ofunshi Hernández, Colombia Acuerdo de Paz
Corporación Veteranos por Colombia or Corporation Veterans for Colombia is a non-governmental organization made up of retired members of the security forces. Its objective is to reestablish ties between former members of the security forces and society, promote reconciliation and advance peace efforts. The organization focuses on “restoration” of rights by creating cooperative relationships between combatants and victims of the armed conflict in Colombia. It works to generate initiatives that address causes of conflict and its consequences. It engages with veterans and active members of the Military and Police who want to advance human rights, peace, address corruption and improve labor conditions for security forces.
Join us to hear from Veteranos por Colombia about their efforts to advance peace, human rights, reconciliation and reform the public forces. Ms. Cepeda will talk about challenges faced by females in the security forces and her work advancing gender rights and addressing gender violence. Mr. Rentería will talk about his experience as Secretary of Peace for the Mayor’s office in Cali during the 2021 civic strike and reconciliation efforts with former combatants, as well as the experience and rights of Afrodescendant combatants.
Wednesday April 26th, 2:00-3:00pm EDT
The Washington Office On Latin America
1666 Connecticut Ave. NW, 4th Floor
Washington, D.C. 20010
Please RSVP for in-person attendance to: Kelsey Kotts at kkotts@wola.org
To attend online, register here.
Yuly Cepeda Bernal, Director for Corporación Veteranos por Colombia is a retired Warrant Officer of the National Navy. Bernal served 8 years in the armed forces. She worked in the Military Health sector with the Medical-Labor Boards for Marine personnel at the national level and then as Treasurer of the Center for Naval Medicine. In addition, as Director, Bernal is in charge of gender studies and the Director of the Truth Route to Reconciliation Project focused on inserting values and promoting ethics with the public forces. Veteranos provides psychosocial and pedagogical accompaniment to veterans that allow them to contribute to the truth. She’s an expert on gender justice, dedicated to addressing extrajudicial executions committed by state agents, the reincorporation of former combatants and restorative work with victims.
Danis Antonio Rentería of Corporación Veteranos por Colombia is a retired First Sergeant of Colombia’s National Army where he served for 21 years. Originally from the Bebará River community located in the Middle Atrato, Chocó, Rentería is peace and reconciliation promoter and advocate for the peaceful resolution of conflict who believes in improving the culture of the citizenry. A lawyer with a PhD in education, he was the Secretary for Peace and Citizen Culture for the Cali Mayor’s office during the civic protests that took place in 2021, where he mediated between social protestors, the government and security forces. He now brings together former combatants from all the armed groups to advocate for peace and justice for victims. Rentería was a Council Man and worked with Coldeportes. He formed part of the wrestling team that competed for Colombia in the Olympics.
Maria Camila Mosquera Luna. She received her degree as a lawyer at the University of Cauca, she has a Master in Human Resources from the business school of Spain. She is currently studying International Law at the Rosario University in Colombia. She has experience in the Peace and Reconciliation Area for her work in the Santiago de Cali Mayor’s office in the Peace and Civic Culture Department, especially in the construction of the strategy of reincorporation into civil life for the former members of the FARC-EP who signed the final agreement to end the armed conflict and build a stable and lasting peace.