June 2017, Bogota, Columbia.
Less than 12 months after the Colombian government led by the outgoing President Santos signed a peace deal with FARC rebels that brought 52 years of violent conflict to an end, the RISING team joined with the Belfast-based Center for Democracy and Peace building to meet with colleagues from the University de Los Andes in Bogota for a symposium to discuss the next steps that are needed to build peace.
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Subsequent progress has been slow and the ELN rebel group has continued to battle armed government forces. Peace talks started again in May 2018 and in June 2018 Columbia's newly elected President Ivan Duque pledged in his inaugural address to tackle corruption and invigorate the economy.
Matt Qvortrup, RISING Academic Director, Centre for Trust, Peace and Social Relations.