Mimicking the foundation’s well developed restorative justice model to resolve conflict, I work with social workers to co-facilitate truth telling circles with women who have faced various forms of violence. These circles serve as an open format for women to express themselves in a safe, supportive environment with their peers and social leaders. The circles also allow me to document the ways in which women in the urban periphery resist oppressive forms of violence while creating informal networks that provide security and a sense of justice for themselves, their families, and their communities.

The final product aims to weave together the women’s oral stories and testimonies into written documents that will serve both the institutional memory of Fundación Paz y Bien and my dissertation research for my PhD in Latin American Studies.

The women in the streets of the Aguablanca district, through friendship, support, mutual respect and love, actively participate in community processes supported by Paz y Bien. They know they are stronger when they work together to resolve issues in their neighborhoods. They express sentiments of Colombian national identity and of their connection to nature. As most of the women who work with Paz y Bien are originally from rural communities and were displaced by the armed conflict, their connection to the land serves as an integral part to collective healing processes. Paz y Bien represents the supportive community network that has promoted healing in the district for the past 30 years.