Participant reflections: Ariel Hernandez: The commonalities and differences of the possibilities of peace for Philippines and Colombia

Conciliation Resources coordinated an exchange between peace practitioners from Colombia and the Philippines in 2010.  After the visits, the participants wrote papers about the experience and possible ways forward in the struggle for peace.

Ariel Hernandez, a Filipino participant, wrote The commonalities and differences of the possibilities of peace for Philippines and Colombia.  The paper compares Colombian and Filipino approaches to different issues, such as political will to negotiate with 'revolutionary groups'.  The government of Colombia's reluctance contrasts to the Philippines' openness.

The paper also looks at aspects including local government support for grassroots peace initiatives and the role of the Church.