Fundación Instituto para la Construcción de la Paz - FICONPAZ

To promote a new peace culture in Colombia is not an easy task and cannot  be achieved in the short term.  It requires initiatives of peace proposals, based on a deep understanding of the diferent conflicts that affect  the country in order to educacte citizens in managing conflict.

Conscious of this fact, the Archdiocesis of Bogotá created in 1996 the Foundation Institute for Peac Building - FICONPAZ - a non profit making organization that looks to opening sopaces and proposing social participation alternatives in conflict treatment, thus developing a learning process for peaceful living that contributes towards the building of a peace culture in Colombia.  We look to use all the possible elements necessary for a full understanding of the reality we live in, we asses groups in conflict situations and we accompany and support community initiatives.

Misión

To promote the building of a new peace culture in Colombia, founded on the basis of democracy and human rights, that looks for new paths of conciliation, dialogue and the overseeing of agreements.  To design facilitating models and processes for peace.

Priorities in the work of FICONPAZ

• To stimulte investigations about conflict and to propose peace buliding alternatives.  
• To take part in formation meetings and initiatives with groups of people who are working on community projects on the treatmente of conflicts.
• To contribute with ideas and the designing of alternative
  social projects, as well as assessing and accompanying organizations that are working in conlictive areas and situations.
• To look for ways to make known to people the efforts and
  programmes that exist at a national and an international level,  so that they may enlighten the more recent and new experiences of conciliation processes in the country.
• To be present in conflict areas through the "Seeds, artesans and peace builders" programme.

MAssesment and facilitation

Assement and mediation are directed towards people, groups and organizations that require them. The main aim is to accompany group and community processes in the way to peaceful living.

Formation and information

On the basis of efficient and creative experiences of local and
international organizations who are promoting peace initiatives, to offer a qualified service of education and information so that they can better their proposals and help them to promote their information and proposals to other people.

Investigation

Contribute towards the education of constructive criticism of the
Colombian situation, as a means to help in the work of peace building.