Peacebuilding in Colombia Academic Summer Program

This was the best experience I have had studying abroad. Not only were the classes and lectures fascinating, but the excursions – both academic and not – expanded my knowledge of the subject and also my perspective of the world in general. Not only did we get to learn about every aspect of the Colombian conflict, but we got the opportunity to talk to former child soldiers, victims of the conflict, and eat lunch with former members of the FARC. The activities outside of class time were also incredible, from experiencing Gringo Tuesday in Zona T, to being taught how to salsa dance by local couples in a bar, to paragliding in Salento, this trip left me with memories that I will never forget. I was able to form friendships with all of the other people on the trip that I know will last forever, and that is something that is so so important and valuable to me. All in all, I wish I could do it all over again because those three weeks were some of the best in my life.

Put simply, this program is incredible!

Colombia is a rich and varied country, but the oldest democracy in Latin America has ravaged by conflict for over fifty years.

The country is living through a time of peacebuilding, as the world's oldest guerrilla group FARC-EP lay down their arms and pursue a political avenue.

This program studies that peace process, while giving a broader education on Colombia with the use of leading academics such as Rodrigo Mezu who was a negotiator during peace talks between the goevernment and the FARC and outstanding field visits.

Universidad de los Andes is an incredible institution, its campus nestled in the west of the city, amongst La Candelaria, Bogota's oldest district. Here you engage with the academic side of the course in world class facilities.

Afternoons are dedicated to field visits, as university staff accompany you to a variety of engaging and inspiring locations. These include the Victims Reparations Unit (whose director was a FARC hostage for over 7 years), the Centre for Memory and the Centre for Reintegration.

The finest field visit was the visit to the Demobilized Zone in Icononzo. Here the FARC have laid down their weapons, and the visit consists of meeting the United Nations team who oversee the peace process and the demobilised guerrillas, some of who have served against the state for over thirty years.

Throw in the optional extras of a visit to Salento, a beautiful area famous for its coffee production where you can hike, mountain bike, paraglide or horseride, and you have all the necessary ingredients for the experience of a lifetime.

The program attracts students from across the world, with UK and US universities making up the majority of students, I found myself studying with people from over 15 different nationalities. Not to mention mixing with the incredible Colombian students who are on hand to help out every day.

This course is an incredible opportunity to study the intricacies of peace negotiations, in a country where they are happening, right here, right now. The blend of academic experts from economists, to psychologists and political scientists, and incredible field trips make it one of the finest study abroad options for anybody interested in politics, IR or conflict. All I can say is: "Thank you Red Tree Study and UniAndes, I'll use what I've learnt for the rest of my life!".

I learnt multiple valuable lessons; both academic, salsa and communication. It was an honour being a part of such a varied group in such a beautiful city supported by state-of-the-art university facilities. Even more so considering how pertinent our study was to Colombia's current political situation.

I would highly recommend this course to anyone interested in international relations or peace and conflict studies. A fine balance between productive and fun.

Peacebuilding in Colombia has been one of my favorite courses that I have taken during undergrad. I have learned so much about Colombia, and the conflicts that it faces. The lectures are taught by very professional and educated professors, and the excursions around town are as academically stimulating. Red Tree does a spectacular job at selecting a really diverse, interesting, and intelligent group of people. My cohort had definitely made this trip one of the best!

The course itself was brilliant and of such a high standard. Each lecturer brought something new to the conversation, covering a variety of fields such as politics, history, economics, law, geography, sociology and my personal favorite- psychology. By the end of the course you felt like you yourself were a specialist in the Colombian conflict and its peace resolution. Of course, we aren't, far from it, but the lecturers made us feel so, and really seemed to value our contributions and conversations about the issues and that's something i really appreciated.

The afternoon field trips gave us opportunities that we would never have experienced otherwise. I was definitely the source of envy for some of my university friends having talked to the Presidents team and met with the UN's development agency. The trip's really brought the whole learning experience to life and was a good reminder that the contents we were covering weren't just of academic interest, but is very real and very current and very important to Colombia as a country.

The social activities were hilarious- i loved the bike ride around Bogota when the city shuts out cars once a week, and watching Colombia beat Peru in the America Football Cup was honestly such an experience when you're surrounded by hundreds of Colombians going wild with every goal. In fact, you'd only have to wander round the city for 20 minutes in your spare time to come across some sort of street celebration, or march, or protest- Colombians seem to find any excuse to celebrate!

The RedTree team were incredible! We all had a great laugh with them and I definitely felt them to be helpful and concerned for our well-being throughout the trip, which I definitely appreciated in a hustling bustling city like Bogota. The co-ordinator Alex was brilliant- from day one of my application she was easy to communicate with and answered all my questions via email within the same day. A few of us decided to go to the coastal city of Cartagena for one of the weekends during the three weekends and I really appreciate her taking the time to help us with our planning despite it not being part of her job. Big up to our day to day facilitators too, Tom and Hannah! They were amazing, so much fun to be around but I always felt very safe with them, and they really helped the sometimes exhausting and intense days pass by easily.

All in all a pretty unforgettable three weeks, with outstanding lecturers and really admirable fellow students. With just 14 of us, it was a small group but i couldn’t have enjoyed their company more, and I’ve got to say I found it very refreshing to be surrounded by genuinely interesting people with noble career ambitions and intentions- and I think the three weeks gave each of us in different ways that extra bit of inspiration and determination needed to achieve these.

I was incredibly apprehensive about going to Colombia with a group of strangers for 3 weeks who were to be the first people take the course. Was met at the airport by a driver which was organised by the program and was driven to the hotel in Candelaria. The location of the hotel was perfect; minutes away from the university and in one of the more interesting districts in Bogota.

The apprehension soon faded away once I met up with one of the program organisers and the rest of the students as they arrived. The group of people this course attracts seem to come from a wide variety of backgrounds and has been one of the best assets to the course. The course itself was very interesting and the field trips provided insight into potential careers in the field of peace-building. It was also a great opportunity to network with other students who had very strong aspirations to enter into this field.

I would recommend to anyone thinking of taking the course to first learn at least a minimal amount of Spanish and also to take advantage of being in such a beautiful country and travel either before or after.

10/10 highly recommend

It was very good course indeed. The classes didn’t assume any prior knowledge in either conflict studies or the Colombian case more specifically. This is not to say, however, that prior knowledge wouldn’t be beneficial, as the lecturers scheduled in time for questions and conversation. Thus, the more you know about the subject matter, the better they can tailor the class to suit you.
The standard of lectures was excellent and the lecturers seemed quite excited about the project themselves. Aspects covered varied from the Colombian political party system to the implementation of peace, and from transitional justice to international aid. And a whole lot more. The wide variety of academics from different backgrounds were indispensable in helping us to put the jigsaw puzzle of the conflict together, while the academic coordinator Simone, from her part, did a superb job at facilitating the lectures and avoiding overlaps in the fields covered – not an easy job in the first year of the course.
The programme coordinators were friendly and helpful and the afternoon activities varied, taking us to visit various social, cultural and political institutions, as well as to cycling, social dinners and armchair football.

Highlights:
A visit to the Foundation Ideas for Peace consultancy firm.
A chat with the President’s communication team.
A hike through the stunning countryside to the Colombia’s highest waterfall.

Having just spent 3 weeks in Bogota on the Peace building course I am very sad to be leaving. Whether being taught by leading professors in the field, touring round the cities graffiti or watching the football with thousands of Colombians the overall experience has been fantastic and eye opening. The academic teaching is the best I have ever received and I have learnt so much in a short space of time. The organisation by Red Tree Study was seamless with the coordinators being constantly on hand for any worries. The organised social activities were all fantastic and offered a real taste of Colombian culture.

For me, the visit to the Transitional Justice centre was a particular highlight as it changed my previously resolute ideals about what exactly justice encompassed. The ability of the course to challenge and change my political and ethical standpoints has surprised me the most. This I had not previously experienced within my studies at university and is something I feel anyone with a keen interest in politics would benefit from.

Studying a peace process in the country of implementation has been a unique experience and the fact that the peace agreement was signed during the course, made my academic work real in a way that I have not previously experienced.

I would wholeheartedly recommend this course to anyone with an interest in politics and will be sad to leave this beautiful country