Colombia, a country on the North-Western corner of South America, has been facing certain critical challenges—after a 50-year civil war, many Colombians are left suffering the effects of living in a post-conflict zone and the consequences of the displacement of over 3 million persons, and the death of 220,000, with 4 out of the 5 deaths non-combatant civilians. Various stakeholders, including members of the immobilized FARC, local farmers and ranchers, and indigenous groups, as well as participants from elsewhere in the country, are hoping to use design methods to imagine a better future for themselves, their communities, and their country. Dr. Roberts-Smith, Dr. Ruecker, and Dr. Radzikowska have been invited as partners to iteratively co-design a curriculum for the Design and Community Innovation Workshop (TaDIC)  that is more appropriate for activities that lead to various forms of restorative justice.

From July 27 until 12 August, 2019 we will be on site in Tumaco, Colombia, collaborating with local participants (including members of the immobilized FARC, local farmers and ranchers, indigenous groups, and volunteer participants from across Colombia) to achieve shared outcomes through the design and execution of prototypes. Our hope is that physical, mental, and emotional proximity can serve as a metaphor for the larger process of reconciliation—a shared artifact becoming a tangible reminder that cooperation can result in mutual benefit.

For more information, please visit the site created by our UNAL partners.