How Chevening alumni are facilitating peace in Colombia

As efforts to build peace in Colombia continue, Chevening alumni are working within their communities to turn dialogue into action.  

Wanting to offer locally led approach to peacebuilding, a group of alumni launched the project Peace Breakfasts: Transforming regional perspective through dialogue, a grassroots initiative that brings people together, rebuilds trust and inspires collaborative peacebuilding.  

Funded by the Chevening Alumni Programme Fund (CAPF), the initiative aimed to revitalise public conversations around peace by hosting a series of 16 ‘peace breakfasts’ across five conflict-affected regions. Chevening alumni, civil society leaders, local authorities and subject-matter experts gathered to foster social cohesion and conversations focused on four thematic pillars:  

• Peace education  

• National-level social dialogue 

• Implementation of the Peace Accord  

• Ongoing peace negotiations 

Participants listened to conflict survivors, heard expert insights, and worked together to develop practical recommendations for their regions.  

Over 400 people took part over 16 breakfasts, leading to 17 concrete proposals which were later published to inform policymakers at local and national levels.   

By creating safe and respectful spaces, the Peace Breakfasts gave communities the opportunity to share experiences, challenge assumptions, and discuss peace solutions.  

The project has resulted in new alliances and a drive for collective action, with several participants already developing joint initiatives inspired by their conversations.  

These emerging networks now have the potential to shape long-term collaboration and meaningful conflict resolution. In Pasto, Samaniego and Dabeiba in particular, there has been a strong demand to continue the initiative, with participants noting that it was the first time that local organisations from different sectors had discussed peacebuilding issues specific to their territories.  

These newly formed connections are gradually strengthening the groundwork for reconciliation and helping to pave the way for a more peaceful and sustainable future in Colombia.