Colombia Ended a 60-Year War: Lessons in Making Peace
What can Colombia teach us about what's still possible?
Meet Juan Manuel Santos - former President of Colombia, Nobel Peace Prize laureate and Chair of The Elders - who helped negotiate an end to one of the longest-running armed conflicts in modern history. Under his leadership, Colombia signed a peace agreement with FARC, bringing an end to a conflict that had shaped the country for over 60 years.
Meet Juan Manuel Santos - former President of Colombia, Nobel Peace Prize laureate and Chair of The Elders - who helped negotiate an end to one of the longest-running armed conflicts in modern history. Under his leadership, Colombia signed a peace agreement with FARC, bringing an end to a conflict that had shaped the country for over 60 years.
But this conversation isn't just about ending a war. We also explore Colombia's environmental leadership - from Indigenous wisdom in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta to the idea that there can be no lasting peace among people without peace with nature. Along the way, President Santos explains how Colombia helped inspire the Sustainable Development Goals, why cooperation remains humanity's greatest challenge, and what lessons the world can learn from a country that many once considered beyond repair.
In this episode:
- How post-apartheid South Africa helped shape his vision for peace
- Why peace is often unpopular - and why he pursued it anyway
- The difference between making peace and building it
- How victims became central to Colombia's peace process
- The role of Colombia in creating the Sustainable Development Goals
- Why making peace with nature is essential to creating a better future
Timestamps:
00:44 Amy & Gus: Why Doesn't South America Make the Headlines?
02:22 A Leadership Lesson from the Colombian Navy
04:45 Inside The Elders
05:14 The Four Existential Threats Facing Humanity
07:59 Making Peace with the Western Hemisphere's Longest-Running Guerrilla Movement
09:59 How Nelson Mandela Made Peace Seem Possible
12:25 Why Peace Is Often Unpopular
15:12 The Difference Between Making Peace and Building It
19:07 Why Victims Were Central to Colombia's Peace Process
22:11 Pastora Mira and the Extraordinary Power of Forgiveness
24:51 Is Peace Good for Nature?
26:41 The Colombian Idea That Became the SDGs
29:49 The Santa Marta Mandate: Bringing Humanity Back to Nature
32:25 Legacy, Elections and the Durability of Progress
35:52 Why We Need to Learn from Young People
37:48 What Is Still Possible?
40:16 The Dream President Santos Still Wants to Fulfil
41:00 Amy & Gus: Final Reflections
00:44 Amy & Gus: Why Doesn't South America Make the Headlines?
02:22 A Leadership Lesson from the Colombian Navy
04:45 Inside The Elders
05:14 The Four Existential Threats Facing Humanity
07:59 Making Peace with the Western Hemisphere's Longest-Running Guerrilla Movement
09:59 How Nelson Mandela Made Peace Seem Possible
12:25 Why Peace Is Often Unpopular
15:12 The Difference Between Making Peace and Building It
19:07 Why Victims Were Central to Colombia's Peace Process
22:11 Pastora Mira and the Extraordinary Power of Forgiveness
24:51 Is Peace Good for Nature?
26:41 The Colombian Idea That Became the SDGs
29:49 The Santa Marta Mandate: Bringing Humanity Back to Nature
32:25 Legacy, Elections and the Durability of Progress
35:52 Why We Need to Learn from Young People
37:48 What Is Still Possible?
40:16 The Dream President Santos Still Wants to Fulfil
41:00 Amy & Gus: Final Reflections
Go Deeper:
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Fix The News is a solutions-focused media platform sharing stories from the frontlines of progress - exploring what’s working in the world and the people making it happen.
Fix The News is a solutions-focused media platform sharing stories from the frontlines of progress - exploring what’s working in the world and the people making it happen.
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Production credits:
Hosted by Angus Hervey and Amy Davoren-Rose
Produced by Fix The News
Audio production: Anthony Badolato, Hear That!
Hosted by Angus Hervey and Amy Davoren-Rose
Produced by Fix The News
Audio production: Anthony Badolato, Hear That!
This episode was produced in Australia on the lands of the Gadigal, Wurundjeri and Woi Wurrung peoples.
Creators and Guests
Host
Amy Davoren Rose
Amy Rose is the Creative Director at Fix The News. After 15 years in legacy media, she now uses storytelling, writing and production to shine a light on the people quietly changing the world for the better. She one of humanity’s biggest cheerleaders and still believes there’s no substitute for putting pen to paper.
Host
Angus Hervey
Editor of Fix The News, recovering political economist, co-host of two podcasts: Fix The News + A Short History Of Saving The World. He is committed to showing that we’re making progress (even if we don't hear much about it) and that, despite the setbacks, humanity is still rising to meet many of the big challenges of our time.
Guest
Juan Manuel Santos
Juan Manuel Santos served as President of Colombia from 2010 to 2018 and was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2016 for his efforts to end Colombia's 60-year conflict with FARC. He currently serves as Chair of The Elders, the independent group of global leaders founded by Nelson Mandela.
