The Colombian Truth Commission and the Colombian Diaspora in Europe and the UK - Film Screening
Event details
Centre for Applied Human Rights event
The Colombian Truth Commission (Comisión para el Esclarecimiento de la Verdad, la Convivencia y la No Repetición - CEV) was established pursuant to the Peace Agreement between the Colombian Government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia - FARC). Tasked with uncovering the truth of what happened during the Colombian armed conflict between the Government and the FARC and investigating the causes of the conflict, the CEV adopted an innovative approach in that it did not only work with victims and witnesses in Colombia, but also with the Colombian diaspora.
Join us on the 15th November at 6pm, as we are joined by Peter Drury (former representative of the CEV in the UK), Sandra Dixon (producer and former member of the CEV Support Group in the UK and Ireland) and Nicolas Braguinsky Cascini (film-maker) for the screening of two movies followed by a Q&A session focusing on the work of the CEV in Europe and the UK.
The films:
Voices from Exile (2022)
Director: Sandra Dixon
Script: Sandra Dixon, Peter Drury and CEV Support Group for the UK and Ireland
Synopsis: According to figures from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, more than 550,000 Colombians were forced to leave the country to protect their lives during the armed conflict. This is how the Truth Commission recognizes the need for truth of that exiled population and of the victims abroad. This documentary, divided into three episodes, is part of the effort for finding the truth in exile and collects the testimony of some of the victims in the United Kingdom. It should be clarified that many of the exiles continue to remain silent in the face of the mistrust generated by the conflict actors that forced them to leave: the government or the guerrillas, including the FARC, who agreed to peace. Many Colombians in exile still mistrust the Peace Agreement and the democratic spaces that this was meant to open. Many prefer not to know anything about Colombia; however, others took the risk by giving their testimony. They tell us their truth. Only the third chapter of the documentary will be screened during this event.
Para volverte a ver (To See You Again) (2022)
Directors: Nicolás Braguinsky Cascini and Juan Pablo Aris Escarcena
Synopsis: After more than 60 years of conflict, Colombia is going through a peace process. "Para volverte a ver" is a hyperlink cinema movie that, through its four protagonists, brings us closer to the story of the exodus of the 1,000,000 people who have had to flee Colombia because of the conflict. This short documentary is a tribute to all of them. How can a future of peace be built from exile? Yanira, Juana, Wilmer and Lizethe show with their stories the role that exiles are playing in the construction of truth and the peace process. "If there is truth, good days will come”.
About the speakers
Peter Drury is a human rights researcher and campaigner, whose research work over many years has focused on Colombia. He worked in the Colombia Research Team of Amnesty International for over twenty years. He has also worked for Oxfam and Global Witness and as a Peace Brigades International volunteer in Colombia. He has obtained MAs in Latin American Studies and International Law at the University of Liverpool and the SOAS University of London. He is a PhD candidate at Kent Law School focusing on corporate accountability issues in Colombia. Up until recently, he was the representative of the Colombian Truth Commission in the UK, has been involved in some of the Commission's research, and was one of the Commission’s interviewers.
Sandra Dixon is a producer, writer and human rights activist, who as a student was a victim of police brutality in a university demonstration. She is part of the Truth Commission Support Group in the UK and Ireland, which she has been supporting since 2020.
Nicolás Braguinsky Cascini is a filmmaker, video editor and photographer. He holds a degree in Foreign Literature from the University of Buenos Aires, Argentina. He previously directed and produced "Solidarity Crime, the borders of democracy" (2019) and "Beyond Impunity" (2020).