We are pleased to share the first steps of the School on Women and Water Governance for Peacebuilding in Colombia. From June 17 to 19, our first in-person session gathered 40 women leaders from 17 departments at Parque Neusa, Municipality of Cogua, Cundinamarca.

During these inspiring days, these women, representing their local and regional organizations, networks, and platforms, began a process to strengthen their capacities and tools for meaningful participation in water governance.

This initiative seeks to strengthen the knowledge, skills, and networks of women human rights and environmental defenders living in both rural and urban areas of Colombia. Through collective learning, we explore how community water governance is vital to building peace grounded in social and environmental justice.

During these initial days together, women shared experiences, ancestral, Indigenous, Afro-descendant, and peasant wisdom, and stories of resistance to extractive and patriarchal models that threaten their territories and communities. The gathering created space to reflect on the importance of methodologies for personal, family, and community psychosocial care, as well as the spirituality of nonviolence to #WeaveHope and build alternatives based on dignity and justice.

The next steps of the School will include seven virtual training sessions covering key topics such as gender and water governance, socio-ecological transitions, environmental democracy and the Escazú Agreement, eco-spirituality, and climate justice. Participants will also carry out activities to share what they learn with their communities and organizations. The process will conclude with a second in-person meeting in October, where achievements will be celebrated and experiences shared. Throughout these months, a social media campaign will highlight the voices and demands of women working for peace and environmental justice in their territories.

This transformative process is led by the  Pax Christi International Latin America and the Caribbean, with the support of the Participation Programme UNESCO. It is carried out in national partnership with the Universidad del Tolima, Cátedra Ambiental Gonzalo Palomino Ortiz, and the Corporación Autónoma Regional de Cundinamarca (CAR).

As we look ahead, we celebrate this first gathering as a milestone in a shared journey to build a more just, peaceful, and sustainable future in Colombia, rooted in the leadership, knowledge, and resilience of women.

Explore the media slideshow below to find more pictures and stay tuned for more updates!