Pax Christi International Secretary General, Martha Inés Romero, participated in this gathering at Javeriana University in Bogotá, Colombia from June 10th to 13th, 2025. Among the key moments of the event was the panel she facilitated, titled “Women’s Peace and Development Leadership and Mining’s Impacts on Women.” 

The conversations highlighted the critical yet often overlooked role of women in resisting extractive industries and defending their communities. Speakers Lisa Sowle Cahill from Boston College, Hady Mosquera from the Diocese of Itsima-Tadó, and Liliana Zamudio Váquiro, from Caritas Colombia, discussed how women, especially Indigenous and Afro-descendant leaders face additional risks in mining areas. Despite the challenges, they keep showing strong leadership to protect their land and communities. The dialogue explored how the women leaders challenge not only corporate power but also patriarchal structures within their own communities and organisations. A central question emerged: how can we guarantee genuine participation and leadership of women in socio-environmental conflicts to build sustainable peace and stronger communities? 

The panel resonated with the conference’s vision of moving from reactive to strategic peacebuilding by bringing together Catholic peacebuilders, scholars, and practitioners from around the world to wrestle with today’s most pressing questions. Participants addressed the root causes linking mining, development, and conflict to protect both people and planet. 

“This conference was hosted by Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá, in partnership with the Catholic Peacebuilding Network -CPN, University of Notre Dame’s Kroc Institute, Cáritas Colombiana, Pax Christi International, and other leading organisations committed to peace and justice.”