Marcela Moreno Muñoz, former FARC-EP Combatant (41 years old). She is the legal Representative, Director and Founding Associate of the Humanicemos DH Corporation (Civil Humanitarian Demining Organization integrated by former combatants as result of the Peace Accord in Colombia).

She believes that the meaning of the peacebuilding is to have all the will, disposition and the decision to contribute to the creation of spaces for the dialogue.

“These spaces allow us to know about the reality of what others have lived and help us to overcome stigmatization, prejudice, and the fears that have been nourished over the time. Those are the fears, that have prevented us from understanding how important it is that many of former combatants are now contributing to saving lives, building trust in out territories, and providing hope to the communities. Hope into the fact, that it is possible to transform realities; transform realities into an inclusive reality, where there are opportunities; where people regaining confidence in their territories; this confidence that will allow us to rewrite our present and to feel with certainly our future.

The Peace Agreement created the space for us to give ourselves the opportunity to work together, to join forces to understand the great meaning of the peace building in our regions. This is what allows us to enjoy the feeling of being alive, next to our families and working together with the community”.

She is part of the managerial team of reincorporation that has assumed the responsibility, with responsibility and commitment, the great task of positioning Humanicemos DH as a civil humanitarian demining organization that implements mine action activities as a sure way for economic and social reintegration of former combatants.

She has supported peace initiatives in many ways. First, she has taken the decisions and commitments that allow to provide concrete humanitarian help through mine action activities. “Mine action activities allow us to be a bridge, or an articulation channel for local authorities, community leaders, governments and other actors of society that are required to enable the development in our territories. It is through our mine action activities that we can contribute to the release lands from the threat of mines and other explosive hazards, and support that programs such as land restitution, development plans and income generation projects, among others, for the benefit of communities”.

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This work strengthens the peace initiatives of the communities in the territories, enabling the emergence of new quality and development conditions, that generates an impact at the local and national level. “Our contribution is to rebuild the social fabric of our country. With the humanitarian demining and through the mine risk education sessions, we save lives”.

“Being a survivor of a conflict of more than 50 years allows me to reiterate once again that the struggle for PEACE is worthwhile and that I reaffirm my commitment to work on it. It is a duty and a sign of humanity to work for the consolidation of peace and for nurturing hope in each one of us. This is our reason to work boldly for the reconstruction of our social fabric; to allow the foundations of our society to be renewed and reborn with the strength to progress towards the reconstruction of an inclusive, diverse, and humane society. We take the firm decision to protect and safeguard lives, because only through being alive we can contribute to the social changes and transformations of our country”.