Advocacy
Since our founding we have worked tirelessly to achieve the goals that allow us to fulfill the main objective of our organization. In this section you will find the various advocacy spaces in which we have taken part; these forums for dialogue are essential for advancing the visibility of the phenomenon of ocular violence, as well as for jointly developing proposals for the complete eradication of this act of torture. In addition, we have engaged with national and international civil society organizations to build lasting partnerships that make it possible to consolidate an international network committed to ending this scourge.
CIIVO PARTICIPATION AT THE ZEG FESTIVAL
The ZEG festival is an event that brings together the stories and testimonies of a wide range of civil society actors, writers, journalists, activists and social organizations. On this occasion the gathering was held in the city of Tbilisi, Georgia, and we had the opportunity to participate with 3 members of our center. Our participation was made possible thanks to the support of the IRCT and centered on a performance recounting the story of survivors of ocular violence before, during and after the ocular violence they endured. From this experience we took away many lessons, as well as a renewed determination to keep fighting for the eradication of this type of violence.
FORUM AGAINST POLITICAL VIOLENCE – POLITICAL PRISONERS
The CIIVO team took part, together with CAPS, in an event organized by the Colombian Coalition Against Torture (CCCT). It featured a dialogue with victims of state violence, as well as with experts on political prisoners and survivors of state violence. These analyses strengthen the political education of the center’s members, as they invite reflection on categories such as the “internal enemy” and enable dialogue and subsequent partnerships with human rights organizations.
CIIVO – UN SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR ON THE RIGHTS OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES
We met with the UN Special Rapporteur responsible for protecting the rights of persons with disabilities. There we raised several discussions about ocular violence and its consequences after the trauma, as well as full access to recognition as persons with disabilities. Under Colombian law we are not considered persons with disabilities for the purpose of accessing institutional services for the restoration of rights; however, in society we are indeed regarded as persons with disabilities and we constantly face barriers in accessing basic rights.
CIIVO – GATHERING FOR DIALOGUE ON CONFLICT RESOLUTION – CALI
The CIIVO team took part in a working group of various social organizations at the national level in Colombia, which sought internal strategies among different collectives in order to contribute possible solutions to the internal challenges that organizations face in terms of handling conflicts and the ordinary disagreements that can arise within them. These spaces strengthen organizations and their collective work, enabling each one to reach the goals it sets for itself.
CIIVO MEETING – INTERNATIONAL LEGAL ORGANIZATIONS
CIIVO took part, together with CAPS, in an event of legal professionals at the Latin American level, where strategies and ways of recognizing and preventing torture were discussed, as well as the processes experienced by people who have survived physical and mental torture in different countries of the region. During this forum, experiences and reflections were shared on how state torture operates and the different ways it is being addressed from a legal and social standpoint. Building on this, a series of alliances and an international coalition against state torture began to take shape, seeking to ensure that these practices are not repeated.
FORUM ON THE LESS-LETHAL WEAPONRY OF THE DIALOGUE AND ORDER-MAINTENANCE UNIT (UNDMO)
CIIVO took part, together with several social organizations, in a process of assessment and analysis of the management of the UNDMO squad’s weaponry, in order to understand what its appropriate use by the institutions should be. This work sought to identify how that weaponry is actually being used, which regulations are not being complied with, and how those failures can turn supposedly non-lethal weapons into deadly ones during a protest.
EVENT AGAINST TORTURE – UNIVERSIDAD DE LOS ANDES
At the invitation of CAPS, the CIIVO team attended a space for remembrance and reflection on torture at the Universidad de los Andes. This event was promoted by the Psychology curricular program and was attended by students, professors and administrative staff of the university, along with delegates from CAPS, CIIVO and MAFAPO. Panelists recognized for their work in the study of the armed conflict in Colombia also took part, which enriched the dialogue and deepened the understanding of these issues from different perspectives.
CIIVO – FRIEDRICH EBERT STIFTUNG (FESCOL)
The team took part, together with an organization of mothers, in a theater play that sought to make visible different forms of violence and the experiences of those who have lived through them directly. This space allowed art to become a tool for memory and denunciation, showing stories that are often not heard in other settings. Through the play, a dialogue emerged among the audience, the mothers and the participating organizations, highlighting the importance of continuing to build collective processes of resistance and support for victims from a cultural and community perspective.
CIIVO – PREPARATION OF THE EXPERT COMMITTEE FOR THE “SOCIAL UPRISING” COMMISSION
CIIVO, together with other social organizations, took part in a collective working group that addressed several issues regarding the elements being requested from the national government for the issuance of a decree related to the Truth Commission on the social uprising in Colombia. This space sought to make visible the true figures of the people affected nationwide during the social uprising, and to consider how to advance toward genuine recognition of the victims and toward processes of truth and justice.
CIIVO – EVENT AGAINST TORTURE)
CIIVO took part in a joint activity with several social organizations, in which statistics from the social uprising between 2019 and 2021 were presented, showing a series of complaints, mappings and data on different forms of violence at the national level. In addition, this space featured a photo gallery on police brutality, which made it possible to show what happened during that period in a more direct and graphic way.
DIALOGUE WITH VICTIMS OF THE SOCIAL UPRISING – CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC OF COLOMBIA.”
We took part in an inter-institutional forum at the Congress of the Republic whose aim was to recognize the importance of creating a mechanism to clarify the complaints filed by organizations and human rights defenders in the context of the social uprising. Spokespersons for survivors of ocular violence, relatives of political prisoners and the families of those killed by the security forces gathered to advance the realization of basic needs that make possible truth, justice, reparation and non-repetition.
PRESENTATION OF THE AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL REPORT)
We were present at the presentation of the Amnesty International report titled “Insist, persist, resist and never give up,” a document that places at the center of debate the impact of military criminal justice on human rights and on effective access to justice. This forum for dialogue made it possible to critically reflect on the structural implications of this type of jurisdiction and its relationship with impunity in cases of serious human rights violations.
