Berkley Center

Julia Friedmann (SFS'19) explores the role of the Catholic Church in community engagement and peacebuilding in the Afro-Colombian region of Chocó, a part of Colombia that faces poverty, violence, and environmental destruction. Friedmann reports on how the Diocese of Quibdó and local, faith-based organizations serve as mediators between local communities and armed groups, filling an important gap left by the state. She also considers the continued challenges of peacebuilding and reconciliation in the region, noting how faith and civil society leaders face threats of violence. Poverty also contributes to continued violence, according to Friedmann.

This article was written as part of the Pulitzer Center International Reporting Fellowship, a partnership between Georgetown University’s Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs and the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting. It was originally published on the Pulitzer Center's website.