The German-Colombian Peace Institute (CAPAZ, in Spanish) is funded by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD, in German) with financial resources from the Federal Foreign Office in Germany (Auswärtiges Amt). The institute aims to accompany the peace process in Colombia from a perspective that combines research, teaching and outreach. The CAPAZ Institute seeks to establish itself as a cooperation platform for disseminating knowledge about peace studies in order to contribute to the consolidation of a society that transcends the post-conflict stage.
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The Institute will be established in three phases, starting with a three-year development phase (2016- 2019), followed by a four-year institutionalization phase and a three-year consolidation phase after mid-term evaluations.
The successful consortium on the German side consists of Justus Liebig University (Giessen) as lead agency, Georg August University (Göttingen), Freie Universität Berlin with the Institute for Latin American Studies and the Peace Research Institute Frankfurt; an additional partner is the clinic for psychosomatic medicine and psychotherapy of the Albert Ludwigs University (Freiburg).
In Colombia, a parallel consortium – the Colombian Alliance of Universities for Peace (Alianza Universitaria por La Paz) – has been established and will be coordinated by Universidad Nacional, the Universidad Externado de Colombia, the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, the Universidad de los Andes and the Universidad del Rosario, additional institutions as well as individual partners have already and will be taken on board, including regional universities in Colombia (such as Universidad Industrial in Santander (Bucaramanga)).The two lead partners have entered into a cooperation agreement and the consortia will provide the necessary stability to serve as a foundation for the establishment of the CAPAZ.
Professor of Public Law and International Law at Justus Liebig University Giessen, Germany, and head of the newly established International Law Research Group of the Peace Research Institute Frankfurt. He chairs the German National Committee on International Humanitarian Law, is a member of the Advisory Board on United Nations Issues of the German Foreign Office and First Vice-President of the International Humanitarian Fact-Finding Commission.
Thilo Marauhn has held visiting professorships at the Universities of Bergen, Madison (Wisconsin), Rovaniemi, Tromsø and California Western School of Law, San Diego; he holds a permanent visiting position at the University of Lucerne, Switzerland. Among the various externally funded research projects, the most recent one addresses “UN policing – legal basis, status and directives on the use of force” (German Foundation of Peace Research).
Academic Director of the German-Colombian Peace Institute – CAPAZ and Chair of Peace Studies at the Justus Liebig University Giessen (Germany). He studied Political Science at the Philipps-University Marburg and Universidad Complutense de Madrid and obtained his PhD in Political Science at the University of Kassel (Germany).
Stefan Peters works in the fields of Neo-Extractivism and Rentism, Social Inequalities, Education, Memory Studies, Development Theory and North South Relations. He has been visiting professor and researcher at universities in countries such as Cuba, Argentina, Ecuador and Puerto Rico.
PhD in Political Science, Freie Universität Berlin-FUB. Magister in Urbanism, Universidad Nacional de Colmbia. Bachelor in Communication Sciences and Journalism, Universidad Externado de Colombia. Researcher in topics of scientific international cooperation, international organizations, international transfer knowledge and institutional change in public policies. Advisor in policy design and strategies of international relations for promoting education, science, technology and innovation. Teacher of public policy in science, technology and innovation (STI) and international cooperation in differetn Colombian universities: Universidad Externado de Colombia, Universidad del Norte, Universidad Industrial de Santander y Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana in Medellin. Carlos Nupia was research leader in the area of science policy and international relations in the Colombian Observatory of Science and Technology (OCyT, in Spanish) (2013-2017), and director of international offices in Colciencias (2000-2003 and 2007-2008) and in the Universidad Nacional de Colombia. He served as communication advisor in the former Colombian Agency for International Cooperation (today APC) and in agencies of the United Nations System such as United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and World Food Program (WFP). Currently works on the dialogue between scientific communities, government and civil society, and in the construction of the interface between science and policy to face the post-conflict stage in Colombia.
National University of Colombia graduate majored in German Philology. With more than 5 years of professional experience on Academic and scientific International cooperation projects between Colombia and Germany, she is acquainted with the main stakeholders, decision making actors and organizations involved on the field of international higher education and scientific management on both countries.
Master of Arts in Media, Communication and Cultural Studies, University of Kassel, Germany and Stendhal University, Grenoble III, France. Claudia Maya has worked in the fields of communication and public relations, quality management systems, educational projects, culture and international cooperation, specifically in the cooperation between Colombia and German speaking countries. She has worked as a German teacher in Colombia and Switzerland, where she has been engaged in cultural projects and work integration, mostly for Spanish-speaking immigrants and refugees from conflict areas in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East.
The CAPAZ will be unique in linking research, teaching and consultancy in the midst of an ongoing peace process and an evolving post-conflict situation. This requires sustainable academic structures addressing Colombia’s violent history and aiming at a peaceful future.
The CAPAZ will be based upon experience, challenges and expertise in Colombia. Its work will be enriched by lessons learned in Germany and embedded in a broad international discourse. The CAPAZ will thus contribute to build robust peace in a post-conflict society.
While its main activities will take place in Colombia, the future CAPAZ will also be of benefit to German partners and the broader international community. It will perform and support cooperative research projects, staff and student exchange, summer schools, graduate programs for peace studies and transitional justice, and knowledge exchange.
The CAPAZ will not be purely academic but aims at practical effects. It operates on an interdisciplinary basis and builds bridges between academia, organized civil society, government institutions and other relevant actors. Based upon the above-illustrated focus, it will primarily build upon the disciplines of law, political science and education, accompanied by others on a needs-based assessment. It will employ various approaches: research, graduate teaching (Master’s and PhD level), transfer of knowledge (including consultancy) and further education.
This includes consultancy and various outreach activities. Beyond existing academic communities, it aims to allow students from marginalized groups of society to access its study program. This will enhance the distribution of knowledge, strengthen multipliers and thus contribute to capacity building. It will promote ownership of all aspects required for sustainable peacebuilding, in all parts of the country, thereby meeting demands from particularly affected regions.
This illustration shows an overview of the Academic and Administrative Staff of CAPAZ Institute.
The CAPAZ Institute is based at the Universidad Nacional de Colombia in the Claustro de San Agustín (Carrera 8 # 7-21). Core staff of the CAPAZ include the Academic/Scientific Director, the Administrative Director, the Administrative and Finacial Coordinator, the Assistant of Communication and Public Relations and two Scientific Collaborators.
The Steering Committee is in charge of decisions concerning the strategic performance of the CAPAZ Institute. It includes representatives of the 10 founder members of the consortium.