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Unicauca reaffirms its commitment to peacebuilding on the Day of Remembrance and Solidarity with the Victims of Armed Conflict.
"We must recover, maintain, and transmit historical memory, because it starts with forgetting and ends in indifference."
— José Saramago
The University of Cauca, through its Peace Commission, commemorates the Day of Remembrance and Solidarity with the Victims of Armed Conflict in Colombia, established in Article 142 of Law 1448 of 2011. This day expresses recognition and solidarity towards all those who have been victims of the war in our country, especially the communities of the department of Cauca, to which we belong and which has historically had to endure the violence caused by an armed conflict that, unfortunately, has lasted for over five decades in the region.
Therefore, today we want to highlight the brave work of victims' families (mothers, fathers, daughters, sons, siblings, etc.) and survivors, who, through advocacy and the dignification of memory initiatives in honor of their loved ones, have provided hope amid the barbarity left by war. The victims of the armed conflict in Colombia are symbols of resistance and resilience for humanity, having transformed their pain into a commitment to life, seeking to ensure that such atrocities are not repeated and that no one else has to suffer what they have endured.
Therefore, memory actions such as vigils, performances, memory galleries, research, and case documentation, among many other manifestations, have contributed to societal recognition of the conflict and its impacts, generating a sensitivity that drives us collectively towards peacebuilding, the only viable solution to war.
Thus, from our Alma Mater in Cauca, we reaffirm our commitment to work with and for a memory that dignifies the victims but, above all, ensures that such atrocities do not occur again. We offer our expertise to the communities of our beloved department and the country, with the firm conviction of contributing to the achievement of the longed-for peace that all Colombians hope for.
We recognize the voices and faces of the victims as authoritative on what has happened and support all initiatives that lead us toward comprehensive peace because at Unicauca, we think, educate, and act for peace.