Conflict situations create dangerous and significant challenges for communities to improve their lives. Ruta Pacífica De Las Mujeres organizes caravans of thousands of women to visit regions of Colombia hardest hit by conflict to fight for an end to war.
Mass Mobilization of Women
One tactic that Ruta Pacífica uses to work towards its goals is the mass mobilization of women in caravans. Thousands of women have participated in the caravans that Ruta Pacífica organizes. They have visited regions of Colombia that have suffered greatly in the conflict. The caravans serve as a way for women in different areas of the country to come together in support of the end of the conflict. They exchange ideas, and fight for an end to human rights abuses.
Ruta Pacifica, or Peaceful Path, was founded in 1996. It is a women’s movement that seeks a negotiated solution for the armed conflict in Colombia. Ruta Pacífica is feminist and pacifist. Its political, cultural, and social actions aim to strengthen the ethical positions of nonviolence, civil resistance against the war and feminism’s pacifist perspective. It works to make visible the effects of the war on the lives and bodies of women. It promotes the inclusion of Colombian women’s political and social proposals.
As a result of the ongoing civil war in Colombia, different areas of the country have become increasingly isolated from one another. Roads and borders between them are frequently controlled or blocked by the various armed groups. By traveling these roads, the caravans of women break through not only the physical roadblocks. But also the psychological barriers of despair and isolation that allow the war to continue. Once the caravans of women arrive in the isolated areas, they often carry out:
- academic presentations
- demonstrations
- community discussions, and
- vigils about the effects of the war.
Ruta Pacífica achieved ten national mobilizations in the states of Antioquia, Chocó, Putumayo, Magdalena Medio, Bogotá, Cauca, and Bolívar. These included the participation of approximately 20,000 women in total. They traveled a distance of more than 1,700 kilometers. One caravan, to the region of Putumayo, included 100 buses carrying 3500 women. These women, along with the residents of the area, marched in the streets of the main city. They held a convocation about the effects of the war.
Analysis: Overcoming Physical and Psychological Barriers
Ruta Pacífica’s caravans are highly organized. This a necessity in a war-torn country where there are significant risks associated with travel. This is particularly important with dangers to women. The organization carries out an analysis prior to a mobilization. This includes an analysis of:
- the armed conflict
- the situation of women in the region where the mobilization is directed
- specific dangers to women
- the local political agenda and climate
- the best actions to carry out in the area (presentations, vigils, etc.), and
- possible strategic alliances, among other information.
Prior to the mobilization, Ruta Pacífica also informs the local civilian and military authorities of their intent to enter the area. Ruta Pacífica also invites participant women to be involved in training sessions. They learn about the logistics and protection plans in place for the caravan. And to clarify the political ideology they are marching to represent. Ruta Pacífica helps caravan participants have good understanding of the activism they are undertaking. The mobilization itself is a learning experience that builds solidarity. All participant women are asked to sign an agreement regarding expectations and correct behavior.
Roles During the Mobilization
During the mobilization, the caravan is run by two teams:
- the Bus Coordinators (two on each bus), and
- the Protection Team (up to six women), who monitor the situation and ensure that the caravan is able to pass peacefully.
The Protection Team is small enough that all its members can keep in close contact. But also large enough to cover a caravan of several thousand women. With help from the Bus Coordinators, they can quickly send information to the caravan participants.
Post-Mobilization Assessment
After the mobilization is complete, Ruta Pacífica evaluates its success. They identify the next steps to take in its fight against armed conflict in Colombia. They also compile and archive physical, photographic and audiovisual evidence of each mobilization. The group distributes this documentation in the form of a CD of photographs and videos. They do this for the media and for its own assessment purposes to preserve the memory of the event. This evaluation and preservation process has resulted in:
- the development of an organic and systemic method of mobilization
- a more cohesive ideology within the movement, and
- an improvement in regional and national communication.
Ruta Pacífica found that after the caravans, its members had a better collective and individual understanding of what it means to be a pacifist and a feminist. This also created a more stable network of international connections.
For more information on this tactic, read our in-depth case study.
