Paz y Esperanza (The Peace and Hope Association) is a human rights organisation inspired by Christian principles and values that has been working in Colombia since 2017. It is part of the worldwide Paz y Esperanza network of Latin America, which itself works across many countries including Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia, and Brazil. and Chile. The network is dedicated to fighting injustice, poverty, and inequality around the continent.
The organisation pursues a “circle of justice” approach to its work, which can be broken down into three different strategies; prevention, intervention, and reform. Prevention consists of empowering individuals and communities to learn, defend, and advocate for themselves, in order to avoid future injustices being committed against them, while intervention and reform are more focused on both meeting people’s immediate needs while also changing the laws and systems which continue to perpetuate poverty, violence, and inequality.
“In the 4 years that we have been in Colombia, the Lord has shown his fidelity and mercy in our work, allowing us to be instruments of his grace in our integral mission reaching vulnerable and violent territories.” Giovanny Gomez Molina
Paz y Esperanza joined Renew Our World in 2020, serving as the national expression for the network within Colombia, where many challenges exist for the climate movement, not least the high murder rates of local activists and community leaders. Through its partnership with Renew Our World, the organisation has been raising awareness in churches, especially with pastors and young leaders, focusing on creation care and the defence of environmental rights.
This work has already seen some promising breakthroughs for the team, from empowering churches to recognize themselves as having agency in the transformation communities of their territories, to the networking of interfaith groups and civil society, where resources and learnings are shared, and relationships are strengthened. In doing so, Paz Y Esperanza hopes to build movements and communities dedicated to the prophetic call to defend and preserve Colombia’s natural environment.
Giovanny Gomez Molina is executive director of Paz y Esperanza Colombia, with experience in teaching, coordination, consulting and management of educational, social and cultural processes. He currently serves as the focal point for the Renew Our World campaign in Colombia.
