The “Sharing Memories” Workshop Laboratory, designed to develop methodologies of truth and memory tailored to the Colombian context, led to the creation of a tool adapted to the Colombian context. This tool incorporates the perspectives and experiences that the participating organisations have developed throughout their journeys in building peace in Colombia, in ways that are both diverse and yet so closely aligned. Inspired by the MemoriaLab Methodology, we propose the guide ‘Memories for Life’ to foster numerous encounters and conversations among diverse people, based on truths and memories, and to incorporate the findings and recommendations emerging from the report ‘There is a future, if there is truth’.
Colombian society is overdue in coming to terms with the events that have taken place and ensuring history is not repeated over and over again. It is necessary for society to review and come to terms with the past in a critical manner, both personally and collectively, with a view to the future; for this reason, we consider that the dissemination and adoption of the report “There is a future, if there is truth” is an opportunity for non-repetition, social change and the construction of possible futures, and therefore, it is essential to develop tools that help us achieve this.
This document outlines the ‘Memorias para la Vida’ Guide in its four constituent parts:
On the inspirations: As a mandala of concepts, ideas, approaches, visions and feelings that frame the methodology. It concerns the integration of the ethical, political and pedagogical premises that inspire a way of coming together for conversation and dialogue about the past, something that is imperative to embrace in Colombia today.
On the experience of facilitation: As the mandala of pedagogical and methodological guidelines we propose in the Memories for Life guide, to inspire the role of the facilitators of the Memories for Life meetings.
On the route: As a mandala of the methodological path to be followed in each meeting. It is important to note that this path is the result of the connection between the MemoriaLab methodology and the Truth Commission’s Report.
On complementary tools: As the mandala of methodologies and teaching approaches that can be incorporated according to the groups, territories and contexts in which the Memorias para la vida initiative is carried out.