XXXIII CULTURE AND PEACE CONVENTION OF GERNIKA

“TRUTH COMMISSIONS. ETHICAL LEARNING FOR RECONCILIATION”

In the framework of the 86th anniversary of the Gernika bombing. Organized by Gernika Gogoratuz and INDEPAZ with the collaboration of the City Council of Gernika-Lumo.
24 – 26 April 2023

Truth Commissions are temporary investigative mechanisms which clarify patterns of events in countries that have suffered wars, dictatorships, authoritarian regimes and serious human rights violations. There are an estimated 51 commissions with different delegations worldwide. In the Conference, the experiences of the different commissions will be analyzed and experts in the field will present the innovations of each commission and the ethical learning process for the construction of peaceful coexistence and reconciliation.

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SQUEDULE

Monday 24 APRIL.
ELAI ALAI ROOM

11:30-12:00 – CONFERENCE OPENING

• José María Gorroño Etxebarrieta. Mayor of Gernika-Lumo.
• Camilo González Posso. President of INDEPAZ. Institute for Peace and Development, Colombia.
• Maria Oianguren Idigoras. Director of Gernika Gogoratuz. Peace Research Center.

12:00-13:30 TRUTH COMMISSIONS. SOUTH AFRICA, TIMOR LESTE AND ARGENTINA

• Jovito Rêgo de Jesus Araújo. Commissioner of the “Truth and Reconciliation Commission” (CAVR) of Timor Leste. Member of the Board of Directors of the Chega National Center. Public Institute of Memory.
• Daniel Nina. Lawyer. Facilitator of Conflict Transformation processes. Professor at the University of Puerto Rico. Expert at the South African Truth Commission. Writer.
• Pablo Díaz. One of the survivors of a group of teenage students who were kidnapped and tortured by Argentina’s civic-military dictatorship (1976-1983). He testified at the “National Commission on the Disappearance of Persons in Argentina (CONADEP)” as a witness to the operation called “La noche de los Lápices”.

Presenter: Camilo Gonzalez Posso. President of INDEPAZ. Master in Economics, PhD in Complex Thinking. Minister of Health of Colombia (1990-1992). University professor (1968 and 1994). Member of the National Commission for Security Guarantees created by the Peace Agreements (2016-2023). Founder and director of the Center for Memory and Peace of Bogotá (2008-2016). Signatory of the Agreements for the Constituent Assembly as spokesperson of the AD-M19. Author of several books on memory and truth, including “Memoria con sentido de futuro”, “Bogotá Ciudad Memoria” and “Memorias para la democracia”.

18:30-19:30 LITERARY GATHERING ON MEMORY AND OBLIVION
Library of the Kultur Etxea, Gernika

Laura Restrepo. Colombian writer and journalist. Her novel “Delirio” won the Alfaguara Prize and the Grinzane Cavou Prize. After devoting herself to politics and journalism, she was appointed by President Belisario Betancur as a member of the Peace Negotiating Commission between the government and the M-19 guerrillas. She lived in political exile for five years between Mexico and Madrid. Her work ended in 1989, when the M-19 abandoned its weapons and became a legal opposition party, allowing it to return to its country.

Presented by: Cristina Arana, director of the Kultur Etxea and María Oianguren, director of Gernika Gogoratuz.

Tuesday, APRIL 25.
ELAI ALAI ARETOA

11:30-13:30 COLOMBIAN COMMISSION FOR THE CLARIFICATION OF TRUTH, COEXISTENCE AND NON-REPETITION.

• François de Roux. President of the CEV. Jesuit priest, philosopher and economist. Founder of the Magdalena Medio Development and Peace Program, the first peace laboratory in Colombia, and was director of CINEP (1987-1993). Recognized for his work in peacebuilding, reconciliation and the dignity of victims. Among his texts are, ‘The Prices of Peace’ and ‘The Audacity of Imperfect Peace’.
• Lucia Gonzalez. Commissioner of the CEV. Architect, Director of the Casa de La Memoria Museum, Advisor to the Mayor’s Office of Medellín and Regional Director of the National Victims Unit in Antioquia. She worked with the Office of the High Commissioner and the Secretariat of the National Peace Council.
• Saul Franco. Commissioner, doctor, university professor and researcher of violence and armed conflict and its impact on the lives and health of people and communities. Advisor to international organizations in the areas of public health, cultures, migration and human rights.
• Carlos Martin Beristain. Commissioner of the CEV. Doctor with PhD in Psychology. Vast experience in psychosocial care of victims and advisor to several truth commissions (Peru, Paraguay and Ecuador). He coordinated Guatemala’s REMHI report. Member of the Interdisciplinary Group of Experts of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights for the case of Ayotzinapa, Mexico.

Presented by: María Oianguren Idigoras. Director of Gernika Gogoratuz.

18:30-20:30 ZINE KLUB GERNIKA.
Film “La noche de los lápices”, directed by Héctor Olivera (106 min).
Lizeo Antzokia.

The film recreates the historical event known by the same name. On September 16, 1976, during the first months Argentina’s last military dictatorship, seven teenagers from the city of La Platawere kidnapped, tortured and killed after asking for a subsidised bus fare.

Presented by: Maria Oianguren Idigoras, director of Gernika Gogoratuz. Peace Research Center andPablo Diaz, survivors of the “Night of the Pencils”. He testified at the “National Commission on the Disappearance of Persons in Argentina.” In 2022, another new film entitled “Argentina 1985” was released, which took up the history of that historic trial and collects his testimony.

Including the participation of Pedro Durana, Zine-Club Gernika.

Wednesday, APRIL 26.
GERNIKA-LUMO

COMMEMORATIVE EVENTS: 86TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE BOMBING OF GERNIKA

9:00-10:00 DIALOGUE OF THE EXILE SUPPORT NETWORK FOR THE LEGACY OF THE TRUTH COMMISSION OF COLOMBIA (CEV) WITH THE EX-COMMISSIONER AND DORYS ARDILA (FOLLOW-UP AND MONITORING COMMITTEE -CSM)
Gernika-Lumo Kultur Etxea

• Dorys Ardila. Delegate of exile in the Monitoring and Verification Committee of the CEV.
• Liliana Zambrano, researcher at Gernika Gogoratuz and professor at the University of Deusto.

12.00h. AWARD CEREMONY FOR PEACE AND RECONCILIATION IN GERNIKA.
Lizeo Antzokia

For the global experience of Truth Commissions, represented by four Commissions: one in Africa, one in Southeast Asia and two in Latin America.

• The South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC)
• Timor-Leste Reception, Truth and Reconciliation Commission (CAVR)
• The National Commission on the Disappearance of Persons of Argentina (CONADEP)
• The Commission for the Clarification of Truth, Coexistence and Non-Repetition of Colombia (CEV)

The Basque platform of associations helps children from natural disasters and after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and focuses on humanitarian aid to the Chernobyl environment (Txernobyl Elkartea, Txernobyleko Umeak, Txernobylen LagunaK, Ukraina Gaztea).

11.00 TRIBUTE TO GEORGE L. STEER AND WAR CORRESPONDENTS: Floral tribute at the sculpture of George Steer

15:45 “4 MINUTU EKIMENA: BELL RINGING AND SIREN.

16:30  ORATION AND FLOWER OFFERINGS FOR THE VICTIMS OF THE GERNIKA BOMBING. ZALLO CEMETERY.

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