What can Colombia teach us about what's still possible?

Meet Juan Manuel Santos - former President of Colombia, Nobel Peace Prize laureate and Chair of The Elders - who helped negotiate an end to one of the longest-running armed conflicts in modern history. Under his leadership, Colombia signed a peace agreement with FARC, bringing an end to a conflict that had shaped the country for over 60 years.

But this conversation isn't just about ending a war. We also explore Colombia's environmental leadership - from Indigenous wisdom in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta to the idea that there can be no lasting peace among people without peace with nature. Along the way, President Santos explains how Colombia helped inspire the Sustainable Development Goals, why cooperation remains humanity's greatest challenge, and what lessons the world can learn from a country that many once considered beyond repair.

In this episode:

How post-apartheid South Africa helped shape his vision for peace
Why peace is often unpopular - and why he pursued it anyway
The difference between making peace and building it
How victims became central to Colombia's peace process
The role of Colombia in creating the Sustainable Development Goals
Why making peace with nature is essential to creating a better future

Timestamps:

00:44 Amy & Gus: Why Doesn't South America Make the Headlines?
02:22 A Leadership Lesson from the Colombian Navy
04:45 Inside The Elders
05:14 The Four Existential Threats Facing Humanity
07:59 Making Peace with the Western Hemisphere's Longest-Running Guerrilla Movement
09:59 How Nelson Mandela Made Peace Seem Possible
12:25 Why Peace Is Often Unpopular
15:12 The Difference Between Making Peace and Building It
19:07 Why Victims Were Central to Colombia's Peace Process
22:11 Pastora Mira and the Extraordinary Power of Forgiveness
24:51 Is Peace Good for Nature?
26:41 The Colombian Idea That Became the SDGs
29:49 The Santa Marta Mandate: Bringing Humanity Back to Nature
32:25 Legacy, Elections and the Durability of Progress
35:52 Why We Need to Learn from Young People
37:48 What Is Still Possible?
40:16 The Dream President Santos Still Wants to Fulfil
41:00 Amy & Gus: Final Reflections

Go Deeper:

👉 The Elders
👉 Juan Manuel Santos
👉 The Open Library of the Colombian Peace Process

About Fix The News:
Fix The News is a solutions-focused media platform sharing stories from the frontlines of progress - exploring what’s working in the world and the people making it happen.

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Production credits:
Hosted by Angus Hervey and Amy Davoren-Rose
Produced by Fix The News
Audio production: Anthony Badolato, Hear That!

This episode was produced in Australia on the lands of the Gadigal, Wurundjeri and Woi Wurrung peoples.

How Colombia Ended a 60-Year War: Lessons from Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Juan Manuel Santos

Fix The News

How Colombia Ended a 60-Year War: Lessons from Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Juan Manuel Santos