Community Self-Protection in Colombia

This chapter examines unarmed civilian protection in Colombia whereby communities, human rights defenders, and others have come together to try to create safe spaces for non-combatants. The chapter looks at the mechanisms and processes involved in community self-protection, as well as a series of practical, and sometimes ethical, challenges that face such efforts. The lack of a clear demarcation between combatants and non-combatants poses a challenge, as does the issue of where unarmed civilian protectors fit in terms of legality and legitimacy. The chapter makes clear the multiple forms of agency and ingenuity that communities and activists engage in when faced with chronic conflict situations. The chapter is based on a close observation of the situation in Colombia but has resonance in other contexts.