On Nov. 24, 2016, the Colombian government and guerrilla groups signed a historic peace agreement, putting an to end five decades of civil war and beginning a long process of implementing the agreements.
Since 2015, Claudia Navas Caputo has served as an advisor for the Office of the High Presidential Advisor for Post-conflict, an office within the Presidency of the Republic of Colombia.
"Our greatest challenge is thinking about how to respond in that critical moment immediately after peace accords are signed," says Claudia. "People need to feel that the accords have tangible impacts in their daily lives, especially those living in the areas most affected by war."
In 2016, in order to prepare for Colombia's transition to peace, Claudia and her colleagues examined issues that could imperil the accords and affect citizens' confidence in the peace process.
"Maximizing 'peace dividends' and making them visible is a crucial aspect of the peace process," Claudia says.
In 2017, Claudia was deeply involved in planning and designing the implementation plan for the peace accord over the next 15 years, a process known as the Implementation Framework Plan (PMI, in Spanish). The PMI contains the objectives, products, and indicators that develop the public policies necessary for the implementation of the peace accord and its monitoring.
As a peace studies master's student at the Notre Dame, Claudia studied both peace theory and practical approaches to conflict.
"I now have a more holistic understanding of how peace can be built," Claudia says. "My peace studies education has prepared me to see opportunities for peace even amid the chaos and uncertainty that violence creates."
Before coming to the Kroc Institute, Claudia conducted research for the Conflict Analysis Resource Center in Bogotá and also monitored media coverage for the presidential campaign.
"What I enjoy most about my current work is witnessing and contributing to this historic moment in my country after 50 years of conflict," Claudia says. "To work side-by-side with leaders so committed to the peace process is truly a privilege."