Understanding of Peace Among Colombian Migrants in Vancouver, BC

Monday, August 11 | 10AM | AQ 5067

Abstract: 
This ethnography explores how Colombian migrants in Vancouver understand peace, moving beyond state-centric definitions to examine peace as a lived, subjective experience. While much scholarship on peace in Colombia focuses on formal negotiations and in-country dynamics, the perspectives of those affected by violence who have emigrated remain understudied. This research addresses that gap by asking: How do Colombian migrants in Canada understand peace and political peace processes in their home country? How does their experience in Canada impact their understanding of peace? And how is peace (or its absence) connected to their decision to emigrate? Based on ethnographic fieldwork conducted in Vancouver from 2023鈥�2024, employing participant observation and semi-structured interviews, the study reveals that migrants understand peace through such concepts as 鈥渙pportunities,鈥� 鈥渢ranquility,鈥� and the duality of hope and hopelessness. This ethnography argues that a comprehensive understanding of peace acknowledges these complex lived realities that extend beyond formal agreements.

Keywords: peace; Colombian migrants; ethnography; violence; peacebuilding

Examining Committee:
Chair: Dr. Kyle Willmott, Assistant Professor, Sociology & Anthropology, 大象传媒
Supervisor: Dr. Kathleen Millar, Associate Professor, Sociology & Anthropology, 大象传媒
Committee Member: Dr. Pamela Stern, Associate Professor, Sociology & Anthropology, 大象传媒
External Examiner: Dr. Julia Murphy, Anthropology Department, Kwantlen Polytechnic University

Please note that the defence will be held in-person in AQ 5067.