COLOMBIA. The Bridge We Must Cross on the Road to Peace.

On the rainy day of March 5, 2018, at 5:07 pm, I arrived for the first time in the Andes. The plane landed at the International Airport El Dorado of Bogota. Colombia is 207 years old. It has a population of 49,587,941 habitants and extends in a territory of 440,831 square miles. The purpose of my visit was to witness the impact of the Colombian Peace Process in the country.

I started my three weeks’ journey seeking the protection of Mauricio Babylonia's yellow butterflies. I proceeded with a heart full of love, guided by my desire to learn and my faith in people. Along the way, I met Colombians from all walks of life and fellow travelers in search of a meaningful life. I wandered to unfamiliar cities and places, blending with the surroundings. I tried new foods, drinks, and shared a smile; whenever I had the chance, as a sign of peace. I also faced challenges. I learned to deal with them with compassion and understanding, knowing a noble purpose guided me.

The Colombian Peace Process that took place between February 23 and August 26, 2012, in Havana, would bear fruit on November 29-30, 2016. Afterward both houses of congress in Bogota ratified the Colombian Peace Process and ended many years of war. As a result, I found Colombians, as a nation, walking on the road to Peace, so I joined and walked with them. 

However, I believed the road to Peace in Colombia required a bridge supported by eight pillars,so I traveled around the country to find them and allow Colombians to cross from the culture of war side into the culture of peace. - I called it the Bridge of Peace.

Bogota "The South American Athens"

On Tuesday, March 6, 2016, at 10 am, I started my journey by walking through colorful narrow streets of the old city, La Candelaria. I climbed Mount Monserrat, which was considered by indigenous Muisca as a sacred mountain. It is seated at 10,341feet above sea level. At the top of the hill, there was a church built in the 17th century called "El Señor Caido" meaning ('the fallen lord"). I walked around the church, enjoyed the fresh air and the magnificent view of Bogota. I decided to go inside the church and rest. While sitting on the last bench, I felt the calmness and serenity I encounter whenever I enter a religious or spiritual place. 

At lunchtime, I went to look for a family-owned restaurant, where I could eat. I found a place called Alto Del Frailejon Restaurant Tipico. The food was delicious and served with kindness. After lunch, I descended to meet the city of Bogota. On my way down, I passed by a well called Pozo De Los Deseos, meaning Wish Pond. I gave an offering and asked God to grant Colombia and Colombians a lasting peace.

At the capital district, the atmosphere was carnivalesque and bohemian. I blended in with the crowd and loved it. There were merchants selling goods, well-dressed gentlemen playing chess on the sidewalk. There were also performers and magicians showing their tricks surrendered by crowds of people with plenty of time in their hands.

After a long walk, I decided to buy fresh orange juice and sit on the sidewalk to enjoy the music played by a trio of Colombian musicians. I recorded a short video with their permission. I enjoyed the music, donated, and continued my route, walking without a specific direction or destination. Later, I ended up inside a beautiful church called Iglesia de San Francisco. I admired the architecture, and a beautiful religious song welcomed me. I wondered for a moment on the meaning of the song, but I realized it didn't matter, because the feelings were all lovely and peaceful. 

Afterward, I continued on to the Simon Bolivar square, where the city met.I saw children, students, elders, artists, merchants, and guards with their machine guns mingling together in Peace. While I was walking around the square, I was approached by an artist named Oscar. He was from Santa Marta. He offered to make me a small painting in exchange for dinner. I accepted the deal because I loved supporting artists. 

At this time of the year, the sun went to bed early. It got dark, and the air was cold in the evenings. I decided to have dinner and go to bed. As I was enjoying my meal, I was approached by a gentleman slice businessman. We started a conversation, and I learned that Colombia's taste for independence came at a hefty price. The declaration of independence from Spain on July 20, 1810, was granted only on August 7, 1819. After the liberator Simon Bolivar led a bloody war with the help of the president newly Republic of Haiti Alexandre Petion. Petion set only one condition which was to free the slaves after victory. Since then, Colombia has been through many name changes and territorial cuts. It has also endured civil wars, senseless violence, and serious human rights violations.

I further learned, after the "thousand days" war (1899-1902), that Colombia politics was dominated by two major families, the liberal and conservative. They competed peacefully for power; but the assassination of the populist political leader Jorge Eliecer Gaitan on April 9, 1948, at a street corner in Bogota, plunged the country into a culture of war and violence. That period was known "La Violencia," which was characterized by killings, kidnappings, disappearance, and torture. 

Colombia offered Hollywood a screenplay on which the country was portrayed as lawless, inhabited by drug dealers such as Pablo Escobar, where street corners were trapped for kidnappers. Colombian National for History Memory Studies attested that the war between 1958 to 2013 had claimed the deaths of 220,000 Colombians, most of them civilians (117,307), fighters (40,787), and 5 million were displaced.  

The paradox was both Colombian governments, paramilitary groups, crime syndicates, revolutionary armed forces of Colombia (FARC) and the National Liberation Army (ELN) claimed that they chose the road to war to protect the ideals of freedom, democracy, and justice for the Colombian people. 

After a great conversation, the gentleman left by advising me to be very careful when it came to buying emeralds. There was an illegal market and a lot of fake ones in Bogota. He asked me to contact him if I wanted to buy good emeralds. We shook hands, I thanked him for the time, and I headed to the hostel, I called home. I went to bed full of gratitude to the 8.081 million Rolos,as they created a peaceful environment for me to walk, learn and share without fear. On December 19, 2016, the United Nations General Assembly approved the Resolution 71/189, by adopting the declaration on the Right to Peace proposed by the Human Rights Council in Resolution 32/28, of July 2016, which stipulated in Article 1 that "Everyone has the right to enjoy peace…..."

On March 7, 2018, I went to visit the Salt Cathedral of Zipaquira, located 30 miles outside the city of Bogota. It was an old mine converted to a museum and Cathedral. After spending hours underground at the Salt Cathedral, I left the site to have lunch and reflect on my experience. My feelings were divided between the beauty of the place, which attested to the accomplishment of modern Colombian architecture, and the horrible reality of mining work conditions in the Andes. I wondered what kind of fears, miners must go through to build small churches and Croix in very corners of the Salt Cathedral of Zipaquira.

After hours of sightseeing around Zipaquira, I took a bus back to Bogota. I sat near a window observing lights passing in the dark with Latin music playing in the background. I listened to people's conversations on the bus without understanding much, but I liked the sound. Nearby me, a teenager was holding a baby on her lap, and on her face, I could only see the reflection of innocence and incertitude. I told myself, there must be a way for a peaceful future in this country for her and her baby. I thought the building of a Bridge of Peace which would allow her and her baby to cross from the side of the culture of war and violence into the side of the culture of Peace, had a meaning.

In September 1999, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Declaration and Program of Action on a Culture of Peace in UN resolution A/RES/53/243 calling for action in eight areas which would be our pillars to sustain the bridge of Peace. 

In Bogota sitting at the dinner table, I found the first pillar to sustain the Bridge of Peace, which was United Nations Resolution A/RES/53/243 calling for a Culture of Peace through Education.

Medellin "The city of the Eternal Spring."

I arrived at Medellin on March 8, 2018, at 10:50 pm. Pablo Escobar was nowhere to be seen. The city of the Eternal Spring welcomed me. I visited places, met people, and learned along the way.

One of the places I visited in Medellin, was the "Casa de la Memoria," a museum dedicated to the victims of Colombia's long and brutal civil war conflicts. I spent hours going through pictures, videos, audios, and articles, which provided a human face to the conflict. I left saddened and went to the Plaza Botero for a fresh drink and reflected on the situation. The museum was a great testimony to Colombia’s past. It was also a reminder that the road to war had horrible consequences, and we should always opt to resolve our differences through dialogue and Peace.

Another place I visited while I was staying in Medellin was the small town of Guatape. I went there to climb the "El Penol"which was a granite monolith with over 700 concrete stairs. At the top, I enjoyed the 360-degree views of the region lakes.

I encountered people in Medellin. On Friday, March 9, 2018, I took a taxi heading to the Terminal. At the red light, a beautiful lady appeared at the intersection and started dancing without any sound of music. When the light went green, she walked between the line of cars holding her hat and asking for donations. She approached our taxi; I didn't have a change; therefore, I offered a smile as a sign of my appreciation. She smiled back and made my day.

I also met Omar, the taxi driver. He told me in a broken English that he was born and raised in Medellin. He showed me a picture of his wife and two beautiful daughters. He shared information about the city he loved, and went further to ask about my trip to Colombia. I told him that I enjoyed it so far. At my destination, we parted physically, but I still remembered Omar, the taxi driver. He left a footprint in my journey through his kindness, and there was not a price for that.

My last night in Medellin, I met Doctor Andrew, who was a retired Veterinarian. He lived in Chicago, before immigrating to Medellin, where he was planning to have his last stand. He decided to leave the U.S because he felt that Obama wanted to promote socialism in America. Further, he described afro-Colombians as lazy. I replied to his comments by saying that Obama was not a socialist, and Afro-Colombians were not lazy, but economically oppressed. 

After a long pause, we resumed our conversation. He told me he had a good life in Colombia as he was well-loved by women here. He said that in Chicago, despite his profession, beautiful car and house, he was not appreciated by the ladies; but here it was different. He went on to show me pictures of teens who wanted to be with him despite his age. Later, he admitted to me that he lost his license, went through a bankruptcy, and couldn't afford to live in America. In Miami, he met a girl from Colombia, and they decided to move to Bogota. She passed away, and he moved to Medellin. It was getting late, and I had to wake up early to continue my journey, so I wished him goodnight. I felt sorry for him; despite his joie de vivre appearance, I could see his pain.

I learned in Medellin Colombia that it was prohibited to sell Alcohol at the night before election day. I first laughed about it, but after a pose and a reflection, I agreed with the law. It made sense to have sober people electing a president who would run their lives for many years to come.

At the top of "El Penol" in Guatape, I found the second pillar to sustain the Bridge of Peace, which was the United Nations Resolution A/RES/53/243 calling for a Sustainable Economic and Social Development.

Cartagena "The walled city."

On Sunday, March 11, 2018, at 1 am, I arrived at Cartagena. The city was well known for its role in the trans-Atlantic Slave trade. Onto its shores debarked thousands and thousands of enslaved Africans who worked in plantations from sunup to sundown. On my way to the city, I met one of their descendants, my taxi driver.

The first thing I did in Cartagena was to follow the city's wall that had protected the city for centuries, and I ended up at the San Felipe Castle. Cartagena had beautiful architecture, and I loved the fact in Colombia, they tried to preserve the old colonial houses, despite their aspiration to modernity. In the Roger Park neighborhood of Chicago, helpless, we all witnessed the demolition of Heartland Café without due process. 

I also visited beautiful churches with names of wealthy benefactors on their walls. There were often the names of wealthy plantation owners, who used profits earned from slavery to buy their ways into heaven.

Finally, I went to Playa Blanca. It was located on Baru Island,a two hours' bus journey from the City of Cartagena. I spent the day away from the city's noises.

In Cartagena, I met a French engineering student on my way to Playa Blanca. She lived in Montreal, and she was traveling solo around Latin America. We bonded immediately by a common language, French, and a similar situation, travelers in a foreign land; so, we spent time together swimming, relaxing, sharing food and stories. Around 6 pm we took the bus back to the city. We followed our different paths and wished each other bon voyage.

The city of Cartagena was well-known to tourists. I learned local merchants had two prices for the same product. There were local and tourist prices. I wanted to protect myself from the heat, so I learned to speculate and reconcile the tourist price down to the domestic price level with camaraderie.

Walking along the city wall of Cartagena and guided by the spirit of slave's ancestors, I found the third pillar to sustain the Bridge of Peace which was United Nations Resolution A/RES/53/243 calling for the Respect for all human rights.

Santa Marta "America's Pearl" 

On Wednesday, March 14, 2018, I left Cartagena, heading to Santa Marta. The journey by bus was a beautiful ride. The route was a coastal road with an uninterrupted view of the sea and eye-catching scenery.

I arrived at the Santa Marta bus terminal at around 5:30 pm and stayed at the Mauricio Babilonia Hostel. Santa Marta is the oldest city of Colombia. It was founded on July 29, 1525, by a Spanish conqueror Rodrigo de Bastidas. The town was also the place where Simon Bolivar rendered his last breath on December 17, 1830, on his way to exile in Europe.

Santa Marta was a lively port city. At night, food vendors sold food, and musicians played music in the street. The restaurants, bars and coffee places were full of tourists and local Colombians mingled together in peace. At an Italian restaurant, I enjoyed a delicious Italian dish, and to show my appreciation., I asked the server to thank the hands that made the meal for me.

At an Italian Restaurant in Santa Marta, I found the fourth pillar to sustain the Bridge of Peace, which was United Nations Resolution A/RES/53/243 calling for Equality between women and men.

On Thursday, March 15, 2018, around noon, I left Santa Marta. I took a local bus and visited the town of Aracataca, which was 1.5 hours by bus. My journey was guided by Gabriel Garcia Marquez's book "One Hundred Years of Solitude." I arrived at around 2 pm, walked past the old train station of Aracataca, and I saw myself trying to reconcile fiction and realities. I visited Gabi's grandfather's house, the post office where his father used to work, the church where he was baptized and the school he attended as a child. After lunch, I went to the river, and visited the market where Arabs merchants, magicians, and gypsies used to gather. Around 6:30 pm, I took a minibus under a heavy rain back to Santa Marta. On both sides of the road, I could see banana plantations, which reminded me that fiction was not far from reality. 

On Friday, March 16, 2018, I headed to the Tayrona National Natural Park. It was a protected area. I decided to rent a tent and stay overnight by the sea, surrounded by palm trees. I connected with Mother Nature.

At Santa Marta, I met the owner of Mauricio Babilonia hostel. He inherited the hostel from his parents, and he wanted it to feel like home. Therefore, he decided not to have a front desk. When I arrived, I was seated in the living room, which had the feeling of a home. The rooms of the hostel were named after characters of the One Hundred Years of Solitude book. One late night, while I was resting and enjoying my tea and cuts of pineapple, he joined me at the terrace, and we started a conversation. He told me that he used to live in Bogota, but he decided to come back home, saddened by the direction Colombia and Colombians were going. He believed they were losing their Latin heritage in favor of the Anglo-Saxon one, which meant in his view that Colombia was becoming a more materialistic society. He also told me that he was working on a documentary to preserve the memories of his father, who was a doctor. His father traveled around Colombia in poorest and indigenous areas to help cure people of diseases and engaged in extramarital affairs.

Another person I met was a young Afro-Colombian student who was looking for opportunities to improve his English. I met him while I was walking around in the streets of Aracatara. He offered to be my guide and showed me around the city, I accepted. He brought the city to life by sharing stories on houses, streets, and surroundings. He also told me about his plan to work in the tourism industry after his studies. As a stranger in this small town, he was able through his stories to bring light on the book and author I came to meet. After hours spent together, we parted. I thanked him for his time and offered a donation, which he refused, but I insisted until he accepted my gift, which came from the heart. We gave a hug and said goodbye. His last words were, "You are always welcome to Colombia because we are all brothers." I couldn't disagree, to build a lasting peace in this world, we must see all humans as brothers and sisters.

At Santa Marta, I learned, there was a significant refugee population from Venezuela living in the city. During the day, you could see them offering their hands for labor, and at night, their bodies to make a living.

At Tayrona National Natural Park, I found the fifth pillar to sustain the Bridge of Peace, which was United Nations Resolution A/RES/53/243 calling for Democratic Participation.

Cali: "Salsa Capital of the World"

On Sunday, March 18, 2018, I arrived in Cali around 10:49 pm. It was a long journey from Santa Marta. 

The next morning, I walked around the old city, followed the Rio Cali, and visited the Cat Park. Suddenly, I heard at the Plaza de Cayzedo-Barrio a beautiful voice of a musician which I admired. Nearby I saw a beautiful church called La Ermita and went around it to indulge my curiosity.

At night, I went dancing at the birthplace of salsa. As Martha Graham said, "Dance is the hidden language of the soul of the body." The basics of salsa dancing were the same with Colombian taste. 

In Cali, I met a man at a local restaurant called El Gran Jugo. He told me that he used to live in Montreal, Canada, and worked as a construction worker. He returned to Cali because his parents were getting older, and as an only child he saw it his duty to take care of them, so they could rest in peace when the time came to say goodbye to the world.

I also met a beautiful Colombian girl in Cali, who was kind enough to dance with me. At the end of the party, I thanked her, wished her goodnight, and went back to my hostel.

In Cali, I learned, love requires sacrifices. The construction worker leaving his job to take care of his parents constituted in my eyes a perfect example. Therefore, I believe to have lasting peace in Colombia, Colombians must commit to peaceful ways of resolving their differences. -And that required sacrifices.

At the Plaza de Cayzedo-Borrio in Cali, I found the sixth pillar to sustain the Bridge of Peace which was United Nations Resolution A/RES/53/243 calling for understanding, tolerance, and solidarity.

  

Salento "Miracle City"

On Tuesday, March 20, 2018, I left Cali for Salento via Armenia. The Peace journey in Colombia was nearing the end. During my trip, I greeted each day with gratitude knowing along the way I was fed, lodged and taking care by fellow Colombians.

I decided to stay three days in Salento to rest and learn about people's lives in a small town in Colombia. I stayed at the Yambolombia hostel. The owner was a Colombian Rastafarian, who traveled extensively around Colombia and Latin America in his youth. He decided to settle in Salento to welcome the world.

I took the time to hike around beautiful sceneries and listened to stories of fellow travelers. In some occasions, I went to the central Plaza to have a drink, enjoyed delicious food and bought groceries. There was the charm that I loved about little towns, which were characterized by the slow pass, the friendliness of people, and the peaceful harmony between humans and nature.

At the Yambolombia Hostel in Salento, I met an Argentinian couple. They had been traveling around Latin America for years. They met in Peru, united by love, they decided to travel together. Along the way, they made jewelry for sale and offered their labor for a place to stay, and I had the chance to hear their stories.

At the Plaza in Salento, I learned that soccer was ‘god’ in Colombia by witnessing a friendly game between France and Colombia. I also learned that trade was a universal language that didn't require a local language. As a result, I traveled for three weeks without speaking Spanish fluently. I was able to communicate with people as truth communication was based on the desire to talk with others, and on patience to listen and understand the other side. These were keys to a peaceful relationship between people and nations.

At Salento, I found the seventh pillar to sustain the bridge of Peace which was United Nations Resolution A/RES/53/243 calling for participatory Communication and the free flow of information and knowledge.

Bogota:“Most Noble and Most Loyal City"

On Saturday, March 24, 2018, I entered Bogota around 10 pm. On Sunday, March 25, I decided to join the Bogota Free Walking tour. On Sundays in Bogota, the tradition wanted the main streets to be closed to cars. As a result, bicyclists, pedestrians, small merchants, dancers, singers, actors, clowns, magicians, and acrobats could use streets without fear being hit by a car and share their gifts. 

The Bogota free walking tour began at 10 am at the Museo Del Oro entrance (at Santander Park). Our guide, Santiago, with his red umbrella, led us through the city's tales, history, cafes, and museums. At the end, he encouraged us to see Colombia through the eyes of Peace, not war, and asked for a donation. 

I left the group, and I went at the Simon Bolivar Square carrying with me the seven pillars to sustain the Bridge of Peace. At the square, I called on the powers around the square (Executive, Legislative, Judiciary and City Council) to give me the eight pillar to sustain the bridge of Peace which was United Nations Resolution A/RES/53/243 calling for Culture International Peace and Security.

Nobody answered my calls. I knocked on their doors, nobody opened. I sat and waited, nobody came. I left saddened and wondered why they were not responding to my calls for Peace.

At the end of my journey, I realized that Colombia was a country of magical beauties which could be seen only in time of Peace. I also understood by talking to people that opinions on the Colombian Peace Process were divided due to years of wars which only brought destruction, suffering, and tears.

In spite of that, I believe Colombians must have a heart full of forgiveness and commit to maintaining the Colombian Peace Process alive, so they can build a Bridge of Peace and allow ordinary Colombians to cross the divide on their road to Peace. As Marquez Garcia said, "Nobody deserves your tears, but whoever deserves them will not make you cry." 

On Monday, March 26, 2018, at 3:28 pm, I left Colombia on a rainy day. I sat on the plane and wondered, whether the rain was Mauricio Babylonia's yellow butterflies’ tears of joy or sadness. Only the future will tell. 

Sincerely,

Alpha Diallo