Human Rights Defenders in Colombia : Adaptive mobilization as a tool for territorial peace during the post-conflict

Abstract: While existing literature has made significant contributions on violence against human rights defenders (HRDs), there remains a gap in understanding local perceptions, leadership roles, responses to violence, and their impact on collective action for peacebuilding. This research investigates the role of HRDs in promoting territorial peace in post-conflict Colombia, addressing the question of which type of HRDs mobilization strategy increases the likelihood of territorial peace during the post-conflict. By implementing a structure focus comparison, the study analyzes two sub-regions, Northeastern of Antioquia, and Western Valle del Cauca – Buenaventura. The findings of the study support the hypothesis that the implementation of adaptive strategies by HRDs, such as approaches, adjustments, and avoidance, leads to increased levels of territorial peace, in terms of enhancing self-determination and consolidating organized protection measures. This is because as the theoretical argument suggested, adaptive strategies have facilitated HRDs' to address emerging territorial tensions and enhance their capacity for the establishment of internal and external mechanisms for peacebuilding. Moreover, these findings underscore the importance of coordinated implementation of adaptive strategies to effectively promote territorial peace. The study collected data by conducting interviews with HRDs and experts in Colombia and triangulating information from secondary data sources.