Civil society and peace - a holy relationship? : A case study on the role of faith-based organizations in peacebuilding and their promotion of human rights in Colombia.

Abstract: This master thesis deals with civil society peacebuilding and human rights, aiming to explore the relationship between these perspectives. In more detail, the peacebuilding functions of the Colombian faith-based network of DiPaz are examined in a context where the Government of Colombia and the FARC guerilla have signed a peace agreement and officially entered a postconflict phase, and to realize the examination the comprehensive framework of Thania Paffenholz and Christoph Spurk (2010) is used. Moreover, a human rights perspective on the functions is applied in order to examine the possibilities of using the agendas of peacebuilding and human rights simultaneously with that purpose of working towards a sustainable peace in Colombia. The conclusion is that the framework is useful when examining the relationship between civil society and peacebuilding, and that the peacebuilding functions of DiPaz are of relevance. Finally, a human rights agenda is frequently used simultaneously by DiPaz to promote the respect of human rights and sustainable peace.