ABSTRACT
In this chapter, Nancy Doubleday considers the accounts of the Colombian peace process (CPP) presented in this volume as evidence of social learning in dynamic conflict transformation. The Colombian process has been examined thoroughly from many perspectives throughout this volume, and many of the signal developments and innovations have already been flagged in Chapter 1. For those of us on the periphery, with an interest in systems change, there are lessons here, too. However, while what we see from a distance is, in a sense, less distinct, than the view from within, understanding the broader outlines of the conflict, the CPP, and the Final Agreement as steps in a complex social learning process offers useful insights that may be valuable to others facing intractable conflicts elsewhere. Admittedly there are challenges that the process still must acknowledge and address, particularly those that involve economic justice, democracy and inclusion, and environmental sustainability. These challenges also include coming to terms with international actors and their influence, actors who must also learn from the Colombian conflict and from its long history, as well as its outcomes, and who must acknowledge their responsibilities both for good as well as harm.
