“Slow Peace” and the Power of Civil Society

How do we measure the success of a peace process? While international observers often look to legislative milestones and disarmament data, these metrics often miss the most critical element of lasting change: the slow, relational work of the people living through the transition. At the center of this effort is civil society—the community leaders and grassroots organizers who act as the ultimate stewards of peace, transforming high-level agreements into lived realities on the ground.

Listen is as Allison Kielhold sits down with Mariafernanda (Mafe) Burgos Ariza and Angela Lederach ’07, ’19 M.A., ’20 Ph.D. to challenge the traditional “fast-track” model of international peacebuilding. Using the ongoing implementation in Colombia as a lens, they explore how civil society movements sustain momentum during political uncertainty and delve into the concept of “slow peace”—a framework that prioritizes trust, ritual, and daily healing over bureaucratic deadlines.

This episode was originally published by the Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies on March 9, 2026. To explore the entire library of Kroc Cast podcast episodes and for more information , please visit kroc.nd.edu.