Intergenerational Dialogues in Colombia: Some Reflections

This article examines intergenerational dialogue as a practice of collective healing among the Afro-descendant and indigenous communities in Colombia who participated in a 2025 UNESCO initiative. It introduces the concept of spiritual harm to capture forms of damage different from material and psychological accounts. The article argues that the distinct histories of the two groups have produced different configurations of spiritual harm and corresponding healing practices. The article concludes that standardised dialogue frameworks risk obscuring culturally specific meanings and proposes a revised methodology incorporating an initial open-ended phase in which communities define their own problem spaces.

Garrett Thomson

Professor of Philosophy at the College of Wooster and CEO of the Guerrand-Hermes Foundation for Peace

Garrett Thomson is Professor of Philosophy at the College of Wooster and CEO of the Guerrand-Hermes Foundation for Peace. He is author and co-author of several books on peace, well-being, and social political-economic transformation.

Rossana Silva

Director, Guerrand-Hermes Foundation for Peace in Colombia

Rossana Silva is director of the Guerrand-Hermes Foundation for Peace in Colombia. She is experienced in running education projects and is co-author of the book Hijas de Paz.