Film and Discussion: Doing Business in Post-Conflict Colombia

Exploring the possibilities and challenges of doing business in Colombia in a responsible, sustainable and conflict-sensitive way. On Friday 19 May NALACS (Netherlands Association on Latin American and Caribbean Studies), in collaboration with DocuDoka, is hosting a special film and discussion night on doing business in post-conflict Colombia. The event starts off with the exclusive one-time screening of the documentary Chocolate de Paz (Chocolate of Peace) followed by a panel discussion with experts on doing business in Colombia as well as expert on the Colombian conflict and peace process. 

During the last years Colombia has been actively promoted in the Netherlands as a country of opportunities for doing business. With its vast and beautiful countryside, modern cities, good infrastructure and young population it has indeed a lot to offer. Yet, Colombia has also been entangled in a violent internal conflict over the last 52 years. With the signing of the peace agreement last year a new era has begun, but it has not changed the country overnight.

The evening starts with the screening of the documentary Chocolate de Paz, by Gwen Burnyeat and Pablo Mejía Trujillo. Chocolate de Paz depicts the Peace Community of San José de Apartadó’s experiences of resistance, via a journey through their processes of organic chocolate production. From the seed to the product, the cacao is the narrative thread that takes us through the Community’s stories of violence and resilience, and their fight to remain neutral in the face of the Colombian armed conflict.

The screening of the film will be followed by a panel discussion featuring:

Gwen Burnyeat, producer and co-director of Chocolate de Paz  and currently a Wolfson PhD scholar in Anthropology at University College London (UCL), researching the social history of the Colombian peace process.

Dr. Sandra M. Rios Oyola, lecturer at the department of International Studies at Leiden University and author of the book ‘Religion, Social Memory and Conflict. The Massacre of Bojayá in Colombia’ (Palgrave Macmillan, 2015). 

Diana Alarcón, co-founder of Business Bridge, a consortium of business consultants in The Netherlands and in Colombia who are specialized in bilateral relations between these two countries and provide services for commercial and cooperation projects.

Inge Horstmeier, business development coach for Colombia at the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (Rijksdienst voor Ondernemen, RVO), promotes economic opportunities for Dutch companies in Colombia.

The panel discussion will address possibilities and challenges of doing business in Colombia in responsible, sustainable and conflict-sensitive way. There will be plenty of room for questions from and discussion with the audience. The evening will be moderated by Letty Reimerink, board member of NALACS and independent urban researcher and journalist.

 Special offer: Become a NALACS member and the entrance is free!

What to do? You buy a regular ticket (€ 10,00) online and at the entrance you sign the membership form and pay € 17,50 (instead of € 27,50).

SECURE YOUR SEAT AND ORDER YOUR ONLINE TICKET HERE or buy tickets at the door (limited availability and cash payment only!)