Colombia Ended a 60-Year War: Lessons in Making Peace

What can Colombia teach us about what's still possible?

Meet Juan Manuel Santos - former President of Colombia, Nobel Peace Prize laureate and Chair of The Elders - who helped negotiate an end to one of the longest-running armed conflicts in modern history. Under his leadership, Colombia signed a peace agreement with FARC, bringing an end to a conflict that had shaped the country for over 60 years.

But this conversation isn't just about ending a war. We also explore Colombia's environmental leadership - from Indigenous wisdom in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta to the idea that there can be no lasting peace among people without peace with nature. Along the way, President Santos explains how Colombia helped inspire the Sustainable Development Goals, why cooperation remains humanity's greatest challenge, and what lessons the world can learn from a country that many once considered beyond repair.

In this episode:

How post-apartheid South Africa helped shape his vision for peace   Why peace is often unpopular - and why he pursued it anywayThe difference between making peace and building itHow victims became central to Colombia's peace processThe role of Colombia in creating the Sustainable Development GoalsWhy making peace with nature is essential to creating a better futureTimestamps:

00:44 Amy & Gus: Why Doesn't South America Make the Headlines?

02:22 A Leadership Lesson from the Colombian Navy

04:45 Inside The Elders

05:14 The Four Existential Threats Facing Humanity

07:59 Making Peace with the Western Hemisphere's Longest-Running Guerrilla Movement

09:59 How Nelson Mandela Made Peace Seem Possible

12:25 Why Peace Is Often Unpopular