En defensa de la vida: Recognizing territory as victim of the armed conflict within the Transitional Restorative Process in Cauca, Colombia

This research analyzes how the recognition of the Territory as victim of the armed conflict, made through the Special Peace Jurisdiction – JEP, modifies the relationship between the Indigenous Peoples and the Colombian State. Using qualitative analysis, this study identified that this recognition made visible Indigenous ontologies, giving them a place within this modern world that traditionally has seen the land and Territory from a productivistic point of view. Taking in consideration indigenous understandings of the world, this research identifies harms suffered by the Territory and explores ways in which it could be healed. This approach also allowed to give agency to the Territory, promoting Indigenous Peoples autonomy and the exercise of their rights. In the same way, the recognition of the Territory as victim is part of a restorative process that requires the active participation of the victims, as well as the involvement of the State and perpetrators. This research is relevant due to it offers an alternative view to relate to nature and the environment, breaking with extractivist logic and promoting a more holistic understanding of the Territory.