Casting Nets for Peace: Rebuilding Lives Through Fishing in Colombia

A Convergence of Crises

In 2024, Colombia faced its most severe humanitarian crisis in nearly a decade. Armed conflict, climate-related disasters, and mass displacement collided, leaving millions of people in need of assistance, most acutely in rural and border regions like La Guajira. Despite renewed peace efforts under the Total Peace policy, ongoing violence by Non-State Armed Groups, deep-rooted social inequalities, and the pressures of mixed migration have pushed many communities to the brink.

Yet amid this adversity, Colombia continues to pursue peace, and it is not doing so alone.

Drawing on its own journey from conflict to reconciliation, Ireland has emerged as a trusted partner to Colombia, supporting local communities in rebuilding social cohesion and livelihoods through initiatives like the Irish Aid Civil Society Partnership (ICSP).

In La Guajira, GOAL, through the ICSP programme, is helping transform traditional livelihoods into powerful tools for peace, dignity, and resilience.

Boats are essential to fishing in La Guajira.

Ireland’s Contribution to Colombia’s Peace

The Government of Ireland has played a significant role in supporting peace in Colombia, particularly in the context of the peace process with the FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia). Through its own experience with reconciliation after decades of conflict, Ireland is well-positioned to contribute more meaningfully to efforts to reduce tensions and build social cohesion in Colombia.

Recognising the need for safe spaces to foster dialogue and reconciliation, Ireland has played a key role in encouraging the participation of diverse social actors. This support has been vital in Colombia, a country where decades of internal conflict have left more than 9 million victims, according to Colombia’s Victims’ Unit (as of May 2025).

Ireland has also provided funding and technical support to advance reconciliation, land restitution, and social development in conflict-affected regions, particularly for displaced communities and former combatants, with a strong focus on human rights.

La Guajira is home to communities with traditional economies, such as artisanal fishing.

La Guajira: Source of Fragility & Hope

With support from the Government of Ireland through Irish Aid, GOAL has been implementing the ICSP programme in Colombia since 2023. The five-year programme has strengthened local economic systems, such as artisanal fishing in La Guajira, a coastal region bordering the Caribbean Sea with a longstanding family fishing tradition. It is also home to the Wayúu Indigenous people, one of Colombia’s oldest ethnic cultures, and a territory long affected by violence, where the social fabric is still being rebuilt.

Today, for the people of La Guajira, the sea is a source of opportunity.

Colombia’s internal armed conflict, marked by violence from guerrilla and paramilitary groups, has destroyed the lives of millions of innocent civilians. Yet it has also revealed the resilience of these communities, where new chapters are being written – the sea now serves as a lifeline for those who have endured violence and are rebuilding their lives in peace and harmony.

This land carries the memory of conflict and suffering, while the sea symbolises a new beginning, where victims heal their wounds and work daily to eliminate violence, engage younger generations, and create alternatives for meaningful, dignified futures.

A single artisanal fishing trip can last over 12 hours

Fishers: Agents of Change & Peace

Since 2023, 577 fishers have participated in the GOAL-implemented ICSP programme, promoting sustainable livelihoods and food security for their families and communities.

Among them is José*, a 51-year-old lifelong fisher:

“With the support we’ve received from Ireland through GOAL, through workshops, advisory sessions, and training on entrepreneurship and production, it’s been very beneficial. We’re becoming more aware of the art of fishing, learning to differentiate types of fish, and how to preserve species. Especially to teach the youth”.

Fishing for 12 or more hours a day in harsh ocean conditions, these fishers also contribute to building social cohesion in their communities.

“As fishers here, the training we’ve received from GOAL has taught us a lot so we can contribute to society economically and also teach others,” said José.

In a region still affected by armed conflict, the fishers hope to serve as role models for younger generations.

“We try to get the young people involved in fishing, so they stay away from ‘bad paths’ (violent groups).”

In the afternoons, the fishers mentor the youth, who help with the fishing process and receive fish to take home, contributing to stability in the territory.

“We do this because we’re seeing that young people are caught in a wave of violence from many armed groups. They’re afraid to go into the countryside, into farming, because those areas are violent. So, we support them and help them. We give them advice, encourage them to take up fishing, which is a beautiful craft that sustains families,” he added.

Fishers participating in “Ireland’s Civil Society Partnership for A Better World” programme.

For the fishers of La Guajira, tools like nets, gillnets, and boats are essential to their livelihood. Despite their high cost, the community continues to hope for support to sustain the activity that feeds more than 2,300 fishers and their families. These fishers are part of the multi-year ICSP programme and are driving positive change and building social cohesion from the ground up.

“Our goal has been to dedicate ourselves to fishing as an art. It’s very motivating to see it recognised as a healthy, enriching, and educational activity. We go out around four or five in the afternoon and return to the beach by seven in the morning. Meanwhile, the buyers arrive, we hand over the fish, and they begin the refrigeration and storage process to keep it fresh for sale,” said Pedro*, a fisher with over 30 years of experience.

“But we’re also doing more; we’re agents of peace. We want a better country, a better Colombia.”

Between 2023 and 2025, 577  fishers from different communities in La Guajira participated in the programme.

The Role of Partnerships

GOAL, supported by Irish Aid, is playing a vital role in Colombia’s journey toward peace. By supporting sustainable livelihoods, the programme empowers communities to rebuild their lives with dignity, resilience, and purpose. As fishers become mentors and entrepreneurs, ICSP is helping transform local economies into foundations for long-term stability, offering a powerful example of how livelihoods can serve as pathways to peace.

ICSP programme participants offer youth a legal and sustainable alternative to violence; this has become the mission of La Guajira’s fishers.

*The names of interviewees have been changed for safety reasons, as violent activities continue to affect Colombian territory. We aim to protect the identity of those participating in this programme.