Colombia must pick itself up and keep pushing for peace

(CNN) The rejection by a slim majority of a peace settlement with FARC comes as a shock to the people of Colombia.

Indeed, it comes as a shock also to many people around the world who were rejoicing at the prospect of ending a conflict that over five decades has taken over 200,000 lives and displaced millions more. It was some good news in an otherwise too-violent world.

Nations that wish to end years of conflict, death, torture and displacement of populations typically have three broad options.

The first is to forget the past and move on; the second is to have Nuremberg-style trials for the human rights violators; and the third is to have a truth and reconciliation procedure that will provide for amnesties or reduced punishment for the violators.

Colombians narrowly reject peace deal with the FARC 02:15

The first and second options are invariably unacceptable; the first to the victims and the second to the violators. The third, the kind of agreement now narrowly rejected by the people of Columbia, requires both a political and moral compromise.

The political compromise is to acknowledge the past violations and yet allow the violators to escape appropriate punishment. In the Colombian deal, many of the perpetrators would qualify for active political participation in the future.

The moral compromise is the denial of appropriate justice for the victims. They would have to accept that those responsible for their victimhood would live in freedom in their societies -- a daily reminder of their suffering.

In South Africa, a democratically elected parliament approved the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. That could not have happened without the leadership of Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu, who called for forgiveness and reconciliation.

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