Inclusion and Exclusion in the Networking Work of the Colombian Truth Commission with the Exile Community

Objective/Context: The Truth Commission of Colombia, established under the 2016 Peace Agreement, innovated in its work with people who had to leave the country due to the armed conflict. By implementing this extraterritorial approach, the commission used a network of hundreds of volunteers in 24 countries who helped disseminate its mandate, interview more than 2,000 exiles, and promote recognition of the Colombian exile community. In this article, we analyze the dynamics of inclusion and exclusion within this network. Methodology: We conducted this research through documentary analysis, semi-structured interviews, and our experience as members of this network. We drew on the literature on networks and participation in peacebuilding processes to inform our discussions of transitional justice and exile. Conclusions: We found that the Truth Commission’s work with the exile community reflected the tensions between results-oriented approaches, which prioritize efficiency, and process-oriented approaches, which prioritize inclusion. It avoided both extremes, enabling it to achieve significant results while allowing marginalized actors to exercise their agency, claim spaces, and gain visibility despite certain exclusionary dynamics. Originality: The study of the dynamics of inclusion and exclusion in the Truth Commission’s innovative networking with exiles contributes to debates on transitional justice by illustrating the dilemmas these processes face in engaging victims abroad to achieve results while remaining inclusive.