Learning Laboratory between Barichara and Montes de María
- María Cecilia Restrepo Hernández
- Apr 15
- 3 min read
From March 11 to 13, a living bridge was woven between the mountains of Santander and the Montes de María. The Barichara Regenerative Foundation, represented by the Ojo de Agua Cultural Foundation, traveled to meet with the Chócoro Creativo Foundation, the Sowing Seeds of Peace Association, the Montes de María Regional Peacebuilding Space and community leaders from the territory. A learning laboratory, promoted by the national movement of territorial foundations with the support of TerritoriA as a support organization, made this meeting possible.
Hike in the Morrocoy Reserve: memory of water and forest
In the Morrocoy Reserve, the shared steps guided a tour from one of its gates to the water well that existed before the conflict. Along the way, seeds were collected, trees of the Tropical Dry Forest - the ecosystem that unites both territories - were recognized and stories were intertwined. The memory of the well, dried up by the war, became a symbol of an open wound that still seeks healing.
Towards a School of Arts for Montes de María
In the dialogues among community leaders, the perspectives of caring for the territories with a focus on peace with nature resonated. The creation of a School of Arts for Montes de María was envisioned. A school rooted in the territory, which would promote narratives of poetic justice and heal the relationships between human beings, nature and local spiritualities. This vision includes the voices of water, of the creators of the territory and of the regional autonomous corporations. The proposal is for this school to be itinerant and collectively built. The Sembrando Paz Association and the Ojo de Agua Foundation will continue to weave this dream.
Living Cartographies: the 4D Map of Actors
The first day opened with a sensitive and creative exercise: the creation of a 4D map of actors in Montes de María in relation to the Reserve, using theater methodologies and deep listening tools. In the Casa de Tabla of the Morrocoy Reserve, farmers, public and private organizations, and more than human beings took their place in this living scenography of the territory.
Lessons learned from the Brasilar Reserve
In San Jacinto, the visit to the Reserva Brasilar provided valuable lessons on community organization and collective care. The experience showed how, by uniting neighboring properties as peasant reserves and creating common areas, strategies to protect the territory are strengthened. They learned about peaceful coexistence with the non-human beings that inhabit the reserve and collaborative work for their permanence, through the planting of fruit and food trees, the restriction of cattle grazing and the care of water sources.
Voices of La Pelona: memories of resistance and water
In the village of La Pelona, municipality of San Onofre, Sucre, the dialogue with the community allowed us to listen to their narratives of peace after the forced displacement and return of 12 families. Today, water care projects are being developed there as a means of restoring the link with the territory and memory. Narrating the war and narrating peace become acts of collective healing.
Exchanges that seek to germinate
From this meeting between both territorial foundations - Barichara Regenerative Foundation and Chócoro Creativo Foundation - new seeds emerged: the design of a map of actors of the Tropical Dry Forest, the participation in the Festival of Reconciliation in December 2025 with the documentary Peace, human privilege?and the next steps towards the School of Arts for Montes de María between the Sembrando Paz Association and the Ojo de Agua Cultural Foundation.
These meetings were much more than exchanges of information; they were moments of deep connection, where experiences intertwined, seeds changed hands laden with intention, and shared dreams blossomed with renewed strength. Hope was strengthened by feeling part of a collective movement, understanding that regeneration is a path that is traveled in company.
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