Francisco De Roux
Speaker
Francisco de Roux Rengifo, the current President of the Commission for Truth, Coexistence, and Non-Repetition, is a Colombian Jesuit priest. He pursued studies in philosophy, theology, and economics at Colombian universities. He was a research student at the London School of Economics and earned a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Paris – Sorbonne. In 2016, he received an honorary doctorate from the National University of Colombia. He is widely recognized for his work towards peacebuilding, reconciliation, and the dignification of victims of the Colombian armed conflict.
He served as Deputy Director and Researcher at the Center for Research and Popular Education (Cinep) from 1982 to 1986. He was the Director of the Peace Program of the Society of Jesus and Director of Cinep from 1987 to 1993. In 2008, he was appointed Provincial of the Society of Jesus in Colombia.
Francisco de Roux founded the Development and Peace Corporation of the Middle Magdalena and Colombia’s first peace laboratory in a model of articulation with the church, business, local governments, and social organizations.
He was a pioneer in corporate social responsibility with a territorial focus and a promoter of ‘community enterprises’.
De Roux has mediated various spaces where he managed to bring together former enemies of war at the same table.
In July 2017, and after a process of listening and participation, he facilitated the transformation of victims of the Colombian armed conflict into the focal point of the peace agreements in Havana.
He has written several books, in various languages, some of them in collaboration with other authors, on topics of public ethics, social conflict, and development. Among his most notable works are ‘The Prices of Peace’ and the most recent, ‘The Audacity of Imperfect Peace’.