Shalom Prize 2025: Award for a peace project from Colombia in Eichstätt

Shalom Prize 2025: Award for a peace project from Colombia in Eichstätt

In a ceremony in the Eichstätter summer residence on June 29, 2025, the Shalom Prize was awarded to the key project “Casa Social Cultural y Memoria” from Buenaventura, Colombia. This award, given by the Shalom Working Group at the Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt, honors human rights initiatives that work for justice and peace. The award ceremony took place in the presence of Carmen Rocío Murillo and Marvin Castro, who accepted the award on behalf of the project. Diocese of Eichstätt reports that Project Casa was launched in 2009 to create a place of peaceful coexistence and address the region's ongoing problem of gang violence and drug wars.

The city of Buenaventura, Colombia's largest port city, has been affected by armed conflict and structural violence for years. The Shalom Prize honors the Casa Social Cultural y Memoria as a symbol of peace and hope. This facility offers spaces for encounters, artistic expression and remembrance work, especially for women, young people and marginalized groups. In her speech, Ulrike Schurr-Schöpfel, spokeswoman for the Shalom working group, emphasized the value of such spaces, especially in times of social division and dehumanization. In addition, Prof. Dr. Thomas Fischer presented the Casa as a safe retreat in his laudatory speech. Mayor Josef Grienberger emphasized the importance of art as a language of self-empowerment. AK Shalom reminds that the Casa offers a variety of activities, from mural painting to political education courses, to strengthen the community.

Challenges in Colombia

But the situation in Colombia remains fragile. The latest report on the human rights situation by Kolko shows that the country continues to suffer from the pressure of internal armed conflicts. The humanitarian crisis is worsening as eight non-state armed groups fight for influence. The number of murders and massacres is increasing alarmingly - over 13,550 murders and 98 massacres with 320 deaths in 2023 alone are indicative of the serious challenges facing the population. In addition, women, children, young people and ethnic minorities are disproportionately affected by violence. The Casa plays a key role in this context by creating spaces for healing and reconciliation.

The moral support generated by the awards ceremony and international attention is of enormous importance to Murillo and Castro. In their acceptance speech they emphasized how important this recognition is for their work at the Casa.

The Shalom Prize in focus

The Shalom Prize has been awarded for over four decades and has become one of the most highly endowed civil society human rights prizes in Europe. In recent years, the Shalom working group has been able to collect around 30,000 euros in donations, which are used exclusively to support the award winner. In 2023, the prize money will be used to finance mural painting workshops, exchange ideas with the population and create additional spaces for urban peace. The public award ceremony and the accompanying exhibition on the topic of Safe Spaces take place as part of World Refugee Day and show the relevance of art and social commitment in times of crisis.

In summary, the work of Casa Social Cultural y Memoria remains a beacon in the conflict-torn Buenaventura region and a powerful witness to the power of community, art and human rights advocacy in a challenging time.