Guide to Agonistic Pedagogy: A tool for a transitional justice.

The Colombian Commission for the Clarification of Truth, Coexistence, and Nonrepetition (hereafter ‘Truth Commission’ or CEV) has been recognized by academics and professionals across the world as a key part of Colombia’s peacebuilding infrastructure. These supporters have praised its innovative institutional design, commitment to the inclusion of diverse and unique perspectives, and collaboration and co-creation with communities and allies in nearly every region of Colombia as well as persons outside of the country. Its operational procedures, which allowed it to go beyond traditional Western approaches, facilitated the inclusion of diverse voices and ways of knowing. These foundational principles led to further innovations in its outputs, including its recognition and inclusion of art as a form of testimony.It is within the framework of the analysis stemming from the practical experience of the Truth Commission and its innovations within the worlds of peacebuilding and transitional justice that this guide has been developed, offering a theoretical and practical engagement with the work of the Commission. This guide contributes to the pedagogical activities for the dissemination of the Commission’s work while also preserving some of the most distinct elements of the Commission’s institutional design and operational procedures.The purpose of this guide, which introduces an agonistic approach, is to offer a theory of change which is rooted in the importance of contestation as a mechanism of transformation.The final version of this guide is the result of a collaborative workshop held at the Pontifical Javeriana University in Bogotá in June 2025. This version was enriched by the reflections and input shared between allies of the Truth Commission during the workshop. We would like to thank María Lucia Zapata, Edgar Antonio López, Rosa Judy Arias, Santiago Fonseca y Juliana Suárez, professors and students of the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana; Diego Junca from the Plataforma Diálogos Improbables; Maria Eduarda Kobayashi Rossi from the University of Notre Dame; María del Pilar Barbosa from the Fundación Acordemos and Reconectando; Nancy Emilce Carvajal Medina and Jhonatan Arley Bernal Amizquila from the Pedagogical and Technical University of Colombia and Reconectando; Tatiana Pineda Piñeros and Daniela Soacha Pardo from the Network of Allies of the Truth Commission; María Eugenia Díaz Ramirez and Beatriz Vejarano Villaveces from Rodeemos el Diálogo; Angélica Vasquez, researcher in Aesthetic Research; and Alexandra Bernal Pardo of the Alta Consejería para las Víctimas in Bogotá for their contributions during the workshop.