Colombian Nobel Peace Prize laureate: Dialogue important for resolving conflicts
Former Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos has stressed the need for dialogue in resolving the ongoing conflicts around the world.
Santos was Colombia's president from 2010 to 2018. He was awarded the 2016 Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to bring an end to the civil war that continued for more than a half a century.
Santos spoke with NHK in Tokyo on Thursday. He is a chair of the Elders, an organization of former global leaders working to prevent and resolve conflicts. He is visiting Japan to attend a symposium and other events.
Santos first referred to the current state of affairs, 80 years after the end of World War Two. Noting that many conflicts are ongoing around the world, he expressed grave concern that the risk of a nuclear war has increased.
Santos added, "We are seeing nuclear powers increasing their arsenals and even threatening each other with the use of nuclear bombs. So it's not a very encouraging situation."
He went on to say that, in order to make peace, "you need to put yourself in the shoes of the other person or the adversaries or the enemies, understand their way of thinking, why they are doing what they're doing."
He stressed the need to have dialogue to "hear and learn from the other" to reach common ground, instead of "imposing your views on the other."
Referring to his own experience, Santos said, "every conflict can be solved."
He said empathy, compassion, patience and perseverance are needed. He added, "You need to understand the conditions that are necessary and create them."
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