World Questions: Colombia and Peace

Recording for the first time in Latin America, BBC World Questions comes to Bogota, Colombia, as the country seeks a recipe for peace and an end to one of the world's longest running conflicts. President Juan Manuel Santos has been awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace, but the people rejected his deal with the leader of The FARC in a referendum.

Featuring a distinguished panel of key voices, BBC World Questions will provide an opportunity to discuss the future for Colombia at this key moment in its history.

The panel includes: Sergio Jaramillo, Colombia's High Commissioner for Peace; Senator Ivan Duque, of the Movement Democratic Centre; Mariela Kohon, Director of Justice for Colombia and Advisor to the Peace Delegation of The FARC, and María Emma Wills Obregón, who leads the Department of Gender and Women at Colombia's Historical Memory Commission. The debate will be lead entirely by questions from the audience who will be able to have their say and be heard round the world.

Mary Hockaday, Controller BBC World Service English, said: “Colombia has been ravaged by decades of violent conflict and it’s now at the crossroads. At this critical moment, the BBC World Service brings World Questions to Bogota where a distinguished panel and an audience will discuss what the future holds. We’re thrilled to be coming to Colombia and to be sharing such an important debate with the rest of the world.”

Tom Miscioscia, Director of the British Council in Colombia, said: “We are delighted to be partnering with the BBC in delivering World Questions for their first recording in Latin America. This programme generates space for open and independent debates on current affairs, which supports the British Council’s objective of promoting cultural relations worldwide. We believe that connecting people globally makes a powerful and lasting contribution to a more peaceful, tolerant and prosperous world.”

BBC World Service delivers news content around the world in English and 28 other language services, including BBC Mundo, on radio, TV and digital, reaching a weekly audience of 246 million.

BBC World Questions is an English-language event staged in partnership with the British Council. As a cultural relations and educational organization and partner of the BBC World Service, the British Council, helps to enable a platform where the general public can join in on democratic debate on a global forum.

World Questions will be recorded at the Luis Angel Arango Library’s Concert Hall on 5th December at 6pm.

To join in the debate and be part of the audience please apply for free tickets here: www.britishcouncil.co/en/events/bbc-world-questions-public-debate

BBC World Questions: Colombia and Peace will be available on www.bbc.com/worldserviceradio from Saturday 10 December 2000-2100 GMT (15.00 Local Time)