PROCEDURAL NOVELTIES ON CIVIL SOCIETY'S PARTICIPATION AT PEACE NEGOTIATIONS. A COMPARATIVE PERSPECTIVE ON PEACE DIALOGS BETWEEN GUATEMALA AND COLOMBIA

The participation of civil society in peace negotiations contributes to democratize, legitimize and sustain the peace accords. The peace processes in Guatemala and Colombia offers us several lessons on the viability and limitations of the advisory participation, in which the civil society make contributions, but the decision-making is maintained by the elites of the combatant parties. This work focuses on the innovative methodological aspects of both processes, in which, despite the wide participation, they lost plebiscites about the peace accords. The participation in peace negotiations should be as broad as possible, including the main opposition in the process to ensure sustainable peace.