Camilo Saavedra, GHRAD Alum
What is most interesting or unique about your research?
Currently, I'm focusing on studying community-led development initiatives as a tool to rebuild economic livelihoods and social cohesion in post-conflict societies. My ultimate goal is to produce knowledge that enables these types of programs to be successful in such challenging scenarios and create a framework that guides policymakers to replicate them, creating pathways for affected communities towards economic and social recovery.
What do you value most about being part of GHRAD?
The ability to work on projects that have a real impact on human lives. Truth-telling is the first step for reconciliation in societies that have experienced events of mass violence. At GHRAD, we've been working continuously to bring those kinds of stories to light in Burundi through the Digital Oral History Archive project, and we're ready to take the next step by designing programs with the potential to interrupt cycles of mass violence through large-scale research and practical projects like the Ubuntu Systemic Change.
What originally drew you to your field of study?
It was actually during GHRAD's 2022 research trip to Burundi that I decided to focus on sustainable economic recovery and social reconstruction. The stories from survivors, discussions with faculty members, and being able to reconnect with the stories of violence and trauma from my country of origin, Colombia, what drove me to search for ways to create sustainable solutions for some of the most vulnerable communities in the world.