Diana Degner (Tovar-Rojas) is a Colombian political scientist, peacebuilder, conflict transformation & restorative justice practitioner. She has studied and practiced human rights, international humanitarian law, dialogical, war-to-peace transitions, restorative justice processes, racial justice, trauma healing, meditation and art-based embodied practice. Due to her father’s kidnappings by the FARC guerrilla group, her personal, professional and spiritual journeys have been focused on discovering processes that transform violence into individual and collective healing and peace.
In 2012, she coordinated S-CAR – PUJ Field Experience project in Soacha, Colombia, where participants analyzed transitional justice process, in particular the Victims’ Law. Then, interned with the Juvenile Probation Department in Chicago, Illinois, were she discovered how restorative justice processes, in particular circles, re-story and restore lives of adolescents. From 2013-2015, worked for UNICEF Colombia assisting the design and elaboration process of their 2015-2019 Country Program Document (CPD) and resource mobilization strategies for the programmatic areas.
From September 2016 – October 2018, Diana contributed to strengthen The Center for Justice and Peacebuilding‘s alumni network(s) increasing the impact of their work. As circle-keeper, she continues co-creating and facilitating restorative justice processes. She holds an MA in Conflict Transformation from CJP.