In this episode of the Just Access Podcast, we continue our conversation with Paula Vargas, Associate at the Institute for Integrated Transitions (IFIT) in Bogotá, where she leads the organisation’s transitional justice work in Colombia and Latin America.
Paula discusses her work at IFIT, a think tank and NGO supporting countries moving from conflict to peace and from authoritarian rule to democracy. She explains how IFIT combines research, expert networks, policy advice, and practical support to help local actors address complex challenges related to peacebuilding and transitional justice.
The conversation explores how international expertise can support local peace processes without imposing external solutions. Paula reflects on why comparative experiences are most useful when they provide lessons, questions, and options rather than models to copy. Drawing on Colombia’s experience, she discusses how countries can learn from both achievements and challenges when designing transitional justice mechanisms.
Paula also explains how IFIT brings together experts from different disciplines and regions to respond to crises and develop practical recommendations. She highlights the importance of dialogue between international actors and local communities and why effective support must be grounded in local realities. The episode also explores the concept of the “presumption of conformity” in peace agreements: the idea that agreements reached through legitimate processes and containing safeguards for victims, accountability, truth, and reparations should be presumed consistent with international law.
Finally, Paula reflects on the opportunities and challenges of working as an NGO in conflict and post-conflict settings and shares advice for those interested in careers in human rights, peacebuilding, and transitional justice.
What will you learn?
• How IFIT supports peacebuilding and transitional justice processes
• Why international support must complement local expertise
• What Colombia’s experience can teach other countries
• Why comparative lessons are more valuable than one-size-fits-all solutions
• What the “presumption of conformity” means for peace agreements
• The role of NGOs in conflict and post-conflict settings
• Advice for future human rights practitioners
🧠 Topics Covered
• Transitional justice
• Peacebuilding
• Colombia’s peace process
• International law
• Human rights and accountability
• NGOs and conflict settings
👤 About the Guest
Paula Vargas is an Associate at the Institute for Integrated Transitions (IFIT) based in Bogotá, Colombia, where she leads IFIT’s transitional justice work in Colombia and Latin America. Her work focuses on peace implementation, transitional justice, international law, and human rights. Before joining IFIT, she worked at Colombia’s Ministry of Defense during the implementation of the peace agreement with the FARC.
📚 Resources & Links
• Just Access Podcast – https://just-access.de/podcast
• Learn more about Just Access – https://just-access.de/
• Learn more about IFIT – https://ifit-transitions.org/
• Support Just Access – https://just-access.de/donate
• Contact the show – podcast@just-access.de
⏱ Key Moments
• 01:00 – Paula’s work at IFIT
• 04:00 – Responding to crises through expert networks
• 07:00 – Balancing international support and local ownership
• 10:00 – Lessons from Colombia’s transitional justice experience
• 13:00 – The presumption of conformity
• 16:00 – The role of NGOs in peace processes
• 20:00 – Advice for future practitioners
Call to Action
Help Just Access continue creating conversations about human rights, justice, and accountability by sharing this episode, leaving a review, and supporting our work:
👉 https://just-access.de/donate
Because everyone can be a human rights defender.
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