ATONEMENT is one of the most powerful ideas — it requires honesty, forgiveness, generosity, and above all, great courage and humility. 

Colombia's president has said he will donate more than €887,000 of his Nobel Peace Prize money to the victims of Colombia's 50-year conflict.

Colombia's government and rebel leaders have signed a historic peace agreement to end 50 years of war that has killed more than 220,000 people.

A permanent ceasefire has taken effect in Colombia, the latest step in bringing an end to 52 years of bloody combat between the government and the country’s biggest rebel group.

A permanent ceasefire is taking effect in Colombia, in the latest step to bring an end to 52 years of bloody combat between the government and the country's biggest rebel group.

A peace agreement has been signed to bring an end to a long-running conflict in Colombia which has claimed more than 200,000 lives.

The Colombian government and rebel group FARC have reached a deal on a bilateral ceasefire that would be the last major step toward ending one of the world's longest wars.

Here’s a briefing on some of the stories and issues highlighted on irishexaminer.com today

Eamon Gilmore believes Europe can offer tangible support to Colombia as it embarks on its peace process, writes Ann Cahill Europe Correspondent

Colombian president Juan Manuel Santos and the top Farc rebel commander have pledged to end the 50-year war within the next six months, sealing their pact with a handshake likely to stand as a lasting image in the South American nation.

The scale of the illegal drugs business, the violence, the complicity of bankers in laundering money and the absolute power of the drug barons is beyond comprehension. Cormac O’Keeffe on an escalating world crisis.

Colombia’s Marxist FARC rebels have invited the newly-crowned Miss Universe Paulina Vega, a native of the country’s Caribbean coast, to attend their peace negotiations with the government, in a bid to end 50 years of fighting.

Colombia’s government has rebuffed a unilateral truce declared by the country’s largest rebel group, saying conditions demanded by the guerrillas are unacceptable until a peace deal is reached.

Armed with nothing more than a t-shirt and and unwavering belief in the rights of the underdog, Caroline O’Doherty profiles the Peace Brigades International.

Caroline O’Doherty visits Colombia and finds that communities viciously displaced from their lands are fighting back

Colombia and leftist FARC rebels have reached a deal on land reform, one of the most contentious items in negotiations aimed at ending five decades of insurgency.

The Colombian government and the country’s biggest rebel group have reached a deal on land reform – one of their main bones of contention – after months of slow-moving peace talks in Cuba’s capital.

Four Chinese oil workers employed by a British company have been freed in the southern jungles where they were kidnapped 17 months ago.

A suitcase bomb exploded near a town square where 5,000 children were celebrating Halloween, killing two suspected bombers and injuring 37 people, including two boys who were in a critical condition in hospital today, authorities in Colombia said.

A judge has revoked the acquittal of a leftist guerrilla accused in the killings of three Americans in Colombia in 1999 and ordered his arrest, the Attorney General’s Office said.

Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez said he is willing to help Colombia's government and leftist FARC rebels broker a peace deal and congratulated both sides on taking steps to end the Western Hemisphere's longest-running conflict.

Colombia’s government has opened “exploratory talks” with the country’s main rebel group to try to end a stubborn 50-year-old conflict.

Indigenous people angry at being forced to live in the crossfire of Colombia's long-running civil conflict jeered President Juan Manuel Santos as he visited their war-ravaged south western region.

A notorious arms dealer dubbed the “Merchant of Death” has been sentenced to 25 years in prison following his conviction on terrorism charges.

Colombia's largest rebel group said it was ready to start freeing 10 soldiers and police officers who have been held prisoner for up to 14 years.

A lunchtime bomb exploded outside a police station in Colombia’s Pacific port city of Tumaco, killing at six people and wounding 71.

The leader of Colombia's main rebel group, Alfonso Cano, has been killed in combat hours after his nearby camp was bombed, authorities have said.

BENEATH the unusually warm September sunny skies, the seven hopefuls arrived full of gusto to the RTÉ studios for the first of the presidential debates.

Brad Pitt is being lined up to star in hostage drama 'The Mission'.

Colombian rebels released a fourth captive but a planned handover of two others did not occur.

A SUSPECTED Russian arms dealer dubbed the “Merchant of Death” was flown out of Thailand to face trial in the United States following a long legal battle and fierce opposition from Moscow.

COLOMBIA’S military killed the field marshal and number two commander of the country’s main leftist rebel group in bombing raids, authorities said.

An appeal court in Thailand ruled today to extradite suspected Russian arms smuggler Viktor Bout to the United States, effectively ending a nearly 25-year chase for the man dubbed The Merchant of Death.

Juan Manuel Santos, Colombia’s 59th president, declared himself open to dialogue with rebels in the hope of ending his country’s nearly 50 year conflict.

A former defence minister from a powerful political clan who oversaw a major weakening of leftist rebels won Colombia’s presidency, routing an eccentric outsider in a runoff.

A car bomb ripped open cars and storefronts in the administrative centre of Colombia’s Pacific port of Buenaventura, killing six people and wounding more than 30, authorities said.

President Hugo Chavez accused Colombia and the United States of plotting to set up a fake rebel camp on Venezuelan soil to discredit his government.

President Hugo Chavez told his military to be prepared for a possible confrontation with Colombia, warning that Bogota’s plans to increase the US military presence at its bases posed a threat to Venezuela.

TWO features of modern life are:

Colombia’s largest rebel group wants to exchange the remains of an official who died in its custody for those of two rebels.