I first met Adam Kahane, author of Transformative Scenario Planning, in 1996 when, on behalf of the Good Government Foundation, I invited him to come to our country. Colombia was at that time going through a very difficult situation, plunged into political instability and violence. I had been referred to Kahane by President Nelson Mandela, following the successful “Mont Fleur” scenarios process which Kahane had led in South Africa during the transition from apartheid.

Kahane helped us with a very interesting exercise. We gathered representatives from all sectors of Colombian society: from the government and the opposition; peasants and large landowners; trade unionists and industrialists; academics, politicians and retired military; and also members of the paramilitary groups and guerrilla leaders, who participated by telephone because they were sub-judice. That meeting, which seemed highly unlikely, gave way to a process of discussion, reflection, and analysis never before seen in Colombia. Following the methodology proposed by Kahane, this diverse and complex group discussed in depth the reality of the country and the paths it could take in the future.

The group together created the document Destino Colombia (Destination Colombia), in which four possible scenarios were contemplated.

They were entitled: “Tomorrow will come and we will see,” “Better a bird in the hand,” “Everyone march,” and “Union makes strength.” These scenarios were widely shared in the media and through small and large meetings all around the country. They became a well-known touchstone for Colombians about the choices they faced. Fifteen years later when I was elected President of my country, I found it breathtaking to read the scenarios again, as they had an almost prophetic clarity in the way they had drawn the path towards peace in different stages. Today, I consider the Destino Colombia process to be one of the most significant events in my country’s search for peace.