This study examines the impetuses for altruistic behavior of Colombian human rights activists, all of whom experienced politically based trauma. Thirty-five human rights activists participated in individual interviews conducted between 1998 and 2009. Results of the analysis are illustrated in nine themes: affirmation of self despite fear, indignation, a search for meaning, spirituality, justice to build peace, leaving a legacy of peace and agency for the next generation, support by others, and recognition and equity for ethnic minorities and for women. It is the hope of the author that these results contribute to the examination of how healing and altruism endure even in times of civil conflict and often as a result of such times, all of which ultimately leads to the betterment of community life.
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