Abstract
For the many years of Colombia’s civil war, youth have been trying to find their way in complicated and dangerous situations. A central component of this is their relationship with armed groups, something that has evolved considerably over the past ten years. This practice note examines the context within which these connections are formed and the implications this has for self/social identity and meaningful resistance. The ideas in this practice note are based on consultations with young Colombians, particularly those displaced from 2000-2013. These sessions included art activities, focus groups and individual interviews. Art activities involved descriptive and expressive projects so that participants could explore their feelings and memories of situations and experiences. This provided a base for group discussions where youth exchanged information and debated issues. A total of 34 workshops were held over a twelve year period. These consultations revealed how war flows all over young people, touching every aspect of their identity. The boundaries between the personal and political no longer exist in today’s civil wars, if indeed they every truly did. Young people growing up inside Colombia’s war understand this at a deep level. An acknowledgement of this pain – showing the connections between the personal and political dimensions of war – is, they would maintain, the basis for their personal healing as well as an important tool for the building of sustainable peace.
Highlights
This poem was written by a young Colombian male from Soacha, a city located just outside Bogotá which is primarily made up of displaced people
Violence has permeated all aspects of the poet’s life, and has been a major consideration in all his relationships and activities. He is struggling to create an identity that is not solely defined by his circumstances. This practice note focuses on the situation of Colombian youth trying to find their way through complicated and dangerous situations
I examine the context in which these connections are formed, and the implications they have for the development of social identities and meaningful resistance
Summary
For the many years of Colombia’s civil war, youth have been trying to find their way in complicated and dangerous situations. A central component of this is their relationship with armed groups, something that has evolved considerably over the past ten years This practice note examines the context within which these connections are formed and the implications this has for self/social identity and meaningful resistance. The ideas in this practice note are based on consultations with young Colombians, those displaced from 2000-2013. Art activities involved descriptive and expressive projects so that participants could explore their feelings and memories of situations and experiences This provided a base for group discussions where youth exchanged information and debated issues. An acknowledgement of this pain – showing the connections between the personal and political dimensions of war – is, they would maintain, the basis for their personal healing as well as an important tool for the building of sustainable peace
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