the elimination of the different types of violence requires something more than just constitutional, legal or institutional changes. It requires true revolutionary changes that dismantle the basis of exploitation and social exclusion of all human beings.
After Hamas attacked Israel, I noticed many people ignoring the long-lasting, structural violence that has been going on against the Palestinians and analyzing this attack as a sudden phenomenon
I was not excited at first about the proposal, but as he insisted and ex-fighters started to get killed all over the country, I rethought the idea. What if I got killed? Then the only versions of my life would be those told by the BBC, Geen Stijl or RCN television. By then, I hadn’t even considered writing a book so I said yes.
We all know that history is written by the victors, the hegemonic power. About the FARC a lot has been said. Probably a lot of it is true, and probably a lot of it is crap.
To use direct violence is a choice, but to use structural or cultural violence is ALSO a choice, let’s never forget that. It is a choice made by people who hide behind the curtains of laws, companies, bureaucracy, and political correctness.
Media have a huge responsibility in conflicts. They take sides to “help” define the good ones and the bad ones. This is not new.
Then another, less positive, idea came up in my mind: under former governments, elite governments, these children would have died. I believe they would have never made such incredible efforts in terms of money and manpower in order to rescue four indigenous children…
it was heartwarming to hear a government negotiator recognizing exactly what most people fail to recognize – in a completely transparent, selfless and public exercise of self-criticism: most ex-FARC members complied
This article is an adaption of the original article in Spanish: La reincorporación en el marco de la Paz Total, published in Medina Gallego, C. 2022. Paz Total, insumos para la formulación de una política pública integral de Paz, Universidad Nacional de Colombia In order to achieve a successful reintegration
People ask me frequently what is the most important lesson I learned during my jungle years. One thing, for sure (although admittedly not the most important) is that a human being doesn’t need much. Or at least we don’t need as much as we think we do. An example: During