Peace Education, Stigma and Reflections in Ciudad Bolivar

One of the main streets at the very top of the mountain

Move This World Colombia has begun a partnership with Fundacion Nueva Vida in Cuidad Bolivar. Ciudad Bolivar is one of the poorest districts of Bogota with a wicked reputation. It is known for its poverty, gangs, drug use and criminal activity. Many of the district’s residents are families and individuals who have been displaced by the internal armed conflict with guerilla movements and paramilitaries and those who have been displaced by conflict generated from narco-trafficking. Many individuals who live in the North of Bogota have never ventured into the “South.” I had the opportunity to participate in Junior Peace Mover trainings and to attend our first of 15 workshops for 2 youth groups within the Fundacion. I will also be responsible for facilitating these sessions on Saturdays with other Peace Movers. Some of my initial observations about Ciudad Bolivar:

• Given its reputation very few NGOs or social organizations operate in the area, depriving an already vulnerable population of additional and beneficial services.
• The stigma that accompanies the district discourages residents of Northern Bogota from entering the district thusly limiting the number of Colombians from volunteering their time on social projects.
• There is also a geographic challenge as many parts of Ciudad Bolivar are extremely isolated from transportation. The Transmileno (the main bus service in Bogota) offers complimentary buses that go up the mountains to the highest points of the district, but there are still many unpaved roads that are inaccessible by bus. Many of the Fundacion’s participants have to walk or bus over 30-60 minutes just to participate in activities.
• The realities of the neighborhood (criminal/gang/drug activity is a real occurrence) forces the Fundacion’s activities to be very conscious of time and night fall, thusly limiting operational hours and accessibility.
• The realities also force visitors to be extremely careful with what they bring with them, i.e. reduced ability to bring lap-tops, cameras and other useful materials for the learning process.
• The stigma, which leads to, a lack of outside participation, support and projects generates a cycle which reproduces inequalities, ensuring that certain areas of the city will receive these services and potentially develop while creating a larger challenge on Ciudad Bolivar.
• The city government is taking strides to help deliver basic services to the district and there are many road projects currently in construction.

The view of Ciudad Bolivar and other parts of Bogota

My experiences thus far in this district have been positive, with the Junior Peace Movers showing me local cafes and stores and recommending where I can buy dulces (since I have an unbelievable sweet tooth) and what is the best bus stop to get off on. This experience, and I am sure it will become more nuanced as I spend more time with this group, raises the question of how to reduce stigma of a place. 

Some of my questions have been:

o   How to encourage development or conflict resolution programs/projects in an area that many people are scared to venture to?

o   How to create community buy-in, especially for when these projects are generally ‘future-oriented’ (or at least long term) when many families live day-to-day?

o   How to create a mutually beneficial relationship between people from within the community and people outside of the community so that both parties can learn and grow?

As a final thought related to my introductory experiences in Ciduad Bolivar have been how to logistically implement MTW peace education curriculum (or for that matter any type of peace education curriculum) for this specific population or any specific population (i.e. youth, rural populations, indigenous populations, those living in extreme poverty, IDP populations etc.). This experience, in translating some of the educational material and work discussions, has generated some thoughts:

§  How to ensure that high level ‘academic’ or ‘theoretical’ concepts can clearly be translated to a young population? What is the best, or most effective, way to communicate the essence of these theories to a youth population or an uneducated population?

§  What is the most effective way to encourage parent participation, especially when parents face other competing priorities (long work days, other children, single parents, geographic distance, cost of child participating in activities)?

§  What is the most effective way or ways to reinforce core concepts (of peace, conflict resolution, violence prevention) for youth (or any given population) so that they translate into every day practices?

An example of graffiti adorning the public spaces of Cuidad Bolivar

I look forward to continue working with the Junior Peace Movers and the rest of the youth participating in our workshops at Fundacion Nueva Vida and continuing to learn more about Ciudad Bolivar.