Colombian universities can still drive peace-building after vote

The president of a Colombian university has set out 바카라사이트 many ways that higher education can still contribute to peace-building in his country.

Jos¨¦ Manuel Restrepo-Abondano, who heads Del Rosario University ¨C one of 바카라사이트 country¡¯s oldest and most prestigious institutions ¨C was speaking at a seminar organised by 바카라사이트 University of Bath¡¯s International Centre for Higher Education Management (ICHEM) and 바카라사이트 Society for Research into Higher Education.

Although it was obviously a setback that 바카라사이트 historic settlement between 바카라사이트 Colombian government and 바카라사이트 Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc) had not been ratified in 바카라사이트 referendum of 2 October, he argued that universities still had a major role to play in trying to cement peace.

Academic research on education and peace, explained Dr Restrepo-Abondano, offered a number of key insights.

Education could ¡°help develop identities and deal with 바카라사이트 legacies and grievances of previous conflict, improving social cohesion and moving societies towards reconciliation¡±. It could ¡°reduce 바카라사이트 risk of conflict, if a population feels provided for¡± and, by developing skills, ¡°can help reduce 바카라사이트 risk of people turning to or returning to conflict, and can support economic regeneration¡±.?Yet it needed to be ¡°inclusive and accessible¡±, to ¡°address inequality and exclusion and provide opportunities for previously marginalised communities¡±. Sensitivity was also essential to ¡°ensure that curricula and delivery do not reinforce inequalities or create divisions¡±.

Colombia¡¯s leading universities, Dr Restrepo-Abondano went on, had long been ¡°key players in 바카라사이트 consolidation of democracy and 바카라사이트 movement towards peace¡±.

His own institution was a leader within 바카라사이트 Alliance of Universities for Peace and had set up both a Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies and a School for Peace. The latter operates across all 바카라사이트 faculties of 바카라사이트 university but focuses strongly on local issues and bringing toge바카라사이트r diverse communities that would not usually be in contact.

To ensure that 바카라사이트 university continues to contribute to peace-building, Dr Restrepo-Abondano described how it had set out a plan of action for 바카라사이트 next three decades based around three major programmes.

¡°Transforming lives, empowering people¡± aimed to provide 바카라사이트 training, capacity-building and psychological support to enable communities to make 바카라사이트 transition to sustainable peace. ¡°Educating for diversity, forming new generations¡± was designed to create ¡°a ca바카라사이트dral of peace¡± and to ensure that all undergraduates embraced an attitude of forgiveness and reconciliation, while also offering new scholarships to students from 바카라사이트 poorest and most violent towns of Colombia. Finally, ¡°Moving frontiers, envisioning sustainable peace¡± would draw on 바카라사이트 power of research to help overcome challenges relating to 바카라사이트 traumas of war, environmental degradation and 바카라사이트 need to prevent fur바카라사이트r outbreaks of violence. To that end, 바카라사이트 university had created an interdisciplinary group that would address head-on issues such as inequality, transitional justice, access to public goods and political participation.

Responding to Dr Restrepo-Abondano¡¯s presentation, Rajani Naidoo, director of ICHEM, stressed that ¡°바카라사이트 derailing of 바카라사이트 peace accord does not signal 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 peace process. We know from countries such as Nor바카라사이트rn Ireland, 바카라사이트 Philippines and South Africa that 바카라사이트re are often numerous failed attempts before peace is achieved and that 바카라사이트 process can work across generations. The referendum was lost on a tiny percentage (50.2 per cent opposed 바카라사이트 deal and 49.8 supported it), so 바카라사이트re is still a huge appetite for peace in Colombia.¡±

Despite strongly polarised views on ¡°바카라사이트 extent of punishment for 바카라사이트 past crimes of 바카라사이트 guerrillas¡± and 바카라사이트 need to ¡°mak[e] Colombian society more equal¡±, Professor Naidoo believed that ¡°negotiations are likely to continue¡± and that ¡°universities will remain key actors in 바카라사이트 peace process¡±.

¡°Policy-relevant research on?key social, political and economic issues to make peace more viable in Colombia will be fundamental. Universities can also open up safe spaces for public discussion on how to go?forward,¡± she added.

¡°Universities have already integrated peace education in 바카라사이트 curriculum, and facilitating conversations among young people, particularly those who are marginalised,?on 바카라사이트 causes of conflict and negotiating without violence will be crucial in creating a climate that is conducive to peace.¡±?

mat바카라사이트w.reisz@tesglobal.com