Abstract

WILCHES TINJACA, Jaime Andrés  and  HERNANDEZ PEREZ, Mauricio. University youth: perceptions and surveys regarding armed conflict and peace in Colombia. Reflexiones [online]. 2016, vol.95, n.2, pp.33-35. ISSN 1659-2859.

The purpose of this paper is to find conceptual guidelines and methodological strategies used to identify civil society’s reactions to the current peace process between the government of Juan Manuel Santos and the Colombian Revolutionary Armed Forces (FARC). It was found that perception surveys are the preferred strategy of think tanks, researchers and the media, to justify their perspectives regarding the analysis of a negotiated end of the conflict. According to this, a methodological proposal was formulated in order to apply a survey to five hundred university students from both private and public universities. The results showed that questions associated to a dichotomy war/peace are easier to answer than the ones associated to the recognition of actors, discourses and strategies that have influenced the understanding of Colombia’s armed struggle. Even more complex when a proposal or idea for a solution in a possible scenario of post-conflict is requested. Lastly, some considerations are made that invite to build pedagogical strategies to influence young people (as key actors) to abandon the prejudices, lack of knowledge and indifference associated with the challenges that the construction of peace involves.

Keywords : Peace Process; University; Social representations; Post-conflict; Pedagogy.

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