Research Incubator: Political Militancy and Peace Building

Description:

In the Colombian context, we consider it necessary to promote spaces for understanding and discussion of the armed conflict, the contrasts between the experience of the conflict in rural and urban areas; peace processes, the Final Agreement, its implementation and the current negotiation processes.

Understanding the complexity of this context and of the country's history, we consider that research on political militancy and peacebuilding from the perspective of social actors, through their lives and memories, allows us to understand why people get involved in political movements or non-state armed groups (NSAGs) and how these reasons and motivations influence the dynamics of conflict, violence and peace. It also allows us to understand, on the one hand, the power dynamics, collective identities and demands of individuals and social movements; and on the other hand, democracy, education and culture for peace, and social inclusion.

Researching political militancy and peace building is not only relevant to understand the social and political phenomena themselves, but, we believe, it is also necessary to promote justice, inclusion and stability in societies.

Objectives:

1. To understand the processes by which people get involved in political movements or NEGs, stay in them or leave them, either individually or collectively.
2. To understand how contexts influence these individual decisions, the dynamics of conflict and militancy.
3. From the singular experiences, to understand what societies require for the construction of peace.
4. Finally, to strengthen research competencies in an experiential way.

Line of Research:

1. Peace building, reconciliation and social cohesion.

1. Social actors, biographies and narratives.

1. Democracy, civic education and social inclusion.

1. Understanding the dynamics of conflict, violence and peace (disarmament, demobilization and reintegration).