Psychosocial approaches to peace-building in Colombia / Stella Sacipa-Rodriguez, Maritza Montero, editors

This edited volume summarizes the work of a research group, called Social Bonds and Cultures of Peace that accompanies and supports victims of socio-political violence in Columbia. The individual chapters focus on the ongoing violence in the Colombian context, a complex and dynamic area in which various groups (drug traffickers, national armed forces, guerrilla fighters, self-defence groups) have been engaged in organized violence for more than 60 years. Emphasis is placed on the psychological consequences of violence and various forms of psychosocial support that psychologists have been providing to the victims of violence. Central to their work is the notion of "accompanying" those who have been victims of violence, listening to them, engaging them in dialogue and working together to strengthen the resources of victims. The recovery of individual and collective memories of atrocities is discussed as an important avenue for healing and for the empowerment of individuals and groups. The solidarity among victims creates opportunities at the grassroots level to pursue truth, reveal perpetrators of violence, seek public acknowledgment and attain social justice. For perpetrators of violence and members of armed groups, the book addresses a host of psychosocial issues related to disarming, demobilizing and reintegrating former combatants, including children, into society. Throughout the book, in the spirit of peace psychology, the researchers are engaged in a form of praxis that is cognizant of the wider geohistorical context within which victims and perpetrators are embedded and the dialectical relationship between micro and macro-level events and change. Researchers in Latin American studies, peace psychology, social justice and transitional justice, will find this volume to be an excellent resource. This edited volume summarizes and expands upon the important work of a research group, Social Bonds and Cultures of Peace, that accompanies and supports victims of socio-political violence in Columbia. Grounding the volume is an introductory overview of Colombian political violence in the recent past, as well as an exploration of the role of peace psychology in conflict situations and in the broader content of the field of psychology. The following chapters, written by active peace psychologists and researchers based in Colombia, focus on ongoing violence in the Colombian context, a complex and dynamic area in which various groups (drug traffickers, national armed forces, guerrilla fighters, self-defence groups) have been engaged in organized violence for more than 60 years. Psychosocial Approaches to Peace-Building in Colombia explores the psychological dynamics of both the victims and perpetrators of conflict. Central to the volume is the notion of "accompanying" those who have been victims of violence, listening to them, engaging them in dialogue, and working together to strengthen the resources of victims. The recovery of individual and collective memories of atrocities is discussed as an important avenue for healing and for the empowerment of individuals and groups. The solidarity among victims creates opportunities at the grassroots level to pursue truth, reveal perpetrators of violence, seek public acknowledgment and attain social justice. For perpetrators of violence and members of armed groups, the book addresses a host of psychosocial issues related to disarming, demobilizing and reintegrating former combatants, including children, into society. Throughout the book, in the spirit of peace psychology, the researchers are engaged in a form of praxis that is cognizant of the wider geohistorical context within which victims and perpetrators are embedded and the dialectical relationship between micro and macro-level events and change. This volum e is an excellent resource for researchers and scholars in Latin American studies, peace psychology, social and clinical psychology, social justice, and transitional justice, and all those committed to ending and healing from conflict situations around the world Front Matter....Pages i-xxi Front Matter....Pages 1-1 Introduction....Pages 3-15 Historical Data About the Colombian Violence Strife....Pages 17-19 Front Matter....Pages 21-21 Peace Cultures and Cultural Practices in Colombia....Pages 23-40 Reflections on the Psychological Damage of People Exposed to War Situations in Colombia....Pages 41-57 To Feel and to Re-signify Forced Displacement in Colombia....Pages 59-74 Personal Resources and Empowerment in a Psychosocial Accompaniment Process....Pages 75-87 Memory, Narrative, and the Social Transformation of Reality....Pages 89-110 Discourse as a Strategy for the Construction of Peace Cultures....Pages 111-120 Genderization and Links with Illegal Armed Groups in Colombia....Pages 121-136 Eight Cultures of Peace Indicators Applied to Colombian Conflict During 2002–2006....Pages 137-151 Back Matter....Pages 153-155