Causes, preliminary stages and current state of the social conflict in Colombia
Colombia is at the epicenter of the crisis of the neoliberal model in Latin America and shows a structural exhaustion of the clan-based government that prevails in that country. Poverty, repression, violations of the most basic human rights, and state crimes are just some of the manifestations of this deterioration.
In contrast, a social fabric of resistance, response, the construction of alternatives, and the reinvention of local democracy is emerging throughout the country, a fabric whose creative dimensions have yet to be fully appreciated. Colombia is painted with hope amidst the barbarity, which seems to herald that we are on the verge of a new possibility for the democratization of public life, civic engagement, and institutions in that country.
The mainstream media, controlled by big business and the cultural-industrial complex, often echo the criminalization of protest. Therefore, it is urgent to initiate a series of studies, analyses, and debates that showcase the joyful, creative, and popular Colombia that refuses to remain in its current state of oppression.
The International Research Center Other Voices in Education (CII-OVE) has released its first report on the situation in Colombia, clarifying: “It has not been easy, because social actors fear for their lives, personal safety, and freedom amidst the growing repression sweeping the country.” For this report, they have convened a group of experts, researchers, and scholars on the subject, who are monitoring the current situation: Carolina Jiménez, Daniel Libreros, Jorge Forero, Alfonso Insuasty Rodríguez, Martha Alfonso, Carlos Munevar, Luis Bonilla Molina, and Nelson Ortega.
The International Research Center “Other Voices in Education” was created in 2015. It began its public activities with the launch on February 1, 2016 of the “Other Voices in Education” portal, a constantly evolving database that captures educational change trends in real time.
The International Research Center Other Voices in Education (CII-OVE) is a member center of the Latin American Council of Social Sciences (CLACSO) and, through its Global/Glocal Network for Educational Quality project, is part of the Latin American Campaign for the Right to Education. The International Observatory of Educational Reforms and Teacher Policies (OIREPOD) project has developed the International Contact Group to work with teachers' unions and associations worldwide, as well as collectives and individuals involved in critical pedagogies and popular education. CII-OVE is now developing another platform for dialogue and analysis: the regional political analysis network.
The International Research Center Other Voices in Education (CII-OVE) is part of a strategic alliance of Latin American social movements that conducts an open online training program, available on the Other Voices in Education YouTube channel.
CII-OVE has a team of researchers working on educational reforms, change, and resistance in the 21st century
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