Being young is closely linked to exposure to conflict\u2014a conflict that, far from being an accomplice to violence, has been the means through which injustices have been brought to light in the pursuit of social transformation. To understand the epistemology of \u201cconflict\u201d through the lived reality of the streets of Manizales, one must first recognize that, in addition to being the first step toward violence, conflict arises in young people\u2019s lives from inequalities in access to a dignified life, from the invisible barriers in neighborhoods made vulnerable by the system, from the mental health crisis, and from the rivalry arising from the instrumentalized politicization of social issues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That conflict (which remains unresolved) has caused administrative, institutional, and social delays on the path toward building peace in these territories. Thus, within the current neoliberal system, young people in the city of Manizales have been caught up in the logic of the overexploitation of bodies and the individualization of communal life; in this social context, diverse youth groups from different regions of Colombia coexist, reflecting possibilities for the future in Manizales. For these reasons, the mental health crisis, in addition to being a public health issue, is also a biopolitical matter influenced by a lack of connection to the local territory, the pressure to build a solid academic and career path, and a city that still faces challenges in including young people\u2019s voices in decision-making.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(...) Through cultural performances and collective action, young people have found in their \u2018political subject\u2019 alternatives for building peace from within their own territories.<\/p>\n<\/div>
In Manizales, the \u201cinstitutional\u201d has been perceived by citizens across different generations as a strong, solid, and unassailable structure. In this setting, where norms and social control take precedence over participation, young people have identified a space that is sensitive to the manifestation of conflict; in such a context, where young people experience conflict through the institutional framework, no problematic situation is apparent. Rather, it is there that debate and opposition must be encouraged in order to protect democracy; however, young people, exercising their autonomy and political stance, have not developed the skills for negotiation, dialogue, and reaching agreement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the realities of Manizales\u2019 youth, the constant presence of conflict has not meant the absence of peace, for within cultural practices and the community, young people have found in their \u201cpolitical subject\u201d alternatives for building peace from within their own territories. This peacebuilding emerges from the most intimate and grassroots levels of communities\u2014from combos, fan clubs, and political movements\u2014when young people see in their gatherings and solidarity the possibility of moving beyond violence and frustration outside the institutional sphere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That \u201cpolitical subject\u201d takes shape in young people through their experiences, through what happens to them in their immediate contexts and realities: in the neighborhood, on the sports field, and\/or on the street. All in all, politics is seen as an opportunity to take a stand, to acknowledge the reality into which one is born and in which one grows up, and, subsequently, to recognize the need to defend oneself against the Other, the system, or one\u2019s own environment. Consequently, it becomes evident that it is this \u201cpolitical subject\u201d who ultimately throws their weight behind the \u201cpolitics of voting,\u201d campaigning, and elections\u2014a sphere in which young people in Manizales have grown stronger and gained greater influence in recent years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Young people must take a stand even when the conflict is not their own, which means they must assume responsibility for what others have brought about. This responsibility is social; therefore, in Manizales there are many ways in which young people seek peace: by standing with the other and, at the same time, against them. The ultimate goal of everything young people do in Manizales is peace: from a game on the neighborhood court to the creation of political movements; from access to education to fan culture; from protecting Nevado de Cundinamarca to the fight for the rights of sexually diverse communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In short, for young people, the search for peace means finding a place\u2014something that is finally their own, something no one can take away from them. Not even a bullet.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Ser joven est\u00e1 \u00edntimamente ligado a la exposici\u00f3n al conflicto, un conflicto que, al contrario de ser c\u00f3mplice de la violencia, ha sido la forma a trav\u00e9s de la cual se han manifestado las injusticias en busca de transformaci\u00f3n social. Para comprender la epistemolog\u00eda del \u201cconflicto\u201d desde la realidad viva de las calles de la…<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1193,"template":"","class_list":["post-1182","altavoz","type-altavoz","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nextgenc.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/altavoz\/1182","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nextgenc.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/altavoz"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nextgenc.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/altavoz"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nextgenc.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/nextgenc.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/altavoz\/1182\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1194,"href":"https:\/\/nextgenc.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/altavoz\/1182\/revisions\/1194"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nextgenc.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1193"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nextgenc.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1182"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}