Rural Youth, Ethos of Conflict,and Reconciliation in Montes De Maria, Colombia

Abstract

The conflict in Colombian has taken place primarily in rural areas, where several illegal armed groups and government forces have tried to gain control over the territory and the population. More than 50 years of armed conflict and a long legacy of abuses have shaped the Colombians’ social beliefs about the conflict and the parties involved. Assuming that there is a cyclical relationship between a marked conflict ideology (Ethos of Conflict —EOC—) and the perpetuation of violence in protracted conflicts, this article analyzes the assumptions of the EOC in the young population of one of the most historically affected by violence regions in the country (ilsa, 2012), particularly in the municipality of San Jacinto, located in Montes de María, which is currently classified as a post-conflict zone. The work seeks to assess the applicability of the EOC in a conflict that does not directly involve problems of identity between groups and is an exploratory exercise of approach to the reality of young people in rural areas affected by the conflict in Colombia. This study also starts from the assumption that to achieve sustainable peace and reconciliation in the communities not only state measures are needed, but also the analysis of various variables at the local level.