YouthLEAD (Colombia)
YouthLEAD: Fostering Youth Peacebuilding Capacity in Colombia was a Changing the Story Phase 2 ECR project.
YouthLEAD: Fostering Youth Peacebuilding Capacity in Colombia was developed in the wake of the 2016 peace accord. Although excluded from the negotiations and not eligible to vote to affirm or reject the agreement, children and youth were vocal in social movements for peace.
Given this context, the project tackled two broad research questions. First, how are young people in Colombia tackling the legacy of violence? Using participatory practices, we will document how young people are taking ownership of history and the production of creative content. Moreover, we will not only study the impact of the civil war (e.g., forced displacement), but also everyday life in a setting saturated by conflict (e.g., compounded crises). Second, how can the arts amplify the voices of young people? We will study how young people can use arts-based practices to promote Sustainable Development Goals 4 (inclusive education) and 16 (participatory institutions).
More broadly, we will explore how arts-based practices can foster engagement, dialogue, and deeper listening between generations and social groups. Throughout the project, we will integrate and compare the experiences of two civil society organisations: (a) Gestores de Paz (Promoters of Peace), a movement of children and youth working to mobilize the population for peace, through the recognition of their agency, and, (b) the Centre for National Historical Memory (CNMH) which promotes integral reparation and right to the truth for the victims of the armed conflict with the goals of building long-term peace, democratization and reconciliation. We aim to support these partners to translate their ongoing work into practical and sustainable projects and public policy. This collaboration allows for a novel and innovative dialogue among those working at the grassroots and national levels in Colombia, which may generate new theory while making a different on the ground and influencing policy.
Visit the projects website here for more information.
Project Location
Colombia
Resource Archive
Search or browse the resource archive for films, reports, toolkits and other resources produced by the Changing the Story and its commissioned projects. Items relating to Colombia are listed below:
[doc_library doc_category="colombia"]