Political education in CAPAZ OnePager #10
The CAPAZ Education and Science Diplomacy project continues on with its OnePagers. This, the tenth, is entitled “Forum for Peace. An initiative of peace education and citizen participation in Eastern Antioquia”.
The OnePager describes the Foro por la Paz project, led by the Democracy and Formation for Peace project, made up of the Spanish Language and Social Sciences areas of the María Auxiliadora School in the municipality of La Ceja, Antioquia. Logistic and research committee: Alexander Arboleda Bedoya, Alba Rocío Duque, Estefany Castañeda, Elizabeth Buitrago, Daniela Giraldo, Laura Serna, Sara Duque, Sister Keyla Cogollo, and Sister Natalia López.
The initiative
The proposal for the Peace Forum emerged at the María Auxiliadora School in La Ceja, Antioquia, as a response to a problem that is present in many elementary, high school and middle school contexts in Colombia: the lack of information about peace, reconciliation and memory building.
Project strategies
- The first strategy is called: Academic Work of the Forum for Peace. It starts with a class discussion on a chosen topic and is based on the production of a text of different types, depending on the level and complexity. Among the productions, two per grade are chosen to be published in the Digital Peace Magazine, which compiles and publishes the best texts for later consultation and as a repository of the work done during the process.
- The second strategy is based on one of the pillars of the Forum: the articulation with other public and private educational institutions in the municipality, including the rural area.
- The third strategy consists of seeking alliances with initiatives and institutions with a track record in the research and practice of peace actions.
The work undertaken with CAPAZ in 2022 was key: an eleventh grade student in the communication and political action youth laboratory met in Bogota with eight other young people from eight of Colombia’s regions, to replicate their experiences in their own territories.
This activity contributed to strengthening the Forum with innovative peace education initiatives involving young people from rural and urban areas, and fostered unity and discussion on issues such as democracy, conflict, and peace.