The historical memory: road of recognition of the alterity in the colombian armed conflict

Abstract

This research report shows how historic memory can be turned into an educational path for the strengthening of the otherness of the Catholic University of Colombia Logics and Psychology students who have been victims or observers of the armed conflict in Colombia. The field study was carried out with 15 students, men and women, from the first semester of Psychology at Catholic University of Colombia, registered in the Logics and Psychology subject, who have been observers of, direct victims of, or have knowledge about the Colombian armed conflict. The information gathered was subject to a content analysis according to the deductive categories otherness, armed conflict and historic memory. The results show that the process of invisibilization of the impact actually exists. The characteristics and consequences of the armed conflict that the victims have suffered, plus the oblivion they have been subject to through inhuman acts as silence, torture, violence, they have lost their families, cultures, towns, to be dubbed the Nobodies.                   

The violation of human rights towards the victims have been a process alongside historic memory that is an educational and formative path towards the recognition of otherness, from the narrative and testimony of the students, to raise awareness and create recognition of the other as person, with a face of their own, human, to accept him / her as an active part of the Colombian society.