Abstract

OLIVEROS, Juan Fernando; VILLA GOMEZ, Juan David; INSUASTY RODRIGUEZ, Alfonso  and  JAIME-SALAS, Julio Roberto. Social Beliefs about Peace: Between Impossible Desires, an Imperfect Peace, and Citizen Obstacles to Negotiated Peace in Colombia. Ágora U.S.B. [online]. 2023, vol.23, n.2, pp.346-374.  Epub Mar 01, 2023. ISSN 1657-8031.  https://doi.org/10.21500/16578031.6729.

The objective of this text is to understand social beliefs about peace and politi cal negotiation in the context of the Colombian armed conflict in 304 citizens of 12 municipalities in the country, in order to determine how some of them cons titute psychosocial barriers to peace building and reconciliation in Colombia. It was possible to conclude that the participants have a core of social beliefs about peace, referred to as tranquility, harmony, order, security, absence of conflict, and inner serenity, which is linked to concepts of ‘liberal peace’ insofar as the State is the one who would maintain this order and security. They deny, in turn, the possibility of dissent, contradiction, opposition, protest, and rebellion, even when this established order produces situations of injustice and exclusion, since the maintenan ce of this ‘peace’ would take precedence. In this context, those who oppose the State or the es tablished power are considered enemies, and they are legitimized to be singled out, stigmatized, excluded, and eliminated. Furthermore, the doors are closed to political negotiation with armed stakeholders who contradict these social systems, since they are considered ‘criminals’ and bea rers of evil, by altering tranquility, security, and harmony; thus creating psychosocial barriers to peace.

Keywords : Social Beliefs; Peacebuilding; Imperfect Peace; Psychosocial Barriers to Peace; and Political Negotiation of Armed Conflict.

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