Description
This paper uses a narrative analysis approach to examine how the role of conflicting narratives can shape the notion of peacebuilding and statebuilding. In the post-conflict context in Colombia that emerged in the aftermath of the signing of the Peace Accords in 2016 between the Colombian government and the FARC, this became very prominent. Since narratives are central to the way human beings perceive the world and relate to it, they function as a primary source of meanings and systems of signification that construct social realities and guide collective action. The paper examines specifically how competing narratives of peace, security and statebuilding employed by distinct political elites in Colombia, namely the Santos government and the opposition led by Uribe, hindered reconciliation efforts and the full implementation of the peace agreement. The analysis indicates that peace processes are themselves vulnerable to structural impediments and are also inherently subject to the leverage of competing narratives manufactured by local political elites. Therefore, lasting peace will require the disruption of cycles of conflict by formulating more complex, pluralistic narratives and implementing methods like peace pedagogy to reconcile antagonist positions and build ongoing capacity for sustainable transformation.
