Forum for Young Researchers into Intercultural Dynamics (FJIDI)

The subject that will be opening the debate for panel III at December's meeting is that of displaced people in the city of Medellin (Colombia) and the implications of this phenomenon for formulating public policy and participation in educational and cultural contexts.

Colombia is the country with the second highest number of displaced people in the world. According to the latest report from Acnur, the United Nations' refugee agency, the war in the country has left four million people without homes or work, forcing them to wander through the outskirts of Bogota and the country's other main cities in search of some kind of government aid (May 2008).

The International Red Cross has also warned recently of the desperate situation in Colombia in its annual report for 2007. In this report, the organisation (the work of which is recognized both by the Bogota government and by the insurgent groups) warned that not only were individual displacements taking place within some families, but displacements on a massive scale, which sometimes involved half of a town’s population. According to the report, most of the refugees come from the Departments of Antioquia, Caquetá, Chocó, Bolívar and the north of Santander.

The debate will be focusing on three areas:

1. The organisation of the displaced communities: Social movement and displaced persons in the Department of Antioquia. 2. Displacement conflicts and dynamics in regional contexts (the case of the city of Medellin). 3. Implications of displacement on educational contexts. Some experiences of social inclusion in schools and public libraries in the city of Medellin.

Coordinated by Gladys Lopera Cardona: Public librarian in Medellin (Colombia). Doctorate student in Didactics of language, literature and social science. Autonomous University of Barcelona.

Work Documents:

De Lucas, J.: “Globalización, migraciones y derechos humanos: La inmigración, como res politica”. Cuadernos electrónicos de filosofía del derecho, Issue No. 10, 2004 De Lucas, J.: “Integración política, participación y ciudadanía: un balance”. Entelequia. Revista Interdisciplinar. Monographic work, June 2007. De Lucas, J.: “La ciudadanía para los inmigrantes: Una condición de la Europa democrática y Multicultural” Eikasia. Magazine on Philosophy, 4 (Mayo 2006)

Forero, E.: El desplazamiento interno forzado en Colombia. Communique from the Conference “Conflict and Peace in Colombia: Consequences and perspectives for the Future”. Kellogg Institute, Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars and the Fundació Ideas para la Paz. Washington, 2003 Jaramillo, A.M.; Villa, M. I. y Sánchez, L. A. Miedo y Desplazamiento. Experiencias y percepciones. Corporación Región. Medellín, 2004

>> For more information on the FJIDI: ymellado@cidob.org