Cameron
McCormick
Intro to Int’l
Politics
Final Blog Post
In Summary…
This semester the Colombia&Peace
group has chronicled the history of conflict and ongoing developments in the
peace talks between the Colombian government and the FARC rebels. Our group has
traced the origins of FARC from a movement for self-determination of Colombian
farmers in the 1950’s to an armed military group that now is a major
participant in cocaine trafficking. We
have examined both FARC and the Colombian government’s role in the violence
that has plagued Colombia. A prolonged violent conflict in which “220,000 people are estimated to
have died in 50 years of violence” (BBC News 2014, August 14). Part of our research has involved examining the
international impact of the conflict in Colombia in terms of the war of drugs
in America as well as ties between Mexican drug cartels and FARC. In addition
we have examined the peace process in Colombia through the lens of
international political theory. The question of legitimate use of violence,
whether or not Colombia is a failed state, the portrayal of both FARC and the
government in the media, and how actions of both groups can or cannot be
defined as terrorism.
Our research methods for this project were varied.
Generally the starting point for our research was international news sources,
which chronicled new developments in the peace process. After using sources
such as BBC News, the New York Times, PBS, and Newsweek to become apprised of
new developments as a group we chose a topic and a focus for each blog post. Working
as a group allowed us to divide responsibilities including drafting the blog
post itself, researching topics, and editing and revision. From there we used
other sources to provide the context and background upon which we would make
our argument. These background sources included journals such as the International Journal of Socialist Renewal, as well as books such as Garry Leech’s The FARC: The Longest Insurgency. After combining current news and background
sources we formulated blog posts using current developments as a jumping off
point but also providing context and critical examination within the context of
relevant theory.
Participating in this project was
overall, a valuable experience for me personally. As a BAIS student focusing on
the region of Latin America learning more about the conflict in Colombia as
well as FARC helped put into perspective and reinforce many of the themes that
appear in both this class and my others. Themes of failure of institutions and
government in Latin America to maintain security, stability, and equitably
distribute resources amongst citizens as well as disenfranchised and
marginalized people struggling for empowerment and self determination and the
paths they take to meet that end goal were all present in this project. In
terms of doing research and working together with a group, this project
provided valuable lessons in sharing responsibility, critically evaluating
sources and providing context and background while discussing current events.
Overall I consider Colombia&Peace a success.
BBC News (2014, June 14). Q&A: Colombia
Peace Talks BBC News Retrieved from: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-19875363
#Colombia&Peace
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