Social representations of university students about the word "forgiveness" in the Colombian conflict and post-conflict context

Abstract

In a context of internal warfare of more than fifty years in Colombia and with a signed peace process that seeks to end part of the conflict, forgiveness is spoken of daily, a fundamental term for the solution of conflicts. However, due to political-historical situations and the misinformation that has existed, this word has acquired multiple meanings. The present article pretends to show what are the social representations that the university students of Bucaramanga have in front of the word "forgiveness" in the context of the conflict and the Colombian post-conflict. A qualitative methodology linked to the grounded theory was implemented and different qualitative data collection techniques were used. Based on the general and emerging categories, an analysis of the speeches issued by students from two universities, one public and one private, was made. Here, it was evidenced that forgiveness is constantly related as a significant and necessary entity for the termination of a conflict. . In conclusion, the conception of forgiveness is directly related to forgetting, so it becomes an important factor in the construction of peace, a premise that becomes relevant because of the implications of having to forgive for society.