Planting Peacer Profile: Beatriz Alejandra Romero

“Swimming Against the Current”
Sometimes the kingdom of the darkness seems very strong, but there are those, who, from many parts of the world, are lighting lights of hope, bringing happiness in the middle of pain and peace in a world of turbulence. This is what I have come to learn here, in “planting peace”. This time has served me to learn to know how other hands work for justice and peace in this world.
My name is Alejandra. I live in Cali, Colombia and work in the Fundacion de Educacioin for Peace, and Conflict Resolution (EDUPAZ). Through this foundation I develop a program of conflict resolution in two schools. The students are between 5 and 18 years old. Every day they fight to survive in a hostile world. In their communities there are gangs now that have territorial control. The young people that belong commonly consume and sell drugs, and walk around with knives and guns.
One day, upon arriving at class, Martin, one of the children, told me that Felipe had gone to buy some Caramellos to fill his album. He approached some young people who were in the corner to ask where they sold the Caramelos. You have money?... they asked him, showing him a knife, and telling him to give them the money. Felipe only had 12 years, and began to cry, which one should never do in front of their peers at school, to avoid the jokes, but at this moment, the fear invaded him and the tears were inevitable. Martin began to laugh, and said, “don’t touch that boy; he studies in my school. Felipe left, but Martin stayed with the gang. They are his friends. In the school, Martin and Felipe meet in a room for mediation to talk about the conflict that exploded in the street. Felipe, Martin said, I won’t be protecting you. Be careful where you go. These streets belong to those boys. Here in the school we can talk if we have a problem. But there on the street, things are different, and things are resolved in different ways.
Nonetheless, inspite of the harshness of the words of Martin, these boys are friends from that day. In my context working for peace is to swim against the current. It is not easy to commit to live in peace when there are people there are people willing to harm you, and when It may be necessary to defend yourself to protect your life. There are young people who use knives to go to study. They fear that in their walk, there are boy who may hurt them. This is very sad … this situation that includes now, many children in my community.
I wanted to talk with you about my country to be able to tell you also about lovely things that are there, tell you that not all is drugs and war, that there are lovely people, diverse people, honestly moving forward. But it is also my job to denounce the injustices that are committed in my community, those that don’t make the press, that are hidden because of a homogenous power. And to do that, I will review my time at University.
The public university in Colombia is a conflictive and you can see represented the political conflicts that exist in the country. During my 5 years of study, one could say that the state repressed different manifestations which opposed the privatization of the University, health and public service, and the public peace and order officers threw tear gases on the crowd of students that were protesting, and some students launched bombs and rocks at the police. This situation repeats itself over and over, in a dance where the countries know the steps.
Really, my heart wanted to comprehend more than the ideologies and discourses that I heard. It wanted to know what motivated my friends to confront the government, and for that reason I looked for spaces to dialogue with them and frequently, while having a drink of coffee we do dialogue about the social problems of this country, and the reason for being of these insurgent groups.
I remember between the shadows and the pain, one day, when a friend came and confessed that he was a spy for the military, that his work at the University was to identify guerrillas, and that with this information the dark forces of the state make sure that the ones the consider inconvenient just disappear. I knew that they had already assassininated 3 people, but I have always thought that because I am a pacifist, none of this will apply to me.
Nonetheless, that day, my friend told me that I was on a list. They have seen you talking with them, and they think you are part of that group, she said to me. I still don’t understand why we live thinking that he who is not for me is against me. I don’t want to live under that logic, and because of that, daily I teach the children that there is another way, that war is not a game, and that we need to respect the sacred character of life, even though the adults are not doing so.


Upon formation of the children and adolescents as peace builders, we teach them that peace is not a state of animation, but that it has to do with the possibilities of studying, with having good food to eat, with protection for your family, with being well treated by your parents, with having medical attention when your sick, and that this peace is built in the careful relations when talking with your companions to solve a problem and also to take care of the planet. Peace in integral and if you want peace, don’t prepare for war; work for peace.