Understanding peace through the lens of Colombian youth and adults

This study sought to understand how youth and adult men and women in different social groups in the city of Bogotá express their understanding of peace. The specific objectives of the research included (a) the identification of values related to peace, (b) the analysis of dispositions toward the construction of peace cultures, and (c) the comparative analysis of the meanings of peace by gender and generation. Eight focus groups with 4 to 10 participants each were conducted with people in preexisting projects or organizations. Findings were organized and analyzed through intragroup and intertextual. matrices based on 6 analytic categories: reconciliation, leadership, personal well-being, social peace, new global ethics, and negative peace. Findings showed that the participants' multiple and varied understandings of the meanings of peace are related to personal and social well-being. Some differences by gender and generation are consistent with developmental literature and contextual conditions.