BLOG POST: Understanding the dynamics of polarization in Colombia
A brief reflection about polarization and its effects by Sergio Guarín León, Fundación Ideas Para La Paz, Colombia.
Common confusions
1. In all societies there are groups that have opposing positions on the way public affairs should be conducted. These positions are explained by the interests, needs and fears of individuals, as well as by their interpretation of reality, the information they have access to and their own experiences.
2. Social life implies the constant clash between these positions, which is known as conflict. The conflict is not negative per se and its management is an essential part of the public debate. When a society can manage the conflict peacefully improvements happen frequently or at least, awareness, new decisions and movements are generated.
