Youth condition in times of war: Stories from colombian rurality (1995-2005)

Abstract

This article analyzes the implications of war in the configuration of rural youth in Colombia in La Mer-ced, Caldas and Vista Hermosa, Meta. It describes qualitative research that uses a narrative approach to analyze the experiences of three survivors of violence between 1995 and 2005 through the telling of significant events that occurred during their youth. The results show that the war established spe-cific life courses for rural youth, such as growing coca leaf and being a member of armed groups. These transitions demonstrate how their capacity to pursue possible life paths outside the frame-work of war were restricted, but also highlight life paths involving resistance to the war that were lin-ked to collective action with other young people.