Transitional Justice and Education in Colombia: The Perspective of Youth

Despite the globally promoted idea of transitional justice (TJ) as a solution to past conflict (Teitel 2003), little is known about how TJ processes are incorporated within the education sector and how the material they generate is used for broader pedagogical purposes. Only in recent years have scholars begun to examine the crucial function that education systems can play in the aftermath of a violent conflict to address broader structural inequalities and discrimination linked to underlying causes of a country’s conflict (see Bellino, Paulson, and Worden 2017; Cole 2007; Davies 2017; Ramirez-Barat and Duthie 2016; Russell et. al. 2024).

We draw on the case of Colombia, which signed a peace agreement in 2016 after more than five decades of armed conflict and massive internal displacement, to analyze how TJ processes are incorporated within the education system. To understand how schools, students, and teachers are navigating lessons about justice, peace, and violence in Colombia, this study focuses on youth voices—capturing their experiences and opinions across Bogotá/Cundinamarca, Antioquia, and Norte de Santander. We analyze qualitative and quantitative data collected in 12 secondary schools during the 2022 academic year. Our research explores the following questions: To what extent have notions of TJ been implemented in educational institutions across urban and rural areas in diverse regions of Colombia? How do students and teachers understand and engage with concepts related to TJ and peacebuilding?

We argue that the relationship between education and TJ is complex and multifaceted, where students not only learn about TJ content but also where education and schools promote TJ ideals. Understanding how students and teachers engage with TJ concepts in the classroom has important implications for promoting long-term sustainable peace and social cohesion in post-conflict contexts.