Written by: Julia Diaz Santa
A few days ago the II Cali Citizen Forum: Fabric and Trust took place. Thanks to an articulated work between the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana and the Secretariat of Peace and Citizen Culture, dialogues were woven between different sectors and communities, around the axes of the public policy of citizen culture of Santiago de Cali.
Hundreds of students, teachers, representatives of seven communes and nine citizen culture roundtables met with the objective of discussing and sharing initiatives for building trust and citizenship for peace, within the framework of the II Cali Citizen Forum: Fabric and Trustheld at the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana Cali, last Tuesday, April 30.
The organization of the same, in alliance with the Secretariat of Peace and Citizen Culturewas led by teachers from different departments such as Legal Science and Humanities, as well as the Visible Cali Observatory and of Institute of Intercultural Studies from the Pontifical Javeriana University. They formed an interdisciplinary and inter-institutional work team, as part of the Committee of the Soy Javeriano, Soy Ciudadano program, led by the Vice-rector of the University Environment.
As the central axis of a broader agenda, during the academic day, university students joined the work tables that included the participation of people from the communes 2, 3, 13, 14, 15, 20, 21 and the municipalities of Villa Carmelo and El Hormiguero. It should be noted that, thanks to the efforts with Metrocali, these populations came to the event free of charge.
Likewise, there was the participation of 20 women leaders of commune 1 who are in a process of economic empowerment and training in gender issues with the NGO Aids in Action.
“Putting the voices of these populations in dialogue with the questions of the university students was very beneficial to see new possibilities of articulation. Even hearing positive and congratulatory comments about their leadership injected new strength into the important actions being carried out in the territories,” said Giovanna Segovia, from the Secretariat of Peace and Citizen Culture.
In the middle of the day, the university students highlighted the need to articulate projects that they are developing in the communes with community initiatives. “It is very important that the proposals from the undergraduate level can dialogue with the challenges and desires of the people who live in the city. In Commune 2 there are architecture students, for example, who, based on this exercise, want to articulate the work they have been developing with community initiatives,” he pointed Keila Fernanda Polo Vega, Javeriana student studying Public Accounting.
In the initial panel part, there was the participation of the Secretary of Peace and Citizen Culture, Johana Caicedo Sinisterra and the Secretary of Tourism, Mabel Lara. As well as the undersecretary of Prevention and Citizen Culture, Katalina Morales Castro, in charge of the socialization of the Cali Citizen Culture Public Policy. As well as the Vice Rector of the University Environment of the Pontifical University Javeriana Cali, Father Luis Alfonso Castellanos, SJ
On the other hand, from the Faculty of Sciences and Education of the District University, Francisco José de Caldas, professor and researcher Adrián Serna Dimas participated. “The public is related to the concept of the sacred. It is what belongs to everyone, but it is not touched. It is difficult for us to understand that what is public belongs to everyone, but it belongs to no one.”he noted as part of his intervention.
VI ARCA Meeting: arts and citizenship
Beyond this day, other training spaces for collective creation were opened, such as the VI ARCA Meeting: arts and citizenship in the Marroquín neighborhood. Young university students and students from the east of the city, associated with the Soroca program of Ser Para Ser and the Paz y Bien foundationwho share pedagogical processes at the university throughout the semester
“Learning and sharing the workshops with students from institutions in the east of the city has expanded my vision and has allowed me to get closer to other realities, relate beyond my immediate circle and think that a shared construction is possible,” said Sarah Sánchez, student. Javeriana of Biomedical Engineering, who attends the ARCA workshops, of the Cultural Center in the Vice-Rector’s Office of the Environment.
During the day, the need to give continuity to what was experienced in the Forum was highlighted to continue working in coordination with many sectors. “Thanks to the University for its willingness to build these meeting spaces, for the academic proposal and for working in alliance for a more democratic Cali“, he pointed Katalina Morales Castro, Undersecretary of Prevention and Citizen Culture of the mayor’s office.
Live fraternity in our common home.
