AE02022504
Oct 25, 2016
Undergraduate / A personal and National Triumph [8]
"We did it! We definitely did it! Oh my god, we are part of something! We really did it!" -My best friend and I standing in front of the screen, watching the results of October 2nd national plebiscite.
While most of Colombians complain every single day of the political and economic situation of our country, I decided to step out of the usual and do something for the place I´ve grown up in. Last summer, I was spending the afternoon with my best friend when we saw something that definitely changed our lives. It was former President, Alvaro Uribe Velez´ political party speaking with the people, answering whatever question they had and inviting them to inform themselves properly. We stopped to see what was happening, and it was what we had been looking for since the beginning of junior year; a way of getting into the youth branch of the political party. In order to accomplish it, a really nice volunteer gave us Senator Alfredo Ramos´ phone number. Without thinking it twice we called and arranged a meeting with him. The very next day we went exactly where we had been the day before and where our amazing summer adventure began. Our job was collecting signatures to support the party`s claim of unconstitutionality of the "Peace Legislative Act", which would have given president Santos the exact same special powers that were given to Hugo Chavez on November 7th 2000. This duty was hard, not only because we spent 2 months walking around Bogotá every day from 8 am to 6 pm, but because government has spent an unimaginable amount of money in order to convince society to support the peace treaty with terrorist group FARC, treaty that is described by Mary Anastasia O´Grady as a "trap".
After we were done collecting signatures, we began to campaign for the plebiscite. Campaign which was based on explaining all sectors of society the 297 pages, published by the government about a month and a half prior the voting day. Reason why I had to read it deeply in 3 days, in order keep up with the other volunteers. I had never felt more secure of myself. I can´t completely explain how this 5 months made me grow as a person. But I can surely say that October 2nd was the day I realized I was no longer a child. I had become a secure and strong young woman, who had made her way through a usually sexist field, who has a voice now and is able to explain her points of view with strong arguments.
By now, whoever is reading this essay might be asking himself why anyone would oppose to peace. The thing is, there´s no peace when the cocaine production has doubled in the past 6 years, nor when the conversations had been hosted in Cuba by the Castro regime, which has always been a military supplier of the Marxist guerrilla. What Colombians want is a real peace, in which justice isn´t replaced, arms are left aside are victims are economically repaired. This is why, after our long efforts, 83% of Colombians either voted no or abstained, as a symbol of their disagreement.
Since June 4th I've been part of the youth branch of the political party "Centro Democrático". We meet every Friday to discuss about the controversial issues that have happened during the week, as well as we have meetings with recognized political characters, such as the former president itself or senators, who teach us how to speak and express ourselves properly. Every week I learn new things and meet interesting people who have changed my way of thinking. Friday has become my favorite day of the week, but surely not because of the same reasons as most of teenagers but because I wake up every Saturday being a better person than the previous day.
"We did it! We definitely did it! Oh my god, we are part of something! We really did it!" -My best friend and I standing in front of the screen, watching the results of October 2nd national plebiscite.
While most of Colombians complain every single day of the political and economic situation of our country, I decided to step out of the usual and do something for the place I´ve grown up in. Last summer, I was spending the afternoon with my best friend when we saw something that definitely changed our lives. It was former President, Alvaro Uribe Velez´ political party speaking with the people, answering whatever question they had and inviting them to inform themselves properly. We stopped to see what was happening, and it was what we had been looking for since the beginning of junior year; a way of getting into the youth branch of the political party. In order to accomplish it, a really nice volunteer gave us Senator Alfredo Ramos´ phone number. Without thinking it twice we called and arranged a meeting with him. The very next day we went exactly where we had been the day before and where our amazing summer adventure began. Our job was collecting signatures to support the party`s claim of unconstitutionality of the "Peace Legislative Act", which would have given president Santos the exact same special powers that were given to Hugo Chavez on November 7th 2000. This duty was hard, not only because we spent 2 months walking around Bogotá every day from 8 am to 6 pm, but because government has spent an unimaginable amount of money in order to convince society to support the peace treaty with terrorist group FARC, treaty that is described by Mary Anastasia O´Grady as a "trap".
After we were done collecting signatures, we began to campaign for the plebiscite. Campaign which was based on explaining all sectors of society the 297 pages, published by the government about a month and a half prior the voting day. Reason why I had to read it deeply in 3 days, in order keep up with the other volunteers. I had never felt more secure of myself. I can´t completely explain how this 5 months made me grow as a person. But I can surely say that October 2nd was the day I realized I was no longer a child. I had become a secure and strong young woman, who had made her way through a usually sexist field, who has a voice now and is able to explain her points of view with strong arguments.
By now, whoever is reading this essay might be asking himself why anyone would oppose to peace. The thing is, there´s no peace when the cocaine production has doubled in the past 6 years, nor when the conversations had been hosted in Cuba by the Castro regime, which has always been a military supplier of the Marxist guerrilla. What Colombians want is a real peace, in which justice isn´t replaced, arms are left aside are victims are economically repaired. This is why, after our long efforts, 83% of Colombians either voted no or abstained, as a symbol of their disagreement.
Since June 4th I've been part of the youth branch of the political party "Centro Democrático". We meet every Friday to discuss about the controversial issues that have happened during the week, as well as we have meetings with recognized political characters, such as the former president itself or senators, who teach us how to speak and express ourselves properly. Every week I learn new things and meet interesting people who have changed my way of thinking. Friday has become my favorite day of the week, but surely not because of the same reasons as most of teenagers but because I wake up every Saturday being a better person than the previous day.