Introduction

In this chapter we explore the issue of internal displacement in Colombia through a ‘social work lens’. In recent years this humanitarian crisis has reached a climax as millions of Afro-Colombians, indigenous people and peasants have been forced off their land and moved into urban areas where they face further oppression, violence and lack of opportunities. The issue of displacement cannot be seen in isolation from broader political and social struggles in Colombia nor from the ongoing civil war that has raged for almost 50 years. In these circumstances it is our contention that social work practice cannot rely on individualistic North American and Eurocentric approaches to working with oppressed groups. Building grassroots alliances and encouraging ‘conscientisation’ have been some of the main approaches of Latin American welfare work for decades (see Alayon et al, 2005) and their use in the case of the despalzados (the displaced) in Colombia is explored here. We suggest that Western social work could benefit from exploring the popular and emancipatory approaches that have developed in Latin America and integrating these into social work practice in the West.

This chapter draws upon our work in the field. We draw information from and reflect upon our direct work with the despalzados communities in Colombia (Carmen Hinestroza) and interviews with a number of Colombian social workers and social activists over recent years (Vasilios Ioakimidis).

Liberation from historical and social amnesia

When Silvana Paternostro, a New York journalist, returned to her native Colombia after many years one of the first things she noticed was the dire situation of the internally displaced Colombians. What came as an even bigger surprise to her, however, was the fact that this issue received little attention from the state and local middle classes. In her own words, ‘When people read the morning paper they skip the news about the despalzados, and go straight to the Sociales to see what kind of clothes the carnival queen wore’ (Paternostro, 2007, p 81). Such an observation captures the ‘invisibility’ of the despalzados in Colombian society, but this is only part of the problem: behind the displacement of millions of Colombians from rural areas lies a history of fierce exploitation, unimaginable violence and massive poverty and inequality.