By Rocio Arango Giraldo
COLOMBIA: Their low steps advanced between the crowds. The yell of ¡Freedom and
No More FARC! rung from their throats. The children don’t understand about the causes of Colombia’s conflict but do understand how the war, lies and kidnappings anguish our country and boils our blood, their blood.
Colombia celebrated its Independence’s Day on July 20, 2008. We were celebrating 198 years of the “Yell of Independence” from Spain but this year, 2008, Colombians marched for Freedom — around the world and in every town and city throughout Colombia.
Again, as in past marches, millions of the people dressed in white t-shirts to symbolize the peace we all are clamoring for. This year had been the year of civil society in Colombia because the people heeded their conscience and expressed their opinions.
Independence Day march against FARC in Bogota, Colombia.
The situation that triggered the march were the stories of the people who had been kidnapped by FARC and held in the jungles of Colombia for years and were finally liberated into freedom.
The march, and its success, was proof that the the popular feelings among the people are to denounce FARC and their acts of terrorism and support the actual government. For this reason, there are an equal amount of opinions in respect to foreign affairs and the government attacks on those who give support to FARC.
The marches are ways of expressing and strengthening the democracy and (civic) participation in a country that had been at war for more than 40 years.
The march ended in musical concerts in every town of the world, and the children that marched will remember forever the spirit of democracy and that freedom is priceless and needs to be preserved at all costs.
Learn more about RocÃo:
RocÃo Arango Giraldo is 21-years-old and lives in MedellÃn Colombia. She studied Political Science at the University of Colombia, as well as, Social Communication, Public Management, and Strategy and Public Knowledge at the Mexico City campus of the Technology Institute of Monterrey.
RocÃo is a member of the Conservative
I am member of the Colombian Conservative Party (Partido Conservador Colombiano) where she works in political marketing, social and policy investigation and foreign affairs.
She also works as a young democratic participant with the Democratic Christian Organization of America and has written for such prestigious Colombian publications as El Colombiano, El Tiempo and others.
But something she is most proud of is her advocacy for people with disabilities.
I fight for the rights of disabled persons like me.
