From development based violence and armed conflict based violence to territory assertion to the defense of life. the case of the rural communities of San Carlos

Abstract

This paper is based on the reflection on the relation between development based violence and armed conflict based violence, from the perspective of the experience of rural communities in the municipality of San Carlos, Antioquia, who have lived in their territories both the devastation caused by several actors of the Colombian armed conflict, as well, the socio environmental destruction that have come about from the hydroelectric projects developed in the region. Based on theoretical discussions and the concept of development, this paper focuses on showing the negative implications and violence that come as a result of different projects and how they affect the communities. It also makes a reference to how such development based violence in Colombian and specifically in San Carlos, has been combined with armed conflict based violence, as contribution to reinforce excluding territorial configurations, in this situation communities have been resilient and propose other alternatives to defend territories and life, an effort to create peace as a way to overcome both types of violence.