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Colombian conscientious objector Martin Rodriguez
shares his experience of life in a heavily militarised
society.
What does it mean to be an antimilitarist?
Martin Rodriguez
It is complicated enough discussing
what it means to be an antimilitarist
in a country like Colombia,
but even worse because although antimilitarism
is something that I share
and promote, I'm not really sure how
much of an antimilitarist I am. In a
diverse range of situations, my actions
and language are loaded with militarist
symbolism that has become
inherent in the cultural practices of
Colombian society.
I remember when I was a boy, before
entering class, the director of the "educational
centre" ordered that the centre's
200 children line up straight before entering
the classrooms. We were then again
"ordered" (at eight years old, this word
had no meaning for me) to do exercises to
wake us up.
Every day, one or more of the pupils
was punished for not complying with the
orders. Others, who behaved well, were
made prefects in recognition of their
"good conduct". When everyone was in
order and lined up properly, then the
director would give thanks to God, and
emphasise that obedience is the main
asset for the school community. This
example of school practices is just the tip
of the iceberg of the realities that have
formed many generations of Colombians.
Micro-war
El Bosque, the neighbourhood of
Medellin where I have spent most of my
life, is poor. It has around 30,000 inhabitants,
the majority of whom have been
displaced from other neighbourhoods or
areas that are frequently in conflict. The
formation of this neighbourhood in the
1980s coincided with the boom in drug-trafficking
and it was in places like El
Bosque that the narco-traffickers recruited
their small armies. Up until then, being a
criminal was seen as somewhat degrading,
but then the narco-gangs became to
be seen as glamorous and able to bring
protection, power, status and comfort to
their affiliates and to those around them.
At the end of the '80s came the phenomenon
of the urban militias - FARC,
ELN, EPL, M19 - with the clear objective
of returning tranquillity and peace to poor
urban neighbourhoods that had been made
unliveable in by the narco-traffic gangs.
These and other groups called "Milicias
populares" (popular militias) were formed
mainly by young people, who then died in
large numbers in subsequent violent confrontations.
Among those who died were
my two brothers, Edwin and Ismael, aged
16 and 18 respectively. The victims of this
"micro-war" were not only the actual combatants,
but also young people who did
not take sides, who opposed the fighting
or simply happened to be in the wrong
place at the wrong time.
"Oh, another guerrilla"
When the time came for me to do my
national service I didn't go. I was still
studying and I was also certain that I
didn't want to do it. I had seen on the
news that a boy had refused to join the
army - calling himself a conscientious
objector - and so when I left school on
my 21st birthday, instead of going into
the army, I too became a CO. I was very
scared, I didnt know much about the
issues, but I was guided by what I felt
was the right thing to do.
When I was called to the army office, I
introduced myself shyly as a CO, "oh,
another guerrilla" said the official and
called for his superior. Waiting for the
officer to arrive was torturous and the
minutes seemed like hours. "What are
you?" he asked when he arrived. Although
I was really scared and I didn't fully
understand the question, I instinctively
answered that I was a CO. The superior
said, "CO or gay?!... you know, we do
not accept gays... It's men only here." He
then left. The military clerk in the office
then asked me to sign a form and return
in a month to get the receipt I needed to
get the "second category" military ID
papers which would exempt me.
As I left I heard the jokes of other men
who were in the office to sign up, but
because of my relief I wasn't that bothered.
When I arrived home my mother was
waiting in expectation. She thought it was
very important to perform military service
and so when I told her she expressed her
anger and concern, I decided to ignore her.
On my return to the office to pick up
the receipt, they said it would cost
96,000 Colombian pesetas (US$45), but I
didn't have any money so I couldn't pay
for it. I thought that since I wasn't going
to be in the army anyway I wouldn't need
the ID papers, but in Colombia military ID
papers are needed to get into university, to
get a job and to leave the country: in a
word, it is more important than the normal
national ID papers.
Refusal is not enough
Since I was 13 years old, I have participated
in the activities of youth groups,
undertaking voluntary work. It has
always been an inner concern of mine to
help the community and I think that this
has been a factor in preventing me from
joining armed groups or taking up arms
to defend myself or my family.
As I continue my life as a CO, I have
also felt it important to explore the fundamental
issues connected with conscientious
objection, nonviolence and antimilitarism
in general. These issues have been
the background to my way of life, and at
the same time they have also presented
me with many challenges.
Simply refusing to serve in the army -
refusing to be part of the war we live daily
in Colombia - is not enough, there are
many more complex issues - for example
gender relations and the patriarchal system
over which contemporary society is laid.
There are a lot of challenges to do with
altering the military culture in society and
I still struggle with trying to "unlearn" the
militarised life I was taught as a child.
I continue my life as a CO and fortunately
I am not alone, because there are
many young people in a similar situation.
Even though the media does not portray
us accurately, the truth gives us hope and
a sense of what it is to be antimilitarist.
Martin Rodriguez works with the Colombia Youth Network.
Redes Juveniles A A 52-215, Medellín; or Calle 47 N 40 53 Medellín, Colombia (tel 57 4 292 3234; email: jovenes@col3.telecom.com.co).
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