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Pride: A blessing or a curse?

1/6/2016

14 Comments

 
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I felt I needed to address this issue as it is a real problem I have faced in Colombia, and something that I have noticed is one of the important but less tangible challenges to the future of the country. I hope to explain this issue respectfully and feel, like the title of my blog, it is better for everyone to be honest in order to find solutions.

One of the most difficult things to contend with here is that many Colombians will fight tooth and nail and become extremely defensive when someone addresses the problems that are so visible in their country. Poverty, corruption, poor roads, they see it as an attack, no matter who brings it up. Taking a brief look at the comments section under newspaper articles or blogs about issues in Colombia is enough for you to get a feel of this reaction, not to mention the offensive comments I have received. There is often a lot of 'so you think Colombia is the only country with this problem?', 'if you don't like it here, go home' or them telling me how terrible Europe is and how perfect Colombia is. Clearly not very productive or conducive to change. But it is important to be aware of this mentality as it can be very difficult to manage even when you can have the best intentions. 

Of course, there may be an element of hostility towards a foreigner's observations which may seem judgmental, but I know some Colombians who are also met with the same abject horror and denial when they bring up what should be a normal topic of conversation. In addition, the  global elite benefit from such a mentality as multi-nationals and governments take advantage of countries like Colombia where the powerful essentially give away natural resources and cheap labour. So it should be in every Colombian's interest to be honest about social and political issues in order to reclaim their country from the hands on the powerful few.

Colombia is a country of contrasts like all other countries and its human rights and violence record demands for people to speak out. You can still love where you come from and acknowledge it isn't perfect. The two aren't mutually exclusive. In fact, I would say that you love your country more by not letting future generations be satisfied with less than they deserve. 

Although the popular slogan for Colombia is 'the only risk is wanting to stay' (see my post of safety for why this is not true), I would say that a bigger risk is this mentality of denial and boundless pride which leads to a covering up of problems that affect millions of people. It means anyone who wants to make improvements gets shut up before they've even finished their sentence and it creates this romanticised language portraying perfection. Countless people that I have met have repeated that in Cali and/or Colombia, "we live in paradise". I am not saying they shouldn't love their country or city, but it exemplifies the language that allows for very little objective observation or room for improvement. I don't believe anywhere is paradise and people should be allowed to voice their concerns and put pressure on policymakers to grant them more rights, whether it is in Colombia, the USA or Norway.

There is clearly an agenda in government to push this vision of Colombia and just during my time here, I have seen many public campaigns stating how perfect Colombia is. The most disturbing was part of the 'De Cali se habla bien' campaign which depicted Caleños with quotation marks saying things like 'Cali, the best city on the planet' (this is a direct quote). Many of these only showed the white, privileged few in luxurious surroundings, and those that did show mixed race or black Caleños, still printed incredibly positive messages that do not reflect the reality of people's lives here. I feel resources would be better spent actually investing in infrastructure, basic rights and reversing corruption, than in campaigns such as these which do not allow people to recognise that they deserve better.

The graffiti art I took a picture of (above), although exaggerating, expresses this sentiment: 'fucked, but happy' (‘jodido pero contento’). Many people here are suffering, whether rich or poor, due to social, economic or environmental problems, but they find ways to convince others and themselves that they are completely happy. As a result, the status quo is never successfully been challenged and people’s expectations of a good society are maintained low. For example, when I have had conversations about the fact that I believe that all humans deserve quality state-funded healthcare and education and that is how it is back in Europe, I have been met with laughter and some Colombians have said that the European governments must be stupid for giving it away like that or that there must be some sort of catch. People expect very little and are very happy when they get something small. This is both the thing I love and hate the most here. It is inspiring to see people pick out the good in difficult situations, but it is such a barrier to change if the rest is ignored.

There are many distractions here to ensure that people overlook their lack of safety and opportunities that should be granted to them by the state. Potential complaints are often drowned out by loud music or avoided by dancing, football, alcohol or drugs (as the graffiti depicts). Distractions are a natural response to a life of hardship and people trying to make the best of a situation or a society in which those who have spoken out in the past have been unsuccessful at best, or physically silenced at worst. But I worry that people are letting these distractions be imposed or maintained by those who benefit from having a population that, on the whole, believe the lie that they do not have the right to more. 

As I mentioned in my post about poverty, and as I found in my dissertation work with poor people, there is a phenomenon here with denial and a preference to show that you are better off than you actually are. Denial is often a coping mechanism when faced with problems that people do not know how to fix. However, this creates a stagnation of ideas and progress which plays perfectly into the hands of the elites who benefit from such a system and can afford to pay extortionate amounts for healthcare, education and the illusion of safety. It certainly is a sort of paradise for the rich, but even they would live better if more rights were demanded for all. 

In my view, Colombians can either accept mediocrity, let the powerful elites continue to rule the country and propagate the idea that they live in paradise, or they can understand the reality, which may not be pleasant, but leads to standards being raised. The government also has a huge responsibility to improve the educational system in order to promote this sort of thinking and make people agents of change. I know it may seem impossible to overcome the issues here so it is easier to deny or romanticise, but people deserve more and the first step should be raising awareness and educating children who are the future leaders of the country.

I am not asking for people to be negative, and there is such a charm to colombians’ outlook on life, I am asking for a space for honest conversation, the lack of which is a real problem. I know people who have had to remove blogs on a similar topic due to the abuse and threats they received. The fact that even I had to pad out my blog with monotonous drivel about what to do and eat in order to dilute the impact of socioeconomic and political commentary is another example of this, but I hope that one day critical thought will be permitted more publicly. 

If you are interested in this sort of topic, I invite you to read my very first blog post about Colombia having been announced as the third best country in the world, and how social conditioning and pride play a part in skewing such studies.

14 Comments
Christian
1/6/2016 08:39:52 pm

Im from Colombia and i live in cali, i love the way that you talk about my country and you’re right, the people is so crazy if you say something bad about the problems they start to say “get out of this country etc” they attack you when you give a real opinion about the real problems, everybody here thinks that this is the paradise, that is not true, please continue talking about these real problems because i share all your thoughts and that show me that im not alone with the way that i see this society. Thank you

Reply
Marie
1/7/2016 12:39:39 am

Hi Christian,

Many thanks for your wonderful comment. I am so glad you can relate to what I have written and I understand it must be frustrating for you sometimes. Know that you are not alone, and I have met Colombians who are very objective and passionate about social change, but they are often forced into silence, which saddens me. I hope that you continue to raise awareness and strive for more honesty, as that is the only way things can improve for everyone.

Thank you once more for your refreshing comment.

Marie

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Roberto Diaz
1/12/2016 11:08:02 am

Marie,
I admit to be highly critical of some of your blogs, especially the first ones. I wholeheartedly agree with your present post and LOVE the picture heading.
You enlightened me as to becoming aware that the slang "The only risk is wanting to stay" rings suspiciously of "Love it or leave it". And it DOES play into the hands of the ruling elites.
I do have an explanation of sorts. For a long time Colombians were ashamed of their own country. Many of those who traveled abroad even disguised their passports in public. It seemed as if Colombians were given their country as jail.
The tide is turning, of course, as you can obviously see. The problem is that we have kind of adopted an attitude similar to the notorious North American slogan: "My country right or wrong." A ferocious indisputable nationalism worthy of bygone regrettable times.
I hope you agree to share my post, which I have done with the grudging acceptance of your most fervent defender, Janet.

Reply
Marie
1/13/2016 04:10:54 am

Hi Roberto,

Many thanks for your comment - it made my day! I am so pleased that you finally commented. I find your explanation fascinating and I would not be surprised if it were true. It certainly does resemble the american way.

I hope that one day, Colombians can find the balance between loving their country and actively trying to make it a country worthy of such love.

Thank you again, and happy reading!

Marie

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Jade link
1/13/2016 09:28:48 am

I loved you article and absolutely agree with you. I am an expat in Bogotá myself and when I blog about the reality of life here, locals tell me I am being negative and showing the worst. They cannot take criticism, especially not from a foreigner.

Reply
Marie
1/13/2016 09:33:36 am

Hi Jade! Thank you so much for your comment. It seems it is a widespread issue and can be quite demoralising. I hope it does not silence you though, you might find you get some minor breakthroughs!

Marie

Reply
camilo
3/11/2016 01:34:50 pm

I think that in order to undertand that mentality, one has to me aware of Colombia's history. Fist was Colombia's low self steem in the 90's and early 2000's, which were explained in a previous comment. This is why people now (still with low self steem) is so reluctant to discuss the country's problems with outsiders, but there were and still are people discussing such problems. I recommend you to watch old "El siguiente programa" episodes, Pacífico Cabrera and more recently Actualidad Panamericana or any of the opinion pieces in Semana and El Tiempo.

The second is the nationalist era from mid 2000's, in which militar power became a political force that made people feel proud. And the third is that, for the first timein forever, the counrty is improving. That is no propaganda. The purchasing power has increased, unemployment has decreased, new roads are being built. Of course, that doesn't mean that we are doing perfectly but it gave people some hope. Imagine that you are climbing a 100 stories tall staircase, with one leg and two toes, and you finally get to the 10th floor, only to be yelled by someone form the 90th floor that you still have 80 floors to get to him.

Anyway, i liked you post, it was a very interesting anf thoughtful reading. Thanks!

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Alphonse
3/26/2016 05:28:46 am

Very interesting topic

I am coming back from India now and there happens something comparable. They have one of the most corrupted and inneficient systems in the world (booking a train ticket can cost you hours and trips to different railway stations within the city) (or pay 70% commision in a "private travel agency") you could be talking entire nights about things like this in India. But every single indian will tell you that there is no corruption in his country, etc.
My opinion is that the more difficult living in a country has became for its inhabitants, and the more unchangeable the situation is perceived at he same time by them (see India), the more they build up an alternative reality (in their minds) about their own country. This platonic ideal indian world consists of a country in which you need 2 hours to make a 100 kmts bus trip , instead of the real 5 hours that are usually involved, etc.
They also have this motto everywhere "INCREDIBLE INDIA", with a foto of the Taj Majal. marketing indea no 1 for India
I like India but please Indians, acknowledge only the fact that your country is one of the few that does not have developed treatment of fecal waters -shit directly into rivers - you can imagine how i smells in huge areas of all cities in India.


Like incredible India in Colombia they have this marketing campaigns like Medellin la Ciudad de las Flores which is fun -it does not match or even relate whatsoever to your real experience of living there -you see no flowers but a lot of pollution etc etc

regarding colombians, I think they are one of the most polite peoples of America and the world.

It is fun however how they (or a significant proportion of them) embody this brainwashing campaigns from their governement and tell you repeatedly, Oh Cali, "the city where your dreams come true just for a little", .... or... Colombia the country of the most beautiful women in the world etc etc (many colombians will promote the beauty of their women as if they were the most beutiful in the planet .... which is great mistake -they can become too proud of themselves there and this is not godd for men :) and anyway I will say yes, you can find beautiful women in Colombia, but not more than in any other country, and may be less compared to Argentina and Brazil.

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Diseño Web en Cali link
1/20/2017 08:55:14 am


I am a Caleño and never read a more sincere article than this one.

You have to love the city, but you have to know reality and truth!

Congratulations on this post about Cali.

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Marie
1/20/2017 09:01:23 am

Thanks so much for the supportive comment. It is a sensitive topic and I took a risk but I am glad that people can relate!

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Barry
3/1/2017 09:24:12 am

I live in Chiang Mai. Thailand is very similar! Elites purposefully keep the education system abysmal, and there is a Royal/Religious/Nationalistic cult of personality. Class is everything. Corruption is everywhere. But there is a demand for better from the farmer class here, only they're being controlled by the political use of Lese Majeste. And the demonization of their leaders who win every election they run in. But are then ousted by coups, to 'protect' the nation.
It's disheartening to realize Colombia is in some ways even more disenfranchised than Thailand, where it is possible to climb the class ladder with smarts, and luck, and the banking and pension systems, are far more benign, although hardly perfect.
Thanks for keeping it real, most bloggers are full of it, just trying to monetize their sites -by selling their souls.
Barry.

Reply
Marie
3/2/2017 01:31:34 am

Hi Barry,

Thank you so much for your enlightening comment. It seems that there are some similarities between Thailand and Colombia, which are perhaps worse in the latter.

I am so glad that you enjoy my blog. I really tried to strike a balance between hedonism and reality as I wish I had had this information before moving there. But, as you say, most blogs are overly sugarcoated.

Thanks again!

Marie

Reply
anna jennai link
3/23/2017 01:33:51 am

I like you article and absolutely agree with you

Reply
Agness of Fit Travelling link
3/27/2017 09:01:07 am

This is a great street art! I loved the article!

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