Lenguajes de la empatía en niños y niñas que se acercan a ejercicios de memoria histórica: “Valentina y sus recorridos por las historias del conflicto armado colombiano”

Abstract

This research work stems from the interest in contributing to reflections and debates surrounding the reconstruction of historical memory from a childhood and empathy perspective. The research explores the languages ​​of empathy expressed by two groups of boys and girls between 8 and 12 years of age while participating in a workshop about historical memory ran at the Children's Room within the Center for Memory, Peace and Reconciliation. To theoretically support the project, in addition to the anecdotal background checks were carried out as well as a review of sources on children affected by the armed conflict, memories and their records, empathy and its development, and narratives and languages ​​for children, in it, culture is encompassed as a transverse category. Furthermore, the methodological development responds to a qualitative cut, with an interpretative descriptive emphasis and approaches the ethnographic method. Moreover, it uses as techniques, the application of a workshop and the participant observation of it. The reflections and conclusions show that empathy is expressed from narratives, emotions, exclamations, sighs, silences, questions and hugs. Additionally, resources, conditions or tools that promote empathy such as literature were identified. All this, makes a final invitation for the continuous promoting of children's participation in these exercises, as it contributes to the construction of care and welcoming proposals for those who have experienced the damage and effects of the armed conflict in the country.