CAPITAL LETTER 7: EDITORIAL

INDIFFERENCE IS THE NAME OF THE GAME

Publicado en Capital Letter No. 7

Mayo de 2005

One of the questions we usually ask ourselves is why things are the way they are. There should be more peace, more security, more courses, more processes going on, more research, more changes… and endless list of other things.

What are we doing to contribute to the construction of that better society we all envision and desire? Have we contributed in the creation and provision of peace, security, study opportunities or research processes for ourselves and the others? What has been our performance as individuals and as groups? What have our results been?

The Universidad Nacional de Colombia is a place rich in human resources. Students and teachers have been given the chance to exchange and spread knowledge. However, we always complain about lack of opportunities to develop the writing skills and when the occasion comes we take no notice of it. The case of the present discussion originated from the indifference regarding the invitation extended to the community to attend the Talleres de Redacción planned and scheduled by the staff of Capital Letter. Just to exemplify, in the first workshop there were 21 people, from which 14 were students of industrial engineering, 2 from the Geography Department, and just five from the Department of Foreign Languages.

It would be very unfair to say that people in general were indifferent to our proposals. We met people who are tirelessly working to improve themselves as well as those people around them. The great pity is that they were very few. A big percentage of the population is indifferently observing things happening, just happening to faceless and nameless people in emotionally distant scenarios, even if located on the same campus.

I am forced to ask just as that Mexican program which was broadcast many years ago: ¿Qué nos pasa? Maybe, the fact is that Indifference is the name of the game.