2023-04-21 21:29:30
Photo: Special for 90minutos.co
Talk regarding mental health is not something other than referring to the emotional well-being of people. On this occasion I do not want to refer to the situation of one or more specific individuals, but rather to the mental health of our city and that of Cali people in general.
Intolerance, disrespect and division now predominate in the streets of Cali: weekly videos that they star in caleños who attack each other due to disagreementssignificant or not, as a result of road imprudence, inadequate waste disposal (garbage), poor coexistence in the neighborhoods, among others.
Unity, teamwork, solidarity with those who share our common home seem to be a thing of the past. To put it in context, according to the Security Observatory of the Security Secretariat, 45% of homicides committed in the capital of Valle del Cauca since 2005 They are the product of social violence. In other words, they respond to intolerance.
It is a shocking fact, since it indicates that although our city is the focus of complex criminal dynamics (even with international incidence), almost half of the deaths (980 in 2022) are related to the intolerance that prevails in our city.
Intolerance that is reflected not only in fights or fights, but also in disrespect for authority, leading to problems such as accident rate, assault on police or traffic agents, damage to infrastructure and the city facilities and deterioration of public spaces.
Given this, as a person who has dedicated his life to studying public health, I believe that there are duels that we Calinos have not yet done and that exacerbate the feelings of anger and frustration that prevail in the city today: the social outbreak of 2021 and The socioeconomic effects that the pandemic brought with it are pains that we have not yet been able to assimilate and heal as individuals. In this process we have not found the support of a strong institutional framework that can process our needs either.which has increased the uncertainty that prevails today.
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This leaves us as a result a city without a sense of belonging, heartfelt, long-suffering and lacking in solidarity. I’m sure that caleños are not that, I firmly believe that we can reconcile, that we can de-escalate our language and our actionsteaching and correcting others out of love and respect for them and for the rules.
As I pointed out in my column last week, ‘La identidad caleña’, it is time for each one of us to contribute to make Cali the city we deserve. If we do not insult those who make a mistake on the road, if we take out the garbage on the day that it is and dispose of it where it should beif we don’t run red lights, if as motorcyclists we don’t invade the bike path, if we don’t sneak into public transportation, we will contribute with small actions for the rebirth of mental health in Cali.
Obviously there are structural problems that affect the actions and feelings of the people of Cali: it is undeniable that insecurity, the increase in thefts, the inefficiency of public transport and mobility, and the lack of opportunities penetrate the depths of our pride. To solve this we will choose the best mayor, but it will be less complex if we joinif we work as a team for our physical and emotional well-being.
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