After the lecture at Studentafton, Lundagård had an interview with Ingrid Betancourt about her theology studies, the party life in Lund and the future for Colombia.
It is now a time of peace talks with the FARC, just as it was at the time when you were abducted. A lot has changed both in your life and Colombia. What is your opinion of the actors in Colombia?
Today we have a FARC which is defeated militarily. It was not 10 years ago, when we had the other peace process. The commanders are different… The previous commanders were truly like icons, both for their own troops and for the country, because they had been there forever. The people who are now commanding the FARC are what’s left. The others have been killed. They don’t have the same leadership or weight. In a way, negotiating with them could be easier. It’s a completely different situation. Today, it’s possible to think peace could be achieved.
Do you think your opinion has changed due to your time in abduction?
Actually, I think it isn’t me who has changed my opinion. I think the situation is different.
What attracted you to Lund and Sweden? What attracted you to come here?
First, I love Sweden and I love the Swedish. I have lots of friends here, some in Stockholm, some in other places. This is my first time here in Lund. Sweden is a country that I like. I like the way you think. I like the way you manage the seasons. I feel that there is there’s something in Sweden that is fresh. And something that I would like to say is innocent. But it’s not like people would think about innocence in a diminishing way. It’s kind of a theological innocence, which is the joy of the simple things. I look at you wanting to know more because I am fascinated by this country. It’s different than Norway, it’s different than others. It’s Southern, if that makes sense…
Do you mean Sweden has more vitality?
You party a lot here!
You are studying theology now, what are your plans for that?
In theology, I’m writing my thesis. What I want to do with my thesis is enjoy it. I don’t know if it’s going to be published, I’m doing as a luxury in life. All my fellow students could be my sons or daughters, so I’m the grandma of the class. But truly, I have lots of pleasure doing what I’m doing. I definitely want to write. I like writing, and as long as I have this pleasure of writing, I want to continue.
What are your future plans for Colombia?
About politics in Colombia, I don’t say no, but I don’t see myself doing it right now. I just don’t like too many things still. If I don’t have the conviction that the country is mature for a huge change, I think I can be more useful talking from abroad. I have discovered that a voice from abroad that is not contaminated by the daily quarrels of politics can have a huge impact. I’m learning how this works and it’s very interesting because I think I can contribute a lot in this way. I’m beginning to understand how to talk to Colombians.
We are in Lund, a huge university town. You are studying now. I think your children are above university age?
Yes. One is working and the other is a student like me. We call each other to see how we do on the exams!
In your talk, you spoke a lot about how being a mother is important for you. As a mother, what type of university experience would you want for your children?
I think that you make your own university experience. The university brings you a stage to do things, but truly, it’s what you do with it. It depends on your character and your ability to grasp the moment. It’s a learning process, and perhaps what you think you learning – what you’re studying – is probably not what you’re going to learn the most. The most you’re going to learn is about working with people. It’s about prioritizing your time. It’s about controlling your emotions in order to be adequate to participate in a group endeavor. There are many things that you don’t see that you’re learning, because it’s like by osmosis. It’s just there! And suddenly you realize that now you have the experience. You won’t do a task a certain way because you learned earlier not to – the hard way always – and you will do it differently. The tougher your experience is, the more you learn.
Text: Zeynep Ali
Photo: Jens Hansen
