Trauma of Peru

I have always been a strong proponent of great, positive social changes. I will gladly take any chance to help make the world a better place, especially for those who have often been considered the underdogs. Recently, however, it has become more apparent to me that this philosophy creates a naive belief about social reform and the ease with which such changes can occur.

Growing up surrounded by very vocal activists, I had soaked up many of their beliefs like a sponge. I had begun to form and reform my understanding of things like intersectional feminism, environmental activism, and race-based activism long before I made it out of high school, long before I had a clear understanding of my own self. As such, I also soaked up the fervor expressed by many of my high school mentors, as they educated my peers and I on the state of the world, and on how we could change things for the better. This fervor remains until this very day, and it is this fervor that creates a sense of discomfort in my reception of this week’s topic.

For this week’s video, Max Cameron lays out a generalized explanation of Peru’s struggle within the latter half of the 20th century. Beginning with the overt desire for drastic changes in the country’s social class hierarchy, many Peruvians began to seek out ways to bring about reforms. In doing so, a portion of these activists turned to violent tactics to obtain an audience, and to ensure that they were taken seriously. Collectively called the Shining Path, this extremist group sought to seek an upheaval of the political and social structures present during the late 1900s within the nation of Peru.

Of course, I do not condone the use of violence as a means of getting one’s way. From my perspective, the Shining Path’s vicious attempt to help shape Peru for a brighter future was neither the best nor the most reasonable mode of creating change. Cameron does note that the aftermath of the war was not entirely horrific. Although Peru did not emerge unscathed, the nation is now seemingly in a better state than it was so many years ago. Although this is not entirely thanks to the efforts of Shining Path, the group did influence the country’s outcome in some significant ways.

And so, my question for this week is about whether or not you think the means justify the ends? Is it morally justifiable for a group of people to use violence as a means to a greater, a more positive end? Why or why not?