Category Archives: Latin America

Cuba: Announcement of the 6th International Conference for World Balance

FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION .

An announcment from the Cuban Diplomatic Repesentation (abbreviated)

With everyone and for the benefit of all
”
For dialogue between civilizations and for a culture of peace

January 28 – 31, 2025, Havana, Cuba

Following the high level of attendance at the preceding edition (2023) – over 1,100 delegates from 89 countries – the José Martí International Solidarity Project announces the planned holding of the 6th International Conference FOR WORLD BALANCE, in Havana on January 28-31, 2025.

The event is open to writers, historians, journalists, artists, politicians, economists, scientists and intellectuals in general; to representatives of social and solidarity movements, trade union and religious leaders; members of NGOs and scientific, feminist, youth, rural workers’ and ecological organizations and all people of good will who care about the defense of social justice, evenhanded development, dialogue and peace; who share the finer feelings of solidarity and the desire to build a better world.


This world forum of pluralistic and multidisciplinary thinking is supported and co-sponsored by UNESCO, the Organization of Ibero-American States for Education, Science & Culture, the Fundación Cultura de Paz (Spain), Soka Gakkai International, the Latin American Council of Social Sciences (CLACSO) and other international, regional and domestic institutions.



The conference will take place at a time when mankind is progressing towards new bases of organization of the world system, in the context of a transition in civilization which transcends the legacy of colonialism, hegemonism and unipolarity to make multilateralism and the sustainability of human development its basic aim.  

The International Conferences FOR WORLD BALANCE have become important academic/scientific platforms of various branches of knowledge – notably the social and human sciences – attended by hundreds of educators, researchers, social activists and intellectuals from every latitude who are invited, regardless of their origin, culture, political stance, or religious beliefs, to ponder the main problems of the times, pursue common aims conducive to unity of global action, and convince international public opinion that dialogue should prevail over war, love over hate, solidarity over egoism … in short, to disseminate ideas and awareness for building a better world – more just and at peace, so that we can look to the future with hope rather than apprehension.


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(Click here for a Spanish version of the announcement)

Questions related to this article:

Does Cuba promote a culture of peace

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This world conference will take place in the year of the 130th anniversary of the death on the battlefield of José Martí, the master spirit of Cuban independence, a great philosopher whose profoundly humanist output of extraordinary longevity inspires efforts to bring about sustainable development; social justice; the elimination of poverty; access to public health, education and culture; the affirmation of international cooperation, of multilateralism, of respect for the rights of others, of dialogue and of peace.


The event will be the setting for the creation of meaningful relations between people of good will, for conferring greater visibility and substance to the struggle for the common ideal of making the world a better place and saving life on Earth; old and new friends will meet in the search for unity of global action to raise awareness within international public opinion; working experiences will be shared, views expressed with the utmost respect and in a setting entirely free of sectarianism. The gathering is also seen as a continuance of the International Conferences on the Dialogue of Civilizations and the debates at the World Humanities Conference held in Liège, Belgium, under the auspices of UNESCO and the International Council for Philosophy & Human Sciences. 


Fundamental questions will be addressed in committees, panels, workshops, meetings, symposiums, specialized sessions, keynote speeches, special addresses and other modes of reflection and debate, as expected of an event of this nature and scale; the results will be published as papers for distribution to universities, other seats of learning and research institutions and made available on the social networks.

(Editor’s note: According to an email received at CPNN from World Beyond War, one of the events at the conference will be an event called “Building a World Beyond War,” on January 30th co-organized by CODEPINK, International Peace Bureau, People’s Human Rights Observatory, GAMIP, Kavilando, Black Alliance for Peace, Veterans For Peace, Jose Martí Project, and World BEYOND War.


For details on the themes of the agenda, submission of papers and registration for the conference, see the conference website.)

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FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION, global, Latin America,

Yucatán: UADY will host the first Nobel Peace Summit Center for Education

. EDUCATION FOR PEACE .

An article from 24 Horas, el Diario sin Límites Yucatán

The Autonomous University of Yucatán (UADY) has been selected as the venue for the first “International Center for the Nobel Peace Summit for Education” in the world.


Photo: Tomás Martín

This new physical space and educational platform will offer an innovative and multidisciplinary approach to promoting a culture of peace, combining face-to-face and online activities for students and teachers.

A unique space for training in a culture of peace

The center seeks to promote education for peace through a structured and original approach. In its first phase, all universities in Yucatan, as well as those in other states of Mexico, will have access to this platform.

(Click here for the original Spanish version).

Question for this article:

Is there progress towards a culture of peace in Mexico?

Where is peace education taking place?

Even institutions without a specific peace chair will be able to use its teaching modules, adapted to provide complete and effective training on peace issues. This approach is based on the experience and knowledge of influential voices, including Nobel Peace Prize winners, activists and non-governmental organizations.

Innovative and multidisciplinary methodology

Through an integrated methodology and innovative educational content, UADY and the center will provide practical tools to teach about peace and human rights teachers from all over the country.

In addition, students will participate in a unique educational experience that encourages the development of skills to resolve conflicts and work towards peaceful coexistence.

Commitment to peace at a local and global level

From this center, UADY will implement actions to address problems of violence in schools and homes, as well as to build alliances that promote the culture of peace. The university seeks to collaborate with governments, businesses and communities to extend the impact of the center at a local and regional level.

The objective is to promote educational projects that strengthen the values ​​of respect and solidarity in Yucatan and the rest of Mexico.

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EDUCATION FOR PEACE, Latin America

Positive Peace in action: a collaborative journey in Trinidad

.. DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION ..

An article by Rotary Peace Fellows and Rotary Positive Peace Activators María Antonia Pérez and Scott R. Martin in the Rotary Service Blog

The island of Trinidad has one of the most diverse populations in the Caribbean. In recent years, however, the political and economic instability of its closest neighbor, Venezuela, has led to a sharp increase in migration, tension and potential for conflict. Cashew Gardens, a neighborhood in Trinidad that has worked to build a stronger community, contacted Mediators Beyond Borders  International for help integrating Venezuelan migrants.  

With support from Rotary International, the Institute for Economics and Peace, Mediators Beyond Borders International and the community of Cashew Gardens, we led the “Building Bridges: Connecting Communities for Positive Peace and Harmony” workshop.

Local Trinidadians and Venezuelan migrants got together to explore conflict resolution, trauma healing, social entrepreneurship, and the eight Pillars of Positive Peace. The goal was to co-design an inclusive and sustainable green market (a place for local agriculture, artisanal products and social entrepreneurial services) for the community.

We wanted to bring leaders together from each of the cultural communities in the region to learn from one another and establish a common language. The Positive Peace framework helped them identify their needs and express them through different value systems. The hope was that the participants could then help design the green market and develop the social and economic programs essential to its success. The Pillars of Positive Peace provided an excellent platform to support that success.

This initial workshop, supported through seed funding for Rotary Positive Peace Activator projects, was conducted in both English and Spanish and brought together a culturally diverse group of dedicated Trinidadians and Venezuelan immigrants, ages 15 to 65, for four days of learning, sharing, and building together. This also marked the first time Rotary Positive Peace Activators from the North American and Caribbean cohort and South American cohort had collaborated together.

In addition to being Positive Peace activators, we are also Rotary Peace Fellows  with different professional experiences, so our participation was deeply personal and fulfilling, not only as part of our commitment to the vision of Rotary, but also to our shared belief in the power of community engagement, art, and social entrepreneurship as tools for peacebuilding.

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Questions for this article:

How important is community development for a culture of peace?

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The workshop focused on these key areas:

Community Cohesion, Conflict and Trauma Awareness
Understanding the Positive Peace framework and the eight Pillars
Cross-Cultural Communication and Social Entrepreneurship
Project Design and Collaboration

These themes were crucial in addressing the unique challenges faced by the participants, who came from unique backgrounds and experienced different economic and social challenges. Many participants had known of each other for years, but this was their first time working together.

The interactive model fostered meaningful conversations, collaborative activities, and powerful storytelling that underscored the potential of unity and shared understanding. The group utilized the tools, methodologies, and resources centered around conflict management, trauma, universal needs, and Positive Peace to think critically about their current roles in the community and brainstorm what more is possible. The dedication and enthusiasm of the participants was truly inspiring, and resulted in clear directives and areas for collaboration moving forward.

We were grateful and inspired by local organizations such as The Ryu Dan Empowerment Foundation, La Casita, and Living Waters for their contributions and commitment to continue collaborating with our team and Cashew Gardens to weave the social fabric for joint prosperity.

While our journey is still in its early stages, the first workshop marked a significant step forward. Participants deepened their understanding of the Positive Peace framework, enhanced their conflict literacy, and learned to navigate cross-cultural interactions. This foundation will empower them to become effective partners within their communities.

The workshop also yielded tangible outcomes. Participants actively discussed and began to envision the potential spaces of the green market. Ideas included a dedicated playground for children and the incorporation of vocational services like a nail salon or barber shop, providing opportunities for underemployed youth.

Furthermore, a group chat has been established where members from the four participating organizations can connect, attend each other’s events, and cross-promote their initiatives. This fosters ongoing partnerships and strengthens community engagement.

The experience highlighted the importance of collaboration among Rotary Peace Fellows and Rotary Positive Peace Activators from across different regions. The cultural and gender balance of the team was also important for connecting fully with the participants. The workshop not only reinforced the principles of Positive Peace but also illustrated the impact that cross-cohort collaboration can have in driving meaningful, sustainable change. As Rotary Positive Peace Activators, we remain committed to continuing this journey, building more bridges, and creating spaces where peace can flourish.

Rotary Positive Peace Activators are Rotary and Rotaract members, Rotary Peace Fellows, and Rotary Action Group members who have been trained through the Rotary Positive Peace Activator program. Learn more about the Rotary Positive Peace Activator network  and the Rotary-Institute for Economics and Peace partnership.

DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION, Latin America

Peace Education in Colombia

… EDUCATION FOR PEACE …

Excerpts from extensive analysis at Peace Education Campaign Country Maps

The development of peace education in Colombia is shaped by the complex history of armed conflict, internal displacements, and the ongoing efforts to construct a lasting and inclusive peace. Targeted efforts addressing its challenges have resulted in Colombia emerging as a global leader in peace education.


Training for young volunteers at the University of Toloma. Ibagué, Toloma. November 2019. (Photo: Schools of Peace Foundation archive)

Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have played and continue to play a significant role in strengthening peace education in Colombia, with their active engagement at the local level, collaboration with communities, and creation of resources for effective programs. Furthermore, a key aspect of peace education in Colombia is its local approach, with programs and initiatives tailored to meet the needs of local communities. . . .

One of the primary formal initiatives for peace education in Colombia is “La Cátedra de Paz,” which aims to create and consolidate a space for learning, reflection and dialogue on the culture of peace and sustainable development that contributes to the general well-being and improvement of the quality of life of the population, established by Law 1732 of 2014, and regulated by decree 1038 of 2015. . . . .

Non-formal peace education efforts in Colombia are led by numerous NGOs that engage directly or indirectly in peace education through educational programs, teacher training, community initiatives, and extensive research. They have a great impact in strengthening institutional commitments to peacebuilding, often acting as intermediaries between the government sector and educational institutions, as well as mobilizing other actors who are not formally linked to the educational sector.

Social organizations actively support the documentation of experiences and insights, contributing to a deeper understanding of the methods and underlying reasons that make peace and human rights integral to the educational sector. . . .

In Colombia a territorial approach to peace education has been one of the major trends that have emerged in the country. . . . The territorial approach has been implemented using various strategies, often leveraging local resources and asking teachers and communities to analyse the conflict dynamics in their specific settings. This ranges from initiatives to prevent recruitment into criminal gangs and improve economic conditions to initiatives that focus on strengthening local communities and conflict resolution.

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Question for this article:

Where is peace education taking place?

What is happening in Colombia, Is peace possible?

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Peace Education Organizations, Models & Projects in Colombia

Overview initiatives/organizations connected to different approaches
Historical memory
Territorial
Intersectional/gender
Ethnic/intercultural
Human rights
Ethic and conflict resolution
Civil participation, democracy, and citizen competencies
Teacher training
EDUCATION FOR PEACE, Latin America

Mexico supports the launch of the Third World March for Peace and Nonviolence

DISARMAMENT & SECURITY .

An article by Olivier Turquet on the website of The World March

The Colegio Jesús de Urquiaga I.A.P. in Mexico City joined the Third World March for Peace and Nonviolence (The 3MM). They showed their support by holding two ceremonies dedicated to Peace and Nonviolence in which the entire educational community participated (500 primary and preschool students and 200 secondary and high school students).

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(Click here for the original article in Spanish.)

Questions related to this article:
 
Latin America, has it taken the lead in the struggle for a culture of peace?

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The two ceremonies were very emotional ceremonies as the need to unite voices was discussed, not only to denounce injustices, the horrors of war and violence, but to show the positive actions of the community to ensure that the new generations live in a world of peace and harmony. The importance of exalting values ​​such as respect and tolerance to build a culture of peace and non-violence that guarantees unity among peoples was also discussed.

In addition to the heartfelt words of the students, human symbols of Peace and Non-violence were formed. A poetic performance about the tragedy that individuals experience in violence and revenge was symbolized by a human chain. There was also a song for Peace (Imagine by John Lennon) and a joyful and hopeful dance performance called the human conquest of peace. which The activities join in spirit the start of the March on October 2 in San José, Costa Rica, the international day of non-violence and the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi.

It is worth noting that in addition to the ceremonies, a graphic exhibition prepared by the students themselves was held, showing the types of violence, raising awareness about the normalization of violence; an original recipe book for peace and inspiring phrases about building a culture of peace and non-violence.

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DISARMAMENT & SECURITY, Latin America

Mexico: Libraries, key to building a peace-building citizenship

… EDUCATION FOR PEACE …

An article by Laura Lucía Romero Mireles in Gaceta UNAM (translation by CPNN)

For peace, the great challenge is to transform the current culture of violence into one of dialogue, understanding and solidarity, characterized by respect for life and the dignity of people, social harmony founded on the principles of freedom, justice, democracy and solidarity, and rejection of all forms of violence,. This is the conclusion of the first session of the VI Virtual Forum Agenda 2030, libraries as drivers of a peaceful and sustainable future.

The keynote address was delivered by Ana Dolores Barrero Tiscar, director of the Culture of Peace Foundation in Spain. She said that developing a culture of peace is the only way to address the complexity of current needs and insecurities. However, carrying out this transformation is not an easy task, because violence has existed since the beginning of humanity; it is learned, socially constructed throughout history.

In her address, she mentioned that the United Nations Agenda 2030, in its 17 sustainable development goals and its 169 targets – which aim to eradicate poverty, protect the planet and ensure peace and prosperity for all people – recognizes the transversal and multidimensional scope of the culture of peace.

At the opening ceremony, Verónica Elena Solares Rojas, deputy director of Education, Training and Updating for Sustainability of the University Coordination for Sustainability, representing Tamara Martínez Ruiz, secretary of Institutional Development, highlighted that libraries are key players in building an environmental, peace-building, informed and proactive citizenry, by providing access to scientific, humanistic, reliable and quality knowledge.

More and more higher education institutions and spaces for the dissemination of knowledge around the world are recognizing their central role in the transition towards sustainability, she added at the meeting held from September 25 to 27.

UNAM, in its Institutional Development Plan, proposes sustainability as a cross-cutting axis for its substantive tasks. “Education strategies cannot be carried out without the existing material resources that are in the library collections; thus, from the Coordination we seek to strengthen education for sustainability at all levels.”

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(click here for the original version in Spanish).

Questions for this article:

Is there progress towards a culture of peace in Mexico?

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Elsa Margarita Ramírez Leyva, general director of Libraries and Digital Information Services, described these facilities as living centers where learning, innovation, creativity, recreation, and enjoyment coexist, and which until now have been places of peace and harmony.

In this Directorate and the 140 libraries that make up the UNAM library and information system, she added, they have long been contributing to sustainable development through different actions. An example of this is that they all facilitate efficient and broad access to physical and digital collections, and open access resources, which also benefits other communities.

Rocío Cázares Aguilar, head of the Acquisitions Department of the National Library of Mexico, explained that for some years now this agency has had an annual program of donation of bibliographic materials to the Eastern Preventive Men’s Prison, and it has been very successful.

“We have received comments from inmates commenting on how their lives have changed by being sent stimulating materials of interest, of a legal or literary nature, which encourages us to continue sowing those seeds of peace among those citizens who also have the right to the information and recreation that libraries can offer.”

The coordinator of the Graduate Program in Library Science and Information Studies, Lina Escalona Ríos, commented that from the library education “we reflect on what we have done for the training of professionals, teachers and doctors, who must contribute to the achievement of the objectives of peace and sustainability.”

For his part, Gerardo Zavala Sánchez, coordinator of the College of Library Science and Archives, of the Faculty of Philosophy and Letters, stressed that the education of librarians in training is relevant at this historical moment, and it is necessary to have a comprehensive vision in the quality study plans and programs, where respect and harmony between society and the planet must be paramount.

Máximo Román Domínguez López, president of the National College of Librarians, highlighted the commitment to society to rebuild the social fabric with the active participation of librarians, and how libraries can be agents of peace in a country where violence prevails.

Finally, Daniel Jorge Sanabria Barrios, president of the National College of Librarians, highlighted the commitment to society to rebuild the social fabric with the active participation of librarians, and how libraries can be agents of peace in a country where violence prevails.

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FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION, Latin America

Honduras: IUDPAS and World Vision Certify 27 Professionals with the Diploma in Culture of Peace

. EDUCATION FOR PEACE .

A blog by Ilda Corea of ​​the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Honduras (translation by CPNN)

The University Institute for Democracy, Peace and Security (IUDPAS), of the Faculty of Social Sciences of the National Autonomous University of Honduras (UNAH), in conjunction with World Vision Honduras, awarded the Diploma in Culture of Peace, certifying 27 professionals who benefited from the training process and are trained to be agents of change in society.

The event was attended by the head of the Academic Vice-Rector’s Office, Lourdes Murcia; the dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences, Carmen Julia Fajardo; the coordinator of the Peace area of ​​IUDPAS, Esteban Ramos, and the director of projects of World Vision, Sady Alonzo.

The dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences assured that this academic programs confirms the firm commitment that UNAH has with society to address today’s social realities.

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(Click here for the original Spanish version).

Question for this article:

Culture of peace curricula: what are some good examples?

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“Through the continuing education programs that the Faculty of Social Sciences has, through the two institutes, we try to strengthen the skills of the people who are working every day,” said Fajardo.

The diploma, carried out by the Peace area of ​​IUDPAS, offered participants theoretical and practical knowledge necessary to promote participatory processes for the construction of peace, conflict transformation and education for peace, promoting the development of a set of values, attitudes and key behaviors for care, respect for life and rejection of violence in all its manifestations.

The diploma course lasted 128 hours, distributed in the following eight modules: Theory of peace and violence; Education for transformative peace; Art and play in education for transformative peace; Emotions and subjectivities; Participatory methodologies and non-violent action for transformative peace; Gender, masculinity and diversity; Conflict, dialogue and non-violent communication and Analysis of current events and participatory experiences of peace building.

Student Cristely Abigail Flores commented: “This training process has taught us that it is in the group that we can make actions for change and not in individuality, because that is where peace as such is reflected.”

Since its creation, the IUDPAS has made available to the Honduran population non-formal education programs aimed at strengthening the capacities of professionals from different disciplines in matters of democracy, peace and security.
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EDUCATION FOR PEACE, Latin America

Colombia: The functions of the Congressional Peace Commission are strengthened

.. DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION ..

An article from the Senate of the Republic of Colombia

This week, the Senate Plenary formally consolidated the Legal Commission for Peace. This comes after several years of efforts to ensure that this commission became part of the legal commissions that exist in both the Senate and the House of Representatives.


With Law 2405 of 2024, the Legal Commission for Peace and Post-Conflict was formally created.

As a member and president of the Commission, Senator Iván Cepeda, from the Coalition of the Historic Pact, explained, “It is a decision that has advantages, it has the possibility that the decisions that are taken, have greater binding force in Congress, different from the decisions of before.”

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(click here for the original version in Spanish).

Questions for this article:

What is happening in Colombia, Is peace possible?

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This Legal Peace Commission has a fundamental role in supporting the mechanisms of implementation of the peace agreements, as well as the realization of actions of a humanitarian nature, for the preservation and maintenance of peace.

In this way, studies and analyses of the social reality of the country can also be carried out, which contribute to promoting actions within the framework of the Culture of Peace, as well as the peaceful resolution of conflicts.

The commission will be composed of eleven senators from the following political parties: Iván Cepeda and Aida Quilcué (Historical Pact), Liliana Benavides and Germán Blanco (Conservative Party), Fabio Amín (Liberal Party), Angelica Lozano (Green Party), Paloma Valencia (Democratic Center Party), David Luna (Radical Change Party), Norma Hurtado (U Party), Lorena Ríos Cuellar (MIRA-Colombia Justa Libres Party), Sandra Ramírez, Omar Restrepo, Pablo Catatumbo, Imelda Daza Cotes and Julian Gallo (Comunes Party).

The measure received the endorsement in the Plenary of 60 congressmen who agree on the construction of a peace policy that will contribute to the cessation of conflict by armed groups outside the law that persist in the national territory.

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DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION, Latin America

Mexico: Is peace possible or is it just an illusion?

… EDUCATION FOR PEACE …

An article by Luis Reyes from Universidad Iberoamericana (translation by CPNN)

The Department of Interdisciplinary Reflection of the Universidad Iberoamericana (IBERO) presented the book Reconciliation: A Possible Path to Peace, by Dr. Mónica Chávez Aviña, a work that addresses the context of violence that people, families and communities experience daily in Mexico. The book provides a reflective dialogue with different authors who have addressed the origin and the causes of the violence. causes of this scourge, where it began to develop and whether it is possible to eradicate it.


Photo: Luis Reyes

Is peace an illusion or a naive utopia? Is reconciliation and forgiveness possible? Is there hope or is everything already lost? These are questions that the text written by Dr. Chávez Aviña seeks to answer. The context is the wave of violence that looms daily in the country makes us look at the terror that has been experienced for a month in Culiacán or the recent execution of the mayor of Chilpancingo, Alejandro Arcos Catalán, at the hands of organized crime.

During the presentation held at the Martín Buber Auditorium of the IBERO, the moderator was Maestro (Mtro.) Alberto Segrera Tapia, who gave the floor to several personalities who were invited to make comments and reflections on the volume.

Maestro (Mtra.) Lucila Servitje Montull said that, as a response to violence, reconciliation is complex; it is a personal and social problem that originates from unjust structures and the serious lack of justice for reparation of damages.

“What Monica chooses is reconciliation as a response to violence (…) When violence is not recognized, one is complicit in injustice. Monica underlines that we can speak of a resentful memory, but also of a happy memory, which can recover the past, follow the present and glimpse into the future.”

(Article continued in right column)

(click here for the original version in Spanish).

Questions for this article:

Is there progress towards a culture of peace in Mexico?

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Miguel Álvarez Gándara, National Human Rights Award 2017, pointed out that the logic that dominates today is that of force, where patriarchy, exploitation of resources, neoliberalism and dispossession are exercised with violence and who has to change this situation is the power, which is totally exhausted.

“The possibility of forgiveness is in reconciliation (…) Where we are capable of dialogue, we initiate processes of reconciliation. Dialogue has depth because it has to do with the causes, not only with the effects. Peace is a process that does not come from outside, it is built from within with local actors,” he said.

The Director of the Department of Interdisciplinary Reflection, Dr. Fernando de la Fuente S.J., reflected that there is no reconciliation without justice because it is evident that the person who commits harm must compensate for it. However, he pointed out that Dr. Chávez Aviña’s text rethinks this situation from different angles and provides an alternative for reconciliation.

“That is fundamental. If we do not believe this, we will not be able to move forward and open ourselves to hope. We must narrate from the truth so that we can empathize with the suffering of the victims, know the social causes that led to these unjust and violent acts so that they are not repeated. In some way this is present throughout the text,” he stressed.

Dr. Chávez Aviña, author of the book, explained that the text asked questions that challenge and try to give different answers so that whoever reads it can dialogue with different authors and propose reconciliation as a possible path to peace.

She pointed out that there are still many challenges to achieve this, such as caring for people in vulnerable situations and connecting with people, groups, foundations and educational centers to build a culture of peace, ensuring that people live with dignity and their human rights are respected.

“Reconciliation first implies moving from silence to words based on truth. We have to transmit hope to the next generations and create a culture of peace, where we can live with reconciliation, fraternity and solidarity. We must commit ourselves to creating new narratives of justice, of reconciliation to create bridges that make this horizon possible,” she noted.
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FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION, Latin America

Mexico: UABC advances in the culture of peace

… EDUCATION FOR PEACE …

An article from Lindero Norte Noticias (translation by CPNN)

The University Council of the Autonomous University of Baja California (UABC), the highest collegiate body representing the Cimarron community, approved the report on activities and the 2025 Work Plan of the Institutional Program for the Culture of Peace (PICP).

The report was presented by the coordinator of the unit for Gender, Diversity and Educational Inclusion (UGDIE), Yessica Martínez Soto, who highlighted that it reports on the actions carried out in five areas: educational inclusion; gender and violence; diversity and interculturality; mainstreaming of the culture of peace; and collaboration networks.

Among the activities presented by Dr. Martínez Soto is the formation of the LSM-UABC Commission made up of 16 people from the university community, who were in charge of interpreting the university motto in Mexican Sign Language (LSM).

Other notable actions include the publication, on November 25, 2023, of the “Declaration by which the Pronouncement of Zero Tolerance is issued for any situation or expression that violates the well-being and rights of people at UABC”; the ÚNETE and ORGULLODIVERSA UABC campaigns.

Discussions on university experiences were also organized, in which topics such as the inclusion of people with disabilities at UABC, women in academia, and the implications of trans identity in the classroom were addressed.

In addition, workshops, training sessions and discussions were held on topics such as inclusive language, autism, art and gender, prevention and eradication of violence, interculturality and higher education, suicide prevention, teaching, culture of peace and human rights.

In collaboration with BBVA and the Vice-Rectorate of the Tijuana Campus, the Job Fair for People with Disabilities was held. Likewise, work was done on training peace agents, through the integration of the Reading Circle for Peace.

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(click here for the original version in Spanish).

Questions for this article:

Is there progress towards a culture of peace in Mexico?

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Likewise, the project “Daily Steps for Peace” was implemented, through which, through a monthly digital calendar, each day an informative and dissemination resource is offered related to the main dimensions that contribute to the construction of a culture of peace, such as human rights, gender, diversity and inclusion.

The UGDIE coordinator explained that, among the actions scheduled in the PICP 2025 Work Plan, are the preparation of guides, decalogues and protocols that establish guidelines for inclusion from language, disabilities, for the construction of peace actions in university instances, attention to sex-gender diversity and harmonious coexistence.

The university violence meter will also be created, a program to prepare trainers in non-violent communication, a MOOC course on peace culture, a toolbox for self-care and personal peace, and a network of young people for peace.

Likewise, a university consultation will be held on violence and discrimination rates; the route for reissuing documents due to change of identity will be outlined, and a day of intercultural self-determination will be organized.

Modifications in the educational program and academic unit

Likewise, with the purpose of responding to the needs demanded by the global context, the University Council approved modifications of the educational program of the doctorate in Administrative Sciences.

Finally, at the request of the Technical Council of the Faculty of Sports, the Faculty was divided into three independent academic units, one for each campus. The split is based on the socioeconomic and cultural conditions and needs presented by the Faculty. In addition, it will contribute both to the efficient decentralization of the university’s resources and functions and to the promotion and development of the region.

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