Education for Peace in the Mexican context

Abstract

This paper presents a case study of a peace-based education program piloted in Mexico. An analysis of the interactions among the micro, meso, and macro levels sheds light on how the benefits, challenges, and impact of synergic action contribute towards building a culture of peace. The paper concludes that the best strategy for crime prevention is education for peace. This requires multi-stakeholder collaboration to create transcendental solutions that go to the roots of the problem of violence in Mexico rather than simply fighting its symptoms.

Cet article rend compte d’un programme d’éducation issu du mouvement pacifiste, dont le projet-pilote est présentement mené au Mexique. Il s’agit de démontrer, à travers une analyse des interactions à diverses échelles (micro, méso et macro), les bénéfices, enjeux et impacts de l’action synergique sur la construction d’une culture pacifiste. L’article conclut que la meilleure stratégie de prévention anticriminelle est l’éducation pour la paix. Ceci requiert une collaboration entre les divers partis intéressés afin de créer des solutions transcendantes qui attaquent à la source le problème de la violence au Mexique plutôt que de simplement en combattre les symptômes.

Keywords:

• Education for Peace
• Mexico
• citizenship
• multi-stakeholder collaboration
• violence prevention

Acknowledgements

I want to thank Philip Oxhorn, Director of the Institute for the Study of International Development at McGill University, H.B. Danesh, head of the International Education for Peace Institute, Sara Clarke-Habibi from Cambridge University and the Education for Peace international team, Magdalena Shishenkova from Université du Québec à Montréal, Nathalie Gravel from Laval University, Mohamed Sesay and Stephanie Valenzuela from McGill University, Alejandro Huesca from TEC de Monterrey, and Iliana Ayala from EFP Mexico staff.

Notes

1. El Norte Newspaper, “Achaca ONU al SNTE desigualdad educativa”, 27 October 2010.

2. United Nations Human Development Report 2011, 60. See also Dahlberg (1998); and Verdú et al. (2008).

3. In Nuevo León there are 1,500 gangs, of which 20 are allegedly linked to the Zetas (NAF Report 2010, 21–22). To refer to Drug Trade Organization (DTO), the word ”narco” will be used thought the paper.

4. Villegas-Reimers 1993; UNICEF Mexico 2005. “La Prevención de la violencia y la reducción de la deserción escolar en Mexico D.F”, 9 January 2005. http://www.unicef.org/spanish/protection/mexico_30660.html. Accessed 9 October 2009.

5. Milenio Newspaper. Milenio.com. “México es el primer lugar de bullying a escala internacional”. 23 May 2014. http://www.milenio.com/politica/Mexico-primer-bullying-escala-internacional_0_304169593.html. Accessed 21 July 2014.

6. La Jornada Newspaper. “En México padecen violencia 60% de menores de 14 años, revela la CNDH.” April 16, 2012. http://www.jornada.unam.mx/2012/04/16/sociedad/037n2soc. Accessed 21 July 2014.

7. Proceso Newspaper. Proceso.com.mx. “Violencia en las Escuelas”. 3 March 2010. http://www.proceso.com.mx/?p=108209. Accessed 21 July 2014.

8. Wilson Center Mexico Institute. “Federal Government investigates deaths of two students from the Tec de Monterrey”. 21 March 2010. http://mexicoinstitute.wordpress.com/2010/03/22/federal-government-investigates-deaths-of-two-students-from-the-tec-de-monterrey-in-spanish/. Accessed 9 April 2012.

9. Education for Peace Reader, 2011, EFP Press, p. 12. http://efpinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/efp_reader.pdf. Accessed 21 July 2014.

10. Rúbrica Informativa. “Invitan a Trabajar por la Paz”. 9 June 2012. http://rubricainformativa.com/2012/06/09/invitan-a-trabajar-por-la-paz/. Accessed 21 July 2014. 4Poder.info. “Se compromete Héctor Gutiérrez a ser Constructor de Paz”. 9 June 2012. http://4poder.info/index/2012/06/09/se-compromete-hector-gutierrez-a-ser-constructor-de-paz/. Accessed 21 July 2014.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Narcedalia Lozano Garza

Narcedalia Lozano Garza is a Vanier Canada Scholar and a doctoral Political Science student at McGill University. She is the founder and president of La Paz comienza con los Niños A.C./Peace Begins with Children Foundation in 2000. Since 2012 she has led the implementation of Education for Peace in Mexico. She is a member of CALACS and the Canadian Peace Research Association, and collaborator for the Tony Blair Faith Foundation, the Institute for the Study of International Development (ISID), and the International Education for Peace Institute. She is a proud and happy mother of three children.