The culture of peace must be understood as a cross-cutting process that involves justice, inclusion, mutual respect, sustainability, and cooperation, not only in personal and family relationships, but also in social interactions, stated Leonardo Lomelí Vanegas, Rector of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), during the launch of the strategy Cultura de paz: un Semillero Universitario (Culture of Peace: A University Seedbed).
This initiative, supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Norwegian Centre for Conflict Resolution (NOREF), the Mexican Episcopal Conference, and UNESCO, aims to consolidate a culture of peace within the university community by fostering values and conflict mediation methods. It does so by connecting the work of academic staff across various university entities with new proposals, especially for younger students, to practice peaceful conflict resolution.
Among the key actions of the strategy, Lomelí Vanegas highlighted the establishment of a UNESCO Chair on the Culture of Peace; the creation of a course on Culture of Peace and Mediation, as well as a diploma program; the development of a violence diagnostic for each UNAM campus; a student essay contest; and a cultural and sports activities program. He also announced the First National Week of the Culture of Peace, scheduled to take place in September 2025.
At the signing of the agreement to create the University Program for the Culture of Peace and the Eradication of Violence—which formalizes the strategy—Lomelí Vanegas emphasized that it is a commitment to transform interaction frameworks and decision-making processes, and to prevent and address all forms of violence.
Peace is sown in the classroom
According to the UN Secretary-General’s Report on the Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflicts, there are at least 120 ongoing armed conflicts worldwide, affecting over 280 million people. In the face of this landscape, where violence, hate speech, and discrimination have intensified, hope remains.
“Violence is a culturally learned behaviour and, as such, it can be unlearned. Peace is not a passive opposite, but part of the same process. It is chosen and practiced with awareness and commitment. It also requires profound cultural changes, political will, and the active involvement of public and private institutions, as well as civil society,” said Lomelí Vanegas.
Cultivating peace, like agriculture, requires sowing seeds, watering, and caring for them to reap results. The key to cultivating peace is education.
Education is the only alternative to build and guarantee a culture of peace. The only path to peace is through dialogue, prevention, political solutions to conflicts, and bilateral relations between our nations.
“If we speak of building a culture of peace, it necessarily must begin with education. The great commitment of the Mexican government is through education. The well-being of everyone is a right, and we must work from classrooms and schools for a country with peace and free of addictions,” agreed Mario Delgado Carrillo, Mexico’s Secretary of Public Education.
Mexico: a key actor in peacebuilding
“Mexico is a pacifist country. As a signatory of the United Nations Charter, since the San Francisco Conference in 1945, Mexico supported establishing peace and international security as the UN’s main goal. The legacy of Mexican diplomacy has contributed to that culture of peace. However, today’s global reality shows that something has not been done right. The challenge we face to advance a culture of peace is enormous, and so are the opportunities,” said Juan Ramón de la Fuente, Mexico’s Secretary of Foreign Affairs, in a video message.
Among examples, the foreign minister highlighted the role of women in peacebuilding and peacekeeping. “There is solid evidence that women have been more effective in building peace and sustaining peace processes over time. This has been a key agenda we promoted when Mexico was an Elected Member of the UN Security Council: The Women, Peace, and Security Agenda, alongside the Netherlands, Kenya, and Norway. That is why we are also increasing the participation of women in diplomacy, betting on a feminist foreign policy.”
For her part, Rosa Icela Rodríguez Velázquez, Secretary of the Interior, who also congratulated UNAM on the strategy, emphasized the Mexican government’s peacebuilding initiatives and the role each person plays in achieving this common good.
“If each of us contributes a grain of sand to transform our beloved nation, we will achieve a better Mexico for our children, youth, and future generations. Mexico is not condemned to war; Mexico is destined for peace,” she said in her video message.
Dag Nylander, Director of the Norwegian Centre for Conflict Resolution (NOREF), praised the work conducted by the governments of Mexico and Norway since 2023 to explore dynamics and solutions to conflict, and celebrated UNAM’s initiative as a continuation of that collaboration.
“We are committed to strengthening multilateralism and supporting the United Nations system in which we are all represented. The initiative launched today plays a complementary role. At NOREF, we are fully committed to supporting initiatives that advance conflict resolution, and interregional collaboration is key to this goal,” he stated.
The presentation of the strategy “Culture of Peace: A University Seedbed” was also attended by Elena Centeno García, current President of UNAM’s Governing Board; Mario Luis Fuentes Alcalá, President of the Board of Trustees; former UNAM rectors José Sarukhán Kermez, José Narro Robles, and Enrique Graue Wiechers; Roberto de León Huerta, Chief of Staff to the Secretary of Foreign Affairs; and Andrés Morales, UNESCO Representative in Mexico, among other figures from civil society organizations, universities, and institutions working to promote a culture of peace.