Culture and Peacebuilding

Course description.

This course takes a journey through different ways in which peace is built in various international contexts, emphasizing how the uses of language and knowledge of culture can contribute, or not, to achieve more harmonious and supportive relationships. Emphasis is placed on human rights and attitudes that favor the peaceful resolution of conflicts, active listening and respect for diversity. The course places special emphasis on the ways in which language constructs and reinforces relationships of domination and power, but also ways in which its use can contribute to a better world.

Justification

International organizations such as the UN, the OECD, among others, have pointed out the importance of achieving a more peaceful and tolerant world and for this purpose, the centrality of the development of global citizenship competence or, more recently, global competence has been pointed out. Due to the processes of globalization, young people must learn to co-exist and interact in a respectful, open and flexible manner with people of different origins, beliefs, customs and visions. This is especially relevant in the "post-conflict" situation, in which Colombians hope to learn in a less violent stage in which we can build progress for all, through a stable and lasting peace. The conscious use of language and a critical management of the messages that are received and given is a sine qua non condition for the construction of that ideal world that we all want and where human dignity and diversity are valued.

General objective of the course.

This course will be oriented to study the way in which culture and language represent and construct a variety of social phenomena, as well as the discourses through which power and domination relations are constructed and maintained as well as those that contribute to peace and solidarity.

Learning Outcomes.

At the end of the course, students should be able to:

1. Understand some of the global problems affecting the world today.
2. Use different linguistic tools to perform critical and positive analysis of discourse.
3. Develop critical attitudes toward issues such as climate change, poverty, inequality, and injustice.
4. Appreciate global initiatives for the development of peace, democracy and social justice.
5. Plan and develop projects in communities with specific needs.

Subjects of the course.

• The concept of peace
• Conflict
• Social justice and human rights
• Principles of language for peace
• International conflicts and peace building
• Critical analysis and positive discourse analysis.
• Media and peace language
• Peace language and other cultures