Culture of Peace Training in Psychology Students

Life Skills and University Social Responsibility Approaches

Abstract

Violence, insecurity, conflict, and limited access to justice are serious threats to sustainable development. The Rule of Law in México exhibits a significant deterioration in a large part of the country´s entities. Any action to respond to social problems must start with the collaboration of all parties involved. Higher education institutions are a key element as they have an important social responsibility in promoting a culture of peace through the development of educational programs that generate behaviors, values, and attitudes focused on the peaceful solution of conflicts and train professionals committed to social needs.  The current educational models of the Autonomous University of Yucatan propose that, for the integral formation of students and the design of pertinent, feasible, and quality study plans, the culture of peace is considered a fundamental principle. This paper presents the development of a conceptual and operational model for the promotion of a culture of peace based on university social responsibility and the models of life skills in support of the comprehensive training of students of the Faculty of Psychology of the Autonomous University of Yucatan.