Quando a base epistemológica é a essência: Decolonialidade e Cultura de Paz na América Latina

Abstract

Peace is the absence of violence: cultural, structural and direct. The absence of direct violence reflects negative peace. The presence of mechanisms for building better living conditions reflects positive peace. Latin America is a violent region, this statement is proven by data presented by the Global Peace Index. The region has a complex history, influenced by its colonial past and there is an ongoing struggle for autonomy. This work aims to demonstrate how the Culture of Peace and decolonial theories are complementary and decisive in the process of reflection for the construction of peace in Latin America, considering the history, struggles of the region and its epistemological basis. The methods used in the research were: horizontal knowledge production and decolonial epistemology. The research has an interdisciplinary characteristic, the technique is bibliographic and documentary review, and the data was analyzed through situation analysis. In the bibliographic sources, priority was given to Latin American authors, such as Batthyány (2023), Dussel (2007), Quijano (2005) and Zaffaroni (2022), with the contribution of leading theoretical frameworks on violence, Galtung (2003), and peace, Jares (2002) . It was assumed that in order to claim peace as a right, its normative provision is important. It was found that in countries that consider the Culture of Peace as a right there has been a significant improvement in the feeling of tranquility in the last 15 years. The intention is that the research can contribute to actions aimed at building peace and new approaches in social sciences through the reflections that will be presented.