Education for peace from an intercultural approach through playful pedagogy

Abstract

The prevailing violence in the global and national scales has also permeated indigenous communities in Mexico, which have been integrating aggressive practices in family traditions since some time ago in their everyday life. Thus, an intervention project has been carried out based on the action research methodology, by means of the Summer Research programs promoted by institutions in a P'urhepecha community. The purpose of this article is to give account for the non-formal educational experience for Peace based on intercultural recreational processes with the above mentioned indigenous context. Fifty P’urhepecha boys and girls between 6 and 12 years old participated with four Psychology students, two undergraduate students and two Psychology professors. There were four analysis categories: Group integration and participation; respect for rules; education for peace, and intercultural education. Through these categories, the change process became noticeable in the boys and girls participating, as well as in the research team. As a conclusion, intercultural recreational processes like this become useful strategies in the education for peace, not only in the indigenous population, but for everyone involved.