Abstract
This work analyzes the most frequent framings used to explain insecurity and violence in Mexico and Latin America, considering the type of understandings and prescription they provide to public policies. We consider that Johan Galtung´s systemic approach to violence offers an integral view of the processes that lead to social violence, and provides important elements for the social efforts committed with the construction of peace. We also explore the potential contributions of the “commons” perspective to the comprehension of the collective efforts needed to build a sustained peace, considered as a condition that exceeds the mere apparent absence of conflicts, and involves both, citizenship and the state at different scales.
Highlights
Violence in México has reached unprecedented levels since former president Calderón (2006–2012)1 launched a war against drug dealing more than a decade ago
We consider that Johan Galtung’s systemic approach to violence offers an integral view of the processes that lead to social violence, and provides important elements for the social efforts committed with the construction of peace
Security policy based on a strong concentration of power in the army and the federal police was mainly oriented to capturing the leaders of the drug cartels, leaving aside the complex social dynamics behind violence
Summary
Violence in México has reached unprecedented levels since former president Calderón (2006–2012) launched a war against drug dealing more than a decade ago. Based on a short analysis of the recent increased violence in México, this paper aims to provide conceptual insights for the comprehension of this process and the construction of alternative strategies for peace-building that could be useful for social/peace activists, policy-makers and researchers With this broad objective this work poses the following questions: Which are the key contributions of the main conceptual approaches used in the analysis of violence in México and Latin America?, Can peace and security be regarded as a common?. Our main objective is to contribute to a conceptual framework useful for the reconstruction of peace in the country Apart from this introduction this paper is composed of five other sections: general accounting of the evolution of violence in México; a review of the aforementioned approaches to violence; the reflection on the potential theoretical and policy contributions of the “collective action – commons” theory, to the understanding of peace building as a polycentric process; a discussion of the results and reflections of the previous sections and the conclusions
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