Educating for sustainable peace: A field study of the Zapatista educational projects in Chiapas

Abstract: This qualitative study has examined the Zapatista educational projects in Chiapas, drawing on two months of fieldwork conducted in the Caracoles of La Realidad, Oventic and Morelia. The aim of the study has been to develop a critical reflection upon how the Zapatistas through their educational projects have addressed past issues of educational malpractice. Employing methods of participant observations and informal narrative interviews it has been possible to get the empirical material that have explained the understandings in the communities that today informs the practices of Zapatista education. Through the application of critical pedagogy it has been possible to interpret and explore how the projects have based in 1) a view of knowledge as a de-commodified social construct. 2) The need of teachers, or promoters, to be developed in democratic manners and 3) the reemphasis on successful bilingual education to support a process of conscientization. Hence fundamentally contrasting against the historical implementations of education interpreted in a banking manner. As these premises constitutes a problem-posing education the concepts have been interpreted to amount to a peace education resulting in the development of values and attitudes that articulates an utopia of a world with room for many worlds, guiding aspirations of peace.