The Overlooked Contributors to Climate and Biodiversity Crises: Military Operations and Wars.

The military-industrial complex, military operations, and wars are major contributors to exacerbating both climate change and biodiversity crises. However, their environmental impacts are often shadowed due to national security reasons. The current paper aims to go through the devastating impacts of military operations and wars on climate change and biodiversity loss and challenges that hinder the inclusion of military-related activities into environmental crisis mitigation efforts. The information blind spot induced by concerns about national security reasons jeopardizes the efforts to involve the military-industrial complex and military operations in the global climate and biodiversity agendas. Besides that, many military-related challenges, such as specificity of operational requirements and lifecycles, dependence on fossil fuels, complex supply change, inadequate civilian technologies and innovations, and requirements of structural changes, can hinder emission reduction. Meanwhile, wars and conflicts not only threaten to drain all human and material resources available to tackle environmental problems but also inflict long-lasting destructions, pains, and trauma that can lead to hatred and distrust among nations and parties. With the rising hatred and distrust, global agreement and commitment to address climate change and biodiversity will hardly be achieved. Thus, promoting peace is the humanistic and planetary conscience.

Conflict, COVID-19, and crisis response: shifting from 'pivoting' to preparedness.

This paper assesses the extent to which the COVID-19 (Coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic directed the attention and resources of the international community away from peacebuilding, and the potential impact of this on conflict-affected environments. It draws from a global survey, interviews, and conversations with peacebuilding practitioners, publicly available information on peacebuilding funding, and real-time data on conflict events from the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project. The paper argues that resources and attention have 'pivoted' away from peacebuilding to tackle the threat presented by COVID-19, and that this can-but does not always-adversely affect conflict dynamics. It contends that this pivoting belies the interconnectedness of crises, leads to 'forgotten crises' and escalating threats, and exposes deficiencies in peacebuilding funding and, more broadly, preparedness and crisis response. Crises do, however, provide opportunities for reflection and change, including how to address these deficiencies and, in so doing, advance more efficient, effective, and ethical practice.

How contact can promote societal change amid conflict: An intergroup contact field experiment in Nigeria.

Intergroup contact, originally designed as a tool for prejudice reduction, offers a promising means to resolve intergroup conflict. Evidence for contact-based interventions to improve intergroup relations is sparse, however, with most studies focusing only on the individuals who directly engage in contact. We test the ability of a contact-based intervention to promote peace between conflicting groups with a field experiment in Nigeria, where farmer and pastoralist communities are embroiled in a deadly conflict over land use. We examine the effectiveness of the contact intervention on the wider population-not just those directly engaged in contact-using surveys, direct observation of behavior in markets and social events, and a behavioral game. We find those who lived in the communities that received the intervention had more positive intergroup attitudes and feelings of physical security, as well as were more likely to engage in voluntary intergroup contact measured through self-reports and observed behavior in markets. Exploratory analyses show that those who directly participated in the program and those who were exposed to it by living in the communities where activities were taking place changed similarly with regard to attitudes and perceptions of security, but not with regard to behaviors, indicating the spread to the wider community was likely due to norm change. These results suggest that contact interventions can have wider societal change and reduce the barriers to peace between conflicting groups.

Toward an integrated approach for mental health and psychosocial support and peacebuilding in North-East Nigeria: programme description and preliminary outcomes from 'Counselling on Wheels'.

BACKGROUND: Despite theoretical support for including mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) with peacebuilding, few programmes in conflict-affected regions fully integrate these approaches. AIMS: To describe and assess preliminary outcomes of the Counselling on Wheels programme delivered by the NEEM Foundation in the Borno State of North-East Nigeria. METHOD: We first describe the components of the Counselling on Wheels programme, including education and advocacy for peace and social cohesion through community peacebuilding partnerships and activities, and an MHPSS intervention open to all adults, delivered in groups of eight to ten people. We then conducted secondary analysis of data from 1550 adults who took part in the MHPSS intervention, who provided data at baseline and 1-2 weeks after the final group session. Vulnerability to violent extremism was assessed with a locally developed 80-item scale. Symptoms of common mental disorders were assessed with the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21) and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Scale (PTSD-8). Data were analysed through a mixed-effect linear regression model, accounting for clustering by community and adjusted for age and gender. RESULTS: After taking part in group MHPSS, scores fell for depression (-5.8, 95% CI -6.7 to -5.0), stress (-5.5, 95% CI -6.3 to -4.6), post-traumatic stress disorder (-2.9, 95% CI -3.4 to -2.4) and vulnerability to violent extremism (-44.6, 95% CI -50.6 to -38.6). CONCLUSIONS: The Counselling on Wheels programme shows promise as a model for integrating MHPSS with community peacebuilding activities in this conflict-affected region of Africa.

Peace-Oriented Mindset and How to Measure it.

This article presents the concept of a Peace-Oriented Mindset (POM), based on peace psychology and the significance of conflict-related context. It highlights the role of preventing conflicts through creating an enabling and peace-supportive milieu, facilitated by individuals with specific peace-oriented capabilities. The phenomenon of POM is analyzed, as well as delineated in the context of the current knowledge in this field. Next, the method used to construct a questionnaire measuring the POM is presented. The POM scale is verified on an N = 1074 representative sample, documenting high reliability. Factor analysis confirms the conjecture that there are three dimensions of the POM: Cognitive, performative, and doability conviction. Moreover, social norms are documented. A cross-segment comparison delivers several insights, e.g., that women have a higher POM level than men and that those who consider themselves leaders or innovators and those who are involved in social activities have a higher POM level than those who do not. The POM concept and scale are valuable resources for identifying future peacebuilders, especially from conflicted communities, as well as for training future youth leaders in the field of peacebuilding. Finally, indications for future studies are discussed, e.g., for verifying the hypothesis that individuals who score high in POM also have higher levels of empathy and compassion.

Growing up amid conflict: Implications of the Developmental Peacebuilding Model.

Worldwide, 420 million children are affected by conflict and over half of all children experience violence every year. Thus, youth are unarguably affected by war and settings of persisting societal violence. Despite often being conceptualized as either powerless victims or violent perpetrators, recent advances in research and international policy recognize young people as key change agents in transforming adverse settings into positive environments. Framed by the Developmental Peacebuilding Model, this paper focuses on predictors, outcomes and intervention points within the family for youth peacebuilding. Recent advances of family-based interventions in diverse, non-WEIRD samples will be highlighted. Rooted in existing knowledge, we conclude with concrete suggestions on how to use secondary data to investigate youth peacebuilding across the globe.

The impact of decentralisation on health systems in fragile and post-conflict countries: a narrative synthesis of six case studies in the Indo-Pacific.

A health system has three key stakeholders, the State-at national and subnational levels-the health service providers and the citizens. In most settings and especially in peacetime, these stakeholders are typically well-defined. In contrast, during conflict and crisis as well as during ceasefire and post-conflict peacebuilding, stakeholders in the health system are often more diverse and contested. Health systems in such settings tend to be more decentralised, de facto-often in addition to de jure decentralisation. Despite much debate on the potential benefits of decentralisation, assessing its impact on health system performance remains difficult and its effect is open to dispute in the literature. This narrative synthesis aims to support efforts to assess and make sense of how decentralisation impacts health system performance in fragile and post-conflict countries-by synthesising evidence on the impact of decentralisation on health system performance from six country case studies: Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Indonesia, Pakistan, Myanmar and Nepal. The impact of decentralisation on health system performance is optimised when combining centralisation (e.g., the benefits of central coordination in improving efficiency) with decentralisation (e.g., the benefits of local decision making in improving equity and resilience). The findings may inform efforts to think through what to centralise or decentralise, the impacts of those choices, and how the impact may change over time as countries go through and emerge from conflict-and as they go through and recover from the Covid-19 pandemic and prepare for future pandemics.

Afrontando la incertidumbre en pandemia: construyendo paz desde la prosocialidad / Facing uncertainty in pandemic times: peacebuilding from a prosociality stance / Enfrentando a incerteza na pandemica: construindo paz a partir de uma posição com base na prosocialidade

El estudio de la construcción de paz desde una postura con base en los comportamientos prosociales es un área nueva en la investigación psicosocial en Bolivia, mucho más si se tiene la intención de rescatar y resaltar la presencia de salud psicológica comunitaria aun en una época caracterizada por una poderosa incertidumbre producto de la combinación de dos factores: la inestabilidad y violencia política sumada a la presencia de la pandemia Covid-19 y la emergencia sanitaria derivada de ella. En esta investigación han participado 400 adultos jóvenes de entre 20 y 30 años de edad (162 varones y 268 mujeres de las ciudades de La Paz - 255 participantes - y El Alto - 155 participantes) con el objetivo de describir la relación entre tipos específicos de respuesta a la incertidumbre (político-económica y sanitaria) y conductas prosociales asociadas a ella durante la pandemia Covid-19. Se ha encontrado una correlación positiva significativa entre la presencia de Prosocialidad y la Respuesta a la Incertidumbre, implicándose la posibilidad de comportamientos de construcción de paz como mecanismos de adaptación a la misma. También se ha establecido que existe igualdad en un grado amplio con respecto a la magnitud de comportamientos prosociales entre La Paz y El Alto y que en las zonas donde se han registrado más casos positivos también se ha encontrado una mayor presencia de prosocialidad en especial en la ciudad de La Paz, existiendo, finalmente, ciertas diferencias específicas entre varones y mujeres en cuanto a la ejecución y orientación de comportamientos prosociales in-pandemia.

Peacebuilding studies from a prosociality stance is a new area in psychosocial research in Bolivia, even more if there is an academic marked intention to rescue and highlight the presence of psychological communal health, in a time characterized by a powerful uncertainty derived from the combination of two unfortunate factors: political violence and instability coupled with the presence of the Covid-19 pandemic and the subsequent sanitary emergency and social stress. In this research, 400 young adults have participated, all of them among 20 to 30 years old (162 men and 268 women) from La Paz and El Alto cities, with the objective of describing the relationship between specific mechanisms to face uncertainty and the possible presence of associated prosocial behaviors in 2020 and 2021. A positive, significant correlation was found between prosociality and effective uncertainty-facing mechanisms, implying the possibility to execute peacebuilding conducts as a way to adapt to the pandemic. It has also been established that there is a great degree of similitude in regards to effective prosocial behaviors in La Paz and in El Alto cities, that in the zones where a greater number of positive cases was found, there was also a larger presence of prosociality, especially in La Paz, and that there are detailed executional differences between men and women in terms of prosocial in-pandemic behavior.

O estudo da construção da paz a partir de uma posição baseada em comportamentos pró-sociais é uma nova área na pesquisa psicossocial na Bolívia, muito mais se a intenção é resgatar e destacar a presença de saúde psicológica comunitária mesmo em uma época caracterizada por um poderoso produto da incerteza do combinação de dois fatores: instabilidade e violência política somadas à presença da pandemia Covid-19 e a emergência de saúde derivada dela. 400 jovens adultos entre 20 e 30 anos (162 homens e 268 mulheres das cidades de La Paz - 255 participantes - e El Alto - 155 participantes) participaram desta pesquisa com o objetivo de descrever a relação entre tipos específicos de resposta à incerteza (político-econômica e de saúde) e aos comportamentos pró-sociais associados a ela durante a pandemia de Covid-19. Encontrou-se uma correlação positiva significativa entre a presença da Prosocialidade e a Resposta à Incerteza, implicando na possibilidade de comportamentos de construção da paz como mecanismos de adaptação a ela. Também foi estabelecido que existe uma grande igualdade com respeito à magnitude do comportamento pró-social entre La Paz e El Alto e que nas áreas onde mais casos positivos foram registrados, uma maior presença de pró-socialidade também foi encontrada. especialmente na cidade de La Paz, havendo, finalmente, certas diferenças específicas entre homens e mulheres quanto à execução e orientação de comportamentos pró-sociais em situação de pandemia.

Strengthening health systems and peacebuilding through women's leadership: a qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: Active and protracted conflict settings demonstrate the need to prioritise the peace through health agenda. This can be achieved by reorienting attention toward gender diverse leadership and more effective governance within health systems. This approach may enable women to have a greater voice in the decision-making of health and social interventions, thereby enabling the community led and context specific knowledge required to address the root causes of persistent inequalities and inequities in systems and societies. METHODS: We conducted a qualitative study, which included semi-structured interviews with 25 key informants, two focus group discussions and one workshop with humanitarian workers in local and international non-governmental organisations (NGOs), United Nations (UN) agencies, health practitioners, and academics, from Sub-Saharan Africa, Middle East and North Africa (MENA), and Latin America. Findings were then applied to the peacebuilding pyramid designed by John Paul Lederach which provides a practical framework for mediation and conflict resolution in several conflict-affected settings. The purpose of the framework was to propose an adapted conceptualisation of leadership to include women's leadership in the health system and be more applicable in protracted conflict settings. RESULTS: Five interrelated themes emerged. First, perceptions of terms such as gender equality, equity, mainstreaming, and leadership varied across participants and contexts. Second, armed conflict is both a barrier and an enabler for advancing women's leadership in health systems. Third, health systems themselves are critical in advancing the nexus between women's leadership, health systems and peacebuilding. Fourth, across all contexts we found strong evidence of an instrumental relationship between women's leadership in health systems in conflict-affected settings and peacebuilding. Lastly, the role of donors emerged as a critical obstacle to advance women's leadership. CONCLUSION: Continuing to empower women against social, cultural, and institutional barriers is crucial, as the emerging correlation between women's leadership, health systems, and peacebuilding is essential for long-term stability, the right to health, and health system responsiveness.

Addressing the Intersections of Health, Organizing, and Peacebuilding: A Case Study of Peacebuilding in Liberia.

The notion of peace and the "doing of peace(building)" are integral components of individual and community/societal well-being. Yet although health (defined broadly to include well-being), organizing, and peace are interrelated, there is a lack of research that considers them together. In this manuscript, we argue that peace is constituted through the processes and acts of organizing for well-being. "Peacebuilding" constitutes organizing processes by multiple actors over time to prevent and mitigate violence. To highlight the intersections between health, organizing, and peace, in this article we draw upon our peacebuilding collaborations in Liberia, West Africa, as part of the Violence Prevention Initiative (VPI; pseudonym). We elaborate on three projects from the VPI's work as a means through which to then propose ways in which communication scholars can theorize intersections among health, organizing, and peace and contribute to empirical research at these intersections.

Conflict management or conflict resolution: how do major powers conceive the role of the United Nations in peacebuilding?

This article examines how major powers conceive the role of the United Nations (UN) in peacebuilding. We conceptualize the UN's role along the distinction between conflict management and conflict resolution and distinguish between the types of tasks and the approach the UN can adopt. We map states' conceptions of the UN's role in peacebuilding by coding peace-related speeches at the UN Security Council (1991-2020) delivered by China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, the United States as well as Brazil, South Africa, and Turkey as rising regional powers. Our findings show that states' conceptions differ regarding the type of tasks the UN should do. However, the main fault line between the countries lie in the approach the UN should adopt to conduct peacebuilding tasks. We conclude that major powers see a role for the UN beyond mere conflict management as long as it is done with respect for national sovereignty.

Decepción, fatalismo y esperanza: oposiciones emocionales y polarización en torno a la paz negociada en 9 ciudades de Colombia / Disappointment, Fatalism, and Hope: Emotional Oppositions and Polarization around Negotiated Peace in 9 Colombian Cities

Resumen Las Orientaciones Emocionales Colectivas en relación con el proceso de paz entre el Estado colombiano y las Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia, Ejército del Pueblo (FARC-EP) evidencian emocionales que configuran oposiciones y polarización, según los participantes estén o no de acuerdo con el proceso de paz. Durante la negociación los participantes 'de acuerdo', manifestaban esperanza, tranquilidad y alivio, mientras aquéllos 'en desacuerdo', desconfianza e indignación. Después del plebiscito los primeros, tristeza, decepción y frustración, mientras los segundos alegría y celebración. Finalmente, durante la implementación, los primeros expresan desconfianza, temor e incertidumbre, mientras los segundos indignación. Estas disposiciones emocionales movilizan creencias, actitudes hacia la polarización, obturando diálogos y debates democráticos; constituyendo un clima emocional de fatalismo y resignación como barrera psicosocial para la construcción de paz y reconciliación.

Abstract Collective Emotional Orientations in relation to the peace process between the Colombian State and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, People's Army (FARC-EP) evidence emotional oppositions and polarization, depending on whether participants agree or disagree with the peace process. During the negotiation, the participants "in agreement" expressed hope, tranquility and relief, while those "in disagreement" expressed distrust and indignation. After the plebiscite, the former, sadness, disappointment, and frustration, while the latter, joy and celebration. Finally, during implementation, the former express distrust, fear and uncertainty, while the latter indignation. These emotional dispositions mobilize beliefs and attitudes toward polarization, by obstructing dialogues and democratic debates; by constituting an emotional climate of fatalism and resignation as a psychosocial barrier to the construction of peace and reconciliation.

A trans-scalar approach to peacebuilding and transitional justice: Insights from the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Peace research has taken a local turn. Yet, conceptual ambiguities, risks of romanticization, and critiques of co-option of the "local" point to the need to look for novel ways to think about the interactions of actors ranging from the global to the local level. Gearoid Millar proposes a trans-scalar approach to peace based on a "consistency of purpose" and a "parity of esteem" for actors across scales. This article analyzes the concept of trans-scalarity in the peace process in Ituri, a province in the northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Drawing on qualitative data from more than a year of research in the DRC, I argue that while a trans-scalar approach was taken to end violence, it was not applied to transitional justice initiatives. The result was a negative, rather than a positive peace. By showing the high, but still untapped, potential of trans-scalarity, the article makes three contributions. First, it advances the debate on the local turn by adding empirical insights on trans-scalarity and further developing the concept's theoretical foundations. Second, it provides novel empirical insights on the transitional justice process in the DRC. Third, it links scholarship on peacebuilding and transitional justice, which have often remained disconnected.

Resilience, gender, and conflict: thinking about resilience in a multidimensional way.

Resilience has become an oft-invoked concept in development and security policy circles and the subject of much debate in the literature. Yet, one aspect that needs to be further theorised is the complex relationship between resilience, conflict and gender. This introduction identifies the gradual congruence between the programmatic agendas of the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 (UNSCR 1325) and resilience-building approaches in peacebuilding and argues that this convergence needs to be further scrutinised. Our main argument is that it is time for the scholarship to go beyond the simple categorisation of resilience as being either the new paradigmatic solution to international interventions, conflicts and crises or a meaningless and useless governmental buzzword. Instead, the contributions found in this Special Issue see resilience in terms of multiplicity. Resilience, understood in terms of multiplicity and in a multidimensional way, appears a valuable analytical concept to study both the systemic nature of gendered power relations and their prevalence and adaptation over time, as well as the responses of individuals, communities and institutions to the gendered effects of conflict. To add empirical richness to the Special Issue, these conceptual connections are analysed in multiple geographical case studies, including Bosnia and Herzegovina, Sierra Leone, Cote d'Ivoire, Iraq, Liberia, Palestine and Rwanda.

The gender-resilience nexus in peacebuilding: the quest for sustainable peace.

Resilience and gender have become new buzzwords for expressing renewal in peacebuilding. This article unpacks the gender-resilience nexus in theory and analyses global trends and variation in peacebuilding policy and practice. It advances an analytical framework based on three central pillars of peacebuilding: process, outcome, and expertise. A comprehensive analysis of 49 international peacebuilding handbooks, produced by leading international organisations for policymakers and practitioners in the field, is conducted. The results show how the integration of the gender-resilience nexus signals new ways of understanding conflict dynamics and peacebuilding. Yet, gender peace expertise is 'thin' with regard to policies and practices of resilient conflict transformation. By way of conclusion, we suggest three directions to be taken in research to advance and refine the gender-resilience nexus. First, the politics and contestation of peacebuilding need to be problematised and explored further. Second, the understanding of resilience in peacebuilding needs to shift emphasis from conflict management to conflict transformation. Third, the positionality of peacebuilding actors and local contexts need to be probed further.

The nurse as peacebuilder: Intersections of health and peace.

The purpose of this review is to examine peacebuilding as a concept relevant to nursing practice. A historical view of Lilian Wald's contribution to public health nursing sets the stage for nursing's commitment to the ethics of social justice and responsibility to address the social determinants of health as root causes to health inequities. The interweaving of health and peace are highlighted through exploration of works from leading organizations in health and nursing, nationally and globally. Finally examples of current peacebuilding in public health nursing are highlighted.

Trust, Forgiveness, and Peace: The Influence of Adolescent Social Identity in a Setting of Intergroup Conflict.

Following the signing of peace agreements, post-accord societies often remain deeply divided across group lines. There is a need to identify antecedents of youth's support for peace and establish more constructive intergroup relations. This article explored the effect of out-group trust, intergroup forgiveness and social identity on support for the peace process among youth from the historic majority and minorities communities in Belfast, Northern Ireland. The sample comprised of 667 adolescents (49% male; M=15.74, SD=1.99 years old) across two time points. Results from the structural equation model suggested that out-group trust was related to intergroup forgiveness over time, while forgiveness related to later support for the peace process. Strength of in-group social identity differentially moderated how out-group trust and intergroup forgiveness relate to later support for peace among youth from the conflict-related groups (i.e., Protestants and Catholics). Implications for consolidating peace in Northern Ireland are discussed, which may be relevant to other settings affected by intergroup conflict.

Representaciones sociales de hechos históricos como barreras psicosociales para la construcción de la paz / Social Representations of Historical Events as Psychosocial Barriers to Peacebuilding

Resumen En el proceso de construcción de las representaciones sociales de hechos histórico (RSHH) construidas por ciudadanos del común del Valle de Aburrá (Colombia) se pudo evidenciar como a partir de valencias de poder, desde élites dominantes que hacen uso de la retórica política, los medios de comunicación y la educación básica, se producen y reproducen versiones estereotipadas de la historia. Se posiciona así una memoria hegemónica que se reproduce y desde la cual se prefabrican actores como única causa de la violencia y se exculpan otros actores que incluyen a las mismas élites, políticos y al Estado, quienes se auto determinan como víctimas y no como actores del conflicto armado en Colombia. Así, estas RSHH terminas configurando y objetivando un enemigo absoluto con el cuál es imposible una negociación política, que se traduce en una barrera para la construcción de la paz y la reconciliación en Colombia.

Abstract In the process of construction of social representations of historical facts (RSHH) built by ordinary citizens of Aburrá Valley, Colombia, it was possible to show how from power valences, from dominant elites that make use of political rhetoric, the media, and basic education, stereotyped versions of history are produced and reproduced. In this way, a hegemonic memory is reproduced and from which actors are prefabricated as the only cause of violence and other actors are exculpated, by including the same elites, politicians, and the State, who determine themselves as victims and not as actors of the armed conflict in Colombia. Thus, these RSHH end up configuring and objectifying an absolute enemy with whom political negotiation is impossible, which translates into a barrier for the construction of peace and reconciliation in Colombia.

Afrontando la incertidumbre en pandemia: construyendo paz desde la prosocialidad

El estudio de la construcción de paz desde una postura con base en los comportamientos prosociales es un área nueva en la investigación psicosocial en Bolivia, mucho más si se tiene la intención de rescatar y resaltar la presencia de salud psicológica comunitaria aun en una época caracterizada por una poderosa incertidumbre producto de la combinación de dos factores: la inestabilidad y violencia política sumada a la presencia de la pandemia Covid-19 y la emergencia sanitaria derivada de ella. En esta investigación han participado 400 adultos jóvenes de entre 20 y 30 años de edad (162 varones y 268 mujeres de las ciudades de La Paz - 255 participantes - y El Alto - 155 participantes) con el objetivo de describir la relación entre tipos específicos de respuesta a la incertidumbre (político-económica y sanitaria) y conductas prosociales asociadas a ella durante la pandemia Covid-19. Se ha encontrado una correlación positiva significativa entre la presencia de Prosocialidad y la Respuesta a la Incertidumbre, implicándose la posibilidad de comportamientos de construcción de paz como mecanismos de adaptación a la misma. También se ha establecido que existe igualdad en un grado amplio con respecto a la magnitud de comportamientos prosociales entre La Paz y El Alto y que en las zonas donde se han registrado más casos positivos también se ha encontrado una mayor presencia de prosocialidad en especial en la ciudad de La Paz, existiendo, finalmente, ciertas diferencias específicas entre varones y mujeres en cuanto a la ejecución y orientación de comportamientos prosociales in-pandemia.

Peacebuilding studies from a prosociality stance is a new area in psychosocial research in Bolivia, even more if there is an academic marked intention to rescue and highlight the presence of psychological communal health, in a time characterized by a powerful uncertainty derived from the combination of two unfortunate factors: political violence and instability coupled with the presence of the Covid-19 pandemic and the subsequent sanitary emergency and social stress. In this research, 400 young adults have participated, all of them among 20 to 30 years old (162 men and 268 women) from La Paz and El Alto cities, with the objective of describing the relationship between specific mechanisms to face uncertainty and the possible presence of associated prosocial behaviors in 2020 and 2021. A positive, significant correlation was found between prosociality and effective uncertainty-facing mechanisms, implying the possibility to execute peacebuilding conducts as a way to adapt to the pandemic. It has also been established that there is a great degree of similitude in regards to effective prosocial behaviors in La Paz and in El Alto cities, that in the zones where a greater number of positive cases was found, there was also a larger presence of prosociality, especially in La Paz, and that there are detailed executional differences between men and women in terms of prosocial in-pandemic behavior.

O estudo da construção da paz a partir de uma posição baseada em comportamentos pró-sociais é uma nova área na pesquisa psicossocial na Bolívia, muito mais se a intenção é resgatar e destacar a presença de saúde psicológica comunitária mesmo em uma época caracterizada por um poderoso produto da incerteza do combinação de dois fatores: instabilidade e violência política somadas à presença da pandemia Covid-19 e a emergência de saúde derivada dela. 400 jovens adultos entre 20 e 30 anos (162 homens e 268 mulheres das cidades de La Paz - 255 participantes - e El Alto - 155 participantes) participaram desta pesquisa com o objetivo de descrever a relação entre tipos específicos de resposta à incerteza (político-econômica e de saúde) e aos comportamentos pró-sociais associados a ela durante a pandemia de Covid-19. Encontrou-se uma correlação positiva significativa entre a presença da Prosocialidade e a Resposta à Incerteza, implicando na possibilidade de comportamentos de construção da paz como mecanismos de adaptação a ela. Também foi estabelecido que existe uma grande igualdade com respeito à magnitude do comportamento pró-social entre La Paz e El Alto e que nas áreas onde mais casos positivos foram registrados, uma maior presença de pró-socialidade também foi encontrada. especialmente na cidade de La Paz, havendo, finalmente, certas diferenças específicas entre homens e mulheres quanto à execução e orientação de comportamentos pró-sociais em situação de pandemia.

Significados y experiencias personales de perdón y reconciliación en mujeres víctimas y mujeres excombatientes de las FARC / Meanings and personal experiences of forgiveness and reconciliation in women who are victims and ex-combatents of the FARC

Este trabajo pretende comprender la experiencia subjetiva de mujeres víctimas y excombatientes de las FARC en torno al perdón y la reconciliación. Para ello, se realizó una investigación de corte cualitativo con enfoque fenomenológico-hermenéutico, basada en postulados de la psicología social crítica latinoamericana. Las técnicas para recolectar información fueron la observación participante, la entrevista en profundidad y los grupos de conversación, en donde participaron 8 víctimas y 4 excombatientes. Se realizó un análisis hermenéutico de contenido, identificando concepciones que las participantes tienen sobre perdón y reconciliación, identificando experiencias vividas. Uno de los principales hallazgos es que en el proceso para perdonar y reconciliarse, las participantes transforman su subjetividad, asumiendo reivindicar sus derechos ante el Estado y redescubriendo su humanidad después de la guerra; finalmente, las excombatientes cam-bian las armas por palabras

This work aims to understand the subjective experience of women victims and women ex-combatants of the FARC, around forgiveness and reconciliation. For this purpose, a qualitative research was conducted with a phenomenological-hermeneutic approach, based on postulates of Latin American critical social psychology. The techniques to collect information were participant observation, in-depth interview and conversation groups, in which 8 victims and 4 ex-combatants participated. a hermeneutical analysis of content was carried out, identifying conceptions that the participants have about forgiveness and reconciliation, identifying lived experiences. One of the main findings is that, in the process of forgiving and reconciling, the participants transform their subjectivity, assuming to restore their rights before the State and rediscovering their humanity after the war. Finally, ex-combatants change weapons for words