Culture of peace and human rights education throughout life: an analysis of the (Convivir) program, Costa Rica

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15517/1xfjca77

Keywords:

school community, culture of peace, human rights education, public policy in education

Abstract

This article analyzes the National Program for Coexistence in Educational Centers (Convivir) of the Costa Rican Ministry of Public Education, focusing on its contributions to the promotion of school coexistence, a culture of peace, and human rights education. This is a qualitative documentary study based on official sources from the Costa Rican Ministry of Public Education (MEP). The study aimed to examine these programs through methodological instruments capable of systematically articulating their normative foundations, institutional designs, and public evidence of implementation and evaluation. To that end, the data were systematized using a methodology structured into eight analytical blocks, developed by researchers at the Center for Science for the Development of Basic Education: Learning and School Coexistence (CCDEB), dedicated to the analysis of government programs oriented toward school coexistence. The findings indicate that Convivir is a permanent national program with a consolidated legal basis, oriented toward the promotion of peaceful coexistence through restorative pedagogy. The program centers the student as a rights-bearing subject, violence prevention, and the strengthening of values associated with a culture of peace. However, the study identifies significant limitations, such as the absence of standardized national indicators, the predominance of decentralized qualitative evaluations, and the limited public systematization of results. It is concluded that, although the program has achieved progress in the area of school coexistence, it faces structural challenges in evaluation, monitoring, and accountability. The study highlights the relevance of the analytical blocks methodology for the critical analysis of educational policies.

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Author Biographies

  • Lucas Guilherme Tetzlaff de Gerone, Universidade de São Paulo, Instituto da Psicologia, São Paulo, Brasil

    Ph.D. in Education from the Graduate Program in Education at the Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP)/Marília. Researcher and educator with a career focused on the intersections between spirituality, ethics, health, and education. Member of GEPPES (Study and Research Group on Education, Ethics, and Society). Coordinator of Axis 2 at the Center for Science for the Development of Basic Education: Learning and School Life (CCDEB), in the study “School Life and Learning in Basic Education: A Study of International Government Programs in Brazil and Brazilian States.”

  • Ricardo Francelino da Silva, Universidade de São Paulo, Instituto da Psicologia, São Paulo, Brasil

    Postdoctoral researcher at the Institute of Psychology, University of São Paulo (USP), Brazil. Ph.D. in Educational Sciences, Université Lumière Lyon 2, Lyon, France. Ph.D. in Education, São Paulo State University (UNESP). Researcher at the Center for Science in Basic Education Development: Learning and School Life 

  • Marilene Proeça Rebello de Souza, Universidade de São Paulo, Instituto da Psicologia, São Paulo, Brasil

    Full Professor and Ph.D. in School Psychology from the Institute of Psychology at the University of São Paulo (USP), Brazil. Professor in the Graduate Program in School Psychology and Human Development at USP. General Coordinator of the Center for Science in Basic Education Development: Learning and School Life (CCDEB)

  • Brenes Gómez, Carmen, Universidad Nacional de Costa Rica, Heredia, Costa Rica

    Sociologist, Master’s degree in Evaluation of Development Programs and Projects, University of Costa Rica (UCR). Sociologist and researcher specializing in childhood and adolescence.

  • Alonso Bezerra Carvalho, Universidade Estadual Paulista UNESP, Marília, Brasil

    Ph.D. in Philosophy of Education from the University of São Paulo (USP)
    Adjunct Professor – Lecturer (Department of Didactics) and in the Graduate Program in Education
    Júlio de Mesquita Filho State University of São Paulo – Marília Campus, SP, BR
    Principal Investigator at the Center for Science in Basic Education Development: Learning and School Life

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Published

2026-09-01

Data Availability Statement

The data for the study can be found in the CCDEB repository - 

https://sites.google.com/usp.br/ccdeb/sobre/o-ccdeb

Issue

Vol. 26 No. 3 (2026): (September–December)

Section

Articles

License

Copyright (c) 2026 Lucas Guilherme Tetzlaff de Gerone, Ricardo Francelino da Silva, Marilene Proeça Rebello de Souza, Carmen Gómez Brenes, Alonso Bezerra Carvalho (Autor/a)

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How to Cite

Culture of peace and human rights education throughout life: an analysis of the (Convivir) program, Costa Rica. (2026). Actualidades Investigativas En Educación, 26(3), e6164. https://doi.org/10.15517/1xfjca77

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