Although the expression “culture of peace” became popular through UNESCO, Johan Galtung’s work, with its emphasis on cultural violence and positive peace, laid the theoretical foundations for understanding this concept in depth. A culture of peace is not simply the absence of war, but a set of values, attitudes, behaviors, and ways of life that promote peace, justice, equality, respect for human rights, and sustainability.
Galtung, by analyzing cultural violence, shows us how the norms, values, and beliefs of a society can legitimize and perpetuate violence. Therefore, building a culture of peace involves transforming those cultural elements that support violence and promoting others that foster peaceful coexistence.

A culture of peace is characterized by:

• Respect for human rights: recognizing the inherent dignity of all human beings and promoting respect for their fundamental rights, including the right to life, liberty, equality, and justice.
• Tolerance and diversity: valuing cultural, ethnic, religious, and gender diversity, and promoting inclusion and intercultural dialogue. Rejecting discrimination, xenophobia, and racism.
• Peaceful conflict resolution: prioritizing non-violent methods for dispute resolution, such as dialogue, negotiation, mediation, and conciliation. Rejecting the use of violence as a way to resolve conflicts.
• Social justice: seeking equity and justice in the distribution of resources and opportunities, addressing the structural causes of inequality and poverty.
• Sustainable development: promoting a development model that meets present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Seeking a balance between economic, social, and environmental development.
• Peace education: promoting education in peace values, tolerance, respect for human rights, and peaceful conflict resolution. Striving to form critical, responsible citizens committed to building a more peaceful world.

Building a culture of peace is a complex and long-term process that requires the participation of multiple actors, including governments, international organizations, civil society organizations, local communities, educational institutions, media, and individuals.

From Galtung’s perspective, building a culture of peace involves transforming cultural violence, creating a cultural environment that delegitimizes violence in all its forms and promotes values and practices that foster positive peace. This entails a profound change in people’s mindsets, attitudes, and behaviors, as well as a transformation of the social, economic, and political structures that generate inequality and injustice.

In summary, the culture of peace, influenced by Galtung’s work, presents itself as a paradigm for peaceful coexistence, based on respect for human rights, tolerance, social justice, sustainable development, and peaceful conflict resolution. Its construction requires collective effort and long-term commitment to transform the structures and cultures that perpetuate violence.

Johan Galtung (born in 1930) is a Norwegian sociologist and mathematician recognized as one of the founders of peace and conflict studies. His work has been essential in understanding the dynamics of violence, peace, and development in the international sphere.