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PROFESSIONAL/XXXVII Congreso Internacional de Pedagogía Social (SIPS) y foro mundial de pedagogía social y educación social "Educación para la paz"

XXXVII Congreso Internacional de Pedagogía Social (SIPS) y foro mundial de pedagogía social y educación social "Educación para la paz"

Feb 3–5, 2027Barranquilla, ColombiaIn-person

Registration open

Dates: Feb 3–5, 2027
Location: Barranquilla, Colombia
Format: In-person

Model Diplomat tracks this conference — registration is handled on sips.ul.edu.co.

The XXXVII International Congress of Social Pedagogy (SIPS) and World Forum on Social Pedagogy and Social Education, themed "Education for Peace," is a significant gathering for professionals and academics in the field. Hosted in Barranquilla, COL, this event provides a platform for discussing the critical role of social pedagogy in fostering peace through education. Participants will engage with diverse perspectives on how educational practices can contribute to conflict resolution, social cohesion, and sustainable development within communities.

Committees & topics

Topics
Políticas Públicas y Propuestas Intersectoriales para la Paz · Buenas Prácticas Socioeducativas para la Equidad, la Paz y la Esperanza

Why it matters

This congress is particularly relevant given the global challenges related to conflict and social inequality. By focusing on "Education for Peace," the event highlights the proactive role of social pedagogy in addressing root causes of instability and promoting inclusive societies. It underscores the idea that education extends beyond formal schooling, encompassing community-based learning, social intervention, and the development of critical citizenship skills.

The discussions at the congress will likely explore innovative pedagogical approaches that empower individuals and communities to navigate complex social issues peacefully. This includes examining how social pedagogy can be applied in various contexts, from post-conflict reconstruction to urban development, to build resilient and harmonious societies. The gathering in Barranquilla, COL, also offers a unique regional perspective on these global themes, drawing on local experiences and expertise.

How to prepare

To effectively engage with the themes of the congress, participants should consider familiarizing themselves with contemporary theories and practices in peace education and social pedagogy. Researching current peace education initiatives and their outcomes, particularly in Latin American countries like COL, would be beneficial. Understanding the historical and socio-political contexts that shape educational approaches in the region will provide valuable background for the discussions.

Attendees could also prepare by identifying specific case studies or examples of successful social pedagogy interventions that have contributed to peacebuilding. Reflecting on how different educational models address issues of social justice, human rights, and intercultural dialogue will enhance participation. Furthermore, considering the perspectives of various stakeholders, as explored in the lesson on "what-is-stakeholder-mapping" and "hidden-stakeholders," can provide a richer understanding of the complexities involved in implementing peace education programs.

Country perspectives

Where the most-relevant 1 countries stand on the core issues in play. Click through for the full country profile.

Host country and a key region for exploring peace education in practice.

Role in topic

As the host nation, COL provides a crucial backdrop for discussions on peace education, offering insights into regional challenges and successes in integrating social pedagogy with peacebuilding efforts. Its experiences will likely shape many of the case studies and discussions presented.

Topics & background

The background behind each topic and the actors that shape it.

1

Políticas Públicas y Propuestas Intersectoriales para la Paz

The construction of peace through public policy emerged as a distinct field after the Second World War, when UNESCO's 1945 constitution declared that 'since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defences of peace must be constructed.' This vision expanded in the 1990s with Boutros-Ghali's Agenda for Peace (1992) and the UN's adoption of the Culture of Peace Declaration and Programme of Action (A/RES/53/243, 1999), which framed peace not merely as the absence of war but as a positive, multidimensional condition requiring coordinated action across education, health, justice, gender equity, and economic development. Latin America and Iberia became laboratories for this approach, particularly after transitions from authoritarian rule and internal armed conflicts in Spain, Central America, and the Andean region. The core contemporary debate concerns how states can design genuinely intersectoral policies — combining ministries of education, social welfare, justice, culture, and territorial development — to address structural violence, inequality, and social fragmentation. Colombia's post-2016 Acuerdo Final de Paz with the FARC-EP, including its Cátedra de la Paz and rural reform components, became a global reference point, as did Spain's Ley de Memoria Democrática (2022) and Mexico's national strategies on community-based violence prevention. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, especially SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions) and SDG 4.7 (Education for Global Citizenship), provides the dominant policy framework. Today, debates focus on financing, measurement, and the gap between normative commitments and territorial implementation. Critics note that intersectoral coordination often collapses under siloed budgets and political cycles, while peacebuilding policies struggle to address new drivers of violence such as organized crime, forced displacement, climate-induced conflict, and digital polarization. Social pedagogy is increasingly positioned as the connective tissue linking these sectors at the community level.

Key players

Colombia
Reference case for comprehensive peace policy following the 2016 Final Agreement and the Cátedra de la Paz.
Spain
Host of the social pedagogy tradition (SIPS) and architect of democratic memory and coexistence policies.
Mexico
Promoter of national violence-prevention and community peacebuilding strategies in highly affected territories.
Portugal
Advocate within the Ibero-American space for intersectoral social policy and citizenship education.
Costa Rica
Long-standing model of demilitarized statehood and institutional investment in peace and education.

2

Buenas Prácticas Socioeducativas para la Equidad, la Paz y la Esperanza

Socio-educational practice as a vehicle for equity and peace has deep roots in the European tradition of Sozialpädagogik (Natorp, Nohl) and in Latin American critical pedagogy, especially the work of Paulo Freire, whose Pedagogía del Oprimido (1968) reframed education as a practice of liberation. Throughout the late twentieth century, NGOs, municipalities, and ministries across Ibero-America developed community-based programs — popular education, street-based work with youth, restorative justice in schools, intercultural bilingual education, and second-chance schools — that sought to reach populations excluded from formal systems. UNESCO's Education 2030 Framework and the Incheon Declaration consolidated global recognition of education for peace, sustainable development, and global citizenship as legitimate policy goals. The central question for the field is how to identify, evaluate, and scale 'good practices' without stripping them of the contextual sensitivity that made them work. Programs such as Brazil's Bolsa Família-linked school conditionalities, Spain's escuelas de segunda oportunidad, Chile's community mediation initiatives, and Colombia's Escuelas de Perdón y Reconciliación (ESPERE) illustrate how socio-educational interventions can reduce dropout, prevent violence, and rebuild social trust. Networks such as SIPS, RIPS (Red Iberoamericana de Pedagogía Social) and EAPN have built evidence repositories, while OECD and UNESCO have advanced indicators for socio-emotional learning and equity. Current debates concern the tension between standardized evaluation demanded by funders and the relational, place-based nature of social education. Practitioners also grapple with new challenges: post-pandemic learning loss, mental health crises among adolescents, the digital divide, the integration of migrants and refugees, and the role of hope as both a pedagogical principle and a political horizon in contexts of democratic backsliding and persistent inequality.

Key players

Spain
Leading hub for social pedagogy research, professional training, and second-chance educational programs.
Brazil
Heir to Freirean popular education and large-scale socio-educational equity programs.
Colombia
Innovator in reconciliation-based socio-educational practices in post-conflict territories.
Chile
Developer of school coexistence and community mediation policies following social unrest.
Argentina
Pioneer of human rights education and socio-educational inclusion of vulnerable youth.
Portugal
Reference for inclusive education and intercultural community-based programs in the Lusophone space.

Resources

News, lessons, and country profiles to prep for XXXVII Congreso Internacional de Pedagogía Social (SIPS) y foro mundial de pedagogía social y educación social "Educación para la paz".

Recent reporting to ground your prep

Alberta's Separation Vote: Carney's Response

Alberta's Separation Vote: A Political Maneu

Alberta's Referendum on Separation

Alberta Separatists Push Referendum for Auton

Lessons

Bite-sized lessons to build the basics

Hidden Stakeholders

Engagement Strategies

Dynamic Analysis

Stakeholder Mapping Workshop

Courses

Guided courses that go deeper on the topic

Advanced Negotiation

Multilateral Negotiation

Policy Brief Writing

Conflict Resolution

The states in play, with the data that shapes their stance

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

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Colombia February 2027

By committee

Políticas Públicas y Propuestas Intersectoriales para la Paz
Buenas Prácticas Socioeducativas para la Equidad, la Paz y la Esperanza

Frequently asked questions

Dates: Feb 3–5, 2027
Location: Barranquilla, Colombia
Format: In-person

Model Diplomat tracks this conference — registration is handled on sips.ul.edu.co.