International Women’s Peace Group(IWPG) Global Region 10 announced that it held a Peace Leadership Training & Education(PLTE) orientation for faculty and students from Universidad Juárez Autónoma de Tabasco (UJAT) and Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM).

The IWPG PLTE is a professional instructor training initiative designed to empower women as active agents of peace. aiming to foster peace at both the community and national levels. Following the 7th joint graduation ceremony on December 19 last year–which produced over 300 graduates from 15 Latin American countries-this latest program is expected to further accelerate the expansion of peace education across Mexico.

Notably, in November last year, IWPG Chairwoman Jeon Na Yeong received the Recognition Award for Humanitarian Action and the Promotion of a Culture of Peace from UJAT. This orientation was conducted as part of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed between IWPG and UJAT to cooperate on peace education. As a result, UJAT has become the first university in Mexico to incorporate IWPG’s Women’s Peace Education into its official undergraduate curriculum.

Ivonne Adriana Gaitán Bertruy, a professor at UJAT and IWPG Peace Committee, delivered congratulatory remarks.
“We must now move beyond the conventional approaches to preventing violence and conflict. Instead, we must learn to educate based on the values of tolerance, patience, empathy, and resilience. I hope you take pride in being Mexico’s first peace education instructors and approach this role with a deepsense of responsibility.”

Following the orientation for the PLTE, participants shared their reflections, expressing their expectations and commitment to Women’s Peace Education.

Paola Ontiveros, a professor at Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), stated, “We must support one another within our shared humanity to cultivate a culture of peace.” She added, “I find this program extraordinary because it allows us to grow by adopting an international perspective that views peace as a culture.”

Perla Karina López Ruiz, Director of the Institutional Peace Culture Program at Universidad Juárez Autónoma de Tabasco (UJAT), stated, “What truly captured my heart about this program is the idea that peace begins with oneself.” She continued, “When women cultivate inner peace, a peaceful society can be built more quickly. I very much look forward to the upcoming classes.”