THE PEACE CHAIR IN COLOMBIA: A DECADE OF IMPLEMENTATION, CHALLENGES AND THEIR ADDRESS IN SCHOOL COEXISTENCE

Abstract

The Chair of Peace is a very important public policy in Colombia. Its purpose is to help foster a culture of peace that begins in the classroom. It was established as law in 2014 through Law 1732. The objective of this article was to analyze the impact of the Chair of Peace on school coexistence in Colombia, identifying progress, limitations, and challenges to strengthen its implementation in educational institutions during its first ten years. To conduct this study, a qualitative methodology was used, based on a systematic review of academic documents and regulations published on the subject between 2014 and 2025. The results indicate that there is a gap between what the law establishes and what is actually carried out in practice. The findings revealed that the most significant challenges include teachers not having the necessary preparation, the lack of both material and social resources to implement it, and the fact that the Chair of Peace has not been effectively implemented. Nevertheless, some experiences were also found in certain contexts, such as the Heraclio Uribe Educational Institution in Sevilla, Valle del Cauca, which showed that, when implemented in an articulated manner, the Chair did help mediate conflicts and supported students in developing their socio-emotional skills. In conclusion, it can be stated that the overall balance of the results has two sides. On the one hand, the Chair contributed to giving peace education a legitimate place; but on the other hand, its application across all institutions was very limited. For it to truly succeed, it became evident that overcoming structural difficulties was necessary, as well as ensuring sustained political will over time, in order to achieve a genuine cultural transformation.