History of forty years of peace activities within the Latin American Peace Research Council (CLAIP)

Abstract

The Latin American Council for Peace Research (CLAIP) was founded in Mexico in December 1977 in Oaxtepec , Morelos during the VII International Congress of the International Peace Research Association (IPRA). It was conceived as one more regional branch of this worldwide organisation – such as EUPRA in Europe and COPRED in the United States (today Peace and Justice Studies Association [PJSA]) – in order to promote studies of peace and nonviolent resolution of conflicts in Latin America (LA). The decision was taken unanimously by the Latin American members present at that academic event, since the region urgently needed to reflect on its conflicts and problems. The subcontinent suffered from a lack of democracy, since almost all countries were controlled by military dictatorships with massive disappearances and repression against opponents of those regimes.