“Peace is not the task of the State alone,” analysts conclude in the Second National Dialogue
From the Editorial
La Jornada Newspaper
Monday, February 2, 2026, p. 13
More than 1,200 social, religious, academic, business leaders, local authorities and representatives of civil society in the country met at the Second National Dialogue for Peace, to look squarely at the reality of violence, share peacebuilding methodologies and articulate responses to rebuild peace from the local level, with a national vision and collective commitment.
During the dialogue that took place in Jalisco, it was concluded that peace can no longer be conceived as an exclusive task of the State or as a responsibility delegated to a few, but rather requires the active participation of all sectors.
They pointed out that the violence did not happen overnight, and, therefore, it cannot be resolved immediately; It requires patience, continuity and perseverance, as well as strengthening local capacities, accompanying community processes and sustaining commitment.
For his part, Monsignor Ramón Castro emphasized that building peace requires listening, discerning and acting; It is a vocation of every person to seek a social order of harmonized relationships, putting victims at the center and convinced that peace is only achieved if there is truth, justice and reparation.
The ambassadors of Ireland, Ruairí de Burca, and of Norway, Dag Nylander, agreed that any peace process must be built together with the victims of violence and offer paths of reintegration for the perpetrators.
The dialogue was also attended by mayors and municipal representatives recognized for their work in building peace, from Tabasco, Escobedo and San Pedro Garza García, Nuevo León; Guadalajara, Zapopan and Jocotepec, in Jalisco; Meoqui, Chihuahua; Cherán, Michoacán; and Tepoztlán, Morelos, who joined this effort as key local actors.
