The Butterfly Effect on Peace Education

The objective of this paper on peace education is to generate a reflection, through the metaphor of the butterfly effect, on the importance of educating for peace during the change process of human beings and society.  It proposes education for peace as a human right, an experience and learning process that is put into practice by human beings.  It aims at changing attitudes and actions to create harmonious relationships based on the respect and recognition of human rights, and the freedom and dignity of every person.

CRISIS ALIMENTARIA Y DESAFÍOS DE LA SEGURIDAD ALIMENTARIA EN CENTROAMÉRICA

Resumen La crisis mundial de alimentos puso en evidencia la vulnerabilidad de los sistemas alimenticios, demostrando que el impacto más profundo se produce en los países con una mayor dependencia en la importación de alimentos y acompañados de mayores niveles de pobreza. En la región centroamericana, la crisis podría provocar un incremento del costo de la canasta básica alimentaria, un menor acceso a los alimentos, un aumento en la pobreza y en la inseguridad alimentaria y nutricional de la población más vulnerable. Abstract The international food crisis showed the vulnerability of the food supply system. The crisis exposed that the deepest shocks were produced in the countries with the major dependency in imports and highest levels of poverty. In the upcoming moths, the crisis could provoke an increase in the cost of the alimentary basic basket, a decrease in food access and an enlargement of poverty levels for the countries in Central America. In addition, the weakness on the sovereignty in the alimentary and nutritional security will provoke a major vulnerability in the population with the lowest income.

The Analogy as a Cognitive Strategy that Encourages Reading Comprehension in Expository Texts

This research arises from the current state of reading in Mexico, because the contextual situation to local and national level has become critical on this issue. Results on standardized tests such as ENLACE (National Assessment of Academic Achievement in Schools) and PISA (Program for International Student Assessment) have shown that Mexican basic level students have text comprehension problems. Given this reality, this is a qualitative descriptive study on the use of analogies in reading as a strategy for reading comprehension, through application of an ethnographic survey, a questionnaire and the application of a pedagogical model for the use of analogies in reading. The study incorporates the theoretical tenets of Constructivism, referring to Piaget (1969), Vygotsky (1997) and Ausubel (2002). The results show that the use of analogies promotes reading comprehension in 4th grade students, from an expository text that compares the evolution of man and the metamorphosis of a butterfly.