Commission on University Coexistence and Mental Health
The “First CRUCH Training Days on University Coexistence and Mental Health: Dialogue and transformation of conflicts in community” had the participation of nearly 200 attendees on the opening day and more than 250 people in the 13 workshops that were given during the three days, as well as the rector of the UC, Ignacio Sánchez; the rector of the UMCE, Elisa Araya, and international and national experts.
Among the conclusions highlighted were the need to understand dialogue as a real encounter, rather than a space to solve a problem; the value of conflict for transformation; the importance of a university community permeated and sensitized to these issues; among others.
The distinction between negotiation and dialogue, the importance of serenity for building bridges, community mental health, and conflict as an opportunity to strengthen bonds were some of the main topics addressed in the “First CRUCH Training Days on University Coexistence and Mental Health: Dialogue and transformation of conflicts in community” organized by the Commission on University Coexistence and Mental Health of the Council of Rectors of Chilean Universities (CRUCH) between January 9 and 11, in person and online.
These first days, which were attended by nearly 200 people at the opening and more than 250 people in the 13 workshops held over the three days, featured speeches by the rector of the Pontifical Catholic University (UC), Ignacio Sánchez; the rector of the Metropolitan University of Educational Sciences (UMCE), Elisa Araya; the executive secretary of CRUCH, Angélica Bosch; the presidents of the Commission, Rosa María Olave, from the Alberto Hurtado University (UAH), and Bertha Escobar, from the Catholic University of Temuco (UCT); as well as prominent international and national experts.
Rector Sánchez, who is accompanying the commission along with the rectors of the University of Chile, Rosa Devés, and UMCE, Elisa Araya, valued the activity as an opportunity for “a lot of learning and sharing experiences, which will allow us to continue working in a more cohesive and networked way,” and stressed that “we must not forget that this is a long-term project that calls on all of us (…) which we will lead from the CRUCH Commission on University Coexistence and Mental Health, but to which we invite you to join proactively, taking and applying what you have learned to your communities.”.
For her part, the general secretary of CRUCH, Angélica Bosch, pointed out that “these days called us to think about the current scenario, about what is happening to us as people, but also to project the future (…) We need coexistence to achieve the current and future challenges, incorporating into our goals common happiness, social cohesion and the ability to build together.”.
Regarding the main conclusions, the commission's presidents, Rosa María Olave and Bertha Escobar, pointed out the need to understand dialogue as a real encounter, rather than a space to solve a problem; the value of conflict for transformation; the importance of a university community permeated and sensitized to these issues; as well as the need to consider the design of a university policy on coexistence and mental health, which includes the participation of all levels.
Towards a policy of coexistence and mental health
In the concluding session, Rosa María Olave addressed the elements that a university policy on coexistence and mental health should contain. She stated that “the first thing is frankness, that is, not creating expectations, in order to maintain a consistent discourse, as well as developing practices that are clearly situated within our contexts.” Regarding some principles, she indicated that it should be “inclusive, democratic, participatory, with a human rights perspective, and respectful of the dignity of all people. It should also promote positive relationships within universities, be tri-partite (involving university staff, faculty, and staff), prioritize promotion and prevention, along with more specialized care, and ensure that everything is interconnected.”.
For her part, Bertha Escobar highlighted two key concepts addressed during the sessions: singularity, which lies at the intersection of the social and the individual, and which “involves examining the life trajectories, talents, and resilience of our students”; and serenity, to foster common ground. She also raised the challenge of encouraging more faculty members to participate in these activities and to explore “how we can help them become aware that the classroom is also a space where mental health is cultivated.”.
According to Katia Ornelas, an international guest who participated in the concluding session, it is in the classroom where citizenship is built, and therefore, the role of academics is fundamental. The expert, who has extensive experience in designing and facilitating peacebuilding and restorative justice processes in university settings, also explained that from a restorative justice perspective, it is possible to address conflict based on three pillars: fostering healthy relationships; creating fair and equitable learning environments; and repairing and transforming the harm caused by conflict.
Regarding the evaluation of the sessions, Rector Elisa Araya highlighted that they were “the closing of one process and the beginning of another (…) I think this is a topic that mobilizes, from which we still have much to learn (…). We must be very attentive because, indeed, the students have expressed the need for more caring, more protective institutions, with higher levels of care, not only in academic matters, but also in relational matters.”.
In this regard, Josiane Bonneffoy, Vice-Rector of Student and Community Affairs at the University of Chile, representing Rector Rosa Devés, stated that the workshops allowed for the incorporation of a community perspective. “We are part of a society where there are problems of coexistence, social problems, stigmatization, and exclusion. Therefore, to think that this won't be reflected within the university is very utopian (…) this presents us with a significant challenge in terms of coexistence, of taking responsibility not only for what exists within the university, but also for what we see daily outside of it.”.
Finally, Rector Araya pledged to support the Commission's work with a view to fostering a discussion for the development of a policy and regulatory framework for university coexistence and mental health "that is flexible enough to reflect the distinctive characteristics of each institution and the particularities of the territories where the universities are located.".
Conditions for dialogue
The inaugural session, which took place at the Central House of the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile (UC) - and was streamed online - featured two panels with experts, one international and one national.
The first panel consisted of Alfredo Zamudio, director of the mission in Chile of the Nansen Center for Peace and Dialogue, Norway; Leticia García Villaluenga, director of the Master's Program in Mediation at the Complutense University of Madrid, Spain; Ignacio Sánchez, rector of the UC; and Elisa Araya, rector of the Metropolitan University of Educational Sciences (UMCE).
The conversation was moderated by journalist and host of the CNN Chile program Sanamente, Paloma Ávila, who focused the questions on how to incorporate tools to relate to conflicts in a different way, how to understand conflict in the university context and the relationship with social conflicts, among others.
First, Zamudio made a distinction between negotiation and dialogue, noting that negotiation is a transaction that emphasizes results, while dialogue offers "the time and space for people to bring the complexity of their respective realities.".
García Villaluenga added that listening takes time, and «it also requires learning. We also need training in conflict resolution techniques.” He also stated that “universities must be at the service of society and create that social fabric where peace is not just a word, but a commitment that every citizen has.» Furthermore, he mentioned that Spain has had a law on university coexistence since 2022.
Regarding time, Zamudio agreed that it is an important factor, but that for dialogue to begin, the first step is to know if there is a willingness to engage in it. “If you want to build a bridge, you don't build it from the middle; you have to build it from one side and then from the other. And here (for dialogue), they have to agree on whether they need a bridge, whether they want it, and what purpose it serves. If there is no agreement, perhaps the bridge won't lead anywhere,” he pointed out.
Another relevant factor is the composure with which the dialogue is approached. “People don’t necessarily want you to give them the solution, because they understand that the solution isn’t in your hands. People aren’t naive; they know that not everything is possible, but they want to feel heard,” said Zamudio, who also indicated that it’s important that the dialogue be between those represented, not between representatives, “and that takes time, but that’s inclusive, that’s transformative.”.
Knots in the social fabric
Regarding the value of dialogue and encounters in the process of building social fabric, Zamudio invited us to imagine “human life as a thread. Each life is a thread, but a fabric is made up of knots with the lives of other people. If there are no equitable points of encounter with others, that social fabric is very weak. The more points of encounter there are between people, the stronger the social fabric of our society is. The more segregated it is, the weaker the society,” he said.
For his part, Rector Sánchez appreciated this different way of understanding knots. “There is a dual perspective on the knot, which relates to a problem, but also to a closer relationship that provides support between two ends or between different points of a loom.”.
For Rector Araya, “the fact that these knots exist, which make the fabric strong, seems tremendously important to consider.” She also emphasized the role of conflict, stating that it cannot be denied, that it is inherent in relationships. “What we should do is uncover them (the conflicts) in a respectful, sincere, and loyal way. This idea that a relationship or an institution will be healthier because of the absence of conflict is illusory, fallacious, and makes us shy away from the possibility of confronting it like adults and saying, ”Okay, here it is, let’s talk, let’s learn, let’s resolve it, and let’s move forward,’” she stressed.
Furthermore, the rector pointed out that it is "interesting and central" to see that conflict leads to learning, and "some conflicts that are hosted in universities are a symptom of a society that has not resolved these needs.".
In this regard, García Villaluenga argued that the ways in which a society resolves its conflicts reveal its values, and that "the university is also doing this, and it does so through each of the people who make it up.".
The value of conflict for transformation
The second panel of the inaugural session, which delved into the value of conflict for transformation, was made up of the director of the Center for Studies of Conflict and Social Cohesion (COES), María Luisa Méndez, and the academic from the University of Chile (UChile) and co-author of the book “University mental health: voices, trajectories and situated practices”, Roberto Aceituno.
“We can see conflict as a space of tension, of transformation, not only as something negative, as a problem, but also as something that manages to transform the state of things (…) what we see as conflict is actually also a call to reformulate the social bond,” Méndez said.
In this regard, Aceituno pointed out that for there to be conflict between two parties, "there has to be something more or less common, because otherwise, what exists is not conflict, it is a radical division and I believe that in many ways, Chilean society experiences that reality, it does not experience the reality of conflict.".
Taking it to the university sphere, Méndez pointed out that since universities are the institutions that enjoy the greatest legitimacy and trust, they have the great challenge of being the space where diversity is listened to respectfully, but generating an understanding of what is common.
Regarding mental health, Aceituno emphasized that the first step is to identify where students' relationships with the institution lie at the earliest levels of contact. “Student affairs offices, professors, faculty councils—that's a level where intervention is necessary… we need to ask the professionals who work with the students more questions than telling them what policies to implement.”.
Workshops and other activities
During the three days of the conference, 13 workshops were held on various topics, with the participation primarily of student support teams and mental health or related areas, from all CRUCH universities. Participants also came from other institutions within the university system.
The workshops were led by academics and experts from CRUCH universities in the following areas: dialogue skills by Valeska Grau (UC) and Rosa María Olave (UAH); psychological first aid in university contexts by Yael Weinstein (UChile) and Irma Ahumada (UChile); development of classroom skills by Bertha Escobar (UCT) and Jessica Navarro (UCT); crisis intervention tools by Irene Léniz (UOH) and Claudia Prado (UOH); tools for implementing restorative practices in the university setting; strategies for addressing conflicts by the Restorative Justice Network in Universities: Macarena Jofré (UTEM), José Manosalva (UChile), Consuelo Prudencio (UChile), Consuelo Sepúlveda (UChile), Francisco Farías (UAH) and Juan Williams (UAH); and strategies for addressing conflicts by Rosa María Olave (UAH) and Gonzalo Frei (UAH). Introduction to psychological first aid by Vania Martínez (IMHAY) and Alejandro Riquelme (Minsal); university life: socio-emotional skills for healthy coexistence by Mónica Guzmán (UCN) and Darío Villafranca (UDP), and by Verónica Aravena (UMAG) and Patricia Astroza (ULS); strategies for addressing conflicts: academic and managerial leadership by Maricarmen Anaís (UDP); and emotional first aid (PAE) in a university context by Paola Núñez (UCSC) and Lorena Rodríguez (UCSC).
In addition, two student initiatives related to university life and mental health were presented: Coffee Talk, from the Catholic University of Temuco (UCT); and Ludoteca UDP, from the Diego Portales University (UDP).
Text: CRUCH Communications
Photos: Pontifical Catholic University of Chile (UC) and CRUCH Communications.
Check out the videos of the opening and closing session of the First CRUCH Training Days on University Coexistence and Mental Health below:
Spanish 
English