La mediación comunitaria como herramienta preventiva en la resolución de conflictos periurbanos

Abstract

This research focuses on the analysis of community mediation as a preventive strategy for addressing peri-urban conflicts resulting from disordered urban growth and the interaction between rural and urban dynamics, taking as a starting point the Ecuadorian legal framework that establishes conflict resolution methods, with constitutional and legal protection. The study demonstrates that community mediation, proximity justice, and police mediation allow early intervention in conflicts, preventing their escalation and contributing to peaceful coexistence. In addition, an integrated model of preventive mediation is proposed that integrates institutional and community stakeholders, with the objective of improving access to justice and strengthening the peaceful management of conflicts. The traditional justice system has limitations; its reactive nature and the large number of cases it handles make it difficult to resolve tensions promptly in peri-urban areas. This generates feelings of isolation, high costs, and an excess of formalities. Hence, the incorporation of more agile, close, and preventive mechanisms that facilitate the management of the conflict from its earliest stages.