Peace is an Emergent property of Social Complex Systems.
Peacebuilding processes take place within complex social, political, economic, environmental, and cultural contexts where problems rarely have a single cause or a simple solution. This presentation introduces an engineering approach to peacebuilding developed and applied by profesor Camilo Andrés Navarro Forero PhD between 2016 and 2022.
The presentation will share the results of a body of work in which the Complexity Funnel Methodology CFM and a series of Social Transformation Workshops STW were developed and applied through undergraduate and graduate research projects to support communities involved in peacebuilding processes in Colombia and other contexts.
The approach combines systems thinking, complexity management, critical reflection, stakeholder perspectives, and project management to help communities move from an initial perception of a complex situation toward a more structured understanding of the system and the identification of possible transformation pathways.
Rather than proposing simple solutions to complex problems, the methodology seeks to help engineers and communities untangle complexity, recognize different perspectives, identify leverage points, and co-create context-sensitive interventions that can contribute to sustainable social transformation and peacebuilding.
Presenter:
Camilo Andrés Navarro Forero
Camilo Andrés Navarro Forero is an engineer, educator, researcher, and practitioner whose work connects engineering, systems thinking, complexity management, and social innovation to advance peacebuilding and address complex community challenges.
He holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Industrial Engineering, with a master’s emphasis on Organizational Management, a master’s degree in Social Sciences focused on Peacebuilding, and a Ph.D. in Engineering with an emphasis on Peacebuilding Engineering. His training also includes studies in systems thinking and systems theory–based project management through MITx at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Throughout his career, Camilo has brought together engineering methodologies and the social sciences to support communities engaged in peacebuilding in Colombia and other contexts. From 2016 to 2022, he developed and applied the Complexity Funnel Methodology (CFM) and Social Transformation Workshops (STW) through undergraduate and graduate research projects. This work is explored in Untangling Complexity: Peacebuilding Engineering, published by Springer. His engagement in engineering and social justice also includes work with the Engineering Exchange for Social Justice at the University of San Diego in 2019.
A former Dean of Engineering, Camilo currently serves as a Professor in the Industrial & Systems Engineering Department at Tecnológico de Monterrey, Monterrey Campus, where he teaches project management and project feasibility through a systemic lens. He is a signatory to the Santa Marta Declaration and host of the 2026 Engineering for Social Justice and Peace (ESJP) Conference, taking place October 29–31 at Tecnológico de Monterrey. His work reflects a commitment to connecting engineering education and practice with social transformation and peace.