The Mecila - Maria Sibylla Merian International Centre for Advanced Studies in the Humanities and Social Sciences Conviviality-Inequality in Latin America (Mecila) examines past and present forms of social, political, and cultural conviviality in Latin America and the Caribbean. It employs conviviality as an analytical concept to describe ways of living together in specific contexts characterized by diversity and inequality. In order to achieve this, it links studies about interclass, interethnic, intercultural, interreligious and gender relations in Latin America and the Caribbean with studies about conviviality beyond the region. In doing so, the Centre aims to establish an innovative exchange with benefits for both European and Latin American research. 

The Centre’s headquarters have been stablished in São Paulo (Brazil) by a consortium composed of three German institutions: Freie Universität Berlin (coordination); Ibero-Amerikanisches Institut, Berlin; and Universität zu Köln, Cologne, as well as four Latin American institutions: Universidade de São Paulo and Centro Brasileiro de Análise e Planejamento, São Paulo, Brazil, Instituto de Investigaciones en Humanidades y Ciencias Sociales (CONICET / Universidad Nacional de La Plata), La Plata, Argentina, and El Colegio de México, Mexico City, Mexico. The Centre draws on the existing long-term cooperation between these institutions.

It is financially supported by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) from 2020 until 2026.

The Ibero-Amerikanisches Institut (IAI, Ibero-American Institute) coordinates together with the Instituto de Investigaciones en Humanidades y Ciencias Sociales (CONICET / Universidad Nacional de La Plata) the Research Area: “Medialities of Conviviality and Information Infrastructure”.

The Mecila Working Paper Series aims at disseminating preliminary results of ongoing research projects to encourage the exchange of ideas and academic debate regarding conviviality-inequality.

Mecila provides free open access to the series content. Users can read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to the full texts of the articles, or use them for any other lawful purpose, without requesting prior permission from the publisher or the author as long as they cite the source. Copyright remains with the authors. Please be aware that these papers may include figures and images from other rightsholders used with permission.