Latin American Association for Human Flourishing Studies

What Is ALEFH?

The Latin American Association for Human Flourishing Studies (ALEFH) is an international, interdisciplinary academic association dedicated to advancing research, education, and the dissemination of knowledge on human flourishing.

ALEFH focuses on scholarship emerging from Latin America and seeks to address the region’s unique realities by fostering collaboration, sharing resources, promoting scientific rigor, and building a spirit of fellowship among its members and broader communities. We understand human flourishing as a process toward the full realization of our humanity across three interconnected levels: individuals; communities and close relationships; and the social and natural systems of which we are part.
 

Our Origins

ALEFH grew out of the project Mapping Human Flourishing Research in Latin America, an initiative led by Tecnológico de Monterrey with the support of the Templeton World Charity Foundation, in partnership with Universidad de los Andes and Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile.
The project brought together researchers from Brazil, Colombia, Chile, and Mexico to examine the state of human flourishing research across the region. We found that Latin America has a substantial body of scholarship addressing key dimensions of human flourishing—including quality of life, mental health, human rights, sustainability, well-being, and Indigenous perspectives—across a wide range of disciplines. At the same time, we identified a highly fragmented research landscape, with limited collaboration and connections among scholars and other key actors in the field.

Our Purpose

ALEFH was created in response to the need for a stronger, more connected Latin American academic community. We seek to foster regional collaboration, mobilize resources, and promote high-quality scholarly publications in our own languages.