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| I. ARCA News on Peace Education - Events, training courses and conferences - |
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1. EU: ARCA Event Last 2-6 July 2006 the First of Five events the ARCA Project is organising around Europe took place in Marly-le-Roi, near Paris. The Organisers were Mouvement pour une Alternative Noviolente (MAN), Peaceworkers UK (PWUK) and Nonviolent Peaceforce (NP), although 20 participants met representing the following organizations: MAN, NP, PWUK, NOVA, NPA, PATRIR, IRNC, CCFD, University of Jyväskylä (Finland), PBI International. This seminar looked at the ways to ensure that Civilians working for peace, especially in regions affected by violent conflict, will gain the necessary skills and know how to improve them. A selected group of practitioners, candidates for field missions and trainers went through practical exercise and theoretical debate to share practices and ideas amongst the most advanced organisations in this field. They had the opportunity to share experiences and expertise, in order to improve together training and assessment techniques. The outcome of this workshop will influence trainings and practice of a variety of organisations, through the production of a concluding paper, and provide the participants with resources for improving training and assessment in the field of peacework. You can download the leaflet (.pdf) and the program (.pdf). The minutes of the meeting will be available very soon. If you are interested in more information, please contact MAN: comiteicp@free.fr or call +33 (0)1 41 45 44 48 25. |
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| 2. AUSTRIA August 27 –September 9, 2006: International Civilian Peace-keeping and Peace-building Training Program (IPT), Core Course. The Core Courses consists of modules designed to provide the participants with the basic knowledge and skills required in crisis areas, independent of the specific function they will fulfil as experts in their own fields. For information: http://www.aspr.ac.at/ipt.htm September 10 – September 22, 2006: IPT Specialization Course on Human Rights Protection and Promotio. The Specialization Course on “Human Rights Protection and Promotion” aims at enhancing the skills needed by those dealing with human rights in the field. It helps to ensure that their work is efficient, relevant, sustainable, participatory, accountable and carried out safely before or after armed conflict. The course is designed to raise participants’ self-awareness in terms of behaviour, attitudes and values when undertaking international human rights fieldwork. It includes sessions on core skills like monitoring, reporting, fact-finding and interview techniques as well as human rights promotion and education. The protection of vulnerable groups will also be an issue dealt with during the course. See: http://www.aspr.ac.at/ipt.htm September 25 – October 6, 2006: EU–UN Pilot Specialisation Course on Child Protection, Monitoring and Rehabilitation. The overall objective of the EU – UN Specialisation Course on “Child Protection, Monitoring and Rehabilitation” is the improvement of the preparation of experts who would like to become involved in monitoring, advisory, and executive functions related to children in crisis areas. The purpose of this course is not limited to familiarising participants with concepts and best practices. The course also seeks to enable participants to exchange respective expertises, and therewith build capacity in EU and UN institutions to improve their training on this topic. Visit: http://www.aspr.ac.at/mpt/index_eu_mpt.htm and www.eutraininggroup.net September 24 – December 16, 2006: Fall-Trimester at the European University Center for Peace Studies (EPU). The EPU program is designed to provide students with the intellectual skills to analyse conflicts and their underlying causes, and with practical skills in conflict transformation and peace-building. It seeks to enable and motivate students to help build a more peaceful, equitable and just global society, in harmony with nature. Those who successfully complete one trimester obtain an Advanced Certificate in Peace and Conflict Studies. Those who complete three trimesters and write a thesis obtain a Master of Arts in Peace and Conflict Studies, approved by the Austrian Ministry of Education. MA students can begin with any trimester (fall, spring or summer). http://www.aspr.ac.at/welcome.htm For further information you can write to: gamauf@aspr.ac.at -> Finished events: July 9 – July 14, 2006: Internationale Sommer Akademie (in German only). This years Sommer Akademie is dedicated to Media as the main topic. Experts from this field share in panel discussions as well as workshops their experiences, knowledge and expertise on this crucial topic. Them main research question to deal with is the relationship of media, war and peace. See: http://www.aspr.ac.at/asprvie/aussenstelle_wien.htm July 17 – July 22, 2006: Final Seminar of the first UNESCO/EURED In-Service Teacher Training Course “Human Rights an Peace Education in Europe” Organised in co-operation with the Austrian Study Centre for Peace and Conflict Resolution (ASPR) and the European University Centre for Peace Studies (EPU) This final event of the course will concentrate on the participants presentations of their work in their respective schools. Experts will assist in analysing the data and comment on the professional and personal development of each participant of this two-years-course. Visit: http://www.aspr.ac.at/eured.htm |
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| 3. HUNGARY In July and August, The BOCS run different awareness raising activities during various events and festivals taking place in different cities of Hungary: July 5-8 youth festival (VOLT in Sopron); 12-16 youth festival (Hegyalja in Tokaj); 17-23 National meeting of students (EFOTT in Zamardi, at the Lake Balaton); 19-23 festival of Lutheran youth (Szelrozsa in Szolnok); 25-30 national meeting of Catholic students (OKET in Nagykovacsi); August 1-6 Muveszetek Volgye; 9-16 Sziget; 12-21 Sommerfest in Szazhalombatta. For further information visit: http://bocs.hu/index.php?t=/_bocs_kepzesek.html |
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4. ITALY On June 12, in Florence, 6-7 July in Naples and 28 September in Bolzano, The CSDC organise in collaboration with NGOs and Local and Regional Governmental Authorities three seminars on the Professional Profiles of Peace Mediators. The seminars are part of a research project lead by the Csdc that aims to explore the competencies, the training standards, the job market and the institutionalisation of the profession of Mediators in Italy in different fields – social, intercultural and international. The seminar of the June 12 focused on the competences, formative standards and work prospects and was organised with Tuscany Region, C.I.R.P.A.C., University of Florence, University of Siena. The seminar of the 6-7 July was organised with The Campania Region, Univeristy of Naples “L’Orientale” and was dedicated to discuss the professional profiles and normative aspects. The Final seminar of September 28 in Bolzano will be dedicated to the presentation of the Final Report of the Research. For further information you can contact d.garciaduranti@pacedifesa.org or europe@pacedifesa.org or visit http://www.pacedifesa.org/canale.asp?id=339 |
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| 5. NORWAY July 15-19: NPA hosted the second partnership meeting of the Learning Partnership in Conflict Management project (ALPICOM). The project is a two year endeavor to exchange and learn from the best practices of some Europe's most prominent civil society actors in the fields of Peace Education, Conflict Transformation, Mediation and Crisis Management. 16 organizations participated in this meeting which held at the Nansen School in Lillehamer, Norway. Minutes and power point presentations are already available. To download these documents or for more information about Alpicom, contact mb.venturi@pacedifesa.org |
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6. ROMANIA July 24-July 28, 2006. Cluj-Napoca, Romania, Transcend and PATRIR's International Peace and Development Training Centre organise the Advanced International Training: 'Peacebuilding and Development: From Lessons Learned to Program Design and Field Implementation'. A five-day advanced international training programme for development workers, policy makers, and staff of national and international organizations, UN agencies, and governmental and non-governmental organizations working in development and peacebuilding in communities and areas affected by conflict, war, or in post-war recovery. The programme has been specifically designed to effectively and practically train participants in skills, tools and methods for integrating peacebuilding and development work, collecting together best practices and lessons learned from the field to assist individuals and organizations to strengthen their work in program design and field implementation in conflict affected communities. For further information or to apply please contact training@transcend.org or visit www.transcend.org/training |
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| 7. SPAIN The 3rd International Gathering for the Culture of Peace 2006 organised by NOVA took place in Barcelona the 23-27 March 2006. The final documents, presentations and pictures are accessible here: http://castellpau.novacis.org/trobada06/en/presentation.htm |
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| 8. UNITED KINGDOM "Comité ICP" is offering training courses for peace volunteers that are divided into 3 one-week modules. The next training course (module 1: "Individual attitudes in a conflict situation") will take place from 17 to 22 April 2006 in a location close to Paris. International participants are welcome and can receive further information under comiteicp@free.fr. 5th August 2006, Peaceworkers UK will be organising a One Day Training, 'Introduction to Election Observation'. This training will be held in partnership with ERIS, the UK deployment organisation. This course prepares participants for short-term election observation missions, providing an insight into the nature of the work and to develop the key skills needed. It will encourage observers' ability to work as part of a team and deal with the challenges of a mission environment. It also provides a route into this area of work as a training course recognised by ERIS. The training will take place at Peaceworkers' offices in London. Given the large number of applications received for our first 'Introduction to Election Observation' on 24th June, Peaceworkers UK and ERIS is running this second One Day Training at the beginning of August. 28-30 July 2006, Peaceworkers Level 2 Assessment weekend. 'Working in the Midst of Conflict: is it for me?' This is an introductory ‘taster’ for those who may be interested in working for an NGO or official mission in a conflict zone. Participants will be put into teams and set straight into the simulation ‘field’. They will be assigned an ‘observer’ for the weekend who will give personal feedback on your performance as well as advice on further training needs and opportunities for professional development. This training is an integral part of Peaceworkers UK's assessment policy, and will be used to strengthen the way people are selected for field missions. The training will take place at Streatley Youth Hostel near London. For further information please visit the website www.peaceworkers.org.uk or contact lholdaway@peaceworkers.org.uk  |
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| II. ARCA Tools and Publications - New Peace education tools - |
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| 1. EU: ARCA Project With the second of eight phases completed, the ARCA project is well underway. During the months of January to March, different working group --concentrating on the seven outputs of ARCA-- collaborated effectively on the implementation of different outputs. Overall, the second phase of the project was very positive for ARCA members. After a bit of a rough start in Phase 1, partners showed dedication and determination for working well together for creating more efficient work structures and bringing about life-giving processes. After our first official parntership meeting in Barcelona the end of March, a general sense of understanding about the project and between partners was evident. So, with two phases down, we look forward with enthusiasm to the remainder of the project. Excerpt of the Short Summary of the Phase II of the Project (.pdf) that is now on line for public information in the Materials section of the Arca webportal. |
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| 2. FRANCE On June 2nd, 3rd and 4th, 2006 "The French Coalition for the Decade organised the 2nd edition of the International Forum on Peace Initiatives, which was held in Paris, in the Centre des Congrès de la Villette. During this encounter, MAN and Comité ICP organised several conferences and workshops, such as: "Civilan Peace Missions, from theory to realities in the field", "Civilian peace Missions: training on nonviolent conflict management", "To participate in a training on nonviolent action", "Training on nonviolent conflict resolution, how far are we?". Nonviolent Peaceforce and Comité ICP were present with a stand. If you are interested on the outcome of the events and/or would like to receive the relevant materials: please contact comiteicp@free.fr |
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| 3. HUNGARY OCS Global Education poster-folder is published in Hungarian and English. Global Ecological Footprint as background of Security issues (educational computer animation, see: http://bocs.hu/okolabnyom05.htm). An English version of most materials is published here. |
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| 4. SPAIN NOVA present: The Proposals for promoting civil and non-violent systems of defence and intervention (.zip – 1.8Mb), with contributions from the Study Group of the “Second International ‘Castell de Figueres’ Gathering for the Culture of Peace 2004”. The proposal is based in the following elements: 1. A policy of non-violence as an alternative for the resolution of conflicts; 2. A change of paradigm in security and defence policy towards a culture of peace and non-violence; 3. Civil society and its bid for a new culture of peace and non-violence; 4. The resolution of conflicts through non-violent methods: defence and civil intervention; 5. Proposals for the advancement of the culture of peace and the policy of non-violence at an institutional level. As a result of this proposal, NOVA organised the 3rd International Gathering for the Culture of Peace 2006 last March, where a more concrete proposal of a Catalonian Civil Peace Service (.pdf) was presented. Currently, NOVA is preparing to present a proposal of law for the Spanish parliament. The recent Publication of the Escola de Cultura de Pau (Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona): The Analysis of Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration (DDR) programmes in the World during 2005 (.pdf). The "Centro de Investigación para la Paz" - Peace Research Centre (CIP-FUHEM) - has recently published three documents that analyze the causes and consequences of the international terrorism. Its authors, analysts and collaborator, had focused in regions or different aspects about this phenomenon, within the project on Peace and Security that the centre develops. -> “The United States and their war against the terrorism four years later: a review (.pdf) (Estados Unidos y su guerra contra el terrorismo cuatro años después: un repaso)” (Robert Matthews). It analyzes the answers gave by the United States that have occurred to the international terrorism and the consequences of their war against the terror undertaken after the attacks of 11-S. -> “The international terrorism: causes and strategic implications (.pdf)” (Laurence Thieux) focus in the Arab and Islamic societies and the implications that -in them- has generated the fight against the terror in the West. -> “Terrorism and democracy: Spain and the attacks of 11-M (.pdf)" (Mabel González Bustelo), the political and social implications that the attacks of 11-M. |
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| III. Presentation of ARCA partner organizations | ||||||
 The Austrian Study Center for Peace and Conflict Resolution (ASPR) was founded in September 1982 as an independent, non-profit and non-partisan organisation. It aims to contribute to the promotion of peace and peaceful conflict transformation and to the dissemination of practical ideas for peace. In this sense, the ASPR was the founder of the European University Center for Peace Studies (EPU) and established a European Peace Museum in Schlaining Castle in the year 2001. The ASPR has also developed peace-building training programmes and projects for specific conflict regions. Since 1996 training programmes have been conducted for former Yugoslavia and the South Caucasus and since 1997 for specific African regions. In 2001, the ASPR became engaged in the ongoing peace-process in Sri Lanka. Since 2002 the ASPR supported the establishment of the OSCE Academy for Central Asia in Bishkek. Several major conferences are organised each year, including a summer academy and an annual international meeting of peace researchers on "The State of Peace."The ASPR publishes several periodicals and publications such as Dialog, Friedensforum, Friedensbericht – dealing with various peace issues. The ASPR was awarded UN “Peace Messenger” status in 1987, and in 1995 the ASPR and the EPU were awarded the UNESCO “Prize for Peace Education”, and in 2002 the UNESCO UniTwin Award. More information on ASPR visit this page of the ARCA webportal | ||||||
 Nonviolent Peaceforce (NP) is an unarmed peacekeeping force composed of paid trained civilians from all around the world. In partnership with local groups, NP members apply non-violent strategies to protect human rights, deter violence and help local peacemakers in their work. Launched in 1999 at the Hague Appeal for Peace and born at the convening event in Surajkund, India in 2002, NP is a federation of 90 Member Organizations from around the world. NP vision is to create a large-scale nonviolent peaceforce through the development of projects and additional models for deployment, public education, training and advocacy. NP work efficiently supports local peace activities, involves leadership and civil society participation from all regions of the world, and fills an existing gap in international crisis management with proven methods of nonviolent action for conflict resolution. NP Projects and initiatives: NP launched its first project in Sri Lanka in summer 2003 at the invitation of and in partnership with local groups. In the year 2006 NP have sent a third wave of peacekeepers. NP prepares further peacekeeping projects in Uganda and Southern Sudan, Mindanao, Colombia, and Israel and Palestine. More information on NP visit this page of the Arca webportal |
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| More info about all ARCA partners in the ARCA webportal |
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| IV. Peace Education and Peace Intervention - In Europe - |
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| 1. HUNGARY Cedric Prakash SJ, Ancient partner of BOCS in India, whose educational work we support since 1977, has been awarded (18th April) of "Chevalier de la Legion d'Honneur" (Knight of the Legion of Honour). By this award, France acknowledges his peacemaking work and lifetime commitment to the defence and the promotion of Human Rights in India. For more information visit: http://bocs.hu/index.php?lg=en&t=/fdk/minden.php?d=1212&lg=en |
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| 2. GERMANY "No Blame Approach" against hazing in schools. BSV and fairaend are running a two year project against hazing in schools. 60 workshops all over Germany will train and promote the principles of the "No Blame Approach", which helps teachers, parents and children to quickly stop hazing (Mobbing) in schools. Several materials (in German) will be published a poster may be ordered free of charge and can be downloaded here (.pdf) . For further information you can visit: http://www.soziale-verteidigung.de |
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| 3. SPAIN Last 1st and 2nd of July 2006, NOVA organised the 6th March for Peace Culture about “Reconverting war castles in castles for peace”, from Martorell to Montjuïc Castle (in Barcelona). During the March, the pacifists celebrated in each village an act as a tribute to the 100.000 daily ignored victims due to wars, hunger, bombs,... For more information, visit http://marxapau.pangea.org/06/ - You can see some pictures and documents (in catalan) of the March. |
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| 4. SRI-LANKA The assessment and core training for new NP Field Team Members to be deployed in Sri Lanka took place in India. 16 participants were assessed and 12 continued on for the Core training. NP Final selection of trainers and participants for the Training of Trainers took place during April. Four trainers and 23 participants were selected from over 100 excellent applicants. Participants will come from Africa, Asia, Europe, N. America and Latin America. The training itself was held in Thailand July 8-19. Please contact Gilda Bettencourt for further details if desired: gbettencourt@nonviolentpeaceforce.org |
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