Practicum in Peacebuilding

[Application is due by March 10, 2023.] This is a fieldwork practicum course that explores peacebuilding through a social transformation lens. Students will explore some of the ways peacebuilding is experienced in Colombia, a country that has witnessed the longest internal violent conflict of the western hemisphere. Peacebuilding in Colombia has been approached in two fundamental ways: one of these ways is top-down, as many attempts to negotiate peace have emanated from institutional attempts to negotiate with illegal groups, including the successful peace agreements of 2016 between the Colombian government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). Another way is the ongoing peacebuilding practices that happen at the community level. This is a type of peacebuilding that develops organically and creatively as conflicts escalate; in this case, communities come together to respond peacefully to the effects of war that disrupts their personal and social lives. This course explores these two approaches both theoretically and empirically. During this course, students will engage with peacebuilding actors in the field, listen to their stories, and collectively map out the dynamics leading and sustaining peacebuilding in their communities. NECR students will share the classrooms and field visits with students from the master’s program in peacebuilding at Universidad de Los Andes in Bogotá, allowing participants to have a rich local experience and to exchange knowledge and practice through cross-cultural perspectives. We will conduct fieldwork research in Bogotá, Medellín, and have a day visit to a third fieldwork location. Lectures and some field visits will be accompanied by local experts, peace negotiators, and artists engaged with peacebuilding.

(Click HERE to watch a video about learning and working in Colombia)

COURSE & FIELDWORK TRAVEL DATES:

• Week of July 3rd: required pre-departure course module (online asynchronous)
• Week of July 10th: individual online meetings with instructors (by appointment, as needed)
• Monday, July 24th - Wednesday, August 2nd: Required, full-day course dates in Colombia (Bogotá, Medellín, and third location TBA)
• Travel dates: arrival in Bogotá on Sunday, July 23rd - departure from  Medellín on Wednesday, August 2nd or Thursday, August 3rd

[Application has closed.] This is a fieldwork clinic course that explores environmental sustainability through peacebuilding and implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals. Students will explore how SDG 16 (Peace, Justice, & Strong Institutions) enables better social and environmental outcomes in work to pursue other related SDGs in the context of Japan. This course will be held in partnership with Hiroshima University and will take place on their campus and in adjacent field sites. During this course, students will engage with public, private, and civil society groups working on environmental management and sustainability. Students will share the classrooms and field visits with students from Hiroshima University, allowing participants to have a rich local experience and to exchange knowledge and practice through cross-cultural perspectives. Lectures and some field visits will be accompanied by local experts, peacebuilders, and Hiroshima University faculty.

COURSE & FIELDWORK TRAVEL DATES:

• Pre-Departure Course Dates: July 6 & July 13, 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
• Travel Dates: July 28 (depart NYC) July 30 (arrive Hiroshima) -  August 8 (depart Hiroshima) August 8 (arrive NYC)