Today's post may be a bit different from what you've seen here, but I would like to share an organization and program that is dear to my heart. In my last post, I described a powerful lesson that my daughter learned while we were travelling in Mexico producing the first international episode of The Desha Show (coming soon!)
At five years old, my daughter learned the lesson that I wish the world could abide by,
"even though you are from a different country and speak a different language, you can still be friends".
As she shared this concept, it hit me- this is why I am passionate about travel. I love seeing how other people live, I love learning about their cultures, I love the idea that if we knew more about one another, we'd see each other as friends. This is what prompted me to obtain my masters at SIT Graduate Institute in Brattleboro, VT, part of World Learning. This is what led me to my FAMILY of friends who mean so much to me today.
A couple of those friends work for a program I'd like to highlight today. CONTACT, also part of World Learning, is a summer peacebuilding program held in Brattleboro and South Asia offering development training in conflict transformation.
The program gathers participants (both men and women) from over 60 countries worldwide who want to further their skills and knowledge in peacebuilding, as well as those who plan to pursue a graduate degree in conflict transformation. The program explores ways to confront the past, intervene in the present, and create a shared vision for a secure and sustainable future. Through experiential and participatory education, participants develop a full range of peacebuilding skills and techniques. See below for more information.
Founder and Director of CONTACT
The Founder and Director of CONTACT, Paula Green has decades of experience in peacebuilding in many regions of Africa, Asia, the Middle East, Europe and in the US.
Paula is a winner of the Unsung Heroes of Compassion award, which was presented to her by His Holiness the Dalai Lama in April 2009.
Wow! Aren't we lucky to have CONTACT right here in Brattleboro!
Join me in giving thanks for the women who stand for peace and make it their business to make the world a better place by teaching the lessons we inherently know as children, but have somehow forgotten.
 Mariana Syrotiak, CONTACT Program Manager in Rwanda (I lOVE this pic!) |
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| CONTACT students: Nadia Bourova from Algeria with Shikha Prasai from Nepal |
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May 28-June 20, 2012 at SIT and Sept. 2012-May 2013 on-line
TOPICS OF STUDY: Conflict analysis and interventions, inter-communal dialogue, negotiation and mediation, peacebuilding and development, healing and reconciliation, peace education, training skills, issues of global relations, and more.
PARTICIPANTS: Human rights workers, non-profit and NGO middle- and senior-level managers, government employees, mental health professionals, educators, and graduate students from around the globe. View profiles of previous participants and their testimonials.
FACULTY: A diverse team of international experts and active practitioners, including:Dr. Paula Green, EdD (USA); Dr. Tatsushi Arai, PhD (Japan); Dr. Kevin Clements, PhD (New Zealand); Baht Latumbo, MA (Philippines); Dr. Joseph Sebarenzi, PhD (Rwanda); Susie Belleci, MA (USA); Paddy Moore, MA (USA); Dr. George Lakey, PhD (USA; Olivia Dreier, MA (USA); Adin Thayer, MA (USA);Dr. Ken Williams, EdD (Barbados); Diana Gonzalez, MA (USA)
The Summer Peacebuilding Program is a three-credit graduate course that can be taken independently or applied toward the Graduate Certificate in Conflict Transformation.
Application Deadline: April 15, 2012 For more information visit: www.sit.edu/contact or write to contactprogram@sit.edu Visit us on Facebook or Twitter
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