The
University for Peace (
UPEACE) was established in
Costa RicaCosta Rica, officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the east and south, the Pacific Ocean to the west and south and the Caribbean Sea to the east.Costa Rica, which translates literally as "Rich Coast", constitutionally...
in 1980 "to provide humanity with an international institution of higher education for peace and with the aim of promoting among all human beings the spirit of understanding, tolerance and peaceful coexistence."
At present, the UPEACE Costa Rica Campus has 192 students from 55 different countries, making it one of the most diverse universities in the world for its size. UPEACE is the only institution in the UN family authorized to grant degrees at the Master's and Doctoral levels. The language of instruction is English.
Background
To ensure academic freedom, the University was established under its own Charter, approved by the
United Nations General AssemblyFor two articles dealing with membership in the General Assembly, see:*General Assembly members*General Assembly observersThe United Nations General Assembly is one of the five principal organs of the United Nations and the only one in which all member nations have equal representation...
. UPEACE is not subject to UN regulations and is directed by its own
Councilof renowned personalities with expertise in peace and security matters. This has allowed the University to move rapidly and to innovate, focusing its new, rigorous academic programme on the fundamental causes of conflict through a multidisciplinary, multicultural-oriented approach. The Secretary-General of the United Nations
Ban Ki-MoonBan Ki-moon is the current Secretary-General of the United Nations succeeding Kofi Annan in 2007. Before becoming Secretary-General, Ban was a career diplomat in South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and in the United Nations. He entered diplomatic service the year he graduated from college,...
is the Honorary President of the University.
The wider mission of the University should be seen in the context of the worldwide peace and security objectives of the
United NationsThe United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and the achieving of world peace...
. The central importance of education, training and research in all their aspects to build the foundations of peace and progress and to reduce the prejudice and hatred on which violence, conflict and terrorism are based is increasingly recognized. The Charter of the University calls for UPEACE “to contribute to the great universal task of educating for peace by engaging in teaching, research, post-graduate training and dissemination of knowledge fundamental to the full development of the human person and societies through the interdisciplinary study of all matters related to peace”.
Funding of UPEACE programs comes from the support of a number of donor governments, foundations and institutions who believe in the mission of the University. Fundraising for an endowment fund is in progress.
The vision of UPEACE is to become a network of collaborating UPEACE centres and activities in different regions, guided from its headquarters in Costa Rica and cooperating with a large number of universities, NGOs and other partners on education and research for peace. UPEACE is in the process of seeking accreditation through the Costa Rican official body SINAES.
In 2006, UPEACE launched its UPEACE Centre for Executive Education, offering short courses to non registered students, on subjects that include Nonprofit Leadership, Corporate Social Responsibility, Entrepreneurship in the Social Sector, and Educating in the 21st Century.
Campus
The Costa Rica campus of UPEACE sits on more than three square kilometres of beautiful land some 30 kilometers southwest of the capital,
San JoséSan is the capital and largest city of Costa Rica. Located in the Central Valley, San José is the seat of national government, the focal point of political and economic activity, and the major transportation hub of this Central American nation....
. The campus includes protected primary forest and a peace park, donated by the host government.
Organization
UPEACE has eight one-year masters program at its Costa Rica Campus:
International Law and Human Rights,
International Law and the Settlement of Disputes,
Gender and Peace Building,
International Peace Studies,
Peace Education,
Environmental Security and Peace, and
Media, Peace and Conflict. UPEACE also offers a Dual Graduate Program at the Master’s level with
American UniversityAmerican University is a private United Methodist-affiliated research university in Washington, D.C., USA, the main campus of which comes to a corner at the intersection of Nebraska and Massachusetts Avenues at Ward Circle, straddling the Spring Valley, Wesley Heights, and American University Park...
in Washington D.C. After two years of academic work, these students receive an MA in International Affairs from American University's
School of International ServiceThe School of International Service is American University's school of advanced international study in the areas of international security, communications, development, economics, peace & conflict resolution, and American foreign policy....
and an MA in
Natural Resources and Sustainable Development from UPEACE.
In addition to its Costa Rica headquarters, the UPEACE system includes offices in
Geneva and New York City, the
Africa Regional Program office in Addis Ababa, the Latin America and the Caribbean Regional Program office in Costa Rica. Other regional program in Asia and the Pacific, and
Central Asia are in development, as are other international centers.
The University's
Centre for Executive Education, is offering short courses to professional audiences who come to Costa Rica for an intensive week. Its workshops and seminars are now being offered internationally, most recently in Washington DC for a 2-day seminar on Nonprofit Leadership and in London for a Corporate Social Responsibility course. Customised programs have also been designed and delivered for Harvard Business School's Social Enterprise Club, Arcadia University, and the University of San Diego.
The U.S. Association for the University for PeaceThe U.S. Association for the University for Peace is a 501 nonprofit organization established to advance the United Nations mandated University for Peace and the practice of education for peace in the United States.-Programs:...
is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization established in 2006 to advance the United Nations mandated University for Peace and the practice of education for peace in the United States. UPEACE/US projects include DCPEACE, an initiative to empower teachers, youth, and families with the skills and knowledge necessary to effectively serve as peacebuilders in their communities and PeaceRooms, a program that connect classrooms of middle school students from Costa Rica and Washington D.C. through the use of innovative virtual networking technology for the purpose of developing core concepts of global citizenship and peace education.
UPEACE/US website
The UPEACE Sharing Knowledge for Peace Program (SKP) is a distance learning initiative which ensures that those unable to attend courses in Costa Rica or in one of the other UPEACE locations are reached through state-of-the-art dissemination methods.
The Peace and Conflict Review
The Peace and Conflict Review is a free, fully peer reviewed open source academic journal published by the UN mandated University for Peace.
Articles featured in the Review cover various aspects of Peace and Violent Conflict with a view to informing students, policy makers,
non-governmental organizationNon-governmental organization is a term that has become widely accepted as referring to a legally constituted, non-governmental organization created by natural or legal persons with no participation or representation of any government...
s and other interested parties of relevant analysis, empirical findings, policy options, and areas for further research. A number of interdisciplinary and multicultural papers are published every year, as well as some review articles of books and conference proceedings. Submissions can be sent on-line.
See also
- The U.S. Association for the University for Peace
The U.S. Association for the University for Peace is a 501 nonprofit organization established to advance the United Nations mandated University for Peace and the practice of education for peace in the United States.-Programs:...
- School of International Service
The School of International Service is American University's school of advanced international study in the areas of international security, communications, development, economics, peace & conflict resolution, and American foreign policy....
- United Nations University
The ' which is a United Nations agency, is a think tank for the United Nations and the member states, and was established in Tokyo in 1969 to "research into the pressing global problems of human survival, development and welfare that are the concern of the United Nations and its agencies"...
- Teaching for social justice
"Teaching for Social Justice" is the name of a controversial educational philosophy that is currently popular within teaching-credential programs...
External links