The Summer Peacebuilding Program (SPP), is a three-week long intensive training program designed to bridge the theory and practice of building peace in societies that are emerging from conflict, violence or war.
In two years, SPP has trained 46 students from diverse backgrounds and experiences. To learn more about the participants we have had in three years, view the student blogs from 2015, 2016, and 2017. A podcast put together by a participant presents some of the highlights of the three weeks.
Apply for 2018 SPP
The SPP builds on the 'Peace' dimension that was explored for two years (2013 and 2014) in the Peace, Trade and Development program.
SPP provides an opportunity for participants to learn from the experiences and approaches of scholars and practitioners who work on some of the most difficult challenges our world faces today, including resolving conflict, ending all forms of violence, providing social justice, and creating more secure and developed societies by transforming the conditions and relationships of conflict. SPP welcomes all those interested in exploring the above-mentioned topics through a process of self-reflection, gathering of theoretical and conceptual data and its application to real-world problems. Students and practitioners in the field of conflict, peace, development, and security studies are eligible to apply.
Peacebuilding is a programmatic focus area for the Center, a theme that is reflected in its field research courses, the summer Peacebuilders Fellowship, the annual conference, the research areas of its visiting scholars and its publications, especially its working papers series. As such, the Center is well positioned to bring together its many experiences and contributions to the field of peacebuilding through its network of scholars, practitioners, and policymakers and present the multi-dimensionality of peacebuilding.
Interactive Sessions
The SPP has three key parts that will reflect through all the sessions over the three weeks:
Part I: Conceptual Inputs
Peacebuilding, Critical Development, Security, Justice, Governance, Gender, Culture, Trauma-healing, and Reconciliation
Part II: The Praxis of Peacebuilding
Skills for Peacebuilding; Non-Violence, Media, Field Visits to organizations working on reducing gang violence in the Salinas, Soledad and Oakland areas in Northern California
Part III: Applied Practice
Participants will apply the practical knowledge, skills and theories learned to a real-world problem. Their recommendations will be evaluated by organizations that are dealing with or have dealt with a similar problem.
Faculty
SPP core faculty will be scholars and practitioners from various academic institutions, policy think tanks, NGO leaders and social activists. Dr. Pushpa Iyer, Director of the Center for Conflict Studies and Associate Professor at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies (MIIS), is the lead coordinator of the SPP.
Certificate of Completion
Participants successfully completing all three weeks of the program will receive a Certificate of Completion.
Contact Information
To contact the SPP, please email ccs@miis.edu.