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- UPEACE Campus, Costa Rica.

As educators, can we create learning experiences to equip our students for a future that is constantly changing? Join this 1-week intensive seminar!

- UPEACE Campus, Costa Rica.

The University is opening the course Peace Building and Conflict Recovery to all interested.

- UPEACE Campus, Costa Rica.

On Sat 17th April, the University for Peace will be hosting the Climate Change: Disaster or Opportunity? conference at our beautiful campus near Ciudad Colon.

28 April 2012 - Managua, Nicaragua.

UPEACE men's soccer team participated in the annual soccer tournament of Central American-based United Nations affiliated organizations, winning the title of “First Place” for the fourth time in six years.

19 April 2012 - School of International Studies, American University, Washington DC.

Photo Exhibition from UPEACE Alumni and Students.

13 April 2012 - Campus Rodrigo Carazo Campus, UPEACE, Costa Rica .

On 12 April 2012, the University for Peace had the honour to receive on its main campus Ms. Setsuko Thurlow, one of the last survivors of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki nuclear bombings.

28 March 2012 - New York.

UPEACE held its second executive training for Banco do Brasil, gathering 20 vice presidents, executives and managers for the capacity-building event titled “Responsible Banking in a Multicultural World”. The participants were exposed to the subjects of multiculturalism, sustainable and responsible investment, corporate social responsibility, Equator principles, the Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes, banking trends in emerging markets, climate change investment research, the Global Compact, and Islamic Banking, among other topics

28 March 2012 - THE HAGUE, The Netherlands.

The University for Peace (UPEACE) is headquartered in Costa Rica. During its thirty years of existence, this UN-mandated university has developed a variety of masters (MA) and capacity building programmes in the fields of peacebuilding and conflict studies, as well as courses and trainings for students and professionals from all over the world. With established centres in Addis Ababa, Belgrade, Bogotá, Manila, Montevideo and Seoul, UPEACE has now started a new centre in the Netherlands. The Hague, International City of Peace and Justice, is the eminent location for further outreach to the Netherlands and the European Union.

28 March 2012 - San José, Costa Rica.

QS, the higher education experts behind the annual QS Latin American Rankings, are organizing the QS World Grad School Tour for the 4th year in San José. The event brings prospective students together with university admissions representatives for face-to-face meetings and informative seminars. Over $1.2 million in scholarship funding is also available for attendees exclusively.

Top universities and graduate schools such as Hult International Business School, IE, Universitat Internacional de Catalunya, IPADE, and University for Peace will be attending to recruit the country’s best students.

The event also offers expert advice on:

• Admissions- attendees can join expert chats and seminars • Scholarship and funding • Careers

The event is free of charge. Due to the popularity of the event, it is advisable to register beforehand onTopGradSchool.com

For more information, please contact Mar Rodriguez Comunicación & Marketing mar@qs.com 902203601

22 March 2012 - UPEACE Campus.

On 15 March 2012, the "Horizons" programme of Costa Rica's National System of Radio and TV showcased an interview with Dr. Victor Valle, Associate Vice Rector of UPEACE.

19 March 2012 - UPEACE Campus Rodrigo Carazo (CRC), Costa Rica.

19 March, UPEACE Campus Rodrigo Carazo (CRC), Costa Rica 2012. On Saturday 17 March, the University for Peace received a visit from Dr. Kadir Topbas, Mayor of Istanbul Metropolitan Municiplality, President of United Cities and Local Goverments (UCLG) and President of the Union Municipalities of Turkey.

19-24 March 2012 - Geneve, Switzerland.

Arms control and disarmament issues continue to engage the world’s close attention. Bilateral US-Russian nuclear talks are exploring further disarmament options. Nuclear issues with Iran and North Korea still dominate the headlines. And the multilateral Conference on Disarmament in Geneva continues its efforts to begin negotiations on a major treaty to end the production of fissile material used in nuclear weapons, as well as other issues. Other arms control efforts will soon be underway in such areas as negotiations on a conventional weapons treaty on arms trades . More than ever, knowledge of these on-going events is essential to analyze their impact on international security.

16 March 2012 - San Salvador, El Salvador. .

From 9 - 13 March 2012, UPEACE students and staff were in El Salvador serving as international observers in the country’s 11 March 2012 Legislative and Municipal elections.

The mission was organized and led by Associate Vice Rector Victor Valle. The observers were officially accredited by the Supreme Electoral Tribunal and were deployed in 12 teams to perform their duties in the major voting centers in the capital city of San Salvador, as well as in Santa Tecla. Two other teams were organized to cover the event from a media and journalism perspective. They visited several voting centers and urban and rural neighborhoods to cover the elections.

16 March 2012 - San José, Costa Rica.

The Salvadoran Supreme Electoral Tribunal has announced that the University for Peace has been accepted as international election observer in the coming legislative and municipal elections to take place on 11 March 2012.

The UPEACE International Election Observation Mission is composed of 68 people from 35 countries. All continents from the world will be represented and UPEACE students and staff will have a great learning, political and cultural experience. This effort is led by Dr. Victor Valle, Associate Vice Rector.

Sixty students will have the option to earn 1 credit, as part of their plan of studies, for their participation in the election observation and fulfilling some academic requirements.

15 March 2012 - San José, Costa Rica.

Leaders worldwide have the complicated task to manage and negotiate during conflict situations. Sometimes the lack of planning and improper conflict resolution training can leads to loss of communication with valuable employees and can even create citizen unrest.

15 March 2012 - Council Room..

The Department of International Law and Human Rights is organizing a forum/ lunch with a group investigators from the ILANUD, (Instituto Latinoamericano de las Nacions Unidas para la Prevencion del Delito y el Tratamiento del Delincuente) with the following title: “Human Right, Sexual Diversity and HIV at the Costa Rican Penitentiary System”.

Schedule: Thursday 15th March 2012, 12:05 – 1pm in the Council Room.

14-16 March 2012 - Campus RCO, UPEACE.

University for Peace - Model United Nations Conference. (UPMINC) 1-3 March, 2012

By taking the opportunity to attend the Conference participants dive into the challenges of international negotiations and diplomatic procedures. Essentially, this elevates Model UNs from traditional conferences due to the fact that it requires active involvement of each participant. Consequently, participants need to prepare in advance. How well they prepare will determine their success at UPMUNC.

08 March 2012 - San José, Costa Rica. .

Pilot projects supporting women entrepreneurs and community leaders all over Costa Rica will be focus of new program managed by the University for Peace and University of Connecticut and funded by the U.S. State Department

06 March 2012 - Heredia, Costa Rica. .

5 March, Heredia, Costa Rica. Dr. Victor Valle, Vice-Rector of UPEACE, was invited by the Universidad Nacional de Costa Rica (UNA) to hold the inaugural lecture of the General Studies Center for the start of the University’s 2012 courses.

05 March 2012 - Campus RCO, El Rodeo de Mora.

UPEACE vibrated under the musical notes by the capella choir Shades, an educational a cappella group from Yale University. The activity took place in the Council Room, with a full audience of students and staff. The group's repertoire is rooted in music of the African Diaspora, a tradition that had not yet been established in Yale's a cappella community prior to the existence of Shades.

04 March 2012 - Campus Rodrigo Carazo Odio (RCO), Costa Rica.

1-3 March, 2012 UPEACE Campus, Costa Rica. This year, the University for Peace organized its eleventh annual Model United Nations at the Rodrigo Carazo campus in Ciudad Colon.

University for Peace: Model United Nations Conference 2012 “An Economy for Everyone: Resolutions and Solutions”

25 February 2012 - UPEACE Campus, Costa Rica.

Monument to José Martí unveiled at UPEACE 25 February, UPEACE Campus, Costa Rica. A monument to poet and political philosopher José Martí (1853 -1895) was unveiled at UPEACE on the 117th anniversary of the armed uprising that led to Cuban independence. Through his writings and political activity, Martí became a symbol for the 19th Century movement, and is often referred to as the "Apostle of Cuban Independence”. Dozens of honored guests attended the ceremony, including representatives of the Diplomatic Corps, politicians, and Cuban residents in Costa Rica. The unveiling follows a relocation of the monument from an area of campus that is currently under construction to its new place in the UPEACE garden, where it faces northeast, towards Cuba. The sculpture was made by the Cuban artist Thelvia Marin 25 years ago and was donated by the University of Havana.

24 February 2012 - RCO Campus.

LATIN AMERICA & CARIBBEAN NIGHT! 24 de February, 18:00 – 22:00

Rodrigo Carazo Odio Campus

Lots of music, fun and entertainment!!!

22 February 2012 - Classroom 4 .

Latino Film Series: Colombian Dream- Colombia 22 de February, 16:15 – 18:15

16 February 2012 - UPEACE Main Campus .

This Internship Information Fair is a great opportunity for students about th graduate to find out about organizations, NGO's, and private sector companies in Costa Rica, which can lead to potential internship opportunities.

For more information please get in touch with Christine Oatis (coaties@upeace.org) in the Career Development Office

14 February 2012 - AMSTERDAM.

Postcode Lottery raises record €284 million for charity

AMSTERDAM, 9 February 2012 – The Dutch Postcode Lottery will distribute a record €284 million this year to 85 charitable organisations. The Netherlands' largest charity lottery announced the figure today at its annual Goed Geld Gala, held this year in Amsterdam’s Rijksmuseum. Thanks in part to the Postcode Lottery's 2.5 million players, the charities will be able to continue their important work and launch new projects. Half the price of every lottery ticket goes directly to charities working in the areas of development cooperation, human rights, nature conservation, the environment, and social cohesion in the Netherlands.

New and existing beneficiaries The Postcode Lottery’s increased revenues in 2011 allow it to support more charities than before and to help get new projects off the ground. In addition to the lottery's 81 existing multiyear beneficiaries, four new organisations can look forward to multiyear funding: CARE Nederland, IKV Pax Christi, the Marine Stewardship Council and the Hunger Project.

And nine more organisations, including WOMEN Inc. and Stichting De Noordzee, can count on one-time financing. In addition, 19 existing beneficiaries will receive extra contributions for special projects. For instance, Rutgers WPF will receive €1,975,024 for its Lovebuzz! project to encourage the discussion of sexuality at 300 secondary schools in the Netherlands. And IVN Natuur- en milieueducatie and the Oranje Fonds will receive €2,259,000 for Groen Dichtbij, a project that will bring together street and neighbourhood residents by putting them to work as a team to make their surroundings greener.

Two Dream Projects honoured The Postcode Lottery's Dream Fund gives charitable organisations an opportunity to realise courageous, groundbreaking new projects. Natuurmonumenten and Oxfam Novib received good news at this year’s Goed Geld Gala: the Dream Fund will be making their dream projects come true.

Natuurmonumenten and the Marker Wadden: restoration of the Markermeer – €15 million With a €15 million contribution from the Dream Fund, Natuurmonumenten will begin restoration of the Markermeer, one of Europe’s largest freshwater lakes. Sediment will be removed from the lake, and a shallow area with islands and wetlands will be developed on the lake’s northern edge, creating a large nature reserve, the Marker Wadden. Natuurmonumenten will use the silt to build the nature reserve. This approach has never been used on such a large scale anywhere in the world. Along with the nature reserve and the accompanying recreational opportunities, the project will generate employment and increased knowledge of innovative hydraulic engineering.

Oxfam Novib and Internet Now!: affordable solar-powered Internet service for 100 Ugandan villages – €7,047,817 Oxfam Novib will use its Dream Fund contribution of €7,047,817 to set up a telecom company in northern Uganda. It will supply 100 villages in remote areas with affordable Internet service in an innovative, energy-saving way. Internet access increases knowledge and employment. This model has the potential to be rolled out in other areas.

– ENDS –

Note to the editor (not for publication): For more information, photos and interview requests, please contact:

Selma Hetharia T: +31 20 573 7677, +31 6 4950 0852 E: communicatie@postcodeloterij.nl

Martijn van Klaveren T: +31 20 573 7677, +31 6 4950 0810 E: communicatie@postcodeloterij.nl

10 February 2012 - London.

In this Olympic year, London most likely represents the apex in the career of an athlete. In addition to athletic performance, London also hosts some of the world’s leading experts in the sports industry. This fact could not be ignored by IUM students enrolled in the Masters in Sustainable Peace through Sport (MSPS) and in the Masters in Sport Business Management (MSBM), who met some of these experts while they were on a 3-day trip to London (from January 22 to 25) to bridge course material discussed in class with practical experience. Students met Mrs. Lyz Twyford, Manager of the UNICEF programme International Inspiration. As part of its pledge to deliver on the Olympic Games’ promise to “reach young people all over the world and connect them with the inspirational power of the Games,” UK authorities including the British Council and UK Sport have teamed up with UNICEF to give some 12 million children the opportunity to participate in sport, physical education and play. Mrs. Twyford explained that by first building a relationship with Education Ministries, the programme provided training for 79,000 teachers, coaches and young leaders. In addition, students learned that adequate funding, a rigorous budget and having the right partners are essential to ensure the continuity of this initiative beyond the Games year. Students also met with Michael de Giorgio, founder of Greenhouse Charity, an organization that seeks to use sport as a catalyst to help underprivileged teenagers. Greenhouse identifies schools whose sports facilities are underused and offers them to work with inspirational coaches. In addition to various sports (football, basketball, table tennis, etc.), the organization relies on dance and drama activities for kids to be truly involved (this also reflects the founder’s view that sports is not the only way). As explained by Mr. de Giorgio, an important characteristic of Greenhouse is that it seeks to make a deep impact on the lives of young participants. As such, coaches must be technical experts but also social workers and interact with participants an average of three times per week through sessions that last one-to-two hours. Michael’s exchange with students was very inspirational, as he stressed the importance of having a strategy, incorporating the right people into the organization and being effective regardless of whether an organization pursues altruistic or for-profit motives. On day two, students went to Octagon’s London headquarters to meet Mr. Clifford Bloxham, founder of the world’s second largest sports marketing and agency firm, along with his colleague, Mrs. Philippa Gamble. Now part of the InterPublic Group, Octagon is known for its agency services (Octagon has represented top athletes including Michael Phelps, multiple Olympian champion swimmer, tennis stars such as Martina Hingis, Anna Kournikova, star rugby player, Jason Robinson, and many more), its marketing and communications services (Octagon represents global brands and Olympic Games official sponsors Visa and HSBC, for instance), and its rights representation services. The firm has locations worldwide especially in the US where it represents mostly NFL and NBA players. During the presentation, our hosts Clifford and Philippa described the firm’s vision, business approach and its client-relationship philosophy. Students particularly enjoyed the anecdotes and party analysis (i.e. the location of participants within the party is quite important). Mr. Bloxham’s emphasis on the importance of effectiveness and communication skills for those seeking to enter and grow in the sports industry concluded the fruitful discussion. It was of great satisfaction to hear practitioners and recruiters stress the very same skills that echo and reinforce professors’ recommendations offered in the classroom. Lastly, students met with Mr. Nick Keller, founder of Beyond Sport, “an entrepreneurial network of brands and businesses specializing in the development of sport, entertainment and social properties.” As such, the organization designs and manages events, business summits and networking events and runs innovative awards programmes as a means of identifying and rewarding sport-related community initiatives. Beyond Sport is organized around three key activities: philanthropy (essentially from the New York office), sport business (London), and sport for development programs or SDP (Johannesburg). The group was quickly captivated by Nick’s energy and passion for his business and the sports world in general. A former rugby player and later sports agent, he insisted on the need for organizations to be effective, whether for-profit or not-for-profit. Mr. Keller sees the sports industry through the eyes of a businessman and, as such, is rigorous, realistic and recognizes the importance of a solid network. These qualities have certainly helped the organization successfully launch Beyond Sport United, the first initiative to see all five big US leagues team up in partnership (NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL and MLS). Students demonstrated great enthusiasm and satisfaction during this trip to London. Not only did they have the chance to interact with individuals who exhibit expertise and charisma, they also learned and strengthened important elements related to their studies. For instance, several of their hosts emphasized the notion of effectiveness, which is especially relevant given that despite being altruistic, the worlds of peace and sport require organizations to be rigorous in order to achieve corporate goals; as such, competency is highly valued.

Reporting from London, Professor Moïse Louisy-Louis

03 February 2012 - San José, Costa Rica.

A new UNESCO Chair on Education for Sustainable Development and the Earth Charter is being established, as a collaborative effort between the Earth Charter Center on ESD, the University for Peace (UPEACE) and UNESCO for a period of three years.

The purpose of the Chair is to promote transformative education experiences that cultivate the fundamental values and ethical vision necessary to move towards a more sustainable world.

The uniqueness of this project is that it will work in the intersection between education, sustainability and ethics using the Earth Charter as a framework. It will develop workshops and courses for educators, young leaders, and business groups under this theme. The courses will also offer an opportunity to further explore practical implementation of the sustainability paradigm and the Earth Charter principles in management, leadership and education settings.

The specific objectives of this Chair include:

1) Contribute to the sustainability research field by developing, in coordination with a network of organizations, essays, books, and other publications related to education for sustainability.

2) Collaborate with universities and other education and research centers in the implementation of the UNDESD, working in the field of education for sustainability to enhance the process of incorporating values of sustainability into educational settings.

3) Design and organize transformative learning courses, workshops and materials on ethics and sustainability for various groups.

4) Offer hands-on training on tools for ethics-based evaluation processes based on the Earth Charter.

It is envisioned that this effort will facilitate collaboration among researchers, universities and education centers from all regions of the world interested in this field of research and training: education, sustainability and ethics using the Earth Charter as the basis.

The Agreement to establish this UNESCO Chair was signed in January 2012 by UNESCO Secretary General, UPEACE Rector and the Earth Charter Center for ESD Director. The initial partner institutions joining this UNESCO Chair are: University of Brighton (UK), National University (UNA, Costa Rica), University of International Cooperation (UCI, Costa Rica), La Salle University (Costa Rica) and Simon Bolivar University (Venezuela), but it is expected that many others will be involved.

10 January 2012 - UPEACE campus.

Prof. Oliver Richmond, who developed the theory of liberal peace, made a presentation at UPEACE on Tuesday 10 January 2012. He explored often countervailing forces and norms of state formation, statebuilding, and peacebuilding according to their associated theoretical approaches, concepts and methodologies; introducing the new concept of ‘peace formation' which counterbalances the previous concepts' reliance on internal violent or externalised institutions and agency, reform and conditionality.

January 2012

05 January 2012 - Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. .

Call for Papers, Book Reviews and Briefings - Africa Peace and Conflict Journal. Theme: Governance and Security in Africa

January, 2012 The Africa Peace and Conflict Journal seeks to provide a vehicle for African scholars, and those focusing on Africa, to publish their views on issues of peace and conflict affecting the continent.

The APCJ deals with peace and conflict issues from a multi-disciplinary and distinctly African perspective. Researchers from any discipline peace and conflict studies, international relations, history, sociology, political science, media studies, law, etc. are invited to submit papers, book reviews and briefings for publication. The APCJ will endeavor to publish articles reflecting a diversity of topics and a diversity of approaches.

The theme for June, 2012 APCJ issue is Governance and Security in Africa.

This broad theme seeks to cover areas including but not limited to: Elections Corruption Good Governance Regional Integration Human Rights Public Policy and other related governance issues.

Papers should be 7,000 words maximum and be critical case studies and/or thematic discussions and analyses of topical governance and security themes. Book reviews should be 1,500 words maximum and briefings should be 2,000 words maximum, there will be a preference for reviews of decisive works that have transformed global thinking on African peace and conflict in the past thirty years. It is hoped that these reviews and briefings will serve to address the growing demand for research on the continent. Papers with a strong POLICY FOCUS will be given HIGH PRIORITY for this issue. The aim of the APCJ is to make Africa's voice on the pivotal issue of peace and conflict on the continent heard, and to help ensure that the scholarly community in Africa engages with one another on issues relating to continental peace and security. Papers, reviews and briefings can be submitted on a continuous basis, and will be peer reviewed. The focus will be on quality, originality and relevance, and engagement with the scholarly literature on the topic addressed. All sources should be recognized and references provided in footnotes.

Articles must conform to the Guide for Contributors and may be submitted to editor@upeace.org and assted@upeace.org

To subscribe, please contact: The Managing Editor, Africa Peace and Conflict Journal UPEACE Africa Programme P.O. Box 2794 Code 1250 Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Telephone: (251) 11 618 0991 Fax: (251) 11 618 0993 Email: editor@apcj.upeace.org and assted@apcj.upeace.org

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