Dear friends,

Center for Nonviolent Action, Sarajevo
Mennonite Central Committee, South-East Europe
Nansen Dialogue Center, Sarajevo
Terca, Mostar/Sarajevo

invite you to apply to the
PEACE ACADEMY
www.mirovna-akademija.org
Sarajevo, July 18-27, 2008.

The Peace Academy for people from the area of former Yugoslavia was created as an initiative from four peace organizations from Sarajevo, and is supported by numerous activists from the region and world.

Our basic intention is to contribute to the advancement of peace-building practices and theory in the ex-Yugoslav region and offer those who deal with peace-building the opportunity to:

• critically evaluate and reflect on practices to date and models applied to the peace-building field in the region of former Yugoslavia;
• become introduced to new theories and practices of peace-building, current in different parts of the world.

The first Peace Academy, planned in the summer of 2008, will offer three parallel courses (at the same time, in the same location) to interested activists and researchers:

1. Understanding the social and political elements of collective violence and mass crimes (with the Yugoslav and Rwandan cases)
   Vlasta Jalušič and Tonči Kuzmanić, Mirovni Inštitut (Slovenian, Peace Institute) Ljubljana
   Course working language: Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian
   For more details on the course and lecturers click here.
2. Civilizing Nationalism – Pacification of the Region
   Ugo Vlaisavljević and Faris Čengić (assistant), University of Sarajevo
   Course working language: Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian.
   For more details on the course and lecturers click here.
3. What Can We Learn from Peace Movements? Lessons of the Past for the Present and Future
   Brian Phillips, Oxford Brookes University
   Course working language: English
   For more details on the course and lecturers click here.

Who the Courses Are Intended For:

The invitation is open to people from the area of former Yugoslavia, active in the fields of peace-building, dealing with the past, protection of human rights; for activists, students, researchers, theoreticians, journalists; and all others who have peace work as the focus of life and activity.

Participation Prerequisites:

• Experience in peace-building work in any of the abovementioned fields
• The willingness to be committed to the selected course for all eight days of duration (late arrivals and early departures will not be tolerated)
• The willingness to fulfill all obligations relating to the course (reading the recommended literature, writing a final essay)
• Good usage of the English language (prerequisite for participation in course number 3)

Methodology and Work Style:

The courses will combine lectures (to a lesser degree) and an interactive work style (for the most part of the course) through group discussions, small group activities, video and written material analysis. This type of methodology presupposes active involvement and contribution from the participants in creating a high quality working dynamic.

The total duration of each of the courses will be eight days – seven work days and one free day in the middle of the course. The work day will be divided into two slots – before noon and afternoon, with a lunch break and a break between the slots. All selected candidates will receive written material indispensable for following the course a few weeks ahead of the course start.

Logistical and Technical Information

Application Principle:

If you wish to take part in the program, please fill out the attached questionnaire (click here) and send it by email (info@mirovna-akademija.org) or fax (+387 33 61 89 96) by May 1, 2008 at the latest.

Up to 20 applications will be selected per course. You shall be notified of selection results by May 22, 2008 at the latest. We kindly ask that you fill out the attached application in as much detail as possible as it will serve as the chief source for the decision-making and application selection process.

Location

Participant accommodation and classrooms will be arranged within the Franciscan Student Dormitory complex (Franjevački studentski dom) located in the Sarajevan neighborhood of Grbavica, about 15 minutes walk to downtown.

The aforementioned newly-built complex has all capacities needed to organize the Peace Academy, and accommodation will be provided in double-occupancy rooms.

Expenses

All traveling, food and accommodation expenses will be taken care of by the organizers. Participants will be kindly asked to choose a mean of transportation as economically as possible when planning for the trip.

The participation fee for the Peace Academy is 50€, and the sum should be paid in full by all selected candidates before the start date of the Academy.

The money raised in this manner will be used to supply the necessary material and cover organization operational costs of the Peace Academy.

For all additional information about the Peace Academy, you can go to our web site at www.mirovna-akademija.org or contact us at:

Jelena Kuzmanović
e-mail: info@mirovna-akademija.org
Telephone/fax: +387 33 61 89 96
Address:
Envera Šehovića br. 44
Sarajevo
Bosna i Hercegovina