A Fond Farewell

I apologize for the untimely final post. An end to the Summer Peace Institute meant a short vacation and lots of hiking through Costa Rica during the last week and a half!

The Summer Peace Institute group
atop El Mirador on the first day of
Orientation

The Summer Peace Institute completed its inaugural summer session on Friday, August 15th with a final day of presentations and a farewell send-off. It marked the end of an extremely successful program that brought together 47 students from all over the globe to discuss the issues of human security and peacebuilding in today's world.

Unique to the program were the two-week field assignments that immersed the students in the NGO world and put their classroom work to the test. Some students volunteered in the ecotourism industry; multiple groups worked with at-risk youth; others helped an organization that aimed to produce holistic products for women; and still others helped with conservation and animal protection. In all cases, there were ups and downs. The NGO world is by no means perfect and the students met firsthand some of the challenges they will face if they choose to pursue careers in the field of peace and conflict studies. This experience, it seemed, was an invaluable aspect of the Summer Peace Institute. The students were not solely presented with theory and idealism; they learned the realities of the field that they've committed to studying. And, most importantly, they learned to deal with frustration and search for even more creative solutions to the world's problems.

Kajal, Patrick, and Victoria enjoy
their final days together at UPEACE

In addition to this grounding of the students in the real-world, the Summer Peace Institute also excelled in creating dialogue and links among different parts of the world. The students departed with new friends in the United States, in Spain, in Japan, in Singapore, in Colombia, in Rwanda, in Burundi, in Kenya, and the list goes on. Based on the close connections made during the five weeks in Costa Rica, it seems likely that many of these friendships will be lasting and that students will continue to share their different perspectives and challenge each other ideologically. Maybe a few will even come back to study together in a UPEACE Master's program! Either way, a strong network of committed individuals has certainly been made.

The group takes in the UPEACE
campus with the Peace Monument
as a backdrop

On behalf of UPEACE, we wish the students of the Summer Peace Institute all the best in their future endeavors. We hope that they enjoyed the academics, the adventure, the friendship, and the fun. We look forward to even more successful programs in the future and aim to continue strengthening the UPEACE-Berkeley partnership for the future.

Please don't forget to check out our YouTube channel and our Picasa web album for videos and pictures documenting the whole summer. Thanks very much for following! Pura Vida!

"Think Like Water"

Students have been working very

hard, sometimes digging for up to

8 hours per day

The field study projects are underway and the students have been hard at work -- especially those who've been assigned to El Manantial Lodge in San Gerardo de Dota! After visiting the El Manantial group today, it's clear that their (wo)manpower is being put to good use. The eight-student group -- consisting of Manae Uchibori, Elliot Goldstein, Qian Ning Leong, Kelly Lester, Cyrena Giordano, Marian Mikhail, Natalie Hurley, and Brijean Murphy -- have been putting in long days of hard manual labor to assist in the improvement and beautification of the Lodge. In just under a week, the students have created an impressive garden, constructed a fire pit, dug multiple soon-to-be-ponds, assisted in a rainbow trout protection project, and helped with interior decorating. Their efforts have had a notable impact on the appearance of the Lodge, and are aimed primarily at improving its attractiveness as an ecotourism destination.

Qian and Marian help to
plant calla lilies that will
absorb nitrates in the soil

Perhaps the most interesting assignment for the group has been to design a calla lily filtration system, which intends to reduce the problematic amount of nitrates that collect downstream as a result of utrification. Elliot Goldstein very articulately explains this project here and sheds some light on being the only male in the group. Kelly Lester further discusses the task here and shares the advice given to the group by Lodge owner, Alejandro: "think like water!"

Additionally, students have been brainstorming ways to more effectively manage the Lodge so that the owners can earn a better living and increase profits. Strategies so far have included everything from new hummingbird feeders to a renovation of the pool area to a reevaluation of planting invasive bamboo plants on the property. For a brief discussion of how to better optimize the use of the garden, click here. By the end of the field assignment, students hope to share their ideas with Alejandro so that some of them might be implemented before prime tourist season arrives in September.

Students explain the details of their
project and discuss the role they've
played at El Manantial Lodge

Although the students are working quite hard, they have the privilege of enjoying a gorgeous landscape in a beautiful cloud forest. This weekend, they hope to explore the Savegre River and the many waterfalls of the region; and, if they're lucky, they'll get to see the quetzal, which is one of Central America's most striking birds!

Tomorrow, we head to Gandoca to check out another field study and to catch a glimpse of some sea turtles. Check back soon for more feedback and footage!

An Emotional Finale

A group brings their conversation
outside on the final day of
discussion sections 

The classroom component of the Summer Peace Institute is officially over. Students have had their final discussion sessions, completed their group papers, given their presentations, and are currently traveling to all corners of Costa Rica to begin their two-week community projects.

On Wednesday, the final lecture was given by Vice Rector Amr Abdalla, who offered a compelling interpretation of the Arab Spring and the role of Islam in today's world. His hopeful words clearly resonated with the students, as many were brought to tears and asked for further discussion. Not one to disappoint, Dr. Abdalla graciously treated a large group of students to dinner at a local hot-spot, Che Pizza, where they shared stories, debated topics from class, and enjoyed each other's company. Several students commented that it was the perfect way to reflect back on the three weeks of classwork and transition into the more hands-on segment of the Summer Peace Institute. (For a clip of Dr. Abdalla's emotional lecture, click here.)

Beleteze Foretia and his
group explain the issue of
statelessness in Palestine

Thursday and Friday consisted of group presentations. Students addressed topics like rape in the Democratic Republic of Congo, conflict diamonds in West Africa, statelessness in Palestine, and child soldiers in Uganda. The presentations were extremely well-researched and engaging, especially considering the short amount of time students had to put together a final product.

In these final two weeks, look for updates about the community projects and more interviews!

Into the Streets

A glimpse of some of the homes
in La Carpio

Last Friday, the students traveled to La Carpio, a poor barrio of San José. They met with a handful of community leaders to hear a bit about the community before breaking up into groups to interview individual families. Since most of the residents of La Carpio did not speak English, the UPEACE group relied on its own student interpreters to communicate. Special kudos to Cynthia, Daurie, Juan, Carlotta, Daniel, Alma, Brenda, and Claudia for stepping up and making the day a success!

Although everyone seemed to regard the field trip as worthwhile, the visit elicited a number of responses from the group. For some, it was the first time in a slum, and, thus, the experience was rather emotional. For the more experienced students, La Carpio was nothing extraordinary. A few commented that they had seen slums several times worse than La Carpio and believed that the conditions were bleak but not despondent. This type of diversity in experiences has certainly proven to be one of the biggest strengths of the Summer Peace Institute thus far. There are cultural differences, age differences, socioeconomic differences, and experiential differences. With such variety in perspective, the students have been forced to be highly critical and mature in their thinking. No one, it seems, has been unable to learn from the stories of others.

Waste management poses
one of the La Carpio's
biggest problems

This dynamic held true during an especially interesting conversation in one home. A La Carpio family asked about conditions of poverty in other countries, which led to a very productive inter-cultural dialogue. A Kenyan student replied that conditions were far worse in many Kenyan slums, but that communities were far more active in forming groups to improve slum life. Professor Mahmoud Hamid shared stories of Khartoum, Sudan, which saw far more extensive poverty but a surprising lack of guns and violence. A student from New York mentioned slums in the Bronx and Brooklyn and the community projects that aimed to give children better opportunities. The commonalities seemed to be somewhat reassuring for the family of La Carpio, and the nuances among the various contexts sparked a creative discussion about how to empower communities and how to address root causes of important problems.

A Burundian student made one uplifting observation that was shared by all communities: children will play -- no matter where they are or how unfortunate their circumstances.

A La Carpio boy practices
soccer in the streets

Such conversations seemed to be the perfect way to follow-up Professor Hamid's lectures on "human security," "ecological security," and "vulnerability studies." This balancing of academics with hands-on work has been a very valuable aspect to the Summer Peace Institute model, and promises to be even more influential during the two-week field placements.

By the end of the week, look for another post that wraps up the academic component of the program. Also, please don't forget to check out the YouTube channel, which will have more video interviews every day!

A Break from the Classroom

Students take in one of the many
beautiful views at the
Waterfall Gardens

This weekend, students in the Summer Peace Institute explored a bit more of what Costa Rica has to offer. On Saturday, they met at 7AM for a day-long trip through the Alajuela province. The group was very lucky at Poás Volcano National park, as the dense cloud cover opened up just long enough for them to see the main attractions: the active crater and Lake Botos. Pablo Richard, who led the group on the day's tour, said that it was the first time he's gotten a clear look at the crater in at least two years. He was even more impressed at our luck given the fact that we're currently in the rainy season down here in Costa Rica!

Students got the chance to hold
toucans at the Waterfall Gardens
aviary

After Poás, the students made their way to the Waterfall Gardens and admired various exhibits that held jungle cats, butterflies, birds, monkeys, snakes, and frogs. At midday, the group took a break to enjoy an all-you-can-eat buffet lunch, and then took in some beautiful views of the park's several waterfalls.

Next, everyone got back in the bus to head to Sarchi, where they witnessed a very impressive Ox Cart Factory that was totally powered by water. Students also did some souvenir shopping in Sarchi and watched the Costa Rica-Honduras Gold Cup match with some local store owners. Unfortunately, the Ticos lost in penalty kicks so our new friends were not too happy! It was a long day, but definitely worth it.

Students prepare to enjoy lunch
after a hard day's work on the river

For those who were not too worn out from Saturday, Sunday was white-water rafting day. The group met even earlier -- at 5:30AM -- to be picked up for their ride to the Pacuare Canyon. It was a three-hour ride to the river, but no one seemed to mind the lengthy trip once the day got going! The students were divided into groups of 5-6 and were each assigned their own raft guide. They then spent four hours paddling down the river through Class III-IV rapids. At lunch time, the raft guides turned into white-glove waiters and prepared a great buffet-style lunch on the river bank. Probably the most impressive aspect of the trip, though, was that every minute of the trip was spent cutting through a seemingly untouched rainforest. There were virtually no signs of civilization the entire time -- no roads, no power lines, no cars, no trash. Many students remarked that it was like entering a whole new world. It was definitely a beautiful trip and it made for some very fun, exhilarating moments as well. (Luckily, we only had a few swimmers among the group!)

Students brave one of the many
Class IV rapids on the Pacuare River

This week, it's back to work in the classroom. The students have been logging hours of reading and engaging in very productive discussion groups each day. Currently, they're preparing for their group papers, which are due in a week. To hear some feedback from students, check out our YouTube channel. More video interviews will be uploaded tomorrow!

Getting Started

A very flexible Jamie Rowen
shows off a yoga pose
during Orientation

So the 2011 Summer Peace Institute is officially underway! The students arrived at UPEACE on Monday morning for a long day of orientation, hiking, and getting to know each other. After a short introduction by Rector John Moresca, Vice Rector Amr Abdalla led a comical series of ice-breaker activities that got everybody laughing and showing off their hidden talents. We witnessed yoga poses, salsa dancing, "the stomp," acrobatics, and pushups (not to mention some double-jointed finger tricks from the Vice Rector himself).

The orientation was then followed by a true introduction to Costa Rica's natural landscape. Chief Logistics Officer Pablo Richard, also a biologist and tour guide, led the newly arrived students on a two-hour hike to El Mirador -- a beautiful lookout point on the UPEACE property. Despite the jet-lag, everybody (including a curious and persistent stray dog) completed the hike and got to see a beautiful view of Ciudad Colón and the surrounding areas!

Some conversation at El Mirador

During the first two days of the program, students have listened in on lectures by Berkeley Professor Jerry Sanders about human security and the difficulties of peacebuilding. In the afternoons, students are divided into discussion groups to analyze case studies and apply information from the day's lecture. These groups are conducted in the fashion of Bohm Dialogue, meaning the students facilitate their own discussions and generate a free-flowing conversation without the presence of a professor or moderator. So far, it's made for some very creative and diverse approaches to peacebuilding!

Students take notes as Professor
Jerry Sanders lectures

On Tuesday, students were assigned to their two-week field placements, which will wrap up the 5-week program here at UPEACE. Some will travel to Puriscal to develop projects, run workshops, and organize recreational activities for children; others will venture to La Carpio to build and design a green area and to paint a mural; some will head to the beautiful Osa Peninsula to engage in a number of community building activities; and still others will go to Limon to work on a new project  concerned with the protection and nesting of sea turtles. Development Officer Laura Arroyo and Intern Elena García did a tremendous job arranging these projects and compiled a list that includes six other compelling choices for the students.

On Saturday, the group will be taking a break from their academics and traveling to the Poás Volcano to see one of Costa Rica's most popular attractions. The day also includes visits to the Waterfall Gardens, a butterfly farm, an aviary, and separate exhibits for monkeys, hummingbirds, wild cats, and snakes. Sunday promises to be just as exciting, as a large group heads down to the Pacuare Canyon for some Class IV white water rafting!

Check back soon for interviews with students and faculty, as well as pictures from the weekend!

Preparing for Berkeley!

Welcome to the 2011 UPEACE summer blog! By following us for the next several weeks, you have the opportunity to gain a valuable, insider's perspective on the unique and innovative University for Peace. In just a few days, we will be hosting U.C. Berkeley for a five-week program, called the Summer Peace Institute, which explores the nuances of humany security and peacebuilding.

Inside the classroom, students in this program will be guided by leading experts in the field of peace and conflict studies. The faculty is diverse -- hailing from the United States, Egypt, Sudan, and Venezuela -- and offers a wide range of views and a plethora of first-hand experience. Outside the classroom, students will conduct two-week field assignments that will force them to apply their learning and engage with a variety of both governmental and non-governmental institutions.

In addition to the academic component of the Summer Peace Institute, students will experience the best that Costa Rica has to offer. Volcano tours, hiking, zip-lining, and beaches will all be part of the experience!

In the coming weeks, look here for updates about the program and interviews with faculty and students. We will be documenting it all!

For now, feel free to check out this UPEACE institutional video for more information about the University and about Costa Rica. Enjoy!