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!