(Offre en anglais) L’University of San Diego lance le programme Women PeaceMakers 2016 Retour vers les opportunités

Applications are open for a unique residency program for women engaged in peacebuilding and human rights. The Women PeaceMakers Program at the Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice (IPJ) involves learning, teaching and devoting time to narrate a personal, unique story of peacemaking.

Through better understanding of individual human rights advocacy and peacebuilding work, the program aims to build greater cross-cultural understanding and to document the challenges and successes of women who have been involved in peacemaking efforts in their own communities, country or region. This year marks the 14th year of the program.

Four Women PeaceMakers will be selected for the Fall 2016 residency and will be expected to spend 10 weeks at the IPJ on the campus of the University of San Diego (USD) in California.

As a Woman PeaceMaker, you will:

• Work together almost daily with a professional Peace Writer (experienced in interviewing and writing) to document in written form stories of your life and work.
• Have your experiences and personal stories also captured on video.
• Live with fellow Women PeaceMakers, while sharing with and learning from one another the lessons you have learned in your peacemaking journey.
• Take time to reflect in a safe and nurturing environment that promotes new learning and an authentic exchange of ideas.
• Share your experiences of peacemaking and human rights advocacy with students and faculty at USD, and at other schools and universities in Southern California.
• Participate and assist for 2 weeks in teaching undergraduate students who are gaining a minor in Peace and Justice Studies at USD, in a course related to “War, Gender and Peacebuilding.”
• Meet with and learn from local and national leaders involved in human rights, political action and peacemaking efforts, and visit local governmental and nongovernmental organizations.
• Become a part of the Women PeaceMakers alumnae network that may be called upon for international peacemaking and post-conflict planning processes.

PROGRAM COST

There is no cost to participate in the Women PeaceMakers Program. Selected peacemakers will receive a stipend during the residency. This funding is to be used for living expenses and incidentals, and any local transportation needs apart from residency activities.

The program provides all funding related to securing a visa, travel and airfare to and from San Diego at the beginning and end of the residency, and lodging throughout the 10 weeks.

The program encourages applicants to seek supplemental funding if needed, although the funding provided by the IPJ for those selected will be sufficient for the full 10 weeks.

LODGING

 Housing will be provided at La Casa de la Paz, “The House of Peace,” on the campus of the University of San Diego in California. The “Casa” is a private residence adjacent to the IPJ, on the grounds of a beautiful garden that overlooks Mission Bay and the Pacific Ocean.

Each woman will have a private bedroom in a two-room apartment that she will share with one other international Woman PeaceMaker. The apartments are spacious, featuring a kitchen, living room, television, computers and 1 1/2 bathrooms. Selected peacemakers will have the opportunity to rest and reflect in this beautiful, peaceful and supportive setting.

If/When traveling occurs during the program (for example, a speaking engagement in Los Angeles organized by the IPJ), lodging will be provided in hotels and/or a living stipend will be provided to cover local accommodation.

REQUIREMENTS AND EXPECTATIONS

Documenting Peacebuilding Stories and Lessons Learned

The most significant goal and portion of the program is to document the stories of the Women PeaceMakers — to write women into history.

Throughout the residency, each Woman PeaceMaker will work one-on-one with a Peace Writer to document her personal story and involvement in peace efforts. This process involves daily interviews (usually 1-2 hours in length) and bi-weekly writing reviews of the narratives as they are completed, on a schedule set forth by the program staff.

Peacemakers might also be interviewed on film to document their stories. All public events at the IPJ featuring the Women PeaceMakers will be recorded for archival purposes, and could be included in the final online publication of the peacemaker’s story.

The final publication will include:

• Nonfiction narratives of your life and work (including stories of your childhood, experiences of conflict, why you chose to engage in peacemaking, and your current work);

• A Conflict History, to provide the reader with context to the type of work you are involved in;

• A Timeline, featuring the major political and conflict developments in your country, and your personal history as the conflict evolve;

• A Question-and-Answer section, of poignant or moving direct quotations from you, recorded during public events or interviews with your Peace Writer;

• Video clips of you during the residency;

• Photographs from your personal archives and your time at the IPJ;

Please read previous Women PeaceMakers’ stories before applying.

Public Presentations

Women PeaceMakers will share their personal histories and the work they are doing, to a range of audiences at the University of San Diego and throughout Southern California. A number of presentations are pre-scheduled for the Women PeaceMakers, while others are scheduled by program staff during the residency — as university professors, local community groups and others meet the women and invite them to speak to their constituencies.

Some of the key opportunities for the peacemakers to discuss their life and work include:

“Conversations” with Women PeaceMakers

Each peacemaker will be featured in an interview on the USD campus, which will be open to students, faculty and members of the public. You will highlight your work and personal experiences related to conflict, gender, and peacebuilding, and the challenges you currently face in your country.

Women PeaceMakers Panel

All four peacemakers will present on a panel at the IPJ, to the public and the USD community. This is a highly anticipated event each year, and is streamed online to reach wider audiences. This evening presentation allows you to tell your story side-by-side with the other peacemakers, so that the similarities and differences in your contexts and experiences can be highlighted.

Other Public Forums

Peacemakers will be given numerous opportunities to present at other events both on and off the USD campus. These might include local schools, universities, religious institutions, and nongovernmental organizations.

Teaching

 Women PeaceMakers will assist in teaching undergraduate students at USD who are seeking a minor in Peace and Justice Studies. Each peacemaker will attend and co-present in 4 classes over a 2-week period. Each class is 1.5-hours long.

The course is led by the IPJ’s Senior Program Officer for Women, Peace and Security, who will prepare students in the subject matter before the peacemakers’ arrival on campus, and complete the course after their departure. She will be present and assisting in each class period.

Peacemakers will lead discussions with the students on the conflict situation and gender issues in their countries, as well as their role in the peacebuilding process and the major challenges they face in their work. Students will be assigned background readings on each peacemaker’s country and conflict situation. Peacemakers may be asked to meet with students outside of class time.

Networking in San Diego

 Women PeaceMakers might visit local community organizations and individuals such as politicians; human rights advocates; resource centers for humanitarian action, refugee and/or immigrant relief, or rehabilitation for torture survivors; journalists and media outlets; legal aid societies; and domestic violence shelters.

Cultural Opportunities

 In addition to the academic and practitioner components of the program, cultural and social excursions may be organized. While some specific cultural and touristic events are built into the residency — such as a tour of the city of San Diego — supporters and volunteers in the program typically offer additional opportunities to explore local neighborhoods, beaches, and attractions, outside of “official” program activities. During orientation, peacemakers will learn the local public transportation system should they choose to explore other parts of the city.

Travel after the Residency

Applicants should expect to be involved with full-time program activities throughout the 10-week period, and should not schedule any conflicting engagements elsewhere in the U.S. or overseas.

Once selected, if Women PeaceMakers have family or friends they would like to visit in other parts of the United States, they should request an extension of their stay (within the allotted time of their visas) prior to the booking of their flights. Once flights are booked, any changes become the financial responsibility of the peacemaker.