Category Archives: Course Details

Theories of Change

Miki Jacevic, a human rights activist and peace program specialist from Sarajevo, facilitated an excellent week on capacity building, theories of change and evaluation and monitoring processes this week.  If your interested in more details on “Theories of Change” in peacebuilding I can highly recommend the new report from Care International and International Alert which can be downloaded here.  I’m hopping to visit Alert in Nepal next week and as I’m in the middle of packing I’ll get some more details up here the next time I have internet access…

Miki Jacevic at work

Conflict Trauma

Associate Professor John Pead from Australia lectured us for two days about the results of Trauma associated with conflict such as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).  He clearly defined Trauma as being an event in which you believe your life to be at risk.  We looked at the process of ‘Allostatic Loads’ in which your body experiences wear and tear due to repeated cycles of stress and talked about the consequences of bitterness to an individual and to a community.  John’s work is largely based with the aboriginal community in North East Australia and quite a bit of his work seems to revolve around the process of conflict being transferred from one generation to the next through “Transgenerational Trauma.   His style was very fluid and allowed me to reflect a lot upon some of the groups I’ve worked with at home.   

John talking about Trauma related issues

World Conflict talks

We spent today hearing a talk from each fellow about a conflict from their part of the world that they are currently involved with.  It was eye-opening to listen to issues spanning the globe from places such as North-East India, Sri Lanka, Papua New Guinea, Kosovo & Kenya.  It was a good way to get to see the diversity of the issues people are working on and it made me think of a map I came across recently:

You can find a more detailed version from the International Institute for Strategic Studies here

The First Session

So today was finally the first day of the course.   Were based in a well equipped, custom-built room on campus and we’ll be in lectures/classes from 9am-4/5pm every day (when were not on the field trips to Nepal and the Burmese border).  Today was spent talking about the overall course structure, logistical issues, Thai culture and generally starting to get to know each other.

The entrance to the Rotary Peace Centre

In all, there are about twelve countries represented by the fellows who are studying along with me.  Were due to give individual conflict presentations on Friday so I’ll have a better grasp of what everyone does after those.  There’s also going to be over 20 lectures and practitioners coming from all over the world to deliver topics from human trafficking and conflict models to civil/military relations and mediation.

The room for the next few weeks (thankfully with good air conditioners!)

Most of the group have arrived although one fellow is having difficulty leaving his country due to the current political situation there but hopefully he’ll be joining us by the weekend.

The “Cultural Centre” at the University on my walk home tonight

I’m off to start some prep for the presentations on Friday as I’ve just realised from the schedule I’ve been given the short straw and it looks like I’m going first…

Just Arrived

I just arrived in Bangkok a few hours ago and I’ve been finding my feet around Chulalongkorn University campus where I’ll be based over the next twelve weeks.  Its been nine years since I was last in the city and it’s still every bit as humid as I remember it.  It’s the first day of the course tomorrow with an early start for 9am Bangkok time (2am Belfast time!) with four days of orientation ahead.

If your interested in more information on the course or on how to start an application through your local Rotary Club check out the link to the Rotary International site here.