Peace Memo

Date: February 13, 2011

To: 1311 students

From: Derek James

Subject: University for Peace

Many people strive for peace in today’s society. They go about it in many ways: helping a certain community, offering help for a stranger, or even just helping a neighbor bring in their groceries. These all lead to the same thing: peace. Everyone wants this same goal of achieving peace with everyone else. However, there are many different ways people go about this. The most unfortunate way is to gain peace through war. It is the exact opposite of how peace should be achieved, but sometimes it is inevitable and unavoidable to have all this violence and destruction. However, the University for Peace has a different mission. The founders have constructed this university to gain peace through one way: education. They feel that this is the only real effective way that societies can bond with each other.

The University for Peace is located in Costa Rica, with many other offices located around the world. It was founded in December 1980 and is mandated by the United Nations. Their mission is to teach all the different forms of peace in the world, so that everyone can live in harmony with one another without any conflict. They have many areas of expertise for their students to learn in including “teaching, research, post-graduate training, and dissemination of human knowledge.” UPEACE also feels that peace should not be viewed negatively and through conflict, but with education, which has not been used as much due to ignorance of different societies. They feel that no society can completely end conflict unless they are taught about peace. Another belief of the university is that if education has gotten everyone this far, then peace can be taken to the next level through education.

UPEACE has a variety of different programs that students can take part in. These include a master’s program, opportunities to go abroad for a semester, training and workshops, and sharing the knowledge of theirs with other societies. The master’s programs include environmental, gender, and conflict studies as well as actually being able to teach peace yourself. In addition to these programs, there are special master’s programs that students can option to take which include an Asia Leaders program, studies in natural resources and peace, and a dual program jointed with the Hankuk University of Foreign Studies located in Korea. The semester abroad program allows graduate students from other universities to take a course or two at UPEACE for full credit. There is also a Diplomat in Residence program that allows students to take extra classes on their own that they find interesting and relevant to what they are learning about at the moment.

These academic programs help to ensure the teaching of peace and allow students to be able to spread peace around the world with their peace studies degrees. The world would definitely change if more people decide to invest their time in getting a degree in one of these areas and would also find it rewarding to know that they are making a difference in the world.

Central Asia Institute

This video had a huge impact on me. It's hard to put yourself in another person's shoes, especially if they don't have the same luxuries as we do. When people are born without any education in their society, it can be hard to make a living. It is a very nice change of pace to see what Greg Mortenson did for all of these people, especially the women. If we didn't have people like this in the world, then it would be a very sad world to live in. It must be one of the best feelings in the world to have a whole village look up to you and see you as their savior. And, not only that, but, like Mortenson said, with each cup of tea, they all feel as if he is their family, and he feels the same way. Helping these villagers has also helped maintain the population, along with just keeping all these people alive and healthy. There are only a few people in the world who would spend so much time and dedication to a less-than-fortunate population such as these villagers, and for that, this makes Mortenson a hero. What makes even more of an impact is that he did this from his heart, as cheesy as that sounds, and not for money or popularity. If more people, including myself, can do good things, even if they seem small and meaningless, such as Mortenson has done, then there is no doubt in my mind that the world can be a better place.

Peace

Peace is the way people act when they want to have harmony. Harmony is what makes people feel good and allow greater bonds with each other. The irony in the way people go about this is that it's usually through war. Peace shouldn't be about fighting, but rather about loving, which brings to mind that famous motto that most hippies from the 60s and 70s have used: "I'm a lover, not a fighter." These hippies also have the peace sign worn around their necks often, or seen on their clothing. ☮ Another famous sign of peace takes its background from Biblical teachings: the dove with the olive branch in its mouth. What comes to mind is when the Great Flood had finally stopped wreaking havoc and Noah had finally landed his ark, where a dove came in through the window, symbolizing that the chaos was over and peace had begun again. Peace also has to do with helping anyone you can, even through little tasks, such as helping your mom with the cooking, or helping a friend get over their relationship, or even giving a stranger directions. It all leads to the same thing: satisfaction of others and yourself. There is also such a thing as "peace of mind." This has to do with someone's own inner peace, which they can acquire by just being a better person, as stated above, or even helping yourself out once in a while. A good way to put it is that this person can be stress-free with no cares in the world, making their own peace. Finally, if someone dies, they are said to be "at peace." These people who have passed on are resting eternally with no cares and no worries, just a very serene afterlife (depending on what you believe in). The human population should take into consideration of helping each other out once in a while and become more peaceful, so the world can be a better place to live in.