Month: November 2013
MDP Seminar Series: International Conflict Resolution and Peacebuilding
In July 2013, the MDP Program was awarded a grant from the United States Institute of Peace (USIP), Public Education for Peacebuilding Support (PEPS). The grant was made possible by a cost-sharing commitment from the Center for Latin American Studies, Center for African Studies, and the UF International Center. The objective of the grant was to enhance the understanding of international peacebuilding and conflict resolution concepts and strategies among UF graduate students, faculty and others interested in the theme via a seminar series and workshop organized through the MDP Practitioner Forum Series.
UF students and faculty from multiple departments carry out fieldwork with international communities at local, regional and national levels, many of which have been impacted by past or present conflict. Developing a basic understanding of the concepts and skills related to conflict resolution and peacebuilding is important to students in graduate programs linked to Centers like Latin American and African Studies. USIP grant activities were designed to generate a greater awareness of, and interest in, international conflict resolution and peacebuilding among students by providing examples and encouraging discussion of the theme.
Three seminar events, organized and facilitated by MDP Program Coordinator Cindy Tarter with support from LAS Faculty member Jonathan Dain, were held on September 26th, October 17th and November 4th. The four invited speakers, Eric Hubbard, Dr. Joseph Sebarenzi, Judy Anderson, and Virginia Searing are each actively engaged in international work connected to conflict and peace in regions of Africa and/or Latin America and they shared their experiences with nongovernmental organizations, the United Nations and, in the case of Joseph Sebarenzi, his own government in Rwanda. The diverse approaches and stories presented included experiences from Guatemala, DR Congo, Rwanda, Liberia, Angola and South Sudan.
Specific seminar topics included theoretical analyses of conflict work as “development”, advice for future practitioners working in areas impacted by conflict, the mental health needs common to post-conflict regions, the role of women in peacebuilding, and personal experiences of surviving conflict and genocide. An emergent theme throughout the series was the challenge and importance of forgiveness as an element of the post-conflict reconciliation process.
The final activity funded by the USIP grant was an integrative and experiential Peacebulding workshop held on November 15th for MDP Students. The workshop incorporated and built upon the themes from the three seminars while providing conceptual tools designed to grow peacebuilding and conflict resolution skills and knowledge.
Sustainable Development Practice (SDP) Certificate Student Highlight: Mary Rodriguez
The Sustainable Development Practice (SDP) Certificate provides hands-on training in interdisciplinary knowledge and skills in sustainable development for researchers and practitioners, integrating social, health, natural and management sciences. To obtain the certificate, students at the Master’s level are required to take 12 credits, while PhD students must complete 15 credits of required coursework.
Mary Rodriguez is currently earning an SDP certificate as part of her PhD in Agricultural Extension and Development, in which she is focusing on community development, food security, and gender.
Mary’s interest in agricultural education began several years ago, during her undergraduate experience at Texas A&M, where she became certified to teach high school classes in agricultural sciences. During her Master’s program at UF, Mary was able to apply her skills on an international level, serving as a study abroad course coordinator at Earth University in Guasimo Costa Rica, where she designed and recruited international participants for a course on rural sustainable development.
Following her Master’s program, Mary served in the Peace Corps in northern Cameroon, conducting capacity-building activities with rural women working in agricultural activities. She designed and implemented a program to strengthen the organizational capacity of these women, leading trainings about groupwork, elections, budgeting, record-taking, leadership, communication, and time management.
The SDP certificate was a natural fit for Mary’s experiences and interests, and she is especially interested in gaining a theoretical background in development theory to complement and give depth to her on-the-ground experience. She feels that as the certificate draws from many academic areas, it is well-suited for giving her a holistic and well-rounded picture of the interconnected nature of development.
Mary feels that the SDP certificate also complements her career goals – she plans to work in higher education, preparing future development practitioners for work in international contexts. She is especially interested in teaching about participatory research methods, organizational change, international communication and leadership, and agricultural extension.
For more information about the SDP certificate, please visit: http://www.africa.ufl.edu/mdp/academicprograms/sdpcertificate.html
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