Workshop in Applied Peacebuilding XII

This year marks the 12th anniversary of the Workshop in Applied Peacebuilding, a course within the NYU SPS Master of Science in Global Affairs program at the Center for Global Affairs. Students in the Workshop in Applied Peacebuilding are matched each spring with professional peacebuilding organizations to develop and help implement field projects in many international and domestic contexts. As the COVID-19 pandemic subsides, students are returning to the field to support these important organizations and to gain critical experience that will enable them to work as skilled peacebuilding practitioners upon their graduation from the MSGA program. 

This year's students will be working with organizations in Iraq, Jordan, Colombia, Sri Lanka, Liberia, Uganda and Libya. Past students have worked with organizations based in Kuwait, Afghanistan, Burundi, Rwanda, Somalia, Indonesia and 11 other countries. Although each affiliate organization provides professional support and mentorship to the participating students, most consultancies are voluntary and students typically raise their own funds for travel, meals and accommodations. The students often work in difficult environments where violent conflict has been a constant reality of life. 

The students' projects–which range from education and training in peacebuilding to peace research to development of media campaigns–aim to contribute to reductions in violence and corresponding increases in peacefulness. The course plays a crucial role in preparing the next generation of peacebuilders.