Call for Participants - Corridors Summer School

We would like to inviate all interested participants to the Corridors Summer School themed Strengthening Peace Education Capacities in the Caucasus. The Summer School will take place between 14-19 August 2023 in Blossin ( Germany ).

Conflicts between individuals, groups, societies, and countries are widespread. The challenge is to resolve them peacefully and constructively, utilizing a broad set of skills and competencies. In the Caucasus, spaces for exchange and dialogue between societies are shrinking. There is, furthermore, a lack of young peacebuilding actors with professional skills to address the many regional challenges. Increasing tensions in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the unresolved dispute over Nagorno-Karabakh demonstrate the need for sustained, peaceful, and innovative conflict management in the region. The Corridors initiative was launched to empower young people in the Caucasus to
independently manage conflicts within their societies. A key pillar of this program is the annual International Summer School on Strengthening Peace Education Capacities in the Caucasus.

This year’s session will introduce participants to the fundamentals of peacebuilding, with a particular emphasis on community approaches and aspects of cultural sensitivity. We will continue our well-established formula and train our guests on core competencies in conflict analysis, dialogue, and peace intervention. We integrate formal and informal approaches, develop them further in a context-specific and conflict-sensitive way, and focus on dialogue as a core element. Our peace education processes aim to empower youth and young adults to take ownership and contribute to peacebuilding processes within and between their communities. The summer school will be a safe space where all attendees can exchange perspectives on matters that are significant to them and practice techniques that can help promote peaceful progress at home.Our training combines lectures on innovative peacebuilding concepts with interactive elements and holistic practices. In addition to this capacity-building component, we will explore the beautiful Dahme-Heideseen Nature Park around Blossin and dive into the rich cultural life of nearby Berlin. 

Organizers

Funded by the German Academic Exchange Service ( DAAD ) in cooperation with the European Union program EU4Dialogue, the Summer School is a joint project by Corridors, Friedrich Schiller University Jena ( FSU ), and Sciences Po Paris. Corridors is a non-profit organization that develops and implements joint education and capacity-building projects for young people in protracted conflicts. Furthermore, Corridors facilitates dialogue and knowledge-exchange between communities in Europe and the South Caucasus. The Chair of International Relations at FSU is centered on the study of peace, conflict, and conflict management. Sciences Po Paris puts particular emphasis on matters of community development and civil society engagement in the resolution of violent conflicts. 

Participants

The Corridors Summer School is open to 26 students and recent graduates from the South Caucasus, including conflict-affected regions, as well as France and Germany. Motivation and openness are more important than academic accomplishments. One of our aims is to bring together a diverse and unique group. We encourage all those interested to apply no later than 12 June 2023. The application should include a resume and a brief letter of motivation. Please send the file to Kayla Draheim ( kayla.draheim@uni-jena.de ). If you have any questions, please get in touch with us. 

Participation is free of charge. The organizers will cover all workshop-related costs, including travel, excursions, accommodation, and full board.

Full PDF - Call for Participants, Corridor Summer School 2023pdf, 262 kb · de