This course offers an introduction to gender studies, analysis of the complex relationships between gender and social constructions and between gender, race and class privileges. During the course we will explore the interdependency between gender and power and focus on theory and practices of gender roles in different societies. The course will seek to explore how understanding of gendered social constructions can help in addressing gender inequalities and promote gender equity and cultures of peace.

The course will then focus on militarism, the war system and peace – as expressions of social and gender-based constructions. It will demonstrate a direct connection between militarism and gender based violence, gender based societal positions and violent societies through examples from the Middle East, South East Asia, Western and Eastern Europe, with emphasis on the Balkans and the US.

Gender identity will be examined, via dichotomies such as passivity-activity, hero-victim (heroism-victimhood / victimization), femininities-masculinities, strong-weak and peace-war. It will highlight gender issues related to war such as rape as a tool of war, human and women’s security and protection strategies such as community based security, national and international intervention and peace keeping operations in relation to gendered power relationships.

Contextual texts used in the training will include: UN Security Council resolution 1325, CEDAW.

This programme is particularly relevant for senior and middle-range staff and executive officers working in the fields of:

        § gender equity

        § education

        § social work

        § peacebuilding and conflict transformation

        § human rights

        § democratization

        § human developement

including in such organizations as:

        § national and international aid and development organisations

        § local NGO and community organisations

        § UN, EU, OSCE and international organisations

        § mainstream and community media

        § field staff working in areas affected by violent conflict and war or in post-war/violence situations

        § international diplomats

        § national and local level politicians in countries affected by war and conflict or with portfolios responsible for above issues

THE TRAINING PROGRAMME – January 29 – February 2, 2007

The Training Programme will take place from Monday to Friday, January 29 – February 2, 2007 at the Romanian Peace Institute in Cluj-Napoca, Romania. Participants will be expected to arrive by Sunday, January 28.

The Training Programme will be divided into a Morning and Afternoon session for each day, combining intensive training, group work, and workshop sessions. There will be a one and a half hours break for lunch and individual work in between, and additional breaks for tea and coffee in each session. The programme will begin each day at 10:00, and run until 18:00.

THE TRAINING SCHEDULE

Monday, January 29

Morning Session: Introduction to the Programme, Trainer and Participants followed by an Introduction to The Difference between Gender and Sex.

Afternoon Session: Introduction to public and private peace situations. Mapping: Gendered Power Relations.

Tuesday, January 30

Morning Session: Gender, Peacebuilding and Identity

Women and Man in Armed Conflict Situations. Public and Private Spheres (education into War and Sexism)

Afternoon Session: Gendered Dialogue Process – Examples from dialogue encounters around the world.

Wednesday, January 31

Morning Session: Man, Women and Social Constructions: Internalizing the Oppression (King and Queen game)

Afternoon Session: Film followed by discussion about women and men in Israel and Palestine.

Thursday, February 1

Morning Session: UN Security Council resolution 1325- Women’s participation in Peace Building and De-Militarization of their communities.

Afternoon Session: Peacebuilding and Gender Mainstreaming: Reality, and the Dream.

Friday, February 2

Morning Session: Past, Present and 10 Reasons: Reshaping the Future

Building a Peace Museum.

Afternoon Session: Reflections and Evaluation

Summary & Next Steps.

HOW TO APPLY

Applicants requiring visas for travel to Romania are requested to send in a copy of their CV and the completed Application Form no later than November 27^th, 2006.

Applicants who do not require visas for travel to Romania are requested to send in a copy of their CV and the completed Application Form no later than January 10^th, 2007.

There are a limited number of positions available. If you are interested in participating in the “Gender and Peacebuilding” training programme we would encourage you to contact TRANSCEND and to submit your application as soon as possible.

Visit www.transcend.org to apply on-line or contact the Program Coordinator, Alexandra Nerisanu, alexandra@transcend.org, for an Application Form.

Detailed information about travel to Cluj-Napoca will be sent to those who have registered and been accepted as participants.

COSTS AND FEES

Participation fees for the full 5-days training programme are:
- Euro 550 for participants from OECD countries, and staff of UN agencies, OSCE, and international organizations

- Euro 350 for participants from non-OECD countries

Partial or total financial support given to participants in the Gender and Peacebuilding training programme is highly appreciated. If you wish to support financially a participant in the training please contact Alexandra Nerisanu, alexandra@transcend.org.

The participation fee covers accommodation, breakfast and lunch for the 5 days of the programme, participation in the training programme, and all materials.

Accommodation is provided in double rooms. Single room accommodation is available for all participants for Euros 42 extra for the week.

For any questions, or to receive further information, please contact the Programme Coordinator, Alexandra Nerisanu, alexandra@training.org

THE TRAINER AND FACILITATOR

Gal Harmat is a Gender Specialist. She has extensive experience in conflict analysis, dialogue facilitation and gender empowerment research. As a group facilitator she has conducted a large number of trainings at the IPCRI - Israel Palestine Center for Reconciliation, in Jerusalem and Beit Lehem. Harmat is active from 1991 as a dialogue facilitator in Reut Sadaka- Friendship- an Arab- Israeli youth movement; she was the movement educational director for two years. She has also facilitated many Jewish Palestinian encounter groups for teachers and students. Gal has worked as a group facilitator for the Seeds of Peace International Co-Existence training in Maine, USA and for Jewish Palestinian, India-Pakistan and Balkan multicultural groups.

Gal worked as General Director, Mahapach - Student Movement for Social Change, Israel. This extensive work included leading a staff of 30 full time community organizers and 400 students, negotiating with various ministries, academic research regarding social developments in communities. She was the facilitator for various Gender Empowerment and Management projects for NDC - Nansen Dialogue Center, under PRIO, in Dubrovnic (Croatia), Podgorica (Montenegro), Mostar, Sarajevo and Bania Luka (Bosnia–Herzegovina).

Gal has been in charge of gender trainings for journalists, young politicians, lawyers and teachers. These comprehensive trainings included field research regarding womens’ rights violations, centred mainly around violence against women and sexism and the system of war. Today Gal is teaching conflict transformation and gender at the Critical Pedagogy Center at the Kibbutzim Teachers College and facilitating extensively Peace Dialogue between Jews and Arabs in the Middle East. In the last twelve years Gal gave hundreds of Peace Building and Gender equality and empowerment trainings in conflict zones around the world.

Harmat@transcend.org

THE ORGANISERS

TRANSCEND - A Peace and Development Network for Conflict Transformation by Peaceful Means

TRANSCEND is a network of more than 200 of the world’s leading practitioners and scholars in peacebuilding and development from over 60 countries around the world. Committed to the promotion of peace by peaceful means, TRANSCEND has 20 active programmes, and conducts its work through action, education/training, dissemination and research. With centres in Barcelona (Spain), Cluj-Napoca (Romania), Geneva (Switzerland), Hagen (Germany), Honolulu (USA), Kyoto (Japan), Moscow (Russia), Sandnes (Norway), Taplow Court (Great Britain), Torino (Italy), Vienna (Austria), and Washington, DC (USA) – with several others now being formed in Europe, Latin America, Africa and Asia – TRANSCEND has provided more than 400 training programmes for over 8000 participants in 43 countries around the world. Participants in TRANSCEND training programmes have included politicians, diplomats, aid and development workers, teachers, psychologists, social workers, journalists, civil service employees, UN staff, professors, students, and others. In 2000, TRANSCEND developed the United Nations’ first ever manual on “Conflict Transformation by Peaceful Means: The TRANSCEND Approach.” In February, 2003, TRANSCEND launched the world’s first ever truly global Peace University on-line: the TRANSCEND Peace University (www.transcend.org/tpu). TRANSCEND is involved in peacebuilding, conflict transformation, and post-war reconciliation and healing in several conflict areas world-wide, at the invitation of local groups, organisations, universities, governments, and parties to the conflict. TRANSCEND only works in conflict/war affected areas when it has been invited. Currently, TRANSCEND is doing research on: Peacebuilding and Empowerment; Non-Territorial Federalism and Functional Independence; Self-Determination and the Nation/State Dialectic; Peacebuilding and Globalisation; Conflict Transformation and Psychological Assumptions; Comparing Methods of Conflict Transformation from Micro, Meso and Macro-Levels; the Dialogue Process; Local and Subsistence Economics; Models for Global Economic Crises; Understanding Genocide. TRANSCEND has recently launched the new TRANSCEND Media Service, and is in the process of developing the Conflict Transformation Index (CTI) and TRANSCEND Early Warning Index (EWI). TRANSCEND perspectives are freely available on the Internet (www.transcend.org), and a TRANSCEND monthly Bulletin is being prepared for distribution in 12 languages.

PATRIR – The Peace Action, Training and Research Institute of Romania

Founded on March 1st, 2001, the PATRIR, is an institute, organisation, training centre and network, linking together scholars, grassroots activists, and peace researchers throughout Romania, South-Eastern Europe and internationally. Its aim is to address the core challenges facing Romania and the countries of South and Eastern Europe, to strengthen and empower grassroots organisations and citizens’ action, to mobilise people for active peace work and peaceful conflict transformation, and to address the structural causes of poverty, human rights violations and economic and social injustice. PATRIR is an institute and an organisation for research, training and active peace work. PATRIR organises training programmes in peacebuilding and peaceful conflict transformation; peace journalism; democracy and human rights; multi-culturalism; empowering civil society; gender and peace; people-centred, sustainable development; post-war reconstruction, rehabilitation, reconciliation and healing; and, environment and ecology. Participants to PATRIR training programmes frequently include senior politicians and diplomats, experienced aid and development workers, UN and NGO staff, civil society activists, professors, teachers, students, journalists, artists, and psychologists from Romania and more than 30 countries internationally. PATRIR cooperates with TRANSCEND as the TRANSCEND Centre for South-Eastern Europe. Since 2001, PATRIR has been one of TRANSCEND’s leading international training sites.

For more information or to register as a participant, please contact:

Alexandra Nerisanu, Training Coordinator at alexandra@transcend.org