UNITAR Online Catalogue
She Leads for Peace Summer School Rwanda: Reconciliation and Learning from the Past (Accomodation included!)
Peace
Background
Are you curious what post conflict reconciliation and continued peacebuilding looks like in practice? Do you want to understand how countries overcome atrocities of the past and how memory can play a role in politics and governance? If so, the She Leads for Peace Summer School Rwanda is designed for you! Using the recent history of Rwanda as starting point, the summer school will allow participants to explore and analyse how countries emerge from conflicts and establish and maintain peace. This will include visits to cultural sites and discussions with relevant organizations and groups working in this area in Rwanda.
The She Leads for Peace Summer School Rwanda is rooted in the understanding that gender shapes young people’s opportunities, actions, and pathways. The programme aims to support young women in understanding the peace and security field and their place in it in order to bring forth the next generation of globally oriented and locally committed women leaders. Participants will gain an unrivalled set of experiences, knowledge, and skills to take up leadership roles and/or increase their leadership potential by stepping into their power and defining what authentic leadership looks like within their respective contexts.
The She Leads for Peace Summer School Rwanda will be a space in which young women can share their experiences with fellow participants and guest speakers in order to create a community of belonging that will extend beyond the course. Leveraging peer-to-peer learning and intergenerational dialogue, the programme will encourage knowledge sharing on best practices in peacebuilding, personal development, career development, wellbeing, and resilience. The creation of a personal and professional network will provide participants with an invaluable resource that they can tap into for support in realising their goals and potential as leaders and peacebuilders.
Event Objectives
Through the overall objectives of the summer school, participants will be able to:
- Analyse what it means to be a young woman leader for peace;
- Develop a personal action plan towards advancing individual leadership objectives;
- Demonstrate a unique insight into reconciliation processes in Rwanda, drawing insights on the importance of learning from the past for shaping the future of the sustaining peace field;
- Recognise the important role that women play in defining WPS policy and practice within Rwanda, the region, and the world;
- Build relationships with other participants, guest speakers, which will provide a network of support beyond the summer school.
Content and Structure
The She Leads for Peace Summer School Rwanda will consist of two weeks of full-day experiential sessions focused on what it means to lead effectively for peace as young women as well as gaining an understanding of how countries emerge from conflict and reestablish and maintain peace.
The course consists of the following 3 tracks:
Track 1: Effective Leadership: Becoming the Next Generation of Leaders for Peace
Track 2: Experience Sharing: Learning from Trailblazers
Track 3: Reconciliation and Learning from the Past
Methodology
Focused on inner development, the She Leads for Peace Summer School Rwanda will be a personal leadership journey for each participant helping them to recognise themselves as leaders in their own right. It will be an opportunity for self realisation and self actualisation so that participants are better placed to take steps towards making their desired outward contributions
Through experiential learning, participants will engage in practical based exercises that support their professional and personal growth. UNITAR will employ various pedagogies to enhance learning and behavioural change, with the aim to challenge participants in a safe environment where they can share lessons learned and strengthen their networks and understanding of the world. Through peer-to-peer learning, mentoring, and activities participants will gain practical skills as well as have the opportunity to reflect on and develop their own leadership style.
Targeted Audience
The She Leads for Peace Summer School Rwanda is designed for young self-identifying women, who are looking to make the transition from education into the workplace and are eager to start their career with the self-awareness that is needed to be an effective leader for peace. As such, it is suggested that participants be in their second to last or final year of undergraduate or post graduate studies.
UNITAR encourages applications from underrepresented and indigenous groups, and persons with disabilities to apply.
Additional Information
UNITAR will be responsible for the overall design, coordination and implementation of the She Leads for Peace Summer School Rwanda. It will liaise with participants on a regular basis prior to the activity's implementation in order to ensure a smooth and flawless organisation for everyone involved.
Airfare is not include in the programme fees. Accommodation is included in the programme fees.
Frequently Asked Questions:
How much time will be spent on each track of the She Leads for Peace Summer School?
While the tracks of the She Leads for Peace Summer School will overlap and build on one another, the approximate breakdown is as follows:
Track one: Effective Leadership – 50%
The effective leadership component of the She Leads for Peace programme, connects elements of inner development with outer contributions, in both personal as well as professional capacities of participants. This track will be a personal leadership journey for each participant supporting them in their growth as leaders, while being accompanied by their peers and the course facilitators. Participants will revisit what leadership means to them, challenge ideas of gendered leadership, take stock of their strengths and weakness as leaders, and create an action plan for achieving their leadership goals. Such an inner development process will help participants to increase the self-awareness, confidence, and mindset to make concrete steps towards their desired outward contributions in their specific contexts.
Track two: Learning from Trailblazers – 30%
As one of the leading nations on gender equality, being in Rwanda will be a unique opportunity for participants to explore the unique role women play in reconciliation process as well as to meet women leading within this field. This intergenerational aspect will be an opportunity for participants to learn from women with real experiences in the field. Through experience sharing with these women in leadership positions, participants will get inspired and gain insights on to the many pathways for entering the sustaining peace ecosystem, the important role women have to play in this field, as well as the obstacles and opportunities they will come across during their career.
Track three: Reconciliation and Learning from the Past – 20%
Using the recent history of Rwanda as starting point, the summer school will allow participants to explore and analyse how countries emerge from conflicts and establish and maintain peace. This will include visits to cultural sites, such as the Kigali Genocide Memorial, and discussions with relevant organizations and groups working in this area in Rwanda. This engagement will expose participants to what post conflict reconciliation as well as continued peacebuilding looks like in practice, how countries overcome atrocities of the past, and how memory can play an important role in politics and governance.
How much professional experience should I have to participate in the programme?
The She Leads for Peace Summer School is designed for women transitioning out of academic life into professional life. Therefore, it is recommended participants have 0-5 years professional experience. If you are unsure about whether you fit the profile, do not hesitate to reach out before applying.
Are there any scholarships available?
Unfortunately, at this moment UNITAR is unable to offer any scholarships for the programme. We hope to be able to provide them in the future. Should they become available, scholarship opportunities will be published on the event page
I will need a letter to support my visa application for Rwanda, will UNITAR provide one?
Yes, UNITAR will provide a visa support letter. Applicants are responsible for the visa application process. More information on entry into Rwanda can be found here.
Will I get a certificate at the end of the course?
Yes, all participants who attend at least 80% of the course will receive a United Nations certification.
Will there be an edition of the She Leads for Peace for emerging women leaders, who are more advanced in their career (5-10 years of professional experience)?
UNITAR is currently considering the running of such programming in autumn 2023. Should you be interested in participating in such an edition, please send a brief email to: sheleads4peace [at] unitar.org (sheleads4peace[at]unitar[dot]org)