written by Nathalie Hudson, University for Peace, San Jose, Costa Rica

Peace is the primary and irrevocable obligation of a nation and the fundamental objective of the United Nations; it is the reason for its existence. "The best tool for achieving this supreme good for humankind, is namely through education."   The Charter of The University for Peace.

In 1948, Costa Rica was the first country in the modern world to abolish its army. In that tradition, efforts to establish the University for Peace began at the United Nations under the leadership of the President of Costa Rica, Rodrigo Carazo. On 5 December 1980, the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted resolution 35/55 which sets out in its annex the International Agreement for the Establishment of the University for Peace. The mission of the University for Peace is: "to provide humanity with an international institution of higher education for peace with the aim of promoting among all human beings the spirit of understanding, tolerance and peaceful coexistence, to stimulate cooperation among peoples and to help lessen obstacles and threats to world peace and progress, in keeping with the noble aspirations proclaimed in the Charter of the United Nations."

UPEACE embraces an innovative and inter-disciplinary approach to both the pedagogy and content of post-secondary learning. The University offers nine specialized, multi-disciplinary master's programs, exposing students to specialized relevant training by visiting UN, NGO and other international organization representatives (such as UNHCR, ICRC, ICC, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, and Amnesty International) during their studies.

The campus is located 20 kms southwest of San Jose, within a 1200 hectare national heritage protected reserve composed by a secondary forest and the last remnant of primary forest in the Central Valley of Costa Rica. This protected area is very rich in fauna - it shelters mammals such as monkeys and deer; reptiles; and over 300 species of birds as well as approximately 100 varieties of trees        The incredible diversity of the campus allows students and faculty from all over the world to convene, collaborate, and collectively build a unique learning experience in a multicultural and intimate environment. During the current academic year 2006-2007, there are more than 100 students enrolled at the UPEACE campus, from 41 countries; 60 percent of the students are women; and 50 percent come from developing countries.

 The university offers a unique environment, encouraging  students from   different countries, such as  Israel, Lebanon, Iraq, Bosnia, and the U.S.A amongst others, to work together despite any cultural, religious or political differences.  The UPEACE community supports a co-operative spirit, whereby students learn from one another and work together in order to advance humanity and a culture of peace throughout all regions of the world

 The wider mission of the University should be seen in the context of the worldwide peace and security objectives of the United Nations. The central importance of education, training and research in all the aspects of the University's graduate programs is to build the foundations of peace and progress and to reduce the prejudice and hatred on which violence, conflict and terrorism are based.

The Charter of the University calls for UPEACE "to contribute to the great universal task of educating for peace by engaging in teaching, research, post-graduate training and dissemination of knowledge fundamental to the full development of the human person and societies through the interdisciplinary study of all matters related to peace".

The vision of UPEACE is to become a network of collaborating UPEACE centers and activities in different regions, guided from its headquarters in Costa Rica and cooperating with a large number of universities, NGOs and other partners on education and research for peace. "Everything we do at UPEACE is aimed at fulfilling our mission. We are convinced that the fate of our planet lies in our hands and hearts: in the hands and hearts of men and women in all parts of the world, who will no longer accept living in fear, in poverty and in inequity. We are convinced that education is the way to provide the knowledge and skills, as well as the determination, for human beings to take control of their fate and use their immense talents to bring about a world in which peace is sustained and sustainable."

 Funding of UPEACE programs comes from the support of a number of donor governments, foundations and institutions who believe in the mission of the University. Fundraising for an endowment fund is in progress.

Ban Ki-moon, Secretary-General of the United Nations, is the Honorary President of the University for Peace.

To find out more - please follow the link to their website. www.upeace.org