The Peace Studies program is a non-formal education initiative for adults, representing a civic contribution to building positive peace and democratizing society. In Peace Studies, we seek a vision of a more just society with less violence—by understanding the causes of social inequalities and exclusion, exploring various approaches to resisting direct and structural violence, and searching for alternatives, fairer practices, and ways of organizing. We advocate for responsible politics and diplomacy, learn from the actions of others, and collectively explore and design what we, as citizens, can achieve through pressure and organizing.
The Peace Studies program has been organized and implemented by the Center for Peace Studies continuously since 1997. Over the past 26 years, we have motivated, connected, and empowered more than 770 participants to engage in non-violent social change, with the guidance of around 100 lecturers and guests. Positive peace is not merely the absence of war; it requires the construction of a just society that protects human rights, rejects discrimination, involves people in the social and political community, and builds a fairer society where violence and wars are not solutions.
Peace Studies are both critical and transformative: we drive change on personal, social, and political levels. We need alternatives to the status quo, reflected in different policies and practices, and a lasting peace as the outcome of transforming values, social structures, and international relations.
Participants are encouraged to explore global and local social issues from multiple perspectives, both theoretically and practically. We integrate and connect viewpoints from various scientific disciplines with policies and practices emerging from collective activist work.