The Virtual Peacebuilding Training Program is MPI’s newest program under its Training and Education direction that was initially conceptualized to address the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic and the cancellation of the in-person annual training in 2020. The program was further developed in 2021 to complement the Annual Peacebuilding Training Program. The Virtual Peacebuilding Training Program offers advanced courses on peacebuilding and conflict transformation and other relevant online courses that explore the intersection between peacebuilding and digital technologies.
More than 80% of the online courses offered at MPI’s Virtual Peacebuilding Training consist of live sessions done through Zoom calls that usually last between two to four hours per session. Teams composed of MPI facilitators, staff, and secretariat volunteers ensure that these sessions are dynamic and interactive. Participants’ learning processes are augmented with self-paced/asynchronous activities, which make up the remaining 10-20%, made available through MPI’s Virtual Classrooms.
MPI’s Virtual Classrooms utilize the Moodle platform, a Learning Management System (LMS) with various online course activities. Through Moodle, participants can access and participate in activities that allow them to interact with their co-participants through forums and discussion boards; post assignments; and prepare for the next live session by watching pre-recorded videos and downloading handouts. Once a session is completed, you will also find a recording of the session in the Virtual Classroom for your course.
At the moment, the Virtual Peacebuilding Training Program is being organized twice a year. Five online courses were offered between March to May 2021 on conflict transformation, arts and peacebuilding, peace education, trauma healing, and conflict sensitivity. Another set of four courses is being offered from August to December 2021.
For more details about the four courses offered from August to December 2021, kindly go to this link or download the August to December 2021 Virtual Peacebuilding Training Information Packet.
Yes, you can. The respective schedules for the course offerings for 2021 are arranged in a way that allows participants to take two or more courses.
Acceptance to the 2021 Virtual Peacebuilding Training courses is on a first-come, first-served basis or until all slots are filled. Each online class will have no more than 20 participants on average.
MPI maintains relationships with a roster of distinguished and highly skilled facilitators of diverse backgrounds and nationalities. Most of them also facilitate during the Annual Peacebuilding Training of MPI. Each online course is usually facilitated by two facilitators. Find out who the facilitators are for the 2021 Virtual Peacebuilding Training under the detailed information for each course or by downloading the August to December 2021 Virtual Peacebuilding Training Information Packet.
The training is open to individuals interested in deepening their knowledge on peacebuilding concepts and approaches through digital technologies and are willing to engage with fellow participants through various digital platforms. MPI requires that participants have a good, stable internet connection to be able to access its learning platforms. For the complete admission criteria, please go to this link or download the August to December 2021 Virtual Peacebuilding Training Information Packet.
Complete the application form online or you may download the application form and upload the completed document along with your resume/CV and the English Fluency Letter of Assurance from your sending organization. For your data protection, please do not email your application or any other sensitive documents to MPI.
The tuition cost for the online courses is uniform for both international and Filipino participants. Each online course is US$475/PhP22,800.
An Early-Bird Discount of US$25 or PhP1,200 will be applied to applicants who will submit their application on or before August 9, 2021.
Unfortunately, MPI does not offer scholarships at this time. Applicants will have to cover their own costs to participate in the training.
The deadline for applications varies per course. Please check the respective course/s you wish to attend for details regarding deadlines. You may download the August to December 2021 Virtual Peacebuilding Training Information Packet for these details or go to this link.
Please make sure that you have installed the latest version of Zoom on your computer for full functionality. The facilitators utilize various Zoom functions in their courses, so it is important that your Zoom application is up to date. Also, we encourage you to use a laptop or desktop computer when joining the live session of your respective course/s for better display and engagement with the class. However, you may also install Zoom on smartphones or tablets if you do not have access to a computer.
Once you are accepted, we will add you to the participants for your selected course in MPI’s Virtual Classrooms. You may explore the Guide for MPI’s Virtual Classrooms at any time. You may also download the Moodle app on Google Play or the Apple Store.
Be on the lookout for emails from us for updates and other pre-course preparation details!