15th annual Mindanao Peacebuilding Institute begins

The text below is a press release from Mindanao Peacebuilding Institute 

DAVAO City, Philippines – 120 peacebuilders from around the world will be gathering in Davao City starting May 11 for the 15th Annual Peacebuilding Training of the Mindanao Peacebuilding Institute (MPI).

This year’s training will be held at The Ritz Hotel at Garden Oases, Davao City, from May 12 to 30, 2014.

MPI is an Asian peacebuilding training institute grounded in the Mindanao context, using models developed and adapted for and by Asians. The Institute was established in 2000 by the Catholic Agency for Overseas Development (CAFOD), Catholic Relief Services (CRS) and Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) to bring together peacebuilders of diverse cultures from the Asia-Pacific Region to join in its annual peacebuilding training.

Christine Vertucci, MPI Director, says that, “The facilitators for the Annual Training courses are extremely qualified and form a committed, high-caliber team. They come from diverse backgrounds and countries, but are all professionals who have worked in the field, thus being both grounded in practice and skilled in facilitation.”

While based in the Philippines and at the service of peacebuilders in Asia-Pacific, the Annual Peacebuilding Training attracts peacebuilders from around the globe. This year’s training will include participants from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, China, The Democratic Republic of the Congo, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Myanmar, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Sierra Leone, South Korea and the United States.

This year’s training builds on the theme of MPI’s anniversary: “15 Years and Beyond – Building Just Peace for All.” Along with some of the previously offered courses on peace education, non-violence, negotiation skills, trauma healing and peacebuilding and the arts, MPI will be offering three new courses: Conflict Sensitive Economic Governance: Peace-Enabling Approaches in Complex and Fragile Contexts, From Understanding to Action: Theories and Tools for Designing Effective Peace and Development Interventions in Fragile and Unpredictable Situations and Resource-Based Conflict: Indigenous People’s Perspectives and Approaches. The latter is offered in cooperation with MPI’s Resource-Based Conflict and Peacebuilding Training Program in Northwestern Mindanao. – Press Release/Rappler.com

For further details please refer to the MPI website, www.mpiasia.net

For participant testimonials from previous trainings see: http://www.mpiasia.net/testimonials.html