PRESENTATION

The School for a Culture of Peace (ECP) is a peace research centre. It was created in 1999 to carry out research, teaching, awareness-raising and intervention activities in order to promote a culture of peace and nonviolent transformation of conflicts. The ECP was established alongside the UNESCO Chair on Peace and Human Rights, led by Vicenç Fisas (1988 National Human Rights Award). Fisas was Director of the ECP from its foundation until 2016.

The ECP currently focuses its work on the following fields of action:

RESEARCH. Analysis and dissemination of knowledge about armed conflicts, socio-political crises, peace processes, parallel diplomacy, the gender dimension in conflict and peacebuilding and peace education. This is achieved through activities such as:

▪ Periodical publications, reports and articles on the international situation regarding armed conflicts and situations of socio-political crisis, peace processes and the gender dimension in conflicts and peacebuilding.
▪ Consultancy services for different types of local and international stakeholders regarding conflicts, peacebuilding, gender and peace education.
▪ Presentations and participation in congresses and conferences to publicise the research.
▪ Teaching materials.

TRAINING AND AWARENESS-RAISING. Promotion and development of content, skills and attitudes linked to the culture of peace, such as the key elements of analysis of current armed conflicts, the gender dimension in armed conflicts, conflict sensitivity, education on and for conflict, the image of the enemy and approaches to controversial issues. This content is transmitted through activities such as:

▪ Postgraduate programme in Culture of Peace at the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB)
▪ Teaching in in Master’s and postgraduate degrees in other universities.
▪ Training and consultancy services to professionals and education and social actors on how to deal with conflict and/or how to include peace education in their work.
▪ Online courses.
▪ Workshops, conferences, talks and seminars.
▪ Articles.
▪ Collaboration with the media.

INTERVENTION. Actions and projects with key stakeholders, such as policy-makers, multipliers, networks, to promote conflict-transformation. Examples include:

▪ Promotion of peace agendas, and in particular the women’s agenda, peace and security.
▪ Facilitation of dialogue spaces and support for peace negotiations.
▪ Integration of Education for Peace and Global Justice approaches into formal and non-formal education.
▪ Recommendations and comparative analyzes on peacebuilding targeting actors involved in parallel diplomacy activities.
▪ Advocacy on the design of development cooperation public policies.
▪ Research and advocacy in peace education, peacebuilding and disarmament.

Throughout its pathway, the Escola de Cultura de Pau has received the following awards:

AWARDS TO THE SCHOOL FOR A CULTURE OF PEACE
▪ Liberpress Award, 2011. Award to the ECP for its tasks of intervention, monitoring and analysis of armed conflicts and peacebuilding.
▪ I Evens Prize for Peace Education, 2011. Award to the ECP for its tasks of teacher training in conflict transformation.

AWARDS TO PROJECTS WHERE THE SCHOOL FOR A CULTURE OF PEACE HAS PARTICIPATED
▪ XV edition of the Joan Gomis Memorial Award, 2020. Social Journalism Award to the entity Fora de Quadre for the documentary “Weaving threads of emotions” that describes a project of Peace Education promoted by the ECP at the School Ciutat Comtal in Barcelona.
▪ XVI Mila Prize for Journalism for Gender Equality of Lleida, 2023. Award to the 5W Magazine for the audio series “Women peacebuilders“, promoted by the School for a Culture of Peace and with interviews to its research staff.