Education is an essential tool for building peace.
The IEP Peace Academy is a free online short educational course that introduces students to the transformational framework of Positive PeaceOver the course of 5 modules, discover the centrality of ‘Positive Peace’ to sustaining peace in society.
The Academy has been produced by globally renowned think tank, the Institute for Economics & Peace.
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Peace can start with educators who use their influence to inspire students to become the next generation of peacebuilders.
The IEP Peace Academy is a free online short educational course that introduces students to the transformational framework of Positive Peace - created by nonpartisan and internationally renowned think-tank the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP).
Over the course of 5 modules, students will learn about the history of peace and the centrality of ‘Positive Peace’ in sustaining peace in human societies. The course outlines how IEP defines and measures peace, and how levels of peace differently impact societies around the world due to historical and contemporary contexts. It also explores the complex relationships between peace and sustainability, religion, terrorism, security, and societal resilience in the face of crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
Students are encouraged to rethink peace with the Institute’s data driven approach to research, as well as reflecting on how the 8 pillars of Positive Peace intersect with and influence each other. By building an understanding of the framework of peace, students are provided with the tools to implement the pillars of Positive Peace in their own unique and innovative ways.
Our goal is to provide knowledge and a neutral baseline, out of which students can create their own practical approach to peaceful societal change, whether at home, in school, or in their communities.
Learn anywhere
Access the Academy anywhere - across mobile, tablet & desktop devices.
Choose your pace
Take the 2 hour course at once or you can learn at your own pace.
Get certified
Optional certificate purchase to support our mission and further your career.
Peace Academy user
New York, United States
"I am very excited about this peace programme. I live in one of the most dangerous cities in the world. I am sure that the concepts will strengthen my knowledge and ability to multiply learning to achieve peace on the ground”
Peace Academy user
Bogata, Colombia
"The story about peace inspires me a lot in continuing to work for peace in our area, we are obliged to present this story to our young learners who learn about peace in our youth orientation center”
More about the course
Since its conception the IEP Peace Academy has provided educators and students the necessary tools to activate positive peace in their respective communities.
Jude Kakumba, Uganda
After completing the Peace Academy, Jude Kakumba, an educator from Kampala in Uganda, was inspired to develop the Kakuba literacy project. Through the Academy, Jude was given the foundational knowledge to activate the pillars of positive peace through a focus on education. Jude’s role as an educator afforded him a unique perspective on the transformative capacity of youth when given the right resources. By improving education through the positive peace pillars, he provides young students with the capacity to transform the whole community. Some of Jude’s students have since come to learn of the Academy themselves, inspiring them to conduct their own projects. Jude’s experience powerfully demonstrates that educating our youth on peace can create a powerful ripple that can transform an entire community.
Sandy Burkhart, Florida
Sandy Burkhart, an educator from Spanish River Highschool in Boca Raton Florida (US) encountered the Peace Academy online, believing it to be a platform to build his students' awareness about peace both within their community and elsewhere. Together with his colleagues, Burkhart have since decided to form a Peace Club, embedding the Peace Academy into their standard curriculum. Recent numbers indicate that close to 100 students have participated with teachers reporting excellent feedback on account of their new Academy graduates.
Positive Peace Ambassador, Ethiopia
In Ethiopia, 800 people recently signed up for the first Positive Peace Ambassadors programme in the country. As part of the programme, the participants were introduced to the Positive Peace Academy whereby they became acquainted with the transformative power of the positive peace pillars. Through the Ambassador program, with the help of the Academy as an educational tool, the participants gain concrete knowledge and the resources to foster peace in their respective communities around Ethiopia. In turn, they will use these newly acquired skills and abilities to conduct their own independent projects with the aim of activating positive peace within their local communities.
