Course goals, content and methods

The full-time course in peace and conflict work offers a wealth of opportunities to gain and apply knowledge and skills relevant to conflict transformation. It is as much about acquiring relevant specialist knowledge as it is about learning appropriate and well-established methods and skills.

Through self-reflection and group discussion you will work on your own attitude, communication and behaviour. We provide you with a suitably complex theoretical and practical fundamental understanding of conflict dynamics and their non-violent transformation within peacebuilding work. This includes clarifying the key concepts of civil conflict transformation as well as providing a deeper understanding of your role and attitude as an expert in this field.

Your professional and life experiences as well as the expertise acquired during overseas projects in civil conflict transformation, development cooperation or related fields form the starting point for the collective learning experience in an intercultural setting. Observations during the course, both inside and outside the classroom, will also become a resource for joint exploration of the subjects of peace and conflict. The combination of techniques based on experience and dialogue with traditional learning methods will allow you to gain an in-depth understanding of elicitive conflict transformation.

Upon successful completion of this training course, you will be awarded the “Peace and Conflict Consultant” certificate. This qualifies you for deployment on a Civil Peace Service (CPS) project.

Who is this training course intended for?

Our full-time course is intended for people who work in or plan to enter the field of civil conflict transformation, peacebuilding or conflict-sensitive development cooperation and already have relevant overseas work experience.

Course structure

During the first four weeks of the course you will work with a core group of participants. At a cognitive level you will gain an overview of peace and conflict work, an introduction to its key concepts, an insight into the tasks and challenges CPS peace and conflict consultants face on a day-to-day basis and an in-depth understanding of the intricacies of intercultural communication. At an emotional-experiential level the group will exchange experiences of working with peace and conflict in their own countries, practice communication and facilitation skills.

The process of teambuilding will enhance cooperation and trust in the group and at the same time encourage participants to examine their own attitudes and conflict behaviour. Thus the focus will be divided between gaining knowledge at a conceptual level, becoming aware of group dynamics and reflecting on your own personal abilities.

During the second phase, you will attend a series of seminars which are also open to external participants. You will be familiarised with the key methods of conflict analysis, project development and conflict intervention. The element of self-reflection will continue to play a role in the weekly reflection group sessions.

Towards the end of the course you will once again work in a closed group and will conclude by conducting a detailed evaluation.

Phase 1: Theory and practice of working towards conflict transformation Approaches to peace and conflict, communication and culture, group dynamics, key concepts in conflict transformation and fundamental psychosocial principles, self-awareness and self-care, resilience

Phase 2: Methods of conflict transformation Conflict analyses and impact assessments, strategy and project planning, monitoring and evaluation, dialogue processes and creative techniques

Phase 3: Practical application Conflict simulation, assessment and conclusion

Application process

When selecting our participants, we attach particular importance to learning about your motivation, qualifications and work experience in the field of peace and conflict work. We are reviewing applications on a rolling basis.

Requirements for the full-time course

  • Completed professional/vocational training
  • Minimum of two years of work experience abroad
  • Experience working in groups with diverse perspectives and backgrounds
  • Fluent written and spoken English
  • Willingness to reflect on your own preconceptions and behaviour
  • Willingness to engage in groups and learning processes

Please apply for this course on our website. If you meet all of the criteria, we will contact you to arrange an interview and discuss the next steps.

To provide orientation, we run a number of information days on "Peace Work as a Profession" (in German) during which you will be able to find out more about different ways to get involved in peacebuilding work and the various types of training that we offer.

Financially supported by

BMZ and ZFD
© BMZ/zfd