Why a Master in Sustainable Peace through Sport?
Peace building, peace promotion and peace education are long
term and multifaceted endeavors.
Building sustainable peace requires specific skills in diplomacy
and conflict resolution, but it also implies implementing
ambitious educational processes for future generations.
Promoting sustainable peace involves teaching, learning
and transmitting a set of values that help transcend political,
social, racial and religious differences that, today, are often at the
origin of conflicts.
It is crucial in complex environments to keep a pragmatic
approach and act at the heart of vulnerable communities
where tensions are latent, peace is fragile and social cohesion
is weak.
In order to be effective, international organizations,
governments, and the world´s decision-makers need to develop
innovative strategies and deploy means that are inspiring to
tackle social issues whilst adequately meeting the needs of
specific local environments.
Sport represents an appropriate response to these
requirements as it is a universal language based on a unique set
of rules. As such, sport can be used as a catalyst for dialogue,
brotherhood and respect and enable fostering peace at two
levels:
• An inter-state level through "sport diplomacy" and
transborder reconciliation policies
• An intra-state or community level, where sport creates
bridges between people and groups
Lin Cherurbai Sambili, Master in Sustainable Peace through Sport Class of 2013
Kenyan
Deciding to attend the International University of Monaco (IUM) for my Masters Degree in Sustainable Peace through Sport was one of the best decisions I ever made.
Being the first of its kind, the programme offered a wide array of fundamental courses that broadened my knowledge and understanding of the unique role sports plays towards the development and continuity of peace.
Moreover, the multicultural setting of the programme ensured that students from all around the world interacted and shared their various perspectives on peace through sport. I gained lifelong friends and contacts from my time at IUM and know that it was a great investment both for my professional and personal life.
The Master in Sustainable Peace through Sport (MSPS) has been
designed with the contribution of individuals and experts
from the worlds of peace, sport and academia. This innovative
program will lead to the genesis of a body of "Engineers for
Peace through Sport" capable of making peace through sport
become a reality.
The below diagram describes the vision shared by the three institutions that have conceived this program:
Peace and Sport, L’Organisation pour la Paix par le Sport, is:
• A neutral and apolitical organization
• Acting in 5 continents through a cooperation platform
• A partner with more than 50 institutions from the worlds of sport and peace
• Reaching over 60,000 people since 2007
• Supporting field programs in 8 countries
Please watch this brief
video to learn more about Peace and Sport.
The
University for Peace:
• A United Nations-mandated graduate-level university
• Counts 108 full-time faculty and staff members
• Has campus in Costa Rica and offices and programs in New York, Geneva, Addis Abeba, Manila, Belgrade, Bogota and Montevideo
• Has 30 years of existence
• Regroups 20,000 alumni from programs worldwide
The Master in Sustainable Peace through Sport program is a multidisciplinary program which seeks
to educate and train an elite group of "Engineers for Peace through Sport", able to harness the potential of sport as a strategic tool dedicated to building and promoting sustainable peace across the globe.
Designed for students and executives, this innovative Master program combines solid academic knowledge and practical
skills, such as:
- Developing and maintaining operational competencies in designing and implementing peace-building, peace promotion and peace education programs through sport
- Understanding and leveraging diplomacy through sport
- Teaching and promoting the values of sport as a tool for
social cohesion and peace education
- Advising decision makers and political leaders in creating
concerted sports policies for sustainable peace
- Benefiting from solid skills in the field in various
environments such as post-conflict areas, areas of extreme poverty and regions suffering from a lack of social cohesion
- Intervening in impoverished and vulnerable communities
- Designing sport programs to address social issues
involving international and national sport governing bodies
- Activating international organizations, NGOs, civil society
and local players
- Creating cooperation between actors and promoting
strategic partnerships
- Designing, implementing, developing, and monitoring a
program until it becomes self-sufficient
- Fund-raising to promote initiatives
- Empowering human capital and training field-workers and staff
Some of the Core Courses offered
in the Master in Sustainable Peace through Sport
Family, Health & HIV/AIDS Issues and Drug Prevention
The course overviews sensible issues ranging from parents/
children duties and obligations, importance of education,
family planning, child birth, personal hygiene, epidemics,
sexual education and drug related issues. The course offers
students concrete guidance and skills to educate people in
the field.
Foundation Course in Peace and Conflict Studies
The course provides an overview of the diverse perspectives
in the field of environmental security and peace, and introduces
students to the variety of natural and human-induced
environmental changes currently affecting humanity. This
course will also prepare students for more intensive explorations
of aspects of environmental security in other courses in
this program.
Human Rights, International and Humanitarian Laws
The course will introduce i) the international field of human
rights education (HRE), including presentations of programming
approaches, teaching and learning resources, and related
theory; and ii) the topic of public international law by
providing students with a firm knowledge of the most important
doctrines and topics.
Human Vulnerability and Climate Change
The course aims at understanding the impact of climate
change on the global environment and on human activity. Climate
change increases risks to human livelihoods and as such
may endanger the security of individuals and groups. This in
turn could increase the propensity for conflict within and between
states.
Peace and Sport
This course critically examines the potential role and use of
sport as a local and global tool for conflict prevention, social
transformation, community development and peace building.
With a strong developmental and cross-cultural emphasis,
the course aims at promoting an educational process
which will generate greater awareness and understanding of
the opportunities and complexities of using sport as a vehicle
for such developmental and peace building efforts.
Peace Education, Theory and Practice
The course takes a participatory and very practical, “hands
on” approach to Peace Education at work in formal, nonformal
and informal settings. Building upon the theoretical
background developed in previous courses, and the critical
analysis of educational techniques, resources and materials
to be addressed along the course, students will be guided
into a process of learning-by-doing peace building projects.
Practices of Conflict Management and Peacebuilding
This course is an introductory skill-building course in negotiation,
conflict management and resolution. Participants learn to
improve their own negotiation skills, helping them to act consciously
and skillfully in tough situations.
Fundamentals of Financial & Managerial Accounting
The course addresses topics including financial control, budget
and financial forecasting, working capital, breakeven analysis
and sources of financing in a small and closely-held business
environment.
Organizational Behavior & Cross-Cultural Management
The course introduces students to the management of human
resources in dealing in particular with selection, training, placement,
appraisal, compensation, and employee representation
in a multicultural environment.
Project Management
The course introduces students to the field of project management. It seeks to
impart the knowledge and skills students will need to successfully
complete projects within time, budget, scope, and quality
constraints. Students will learn to develop project plans
that address problems on a case-by-case basis as projects are
proposed, and to manage projects through various phases to
completion.
Sports Contemporary Issues, Sustainability & Ethics
The course introduces students to various topics including
the role of state in sport, the rise of the sport betting industry,
the evolution of sports law and the use of drugs.
Sports Event and Facility Management
The course is structured in two modules. Event management
encompasses the organizational and strategic planning of
special events, HR management, event administration, advertising
and event logistics. Facility management involves legal
and administrative planning, risk management, compulsory
competitive tendering, marketing and financial planning. In
addition, the course overviews specific management issues
in relation to seasonal sports such as winter sports and water
sports.
Sports Pedagogy and Coaching
The course overviews i) the strategies of instruction or styles
of instruction in the context of sports and ii) the role of a
coach as an individual involves in the direction, instruction
and training of the operations of a sports team or of individuals.
Coaching involves both the physical and mental development
of trainees and requires as well an understanding of
principles of human anatomy and physiology, planning training
sessions, monitoring of progress, nutrition, basic treatment
of pathology and recovery techniques.
Master Thesis
With the guidance of an academic advisor, students will need
to identify and write a full proposal prior to carrying a comprehensive
study or research on a subject that closely matches
the student’s career interests.
Internship
This six-month internship will allow students to get professionally
immersed into governmental offices, international
organizations, NGOs, public and private institutions, clubs,
Olympic movements, international and national sport federations,
sports events and facility management businesses
and so on, and additionally serves as a spring board for accessing
attractive job opportunities. Students will therefore
get invaluable concrete exposure to the challenges met in the
field to build sustainable peace through sport. To satisfy the
program’s academic requirements, students will produce a
report and make an oral presentation to a professional/academic
panel at the end of their internship.
Research Methods
This course provides an in-depth exploration of a topic of
special interest or career relevance to the student. Students
work closely with an academic advisor to develop a comprehensive
research-based thesis and to make an oral presentation
of the research results to a professional academic
panel. Students will learn to apply relevant theories, laws,
and practical techniques in a chosen area; and integrate acquired
knowledge, experience, and skills in this process in a
trans-disciplinary way. They will demonstrate the ability to
approach problematic issues and examine a problem from
various perspectives.
Please note that this list is not exhaustive and subject to change
...To Practice
At the end of the academic year, students will have the opportunity to engage in a six-month internship and get professionally immersed into local, non-governmental, governmental, or international private organizations.
This work experience can serve as a spring board for accessing attractive job opportunities. IUM and the INSEEC Group have separately developed extended networks that together represent for students invaluable resources for both personal development and career advancement. Alternatively, students may complete a research thesis (on a subject that matches the student’s career interests or one of the program partners) during which they work under the guidance of an academic advisor.
In addition, throughout the academic year, students work in partnership with the Career Services Office as part of IUM’s
commitment to helping each student realize his/her career potential. These activities include training for resumé
enhancement, marketing techniques, mock interviews, or personal assessment. Career events and services include in
particular the Career Days and the preparation and publication of CV books for hundreds of recruiting firms and partners.
Career Opportunities
The
Master in Sustainable Peace through Sport offers graduates a wide range of career opportunities
in the world of sport, peace education and in public and private sectors.
After having successfully completed the Master program, "Engineers for Peace through Sport" will have the skills and competencies to implement concrete and adequate actions to promote sustainable peace through sport.
Various Positions
Graduates will acquire a broad range of skills that will enable them to apply for various positions such as:
• Project management and operations
• Talent development and coaching
• Sales, marketing and new media
• PR, communication, event management
• Fund-raising, sponsorship and corporate relations
• Sporting goods brand management
Various Institutions
Graduates will be able to apply for vacancies at the various institutions:
• National, Continental and International Sports Federations
• International and National Olympic and Paralympic Committee
• Professional Sports Club
• Governments and International cooperations
• Non-Governmental Organizations and Non-Profit Organizations
• United Nations organizations
• International, Regional and National public institutions
• Communication, event & marketing for public & private sport entities
• Private sector enterprises
Examples of internships
• "Peace and Sport" and its network
• National, Continental and International Sports Federations
• International and National Olympic and Paralympic Committee
• Professional Sports Club
• Governments and International cooperations
• Non-Governmental Organizations and Non-Profit Organizations
• United Nations organizations
• International, Regional and National public institutions
• Communication, event & marketing for public & private sport entities
• Private sector enterprises
