Fully-funded Women PeaceMakers Program Fellowship 2018/19 in San Diego

Deadline: April 2, 2018

Applications for the Women PeaceMakers Program are open. The Women PeaceMakers Program (WPM) offers a unique opportunity for women building peace to engage in a cycle of learning, practice and reflection through participation in a 10-month fellowship. The internationally-renowned Women PeaceMakers program is honoring 16 years of documenting the diverse roles women play in peacebuilding.

Knowing the power of women’s full participation in peace and security decision-making to building more durable peace, the Women PeaceMakers fellowship aims to build stronger, more effective collaborations between women peacebuilders from conflict-affected communities and their international partners. The Women PeaceMakers program is based at the Institute for Peace and Justice (IPJ) at the University of San Diego’s Kroc School of Peace Studies.

Fellowship

Four Women PeaceMakers and four individual international partners will be selected as a cohort to build mutual learning and stronger modes of engagement between women building peace (“insiders”) and international actors (“outsiders”) working to end cycles of violence.

During the 10-month fellowship, the program will focus on women’s formal participation in national and subnational peace negotiations to answer the question: “How can Women PeaceMakers and international partners build more effective local/global collaborations that support women’s meaningful participation in peace negotiations?”

Benefits

There is no cost to participate in the Women PeaceMakers Program. Selected peacemakers will receive a per diem to cover basic living costs during the residency. This funding is to be used for meals and incidentals, and any local transportation needs apart from residency activities.

The program provides all funding related to securing a visa, travel and airfare to and from San Diego at the beginning and end of the residency, and lodging throughout the seven weeks. The program encourages applicants to seek supplemental funding from other sources if needed, although the funding provided by the IPJ for those selected will be sufficient for the full seven weeks.

Eligibility

Applicants for the Women PeaceMakers fellowship must:

• Have worked for 5-10+ years as a peacebuilder and have worked directly in formal mediation and peace negotiation processes as members of conflict parties in the negotiations, or as formal mediators to national or subnational peace processes;
• Held a significant leadership role in the mediation process, and/or of a peacebuilding organization, network, or movement;
• Demonstrates peacebuilding/peacemaking skills and attitudes;
• Be in a position to participate in all activities during the 10-month fellowship and apply what is learned at the conclusion of the residency program;
• Demonstrate local credibility and a strong social network within her country/community of practice;
• Speak sufficient English to relate personal experiences. Written English is not necessary.

Requirements

• Collaboration with International Partner: One of the most significant goals of the program is to work with an International Partner to exchange ideas and identify strategies to build more effective local/global collaborations to support women’s participation in local and global peace negotiations. Each Woman PeaceMaker will communicate at a minimum once a month either in person or virtually throughout the residency to identify and achieve joint learning goals. In addition, Women PeaceMakers will work directly with International Partners and program staff during an intensive one-week Learning Lab.
• Documenting Lessons Learned in Peacebuilding: Throughout the residency, each Woman PeaceMaker will work with a Peace Researcher to develop a case study which documents her experience in formal mediation and peace negotiations
• Localization Initiative: Women PeaceMakers are invited to design a series of consultations in their home country to share and gain stakeholder and community input on the Partnership Compact. In particular, these will be geared to engage local peacebuilders and international partners working in the Woman PeaceMaker’s context. Funding of up to $7,500 to support the initiative she designs will be contingent upon successfully meeting the requirements of the fellowship.
• Public Presentations: Women PeaceMakers will share their work with a range of audiences at the University of San 5 Diego and throughout Southern California.
• Travel after the Residency: Applicants should expect to be involved with full-time program activities throughout the 7-week period, and should not schedule any conflicting engagements elsewhere in the U.S. or overseas. PeaceMakers should also commit to dedicate sufficient time to conduct the localization initiatives in June/July 2019.

Area of Focus and Selection Criteria: 

Women’s Mediation of and Participation in Peace Negotiations

• Women PeaceMaker fellows who have participated in formal mediation and negotiation processes as members of conflict parties in the negotiations, or as formal mediators to national or subnational peace processes.
• International partners will be selected based on their work in and support of more inclusive peace processes.

Application

• In order for your application to be considered, it must be sent via email or hardcopy through the mail by April 2, 2018.​
• If you choose to send it in hard copy, it must be postmarked on or before April 2, 2018​.
• Applicants selected for consideration will be notified via email

Application must include the following:

• The completed and signed 2018 application form (see below)
• A written statement describing:
  • Why you are interested in participating in the 2018 Women PeaceMakers Program. (No more than 2 pages)
  • Your journey of becoming a peacemaker including:
    • Through your work, explain how you have acted in formal mediation and peace negotiation processes in your country of origin. Please provide concrete details of your role. (No more than 2 pages)
    • Do you work with international partners (INGOs, international donors, UN agencies, or others)?
• A resume or curriculum vitae of your professional peacemaking activities and educational background.(No more than 3 pages)
• Two letters of reference

Send completed application by email or post to:

Jennifer Bradshaw
Program Officer for Women PeaceMakers
Email:​ womenpeacemakers@gmail.com

Mailing Address:

Jennifer Bradshaw
Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice
Kroc School of Peace Studies
University of San Diego
5998 Alcala Park
San Diego, CA

92110 USA

If sending the full application via email, please scan and then email a completed and signed copy of the 2018 Application Form.

Click here to download the application.

For more information, visit Women PeaceMakers Program.