The United States Institute of Peace (USIP) is a publicly funded institution chartered to "provide the widest possible range of education and training, basic and applied research opportunities, and peace information services on the means to promote international peace and the resolution of conflicts among the nations and peoples of the world without recourse to violence.” USIP’s Academy for International Conflict Management and Peacebuilding provides practitioner-oriented education, training, and resources via facilities at USIP’s Washington headquarters, mobile training in conflict zones abroad (for example, Afghanistan, Sudan, and Iraq), and online distance education and training. Its website lists all of USIP’s practitioner-oriented courses.

The Academy’s practitioner-oriented courses, held at USIP’s headquarters in Washington and elsewhere, prepare professionals for work in and on conflict zones, often as part of a larger community. The courses enhance the capacity of civilians and military to operate collaboratively in highly stressful, complex environments. The skills taught in the courses are based on lessons learned and best practices from the field. Instructors include people who have firsthand experience in conflict zones. Class sizes are small and participants interact with highly skilled senior practitioners. The courses impart specific skills through case studies, simulations, and small group exercises

Course pricing is structured based on the sector of the participant, and scholarships are available.  The Academy is piloting several courses in May, June and July for which there are special prices of $195.  In addition to having chances to network and exchange views with people from different sectors during the course, alumni are able to access USIP’s alumni network for opportunities to make connections and stay in touch after the course ends.

Some of the upcoming pilot courses include:

USIP Academy Offers Pilot Courses - Special Price: $195
The Academy for International Conflict Management and Peacebuilding will pilot new courses to keep up with new trends in the field of conflict management and peacebuilding.

• Through a highly interactive approach, "Facilitation in Complex Environments," June 4-8, offers participants the chance to practice planning and implementing a facilitation process.  
• Through participation in advanced simulations during "Cultural Adaptability: Advanced Applications," June 4-8, students will enhance their empathy and emotional intelligence for difficult cultural settings.  
• In “Trauma and Peacebuilding," June 25-26, participants will learn about trauma and how this manifests itself in human behavior. In addition, they will learn how to recognize trauma affected behavior and will learn strategies and tools to more effectively work with these populations. This class is not about how to heal trauma but rather about understanding how to work in a trauma affected environment.

Other pilot courses include ""Peacebuilding in Tribal Muslim Societies," and "Gender and Peacebuilding."

To see all of USIP’s Academy training courses, go to http://www.usip.org/academy/courses/date.