“The experience strengthened my knowledge, expanded my global perspective, and reinforced my commitment to advancing gender-centred and human-rights–based approaches in peace and development work.”
FY 2025 Program Associates—Primary Course
Who is eligible?
Every year, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan decides which countries will be invited to participate. In principle, the training is designed for individuals who already have some work experience in the fields of peacebuilding and/or international development and who demonstrate a strong will to develop their career in these fields.
01. Japan Training Component
This is a 4-week course on practical skills needed to work in peacebuilding and development, as well as career planning and preparation. All lectures are conducted in English. Instructors are current or former staff members of international organizations, as well as experts in the fields of peacebuilding and development from Hiroshima University and other institutions.
Content of Japan Training Component
Such as the guiding principles of the United Nations: multilateral approaches to preventing and addressing conflicts; economic, social and environmental frameworks such as the SDGs and international conventions; and emerging issues, such as the impact of new technologies and social media on peace and development activities.
Such as program planning and project management skills, including theory of change, gender mainstreaming, and monitoring and evaluation, and soft skills such as communication and negotiation.
Such as UN competencies, values and behaviors; career planning; interview preparation and mental health and well-being.
Including lectures from experts on the recovery of Hiroshima’s citizens after the atomic bomb destroyed the city and their message of peace to the world.