Apply for the 6-week online course: Building resilience and safety in a digital and conflict-prone world

GPPAC’s Peace Education Working Group invites educators, youth practitioners, and peacebuilding professionals to apply for a highly interactive 6-week online course focused on resilience, dialogue, and critical thinking in today’s digital and conflict-affected contexts.

Running from 17 February to 10 March 2026, the online course combines practical tools, reflection, and peer learning to strengthen participants’ capacity to prevent digital violence, address media manipulation, and foster safe, inclusive learning environments. Participation is limited to 25 participants to ensure a meaningful and interactive learning experience.

Description and overview:

This 6-week course is designed to develop and strengthen the capacities of formal and informal educators, youth practitioners, and peacebuilding professionals. It equips participants with practical skills and knowledge to protect themselves and others from digital violence in conflict-prone and digitally complex environments.

Participants are expected to transfer the acquired skills, knowledge, and practical tools to their students, colleagues, and broader communities. The course supports participants in applying these competencies in both their personal and professional lives, contributing to safer behaviour online, in schools, and in broader society. 

Participants who attend all sessions and actively participate will receive a certificate of completion from the Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflict (GPPAC).

Course content and format: 

The online course consists of one preparatory session and six online workshops. Five thematic modules will be covered:

• Resilience and psychosocial support
• Protection from digital violence and critical thinking
• Media manipulations
• AI in education
• Personal and group identity

Lead facilitators run each 2–2.5-hour workshop in pairs. 

Each workshop includes the following activities and learning components:

• Interactive individual and group tasks;
• Homework – assignments in the form of reading, written tasks and Q/A quizzes;
• Written homework submitted via email;
• Final task: Create a plan of activities that you will be able to implement in your work settings;
• Sample resources will be shared throughout the course.

This course will be highly interactive, as the organisers value participants’ experiences. They believe learning is more effective when we analyse, discuss, and complete tasks in teams. Participants should expect homework in the form of individual assignments, which will be posted on the Canvas platform. 

Who should apply?

• Educators in primary and secondary classrooms;
• Faculty in teacher training at teacher preparation colleges/universities or organisations;
• Staff in Ministry/Departments of Education;
• Staff in International Governmental Organisations who work with youth at the primary/secondary level in the field of education, or
• Staff in civil society organisations working in education at scale (country-wide or regionally).

Timeline:

• Applications due 6 February 2026
• Respond to applicants by 10 February 2026
• Course begins/preparatory session – 17 February 2026
• Workshops are held on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 1:00 pm CET on 19, 24 and 26 February and 3, 5 and 10 March 2026. The course ends on 10 March 2026.

How to apply?

Apply by filling out the form here.

Language:

Participants must be proficient in English, both in writing and speaking.

Technology needed:

Participants will need the following to take part in the online course:

• Computer, tablet, or phone with camera and microphone enabled
• Reliable WiFi capable of supporting live Zoom sessions and video content

Facilitators: 

Biljana Lajovic, psychologist and education specialist, and Tatjana Popovic, peace and conflict transformation educator from the Nansen Dialogue Centre Serbia. Read their bios here. 

Participant experiences:

“It was a motivating and inspirational journey for me. Interesting topics were presented by various facilitators. I had the chance to learn from professionals all over the world and exchange experiences and knowledge.” - Former participant Alisa, USA