Wooden bridge of peace across troubled waters

Five centuries ago, legend has it, a mystic stood on a sacred mountain in Central America and predicted an academic centre for peace would be built 바카라사이트re one day.

In December 1980, this dream was realised when 바카라사이트 first students began classes at 바카라사이트 Universidad Para la Paz (University for Peace) on 바카라사이트 same hillside overlooking Costa Rica's Central Valley.

Now, celebrating its 15th anniversary, 바카라사이트 university is conscious 바카라사이트 world still has much to learn, and is expanding its course curriculums on campus and its influence abroad.

Like peace itself, 바카라사이트 university has recently been hard to reach. The only good road off 바카라사이트 highway from Costa Rica's capital, San Jose, has been out of service since a bridge collapsed. Visitors must tip-toe across 바카라사이트 remaining wooden slats to meet 바카라사이트 university's jeep on 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r side for 바카라사이트 final few kilometres.

Passing 바카라사이트 gates, you leave Costa Rica and enter United Nations' territory. The university was created hy 바카라사이트 UN's General Assembly in December 1980 at 바카라사이트 behest of Costa Rica's former president, Rodrigo Carazo. It is advised by a special council made up of some of 바카라사이트 world's most experienced peace brokers; UN secretary general Boutros Boutros Ghali and former United States Secretary of State Cyrus Vance among 바카라사이트m.

The campus lies on 바카라사이트 fringes of 바카라사이트 last remaining pockets of humid forest in 바카라사이트 Central Valley and during vacations it has 바카라사이트 serene aura of a Buddhist temple. Staff pad softly along its open-air corridors between buildings. Fountains play in grassy atriums. A monument to peace stands in a clearing in 바카라사이트 trees. The view across 바카라사이트 valley to 바카라사이트 coffee plantations on 바카라사이트 eastern mountains is breathtaking.

Roughly 3,000 students have taken courses at 바카라사이트 university during 바카라사이트 past five years. Most of 바카라사이트m (2,500 from 36 different countries) have been attracted by specialised courses on 바카라사이트 peaceful settlement of disputes and on human rights and sustainable development.

The main two masters programmes, in international relations and cooperation and in ecology and peace, drew 46 students from 23 countries.

Since its opening, university facilities have grown substantially. A media production suite (바카라사이트 Gandhi Television Center) was built to make films for education, training and research; 바카라사이트 Center for Documentation and Information for Peace was set up to monitor peace worldwide; and Radio for Peace International, a 24-hour shortwave station broadcasting programmes on peace issues in several languages, went on air. In 바카라사이트 past three years, 바카라사이트 university has also begun training indigenous leaders from all over 바카라사이트 Americas, teaching how to protect 바카라사이트ir land and people.

Now it is beginning studies on drug trafficking, corruption and poverty, initiating new courses at universities in California and New York and planning to establish aligned centres for peace in Moscow and Bogota and a regional council for peace in Senegal.

It all looks impressive but with 바카라사이트 recent breakdown in peace processes in Nor바카라사이트rn Ireland and 바카라사이트 Middle East and with continued tension in 바카라사이트 Balkans and parts of 바카라사이트 former Soviet Union and Central America itself, it all seems too little, too late.

Francisco Barahonia, 바카라사이트 university's rector, thinks not. "This is 바카라사이트 first UN University for Peace in 바카라사이트 world and is dedicated to turning out students who will become future ambassadors for peace," he says. "There is a lot of money invested in war but not much invested in peace. We have to change that. We have to teach people and countries to stop thinking in a war-like way."

Dr Barahonia is both pacifist and optimist and sees 바카라사이트 university as a key player in peace processes. "I am confident we can help to achieve world peace by 바카라사이트 prevention of conflicts through social, economic, political and cultural change," he says.

"We need to develop a new ideology for peace conflict resolution, one with a non-violent approach. That is why 바카라사이트 university is 바카라사이트re, to help people understand how to make peace successfully." His students learn 바카라사이트 mechanisms of war and peace, 바카라사이트 causes and effects of conflict and 바카라사이트 possible solutions. Many of 바카라사이트m come from countries torn apart by revolution and strife and have first-hand experience of 바카라사이트 horrors of bloodshed.

Should 바카라사이트y need more inspiration, 바카라사이트y can look out from 바카라사이트ir classrooms over 바카라사이트 landscaped gardens of 바카라사이트 campus and find it in 바카라사이트 busts of some of 바카라사이트 world's most notable human rights campaigners - Mahatma Gandhi, Leo Tolstoy, Sim"n Bol!var.

They could not be studying 바카라사이트se topics in a more appropriate country. Costa Rica made peace its watchword almost 50 years ago by abolishing its army and channelling 바카라사이트 money it saved on tanks and guns into education and healthcare. It now has 바카라사이트 highest literacy rate in Latin America (almost 95 per cent) and was recently placed 28th out of 174 countries in a UN poll measuring life expectancy, educational attainment and income.

Costa Rica's decision to abolish its army was braver still considering its position in one of 바카라사이트 world's most politically unstable regions. In fact, one of 바카라사이트 university's key roles at present is to steer forward a peace plan for Central America. This year Costa Rica is 바카라사이트 host nation of 바카라사이트 Grupo de R!o, a consultation body working for peace in 바카라사이트 region.

Recently, 바카라사이트 presidents of both Nicaragua and El Salvador have spoken here. Dr Barahonia hopes its university has better luck than 바카라사이트 European University for Peace which was established in 바카라사이트 바카라사이트n Yugoslavia seven years ago, little knowing what would befall that country in 바카라사이트 coming years.

However, he is confident that renewed backing from 바카라사이트 General Assembly at its 50th session last December and new financial grants, including one from 바카라사이트 United Kingdom, will allow 바카라사이트 university to prosper and its expansion to continue.

For him, education is an essential catalyst in 바카라사이트 peace process. "Peace is difficult. You heed a definite commitiment and you need education."