Call for Tenders - Full-time Course in Peace and Conflict Work

The Academy for Conflict Transformation, part of Pro Peace, is looking for trainers for the 8 different modules of the Full-time Course in Peace and Conflict Work Spring 2026. The course takes place from 23rd February to 25th April 2026 at the Jugendakademie Walberberg, in Bornheim, Germany.

1. Background information

Pro Peace supports people involved in violent conflicts on the path to peace and strives to help overcome war and violence.

Our Academy for Conflict Transformation, the qualification department in Pro Peace, offers a learning space for professionals, international peace workers and experts in the field of civil conflict transformation. Our educational work is an expression of our conviction of the non-violent, constructive ways of dealing with conflicts. The main goal is to provide professionals who already work or intent to work on international peace projects and/or conflict-sensitive development cooperation with practical tools that allow them to contribute to building lasting peace. In our courses, we create learning spaces where theory meets practice. Within this, our educational concept focuses on personal development, self-determination, responsibility and the ability to act in conflicts. One of our central concerns is fostering a personal attitude oriented towards peace-related values among all those who participate in our courses and trainings. The international intercultural exchange and participatory learning are particular strengths of our courses and trainings.

The Academy’s portfolio consists of longer, comprehensive courses in peace and conflict work as well as shorter trainings focused on specific topics – both as in-person and online. Furthermore, we offer specific exchange platforms for alumni and orientation trainings for people interested in the Civil Peace Service (CPS). The Academy also offers tailor-made trainings in the field of peace and conflict transformation.

The Academy for Conflict Transformation promotes an interactive, varied and playful learning environment and exchange-oriented communication of content. In addition to input from the trainers, the exchange of ideas among the participants, for example in group work and discussions, is also crucial and a valuable resource. We emphasize a warm, encouraging, trusting and appreciating atmosphere in this setting. The facilitator’s expertise and the personal exchange between participants will constitute key components of these trainings. Furthermore, the Academy is aware of different power structures and considers it in the designing of the content and the training. When the need arises, we, together with the trainers, we will create a room where discussions can 
take place.

2. General course description and structure

The aim of this course is for the participants to acquire the appropriate skills and knowledge needed to work on the diverse and multi-faceted field of peace and conflict work. The participants will deepen their understanding of the conflict dynamics, and non-violent transformation, among others: clarify the key concepts of civil conflict transformation, analyse conflicts, design peace projects, as well as gain a deeper understanding of their roles and attitudes as peace workers. The consolidation of their sense of self, awareness of own patterns, attitudes, behaviours, biases, needs and limits, as well as understanding of group dynamics and the importance of communication, are core issues to the course, and are not only worked on through a theoretical input, but are consistently brought to the focus through self-reflection and group sharing.

The course utilizes the elicitive training model, where the learning journey is aimed at discovery and creation using the participants’ experiences and knowledge as the main resource, and where the trainers are catalysts and facilitators rather than experts. The participants’ learning also continues after the official sessions as they will be living together with the other participants throughout the course.

At the end of the intensive full-time course, the participants will have:

• Examined their own motivations, attitudes and perspectives on peace work;
• Practice the selected conflict transformation skills in the classroom setting and identify ways and ideas how could they be implemented in their work settings;
• Analysed their own conflict settings and their own projects through the use of different lenses and frameworks conveyed in each module;
• Developed project ideas or improve existing projects derived from the results of the conflict analysis;
• Developed a plan for application of the knowledge and skills learned to their own work / conflict settings.

Course structure

The 10-module course starts with an introduction week (Module 1) and ends with a wrap up week (Module 10) which will be facilitated by the course educational advisors.  The call is looking for trainers for Modules 2 – 9.

The modules 2-9 are divided into three learning blocks with each block conveying a cluster of related knowledge and skills.

Block: Skills and Attitudes in Conflict Transformation
Module 2: Trauma, Stress Management and Resilience
Module 3: Introduction to Dialogue Facilitation
Module 4: Nonviolent Action and Advocacy

Block: Peace Programming
Module 5: Conflict Analysis
Module 6: Designing Peace Projects

Block: Mainstreaming Crosscutting themes
Module 7: Steering Stakeholder Processes
Module 8: Conflict Sensitive approach in Conflict Transformation and Peacebuilding
Module 9: Environment, People and Conflict

There will be a number of fixed participants throughout the whole course but modules 2-9 are also open courses where participants could register for specific modules only.

Please refer to the annex 1 for the detailed description, number days and dates.

3. Procedure and Deliverables

The trainer shall facilitate the delivery of the module (including the design /preparation, actual implementation and debriefing) within the scope of the Full-Time Course in Peace and Conflict Work, and in agreement with the Academy’s team.

This includes the following tasks:

Conceptualization and preparation of the training

• Provides the training design and literature/ materials
• Attends the trainer's meeting to ensure linkages to the other modules, ensuring hand overs and general coordiation with the academy advisors and other trainers;
• send the detailed and updated training outline and materials to the educational advisor latest two week before the start.

Implementation of the Module

• Facilitates the in-person sessions independently;
• Adapts the course design and methodologies to needs of the participantsm when the situation arises;
• provides a space/ platform for addressing tensions/ conflicts when the need arises;
• gives timely feedback to the academy's educational advisors rregarding the participants' engagement and contributions.
• creates a documentation including the delivered inputs and the participants ouputs

Post-course debriefing and hand over

• Provides relevant information to the next trainer abou the participants' engagements, contributions, challenges, difficulties, am others;
• attends a debrief (online) meeting with the educational advisors.

4. Trainer and tender requirement

The trainer must fulfill the following criteria:

1. Substantial knowledge of the theory of the course subject and its practical application. The theories and knowledge base should represent a wide array of schools of thoughts, including non-eurocentric perspectives;
2. Substantial knowledge of adult education methodologies through long-term experience as trainer in multi-cultural contexts;
3. Full English proficiency;
4. Excellent facilitation and communication skills, including the ability convey abstract / complex concepts and terms (both in the design and in the actual training facilitation) in a manner that could be understood by the participants;
5. Possess self-awareness, openness to feedback and ability to deal with conflicts in a constructive manner;
6. Being aware of various power dynamics within the classroom and the openness to create a platform to discuss power related issues during the module implementation, whenever the need arises.

5. Assessment procedure

The selection will be done in line with the following criteria.

6. Fees

The Academy is looking for one trainer for each module and offers a daily fee of 650€ (excl. VAT).

• For Modules 2, 4, 7, 8, and 9, we calculate 4 training days respectively plus 1 day (for preparation, attending the trainers’ meeting and debrief)
• For Modules 3 and 6, we calculate 5 training days respectively plus 1 ½ days (for preparation, attending the trainers’ meeting and debrief)
• For Module 5, we calculate 6 training days plus 2 days (for preparation, attending the trainers’ meeting and debrief)
• Travel costs will be reimbursed in accordance with German law (“Bundesreisekostengesetz”)
• Food and accommodation will be provided in the venue Jugendakademie Walberberg, in Bornheim, Germany.

7. Submission of proposals

The proposals should include:

• A CV and a cover letter explaining your motivation and working approaches
• A course concept and outline detailing each day’s activities (for draft concept, see Annex 2).

Please submit all documents in English.

For inquiries regarding the course, the content or the application process please contact Robert Sakofski (robert.sakofski@propeace.de).