GlobalOPS is the world’s first fully global, online and on-site platform to provide missions, organizations, agencies, governments, practitioners, and policy makers with direct, customized, real-time support for peacebuilding, conflict transformation, prevention of armed conflict and armed violence, peacekeeping and stabilization operations. Their module leaders are amongst the world’s top experts in the their fields. Ranging from 4 to 12 weeks, each module includes: coaching, professional development and technical assistance customized to needs and context.
“GlobalOPS is a breakthrough in the field,” says Kai Brand-Jacobsen, Director of the Department of Peace Operations (DPO) – PATRIR, where GlobalOPS is housed. “For the first time we have a platform which can reach mediators, practitioners and people working on the ground, in the field, wherever they are, whenever they need it. It’s 
about making sure that those involved in the difficult and challenging work of peacebuilding have the support they need – and are linked together with practitioners, policy makers and experts working on similar issues around the world. This is a giant step forward for the field. It’s a way of making sure that ‘lessons’ learned in different areas reach the actual people – policy makers and practitioners – doing the work on the ground. And the best part about it: it’s been developed completely for free, without any external funding or grants, to meet real needs in the field.”
Starting in March 2014, GlobalOPS will be offering modules in:
- Prevention intensive: preventing electoral violence and prevention of armed violence
- Comprehensive conflict analysis for improving design, impact and effectiveness of conflict transformation and peacebuilding strategies.
- Supporting local and national capacities for peacebuilding: participation, ownership and empowering effective and sustainable local and national capacities for peacebuilding and violence prevention.
- Early warning, early response and contemporary peace operations.
- Peace and conflict impact assessment: enabling effective conflict sensitive programming in conflict affected and fragile states.
- Integrated planning, monitoring and evaluation: the link from project cycle evaluation to improved design and implementation of peacebuilding, stabilization and peace support operations.
- Making gender mainstreaming effective in peacebuilding, conflict transformation and development programs.
- Identifying, recruiting and engaging marginalized and hard-to-reach youth in peacebuilding and conflict transformation.
- Engaging identity, recovery and peace consolidation after war: building sustainable peace and preventing violent recurrence through sound policy and practice.
According to Brand-Jacobsen, “The response so far has been amazing, and it’s already moving forward with plans for further modules in the Autumn of 2014 and beyond, and steps to create a GlobalOPS app so people can reach GlobalOPS support through their mobile phones and tablets as well.”
Find out more: http://globalopsonline.org/