5) Description of initiative: Our focus is to create a National System for Peace in Costa Rica that will inspire other countries to do the same. We aim to build governmental infrastructure, NGO cooperation and grassroots skills to insure that peace is passed from generation to generation. This apolitical initiative has three levels that will be addressed in all questions on this form:

1. Our May 2006 initiative, creating a Ministry for Justice and Peace from the existing Ministry for Justice, is now a bill with no political opposition. The Minister of Justice is planning for the Congress to pass the bill in January 2007. This ministry will include an existing National Pro Paz Commission, which is already developing a national plan for peace. The peace functions of the ministry will be carried out by three offices: * Promotion of Peace * Alternative Conflict Resolution * Public Events

2. After the bill is passed, we will initiate an NGO alliance, Costa Rica Pro Paz. This alliance will be facilitated by the new Ministry of Justice and Peace, as we added this function to the bill and placed it on the National System for Peace organizational chart, with the approval of the existing Ministry for Justice. NGOs currently provide conflict resolution, health and housing services, microcredit, environmental protection, etc. However, many resources are wasted because there is no coordination of these efforts. This alliance will create a space for cooperation and resource development for social peace.

3. Our National Center for Social and Emotional Learning with its trainers, the Peace Army, teaches peace skills and mediation through a pioneering, synergistic combination of two methods called the Peace Army Way: * HeartMath, a scientifically validated method for “feeling peace” * Nonviolent Communication, a proven method for “speaking peace” In its fourth year now, the Peace Army will train 13 schools and many other groups in 2007 and will upscale to the national level by 2011.

6) Description of innovation: This National System for Peace is an original countrywide model of government, NGOs, and citizens working together so that peace can be attained at all levels of society. In Costa Rica, which abolished its army in 1948 and passed a peace education law in 1997, the foundation for this model has been laid for many years. Now Costa Rica’s identity with peace will be strengthened by adding three unique parts:

1. The Ministry for Justice and Peace will be the first ministry in the world designed for building a countrywide culture of peace. In addition, through our novel approach, the Ministry for Justice and Peace will be established in Costa Rica with a minimum of additional bureaucracy and at an affordable cost for a developing country.

2. With the Ministry for Justice and Peace facilitating Costa Rica Pro Paz, a one-of-a-kind national partnership for peace will be born. Government facilitation will encourage NGOs to participate in the alliance, collaborate with each other and enjoy these benefits: * an assessment of needs and resources * joint planning for effective use and generation of resources * mutual responsibility for preventing violence between groups * mutual promotion of public events, such as the International Day of Peace * working together with socially responsible businesses in carrying out the national peace plan

3. The National Center for Social and Emotional Learning (NACSEL) is the first of its kind, designed to develop the social and emotional intelligence of an entire citizenry. NACSEL’s groundbreaking training program uses cutting-edge techniques, such as the Institute of HeartMath’s latest biofeedback technology for learning to reduce stress, called emwave.

NACSEL’s headquarters, called Quizur, Culturita de Paz, include facilities for training 150 people at a time. Additional land has been purchased so that future residential facilities may house citizens from outlying areas.

7) Delivery model: The National System for Peace in Costa Rica will reach citizens on three levels:

1. The offices of the Ministry for Justice and Peace will complete its mission through: * Peace promotion projects such as assessing the needs of communities with a high level of violence or working with groups in conflict.

* Facilitating the implementation of law 7727 for the Alternative Resolution of Conflicts (dialogue, negotiation, mediation and arbitration) with individuals and groups

* Building on Costa Rica’s national identity with peace through public events, such as celebrations of the abolition of the army and the International Day of Peace

2. Costa Rica Pro Paz will empower NGOs to be more effective with their target populations. As the alliance discovers the role each NGO plays in the implementation of the national peace plan, each NGO will be valued and supported to be successful in that arena of social peace. In addition, members of the alliance will be offered Peace Army Way training so that they will be able to model and teach peace at the same time.

3. The National Center for Social and Emotional Learning provides training for students, teachers and parents in public and private schools. The primary aim of the school program is to develop student mediators trained to resolve conflicts using the Peace Army Way. Once the teachers learn how to teach mediation to the students for use in the classroom, the program becomes sustainable from year to year.

In its first three years, the Peace Army developed two pilot school projects that demonstrated the validity of the Peace Army Way. As a result, in 2007, the Peace Army received funding to train in all of the schools in Santa Ana County to build a model at this level.

As funding increases, more trainers will be trained so that the NACSEL can create regional satellite centers. Over time, this strategy will result in a nation that can pass peace skills from one generation to the next.

8) Key operational partnerships: In the process of initiating three new parts of the National System for Peace, these partners have been essential:

Partners in establishing the Ministry for Justice and Peace * Ministry of Justice * Representatives from a variety of political parties were vital in order to present the bill as nonpartisan.

Partners who will participate in establishing Costa Rica Pro Paz * The Rasur Foundation is connected with many NGOs in Costa Rica. As soon as the bill is passed and we meet with the Minister of Justice and Peace to set up a facilitation process, we will contact a core group of NGOs to form this alliance with us.

Partners supporting the National Center for Social and Emotional Learning * The Institute of HeartMath, USA, provides free consultation, scholarships for USA training for Peace Army trainers, free and discounted books, materials and software. * The Center for Nonviolent Communication, USA, provides free consultation, scholarships for international trainings for Peace Army trainers, discounted books and materials. * The Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Justice are currently working with us on a formal agreement for training programs. We foresee formal agreements with other ministries in the future. For example, the Ministry of Transportation has requested training for taxi drivers. * The Arias Foundation provides consultation, support in grant writing and networking opportunities such as sending the Director to international conferences.

9) Financial model: The Ministry for Justice and Peace will be government funded so we have no responsibility for it. This ministry will facilitate Costa Rica Pro Paz and its members will support it so we have no responsibility.

NACSEL offers access to training as follows: * Public schools - no charge, they provide snacks and lunch * Private schools - negotiated fee * NGOs - no charge if they provide teacher training or support in public schools, they provide snacks and lunch * Other organizations - negotiated fee, sometimes at cost * Individuals – fee or scholarship if needed

At this time, we have funding for our school program through AED (similar to the United Way). If we have a challenge with funding this program in the future, we will solicit businesses for teacher scholarships.

          • Costs as percentage of income: 10

          • Financing: Donors who have financed the National System for Peace initiatives with Rasur Foundation: * Costa Rica Educational Foundation * Asociación Empresarial para El Desarrollo (AED) * Women and Children First Foundation * Pan American Educational Foundation * Carson Foundation

For financial sustainability, we will utilize residential international trainings as an income source. We now offer Peace Army Way tours that include training until we can offer residential capacity. In addition, we train businesses as a way to educate their staff and support our public programs.

The Founding Director of Rasur Foundation has no children and intends to donate the office and training headquarters, Quizur, upon her death. This will insure NACSEL is a permanent fixture in Co

10) Effectiveness

          • Project outcomes: Since the Minister of Justice plans to pass our Ministry of Justice and Peace bill this month, it will certainly have an impact on the future of Costa Rica. NACSEL has established such credibility in shifting school environments toward peace that AED is increasing the funding from one school per year to 13 schools in 2007. Highlights from 2004-2006: * In two pilot schools, 255 hours of seminar training were received by 40 teachers as well as classroom lessons. * 680 students were oriented to the Peace Army Way in assemblies. * 17 student mediators were trained * Workshops offering 156 hours reached 336 individuals, 79 of whom were private school teachers. * Eleven trainers received international training in Nonviolent Communication; two were certified in HeartMath.

          • Number of clients in past year: In 2006, these people benefited from NACSEL training programs: * 25 parents * 80 students in assemblies and classroom lessons with a Peace Army trainer * 17 student mediators * 10 public school teachers and principal * 24 private school teachers * 14 social workers * 26 teachers in a values program * 77 volunteers * 11 trainers International workshops and presentations: * 11 peace educators in an international conference in Costa Rica at the UN University for Peace * 30 participants at the World Peace Forum in Canada * About 300 participants in the US * About 750 participants in Japan In addition, the Rasur Foundation sponsored the first public celebration of the International Day of Peace with a ceremony at the National Cultural Center, attended by about 200 people.

11) Scaling up strategy

          • Stage of the initiative: Scaling Up stage.

          • Expansion plan: In 2007, we’ll work closely with the new Ministry for Justice and Peace and pioneer Costa Rica Pro Paz along with other NGOs in Costa Rica.

In the National Center for Social and Emotional Learning school program, our intention is to grow to the national level with an emphasis on public schools. Therefore, in 2007, we’ll scale up from two pilot schools to 13 to create a model county.

In 2008, we’ll train in about 30 public schools and engage 40 trainer candidates from the 20 regions of Costa Rica in training. We’ll build the residential center this year so that we can begin training international groups and groups from outlying areas.

In 2009, we’ll train in approximately 60 public schools and assist the trainer candidates in the regions in starting satellite training centers. We’ll continue to provide training to other organizations as well.

12) Origin of the initiative: Rita Marie Johnson, our founder, moved to Costa Rica 14 years ago. She discovered a Costa Rican prophetic poem, Rasur or the Week of Splendor, that became the inspiration for her work. The poem tells of a master teacher who comes to the mountains of Costa Rica and teaches the children, “Before directing the lightning in the sky, we must first harness the storms in our own hearts.” The children pass this wisdom to their parents and soon their village, Quizur, becomes a culture of peace. Rita Marie founded a school where she experimented with social and emotional learning methods. Then she worked at the UN University for Peace where she produced a national musical, Rasur. Rita Marie and her husband purchased a property in Santa Ana and named it “Quizur, Culturita de Paz” after the village in the poem. Now, as we work there, we strive to live in peace.

Contact Information:
Rita Marie  Johnson
Founding Director
Rasur Foundation
(Educaional foundation)
SJO-401 P.O Box 025216 Miami, FL 33102-5216
Costa Rica
Tel: 506-282-6576
Fax: 506-282-0200
Email: ritamarie@rasurfoundation.org
Website: www.peacearmyofcostarica.info