UPEACE Centre for Executive Education
Empowering leaders to transform challenges into opportunities
August 2012
In This Issue
Upcoming Courses
What alumni are saying
Educating for the 21st Century
Positive Intelligence
Optimism
Upcoming Courses  

 

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Click here for our full course schedule, or contact Alonso Mu�oz (amunoz@upeace.org) for more information.
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"My experience at the University for Peace was transformational. I learned so much about peace and the Earth Charter that will continue to influence my profession and life back home. This is a truly enlightening experience where I got to engage a revolutionary culture."

 

Anastacia Tobin
University of San Diego

 

Greetings!
  

It's the first day of August as I write this. In Costa Rica, where UPEACE is headquartered, it's the rainiest month of the year.  In New Delhi, where my parents are, it's finally cooling off after a sweltering summer. In Florida, where I'm writing from today, the days have been long, warm, and humid. I've been waking up early to go for a swim before it gets too hot and this new routine gives me a little time to introspect each morning. August is also a new beginning for those of us who are in the field of education. My 6-year old daughter, Zelia, will be beginning 1st grade this month. She was born a few days after I developed and taught the course 'Entrepreneurship in the Social Sector' six years ago now - time flies when you're having fun!

 

Catch Mohit's final thoughts at the end of the newsletter! 

A view on educating in the 21st century 

Jody Steiger, a student from the 'Educating for the 21st Century' course offered June 2012, shares her experience on how this course reinforced the idea that by working together with a common objective, small changes can be achieved.

 

Among the emails I opened one day last April was one from the University for Peace Centre for Executive Education announcing the Educating for the 21st Century course. This isn't usual for me. As chairman of the board of an NGO that incorporates the arts in formal and non-formal education, I receive so many messages that I often toss non-solicited ones to the trash. Happily, something about this one caught my attention. And that has made all the difference.

 

To continue reading Jody's story, click here

Wrapping up the course in Monteverde
Positive Intelligence

It's no secret that a positive mindset at work boosts creativity, engagement and productivity. Shawn Achor shows us, through concise examples, how simple exercises in the workplace can have a significant impact on employees' state of happiness and optimism. 

 

Why not try them out?  Click here.

How to define optimism  

 

Dr. Seligman's Definition of Optimism
Dr. Seligman's Definition of Optimism

 

Mohit's final thoughts...

 

Are you having fun? That is a question I frequently ask myself. Till recently, I lacked a framework for answering that question in a meaningful way. But recently, I've been reading a lot about the science of 'well-being' and there's an acronym that I want to share with you - it's PERMA. The P is for 'Positive Emotion', the E for 'Engagement' the R for 'Relationships', M for 'Meaning' and A for 'Achievement'. If this intrigues you, I highly encourage you to spend some time on Dr. Martin Seligman's homepage, Authentic Happiness. The  'VIA Survey of Character Strengths', a 240 question multiple-choice survey which you can take from that site told me that my top two strengths are: 'Curiosity and Interest in the World' followed by 'Love of Learning' - how did it know? :-)

 

So, how's PERMA going for me? Thank you for asking! I realize just how critical the 'R' is for my well-being. If I don't pay attention that daily, it's not a good day. Cutting down on travel was a good start, but I'm also realizing that unless I set limits to my UPEACE life, no one else will. So I have a daily repeating message in my calendar that pops up at 5:30 p.m. every evening saying 'Quality time with my girls'.  The 'A' is also something that I've been thinking about lately as I inch closer and closer to 40 (yes, I know you would never have guessed). I've not yet completed a triathlon nor written a book (yet) but when I think about the thousand+ alumni who I have gotten to know via the UPEACE Centre, I can't think of any other activity that could have been as meaningful and engaging to me. 

 

And how's PERMA going for you? 

 

Sincerely,

Mohit Mukherjee

UPEACE Centre for Executive Education