Todd Walters

Todd Walters, IPCR/MA ’06, has combined his passion for experiential peacebuilding and some of the most amazing locations on earth to develop International Peace Parks Expeditions

IPPE operates all-inclusive educational adventure expeditions through International Peace Parks.

The profit earned from the courses and trainings helps to fund the non-profit portion of IPPE that organizes Experiential Peacebuilding Expeditions for youth affected by conflict in the Peace Park region.

For Walters, this new venture really brings together his inter¬ests and aspirations. “It combines my education, my desire to travel and live in other cultures, see some of the most beautiful places on earth, and have a positive impact on young people af¬fected by conflict,” he said.

This new organization builds on many of Walters’ previous professional experiences. He has volunteered with Center for Peace Building International (Washington, D.C.) developing experiential peacebuilding programs and has worked with the Hemlock Overlook Center for Experiential Education (Clif¬ton, VA). Walters also spent the summer of 2008 in the small mountain village of Thethi, Albania running the first Balkans Peace Park Summer Program.

The Balkans Peace Park is located in the mountainous border area between Kosovo, Montenegro and northern Albania. The parks purpose is not only to serve as a symbol for peace and cooperation, but also to promote environmental conservation, stimulate local employment, and promote eco-tourism.

It is also a career, said Walters, that draws upon many of the skills he developed while in the IPCR program. “I use IPCR skills all the time,” he said. “Whether it is a conflict analysis or mapping exercise to teach and explain to others, I am constantly working within the physical context while understanding the underlying dynamics at play.”

This new venture has also provided Walters with the oppor¬tunity to develop a curriculum for the Experiential Peacebuild¬ing Expeditions. “It harnesses pieces of conflict resolution and peacebuilding skill training and combines it with experiential learning activities, theory, and debrief,” said Walters.

While the curriculum is important, Walters said that the true skills lies in the ability of the facilitator to recognize the needs of each group. The end goal, he said, is to develop “tangible cross group relationships based on mutual trust and a shared vision of the future.” These are interactions and experiences that he hopes will be retained and built upon when the participants return to their communities.

Walters is working with Professor Saleem Ali at University of Vermont to create a three week academic field study course called “Conservation Beyond Borders: A Field Experience in the Balkans Exploring the Prospects of “Peace Parks.”