Dear friends,
Our community is growing stronger. As by today we have 6.770 registered users on our learning platform. This is an amazing network of health professionals and collaborating partners in peace work. You are part of it!
Nevertheless, we can see that many users have difficulties in completing the courses. This happens to be the case with most online courses – even the most prestigious online courses from famous universities. One of our main challenges is that the MPW courses are self-running and involve limited feedback from facilitators and peers. Some of you have asked whether it would be possible to show the correct answers in the test questions. We are currently working on this issue and will change the test configuration in a few weeks. This will imply a replacement of the old tests with new ones.
We have also realized that the online methodology, which we use today, can only to a certain degree facilitate the acquirement of skills. We therefore recommend combining the MPW online courses with face-to-face meetings. As examples you will find presented below the weekend workshop in Nairobi from April 12th to 13th, and the elective module on Peace, Health and Medical Work at the University of Tromsø in the autumn semester of 2014.
A new MPW project (MPW3) aims to increase relevant peace skills amongst health workers, through the development of case-based learning material for teamwork in both face-to-face and online settings. It will also focus on further implementation of MPW in educational institutions for health workers. We are looking for new European partner institutions.
Last, but not least, in this year we will for the second time pay tribute to a health worker or organization with the International Medical Peace Award. Please read and further distribute our call for nominations!
Dr. Klaus Melf, MPW Education Coordinator
Content:
- Change of test configuration in MPW courses 1-7
- Call for partner institutions for MPW3
- International Medical Peace Award 2014 - Call for nominations
- Nairobi workshop, April 12-13
- Elective module Peace, Health and Medical Work 2014, University of Tromsø
- Conference announcement: IPPNW World Congress in Kazakhstan, August 25-29
- Reminder: PEGASUS Conference in Toronto, May 2-4
1. Change of test configuration in MPW courses 1-7
We will change the configuration of our test questions to a random selection of questions each time you try. This will enable us to show you which of your answers are right and wrong. The date for the change is May 16th, 2014.
This will have the following consequences: Your saved records for partially completed tests within one course will be lost. You therefore need to finish your already started tests by May 15th, otherwise you have to redo the complete tests of the same course again. Already finalized courses, where you have downloaded your certificates, are not affected.
2. Call for European partner institutions for MPW3
We are in the planning process of a 2-years MPW project (MPW3) for developing new case-based learning material and for further implementing MPW into educational institutions. For this we will apply the European Commission for funding support with April 30th as deadline. Are you teacher or trainer in an institution in Europe responsible for vocational or higher education of health workers? We would like to have you as partner for further spreading and implementing MPW topics and learning material. If you are interested in becoming a partner institution for MPW3, please send an e-mail before April 4th to: klaus.melf@gmail.com
3. International Medical Peace Award 2014 - Call for nominations
IPPNW Germany and the MPW Network are pleased to announce a call for nominations for the International Medical Peace Award 2014. For the second time, the International Medical Peace Award of will be given to an individual or organization in the health sector with outstanding peace contributions. The award ceremony will be held at the International Conference “Medicine and Conscience” in Nuremberg, Germany on November 21st, 2014. Please send your nominations to Angelika Wilmen (wilmen@ippnw.de). Further information on: www.medicalpeacework.org/home/news-archive.html#c104
4. Nairobi workshop, April 12-13, 2014
About 100 MPW participants from different countries in Africa have simultaneously been going through the MPW courses in the last weeks. Those who have completed all seven courses will meet for a weekend workshop in Nairobi. The workshop shall contribute to learn from each other’s experience, and to gain relevant skills for MPW practice, such as non-violent communication, project management and advocacy work. It is expected that the workshop will result in concrete action plans and project ideas. Organizers of the workshop are medical students from IPPNW Kenya. Contact to project coordinator Mary Iwaret: iwamarx@yahoo.com
5. Module Peace, Health and Medical Work 2014, University of Tromsø (Norway)
Since 2005, the northernmost university of the world is offering an elective module on Master’s level, called Peace, Health and Medical Work (PHMW). This 10 ECTS credit giving module uses the seven MPW online courses as part of the syllabus. The module encompasses also one face-to-face teaching week (November 17–21, 2014) and a written exam. No study fees. International free-movers from some regions/countries can apply. Deadline for free-movers is April 15th, 2014. More information to the module at: uit.no/studietilbud/emner/emne?p_document_id=368987
6. Announcement: IPPNW World Congress in Kazakhstan, August 25-29
The 21st World Congress of International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (IPPNW) will take place in Astana (Kazakhstan) under the heading “From a Nuclear Test Ban to a Nuclear Weapon Free World: Disarmament, Peace and Global Health in the 21st Century”. The student congress will run on August 25 and 26. The main IPPNW world congress is scheduled for August 27-29. A special one day excursion to the former nuclear test site area close to Semey and Kurchatov city is offered for August 30. Medical Peace Work will offer a workshop on educating health professionals in peace and disarmament work. More information at: www.ippnw.org
7. Reminder: PEGASUS Conference in Toronto, May 2-4
Canadian Physicians for Research & Education in Peace (C-PREP) and Physicians for Global Survival (PGS) invite to this outstanding peace-health conference. Major themes include Peace, Global Health (International Health & Ethics, Marginalized Communities) and Sustainability, with sub-themes of research, advocacy/activism and policy development. Don’t miss it! Registration deadline: April 15th. See: www.pegasusconference.ca/