Leading up the 2007 global forum hosted in Colombia to address reintegration for former child soldiers, over 100 participants were invited to take an online course on the theme of reintegration and prevention designed by the Goldin Institute and Centro Mundial.

This four-week course was offered in English and Spanish and offered learners materials and interactions covering: the global context of the child soldier issue including key terms and dynamics; insight into the Colombian experience and expertise; innovative efforts that are working to better the lives of young former combatants; and a wrap-up session that prepared participants for the global forum in Cartagena.

Each week participants engaged through:

• Readings: each session offered a selected set of readings that participants analyzed and discussed
• Reflections: each week offered an interactive question and answer session encouraging reflection and facilitating a deeper understanding of the theme
• Discussion: a seminar component was provided each week to enable dialogue between participants and experts in the field through a discussion board
• The pre-Institute course marks the beginning of Goldin Institute’s commitment to developing an educational platform that offers courses on a number of different issues that members of our network are passionately working on in the field. Based on the insights, materials and resources gained through the 2007 global forum, this course will now be augmented and made available through the Goldin Institute Online’s educational platform.