War and Environment is a six-week online course in Canvas developed by World BEYOND War and refined during multiple iterations over the years with six expert instructors each facilitating one week.
The course is available to universities, schools, teachers, and organizations that want to use it. Contact World BEYOND War if interested.
About War and the Environment
“Climate change is the defining issue of our time and now is the defining moment to do something about it.” (António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations).
War and the Environment is a six-week online course that features six core modules, three interactive Zoom sessions, and a strong emphasis on reflective practice, collaborative learning, and community building throughout. As the world races to prevent climate collapse, finding solutions to today’s unprecedented socio-ecological challenges has never been more urgent. While discussions on climate change continue, it is crucial to address the elephant in the room—war. The call to end war is not just about peace and security: it is essential for the survival and flourishing of humanity and the planet.
As wars, preparations for wars, and environmental destruction escalate—and much of the focus remains on human conflict—it is vital to better understand and respond to the far-reaching impacts of war and militarism on people, all living beings, and the planet. This course empowers you to do just that. By doing so, it also addresses a question of central importance to everyone—how can we live together in more sustainable and peaceful ways? This is the most pressing challenge of our time; everything else is secondary.
War and the Environment is a 100% online, six-week course that includes: (1) six engaging course modules and (2) three interactive Zoom sessions.
1) Course Modules
Throughout the six-week online course, you will explore the following topics:
Week 1: Where Wars Happen and Why
Identify the underlying causes of war by comparing official narratives with hidden motives for waging war. Explore connections between war, population density, resource scarcity, and oil.
Week 2: What Wars Do to the Earth
Examine the environmental and humanitarian costs of war. Key themes explored include refugee crises, chemical weapons, oil spills, water pollution, air pollution, deforestation, wildlife disruption, landmines, cluster bombs, herbicides, and depleted uranium.
Week 3: What Imperial Militaries Do to the Earth Back Home
Explore the environmental impact of military operations beyond war zones. Topics include weapons production, mismanagement of ammunition, toxic waste, fortifications, military exercises, and the U.S. military’s use of PFAS and its long-term effects.
Week 4: What Nuclear Weapons Have Done and Could Do
Gain insights into the origins and consequences of nuclear weapons, including their historical use, industry expansion, and associated health effects such as cancer. Key areas of focus include nuclear testing, experimentation, and their links to racism and patriarchy.
Week 5: How This Horror Is Hidden and Maintained
Understand how the environmental destruction caused by war is concealed. Discover how military secrecy, regulatory exemptions, reporting loopholes for carbon emissions, and social structures—such as patriarchy, patriotism, and education systems—contribute to perpetuating and sustaining war.
Week 6: What Can Be Done
Reflect on your role in addressing these issues. Explore practical strategies and tangible opportunities to engage further in the global movement to end all wars through education and activism.
How you Learn?
This course is 100% online, and interactions are not live or scheduled, so you can participate at your convenience. Each week’s content includes a mix of text, images, video, and audio. Instructors and students engage through online discussion forums to review content and provide feedback in both discussion forums and optional assignment submission sections.
2) Interactive Zoom Sessions.
Course Highlights
This section provides an overview of what you will gain from the course, why it was developed, and why World BEYOND War is uniquely positioned to develop such a course.
This online course is designed to connect and support individuals and organizations working at the intersection of peace and climate change movements. By understanding the far-reaching costs of war—on humanity, the environment, and the global economy—participants will gain new insights, tools, and connections to collaborate more effectively across these two mutually reinforcing global movements.
1) What You Will Gain from This Course
- Flexible and Accessible Learning: Study at your own pace, from anywhere in the world, with 24/7 access to course materials.
- Expert Guidance: Engage with leading educators, academics, and practitioners at the forefront of peace and climate justice movements; ask questions and gain valuable insights.
- Collaborative Engagement: Participate in meaningful dialogues and strategic discussions with like-minded peers.
- Global Community: Join and network with a vibrant, growing global movement dedicated to ending war and establishing a just and sustainable peace.
- Practical Resources: Access over 1,000 curated resources, tools, and case studies that you can apply immediately.
- Recognition of Achievement: Receive a certificate to showcase your commitment and expertise.
- A Systems Perspective: Understand how and why abolishing the war system is essential to achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals and fulfilling commitments to the right to peace and a healthy environment.
- Interdisciplinary Approach: Explore peace and climate change from multiple interconnected angles – including policy, theory, research, scholarship, and practice.
- Strategic Insights: Identify key challenges and opportunities for collaboration between the peace and climate justice movements.
- Deeper Understanding: Examine the complex links between war, militarism, climate change, colonialism, imperialism, patriarchy, nationalism, and other related global challenges.
By the end of this course, you will have gained: New knowledge, new connections, new dialogues, and new tools to enhance your learning and practice, and to contribute to the education and action of others.
2) Why This Course? Why World BEYOND War?
Why this course?
Too often, those working on peace and climate change issues are not fully aware of the role and impact of war and preparations for war. This gap exists in part because much of the focus has been on how climate-related challenges contribute to conflict and war, while less attention has been given to how and why war and militarism are major contributors to the climate crisis.
This course addresses this gap, explores why it is often overlooked, and makes the case for how and why the peace and climate justice movements can work together more effectively to advance shared goals of ensuring the survival and well-being of humanity and the planet.
By doing so, the course also addresses three interconnected existential threats: war, nuclear apocalypse, and environmental catastrophe.
Why World BEYOND War?
This online course is developed by World BEYOND War (WBW) staff and board members, with contributions from experienced professionals in the field who bring their insights and expertise to enhance the course.
WBW is a globally recognized, multi-award-winning organization at the forefront of the peace and anti-war movement. Since our founding in 2014, we have been committed to promoting pro-peace and anti-war education and to making and supporting impactful contributions through our extensive global network of dedicated chapters, affiliates, and partners.
Our core mission is to abolish the war system—a goal that has never been more urgent amidst escalating wars, growing militarization, soaring military expenditures, and a simultaneous decline in peace, security, and prosperity, at global, regional, national, and local levels.
We provide and support a wide range of initiatives in education, activism, media and communications to empower individuals and organizations to actively contribute to the global movement to end all wars and establish a just and sustainable peace.
Who Is The Course For?
The course is for you if you wish to better understand the connections between peace, climate, conflict, security, war, sustainability, ecology, international relations, energy, water, food, and related issues. Whether you are new to these topics or looking to deepen your expertise, this course provides the knowledge, resources, and tools to enhance your understanding and practice.
The course is particularly ideal for:
- Policymakers, researchers, and academics looking for evidence-based solutions and strategies to address climate risks and opportunities through the lens of peace and anti-war efforts.
- Educators and students eager to develop and apply knowledge on the interconnected relationships between war, militarism, and the environment in their teaching and learning.
- Advocates and activists engaged in the peace and climate justice movements, seeking to improve their practice, deepen their understanding of their practice, and reflect on how and why they could further enhance their work.
- Civil society organizations and grassroots movements working to promote peace, sustainability, and challenge militarism and war.
- Concerned individuals who want to learn more about the ways in which war and militarism negatively impact the prospects for both human and ecological survival and well-being, and how ordinary people can—and are—responding.
The growing recognition of the need to (re)imagine more sustainable ways of living together makes this course relevant across various sectors, including climate, peace, and security policy; science; education; activism; media and communications; and more. If you share our vision and are committed to contributing to a global movement to end all wars and establish a just and sustainable peace, this course is for you.
Time Commitment / Expectations
How much time you spend and how deeply you engage is up to you. At a minimum, you can expect to spend between 1-2 hours a week if you only review the weekly content (text and videos). We hope, however, you’ll want to engage in the online dialogue with peers and experts. This is where the real richness of the learning occurs, where we have the opportunity to explore new ideas, strategies, and visions for building a more peaceful world. Depending on your level of engagement with the online discussion you can expect to add another 1-3 hours a week. Finally, all participants are encouraged to complete optional assignments (required to earn a certificate). This is an opportunity to deepen and apply the ideas explored each week to practical possibilities. Expect another 2 hours a week if you pursue these options.
Accessing the Course
Prior to the start date, you will be sent instructions for how to access the course.
Earn a Certificate
To earn a certificate, participants must also complete optional weekly written assignments. Instructors will return the assignment to the student with detailed feedback. Submissions and feedback can be shared with everyone taking the course or kept private between a student and the instructor, at the student’s choice. Submissions must be completed by the conclusion of the course.