Leadership at Risk: Costa Rica

University for Peace

In keeping with the noble aspirations proclaimed in the Charter of the United Nations, peace is the primary and irrevocable obligation of globally-minded nations, and it is also the fundamental objective of the United Nations; peace is the very reason for its existence. However, education, the best tool for achieving this supreme good for humankind, has been largely underutilized in furthering the goal of peaceful coexistence for our world.

Headquartered in Costa Rica, the University for Peace (UPEACE) was established in December 1980 as a Treaty Organization by the UN General Assembly. Its mission is to provide humanity with an international institution of higher education, which promotes the spirit of understanding, tolerance and peaceful coexistence amongst all human beings. UPEACE aims to stimulate cooperation among international peoples and to help lessen obstacles and threats to world peace and progress throughout the globe.

By creating and leveraging a network of universities, NGO’s, governments and corporations, UPEACE is a forward-thinking, transformational and inspirational educational institution dedicated to the goals of quality teaching, research and service for humanity in building a peaceful world.

Program Overview

Immerse yourself in lectures and workshops with some of the world’s top leaders, visionaries, educators,
and explorers. Through facilitated learning and interactive challenges, participants will be equipped with
the tools to become effective leaders that inspire those around them and have a positive influence on your
organization’s culture.

Sending delegates on this journey is an investment in your organization’s human capital. We convene
experts on the subjects of conflict resolution, team building, and environmental sustainability. Expedition
alumni have in the past gone on to launch ground-breaking initiatives within their organizations and
communities.

We will ensure that your delegates return from Costa Rica empowered to communicate your organization’s
commitment to empowering your teams through media toolkits and enhanced PR visibility. Our story
has reached more than 1 billion people through various media channels, with coverage by the Wall Street
Journal (USA), BBC Earth, The Telegraph (UK), The Times (UK), National Geographic, and the Times of
India (India) amongst others.

WORKSHOPS & LECTURES FOCUS TOPICS

■ Dynamic Leadership
■ Organizational Conflict Resolution
■ Cross-Border Team Building
■ Corporate Sustainability

Trip Details

• Country: Costa Rica
• Host City: San Jose, Costa Rica
• Duration: 8 Days/7 Nights
• Accommodations: 7 Nights Hotels
• Adventure Activities: Trekking & White Water Rafting
• Trip Activity Level:  Moderate*

*Please refer to our Trip Activity Level Guide or speak to one of our Adventure Consultants at 855-208-6800 to determine if this is the right trip for you.

Trip Itinerary

Daily Itinerary Overview 

DAY 1

Welcome to Costa Rica! The nation of Costa Rica has demonstrated extraordinary leadership in
environmental sustainability, conflict resolution, and diplomacy. As one of the only nations on earth with
no standing army, Costa Rica’s active relationship with the United Nations and its dedication to peaceful
relations worldwide makes it the perfect nation to host Leadership at Risk.

Some of the nation’s primary foreign policy objectives are to foster human rights and sustainable
development, promoting a long and ethically-minded future for our world. It has been a member of the
coalition known as the Community of Democracies since the coalition’s inauguration in 2000, pursuing
the advancement and protection of democratic freedoms worldwide. Costa Rica is the home of The InterAmerican Court of Human Rights as well as the University of Peace (UPEACE).

Begin your stay with us and meet your fellow team members at our welcome dinner!

DAY 2

We arrive at the University for Peace (UPEACE), an institution established by the United Nations which
is dedicated to “promoting among all human beings the spirit of understanding, tolerance and peaceful
coexistence.” A strong statement underpinning the values and ideals of Costa Rica, which we will explore
in more depth throughout the week.

Our first UPEACE workshop covers the intersection of Cooperation in the Context of Diversity. Our second
workshop is an in-depth talk through Tools for Conflict Resolution and Transformation, interspersed with
opportunities to put lessons into practice and demonstrate cooperative practices with fellow team members.
We will next hear from our first keynote speaker, Carlos Manuel Rodríguez, the Environmental and Energy
Minister of Costa Rica. Carlos will provide a discussion for us on Leadership and Climate Change as well
as where Costa Rica is heading in terms of environmental sustainability. After a short break, we walk the
UPEACE trails, stopping for a talk and period of reflection at the Monument of Disarmament.

In the afternoon, we are extraordinary General Roméo Dallaire, who lead the United Nations Forces in
Rwanda during the 1994 genocide and has spent his life working on issues around international cooperation
and the fight against the use of child soldiers. General Dallaire will speak on leadership in the face of
conflict and discourse.

Next, Shelly Whitman who is the Executive Director of the Roméo Dallaire Child Soldiers Initiative will
speak to our group on how leadership is most demonstrated when one is a global citizen

DAY 3

The third day of the program commences in San Jose, at the National Theater. We offer attendees a unique
surprise within the iconic and historical surrounds of this structure. Inaugurated in 1894, the construction
of the building was aided by wealthy coffee merchants, who raised their export taxes to help pay for the
construction. It is a source of great national pride.

We move on to the National Museum, housed in the former Bellavista fortress. This structure dates from
1870, and was used as an army barracks before the abolishment of the standing army. Bullet holes line the
turrets as a remainder from the civil war – it serves as a reminder of the outcomes of war, but also stands as
the memorial location of where the Costa Rican Army was abolished in 1948. Today, the building houses
an array of stunning indigenous gold and ceramic artifacts, religious objects, as well as colonial furniture
and art.

We depart this curious site for UPEACE, where we commence our program workshops. We live our lessons
in our team building exercises for the day, before finishing up for the day

DAY 4

We journey to Sarapiqui today, for a day of real adventure. Adventure provides for an extraordinary
platform from which to forge bonds, build leadership skills, and break down societal barriers. Today, we
gear up for an adventure unlike any other – white water rafting from a community known as La Virgen
de Sarapiqui, one of the most important communities of the area. We journey through a beautiful part of
the river filled with rapids and ponds, surrounding by the inimitable Costa Rican scenery. We finish in
Chilamate, before departing for Arenal. Here we have a chance to share our experiences and deepen our
understanding of our own stories.

We finish the afternoon with a relaxing sojourn at the Tabacon Hot Springs at Arenal Volcano National Park,
La Fortuna. The area of La Fortuna has an elevation of 350 feet and lies north of the Tilaran Mountains, the
volcano itself rising from the San Carlos Plains. Arenal is currently in a resting phase, but was one of the
most active volcanoes in the country. There will be time here to enjoy the different thermal pools, heated
by the volcano’s depths, before dinner.

DAY 5

Another day of adventure, we begin with a new perspective on the beauty of Costa Rica’s rainforests, as we
complete our Sky Walk on the first hanging bridges of this magnificent country. This is a guided experience
on natural trails through the dense forests of Arenal. You will go on a hike to have a one on one experience
with the flora and fauna at every level of these magical tropical forests.

In the afternoon, each team member will have the opportunity to engage in short discussions on the
leadership challenges that they face in their organizations.

This will be followed by a Keynote Talk by Barney Swan, the International Director of ClimateForce. Barney
will discuss the challenge of climate change and the solutions which each of us can make in our lives and
businesses to protect the environment.

DAY 6

Today, we will hike the Arenal 1968 Trail, which gets its name from the Arenal Volcano eruption of 1968. This was one of the most important events in Costa Rican history, destroying 3 towns and killing several people – whilst also changing the very topography of the area. Lava fields tore through rainforest areas, and we follow paths in these fields, up to a panoramic view of Arenal Volcano.

We will then head back to San Jose and stop for lunch and in the enchanting village of Sarchí which is on our way to the capital. In Sarchí, many houses are adorned with colorful gingerbread trim – just one example of the craftsmanship in
wood for which this little town is famous. With its pink church, trimmed in pale green, Sarchí is truly a fairy tale town. We will have an opportunity to rest before we go to dinner this evening.

DAY 7

On our final full day at the LAR we work with the local community near San Jose on a special conservation
project. This will be followed by a tree planting and lunch with the local community members.
After lunch with the community, we return to UPEACE, where we will take part in our final sessions on
what it means to be a Conscious Leader. The culmination of all that we have learned as part of LAR, we
have then the chance here to reflect and let go, celebrating in the evening as a group. A positive note to
end our experience, we aim to leave with fresh ideas of how we can implement changes in our lives and
organizations when we return home.

DAY 8

This morning, gather for one last breakfast to say our goodbyes. Exchange emails, if you’d like, with your
fellow team members and take a moment to reflect on a magical journey on this final day in Costa Rica.
Having formed new connections with fellow attendees from across the globe, and new ideas created and
discussed, we leave with a new perspective on ourselves and the world.

Expedition Start Date

• Official Start Date: May 2021

To learn more, please CONTACT US!

Expedition Pricing

Prices are Per Person in USD / Prices based on Double Occupancy

• $5,749.00 USD 

Single Supplement

• $1,350.00 USD 

Accommodations

Expedition Leaders

What truly sets The Explorer’s Passage apart are our Expedition Leaders. The Expedition Leaders for the Leadership at Risk: Costa Rica expedition are the best in the business.

JEFF BONALDI, FOUNDER & CEO – THE EXPLORER’S PASSAGE

Adventure Travel isn’t just about the journey that sends us soaring head-first into uncharted territory – it’s also about The Story: the history, mystery, myth and lore unique to that territory, its people and its culture.

Jeff’s passion for storytelling came as a teenager, when, during visits to some of America’s
oldest universities, he found myself enamored by the European-influenced architecture, and by legends like Albert Einstein, James Madison and Thomas Jefferson who walked the grounds decades before. Inspired to learn more, he dug deep into the history behind these universities, and soon began leading his own elaborate tours for friends and family, impressing and inspiring them with his enthusiasm and encyclopedic knowledge. It wasn’t long before his love for guiding and storytelling burgeoned from the microcosm of the college campus to cities throughout the U.S. and Europe and later, across the globe. Determined to “redefine the perfect way to travel,” he have spent years accumulating and curating the skills and experiences that now serve as the foundation for The Explorer’s Passage. At the heart of his philosophy, of course, is The Story – the historical element uncovered through extensive research and woven seamlessly throughout each of TEP’s adventures. The Story, he believes, is what launches travel into the realm of transcendent, leaving travelers invigorated, enriched and enlightened.

Jeff has climbed, canoed and galloped through nearly 30 countries on six continents. He has come a long way since his college campus touring days – and yet, his mission remains singular: to create, the most immersive, transformative and spine-tingling travel experiences in the industry.

BARNEY SWAN, INTERNATIONAL DIRECTOR, CLIMATEFORCE

Barney Swan was born in the United Kingdom, raised in tropical Far North Australia, and now lives and works in California. With degrees in Business and Multimedia, Barney is the International Director of ClimateForce where he manages all expeditions and ventures globally. He has developed and applied his extensive skills in alpine mountaineering, risk management, technical sailing, and leadership. In 2018, Barney, completed a first ever
polar exploration feat to walk 600 miles to the South Pole surviving solely on renewable energy. The equipment utilized
on the Expedition was tested and supplied by NASA, Shell, Patagonia, CSM Bakery, ZeroMass and Siemens. Using this
journey as a platform for engagement, he works closely with sponsors, and partners to empower audiences with solutions, dialogues, and measurable actions plans surrounding sustainable development.