Although the International Centre of UPEACE in Canada will be responsive to emerging critical peace and conflict issues, its programme will focus mainly on five focal themes: Urban Peace/Urban Violence; Diaspora & Peacebuilding; Media, Peace and Security; Creative Arts and Peacebuilding; and Peace Education.

The secretariat has begun implementing a range of pilot activities addressing these themes, including curriculum development workshops, public symposia, exhibitions, high-level expert forums and seminars. The pilot activities are aimed at establishing proof-of-concept in terms of demonstrating the value-added role that a UPEACE presence in Canada would offer to the landscape of Canadian institutions, particularly by catalyzing international, intercultural collaboration to strengthen and expand both formal and non-formal education for peace.

The following principles will guide the design and implementation of all programme activities:

• Each activity will engage local partners from within Canada, both to leverage their expertise and to contribute to strengthening local capacity in education for peace.
• Each activity will engage global partners through the UPEACE regional programmes to catalyze or enhance international, intercultural collaboration to strengthen and expand both formal and non-formal education for peace
• Activities will be designed to complement local initiatives and avoid duplication or competition.
• Activities will be multidisciplinary and integrate insights from the academic, policy, grassroots and cultural spheres.
• The outputs of all activities will feed into UPEACE's worldwide academic programmes, through contributing multimedia content to enrich teaching materials and learning resources.