GRÓ GEST Records New Online Course in Cape Town

GRÓ GEST is pleased to announce the successful filming of a new global online course titled Ending Violence: Human Rights Frameworks. The production took place in the historic Bo-Kaap neighborhood in Cape Town this week and brought together internationally respected experts in masculinity studies, peacebuilding and violence prevention. The course represents one of GRÓ GEST’s most ambitious digital learning initiatives to date.

Dr. Thomas Brorsen Smidt, Senior Programme Manager at GRÓ GEST and director of the course, travelled to Cape Town to oversee the production process. Over two intensive days of filming, the team completed thirty educational videos and a trailer, creating a comprehensive foundation for a course that will be launched on edX in April 2026.

A timely intervention on global patterns of violence

The course speaks directly to the challenges that define the current global context, as men’s violence continues to be one of the most pervasive human rights concerns in both peace and conflict settings. Many regions are experiencing increasing militarisation, shrinking democratic space and various forms of patriarchal backlash. The new course introduces learners to these trends and provides concrete guidance on how human rights systems can be used for accountability and advocacy.

Senior Programme Manager Dr Thomas Brorsen Smidt directing course videos featuring Angelica Pino

The course stands out internationally because it connects political economy, masculinities and practical human rights mechanisms within one integrated learning experience. No other online courses bring these elements together in a way that is both conceptually rigorous and directly applicable to professional practice.

A narrative driven structure with practical outcomes

The course is organised across five modules that move learners from understanding structural violence to applying human rights frameworks in their own contexts. The learning journey spans human rights systems, political economy, UN mechanisms, regional instruments and practical advocacy planning. Each part of the course contributes to the development of a capstone advocacy plan that learners can begin implementing within six to twelve months.

The intention is for learners to leave the course with tools they can use immediately. The design reflects GRÓ GEST’s broader commitment to producing online learning that supports real world gender justice work.

Featuring globally respected experts

The course brings together three highly distinguished experts whose combined activism and scholarship have shaped international thinking on engaging men in preventing violence.

Dr. Dean Peacock is a globally respected leader in work on violence prevention, gender equality and feminist peace. For more than three decades he has worked across Africa, the Americas and internationally to challenge the systems that normalise men’s violence. He co founded Sonke Gender Justice and the MenEngage Alliance and has directed a multi country initiative on men, masculinities, militarism and peace with the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom.

Ms. Angelica Pino is a prolific expert in women’s rights, gender based violence and feminist peace work, with more than forty years of experience across Latin America, Africa and global advocacy spaces. She works with the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, the world’s oldest peacebuilding organisation, where she leads work on the Mobilising Men for Feminist Peace Initiative. Originally from Chile, she has lived and worked in South Africa since 1994 and has spent the past fifteen years advancing global and African efforts to engage men and boys for gender equality. In the course, she grounds learners in the lived realities of women’s rights defenders and communities affected by violence.

Dean Peacock, Angelica Pino and Kopano Ratele during recordings

The third contributor is Professor Kopano Ratele, a professor of psychology at Stellenbosch University and one of the most influential scholars in contemporary masculinity studies. Professor Ratele’s research has transformed how masculinities are understood in African contexts by insisting on historical depth, cultural specificity and a close examination of how race, class and colonial legacies shape gendered behaviour.

Together, these experts create a narrative that is intellectually rigorous and firmly rooted in practice. Their combined insights connect structural analysis with lived experience and ensure that the course remains relevant to practitioners working in diverse contexts across the Global South and beyond. Each segment reinforces the idea that violence cannot be addressed in isolation but must be understood within the political, economic and social systems that sustain it.

Strengthening GRÓ GEST’s global digital learning portfolio

Producing a course of this scale demands extensive preparation, including procurement, legal agreements, script development, international scheduling and coordination with multiple teams. This effort reflects GRÓ GEST’s strategic direction. The course strengthens GRÓ GEST’s ability to support blended learning rollouts in the Global South and provides a high quality curriculum that partners and alumni can adapt and localise.

The course builds on GRÓ GEST’s existing online portfolio and complements earlier offerings such as Men, Boys and Masculinities. It is designed to be flexible enough for use by civil society organisations, universities, peacebuilding networks and MenEngage partners working in different regional contexts.

A rewarding collaborative experience

The filming was carried out at SunshineCo. Studios in the historic Bo Kaap neighbourhood in Cape Town with production company KNOWN. KNOWN was selected through a competitive procurement process via the University of Iceland. The South African teams demonstrated exceptional professionalism throughout the process. Everything ran on time, even with last minute changes and a demanding filming schedule. The technical preparation, responsiveness and collaborative spirit of the team made the production flow smoothly.

Thomas with and Camera Operator David and Sound Operator Justin in preparations before the first shoot

One of the most rewarding moments of the trip occurred during the rehearsal day, when the instructors worked together and demonstrated a high level of alignment in their approaches despite their different professional backgrounds. This sense of intellectual and practical coherence strengthened the overall production and reflected the value of the collaboration. The trip also highlighted the importance of thorough preparation. The rehearsal day played a crucial role in ensuring that the recordings were confident, cohesive and pedagogically clear.

The team during script rehearsals in Green Point, Cape Town

Looking ahead

The course will be made publicly available on edX in April 2026. It is designed for gender equality professionals, peacebuilders, policymakers, NGO staff, activists and students around the world. Plans are already underway for alumni led rollouts, blended learning adaptations in partner countries and the development of additional modules related to men, masculinities and sexual and reproductive health and rights.

The project brought together global expertise to create a course that has the potential to support meaningful change across diverse regional and institutional contexts.