photo: Instituto Elos
Warriors Without Weapons is the international programme run by Instituto Elos. You learn the Elos Methodology through practical experience: over twelve months, with online classes and a four-week in-person immersion course in Santos, alongside people from dozens of countries.
400+ hours of training, 4 weeks of immersion, July 2027, Santos, Brazil, 40 places
- 400+ hours of training
- Online lessons
- 4-week immersion course
- Hands-on learning
- Instituto Elos Certification
- Global network
- Recognised methodology
- Group and one-to-one mentoring sessions
What is ‘Warriors Without Weapons’?
An international training programme that teaches the Elos Methodology to strengthen bonds and boost the collective potential to transform realities, in a wide variety of contexts and at both an individual and collective level.
The Elos Methodology equips participants to rebuild relationships, strengthen bonds and lead with empathy at work, in their communities and around the world, making a real difference through dialogue and collaboration.
Acknowledgements
Human Rights Organisation
The Zumbi dos Palmares Award
Social Technology, Banco do Brasil Foundation
Ponto de Cultura
Global Leadership Award, Tällberg Foundation
Phomenta Certified Organisation 2019
G5 Partners Award
Best for Brazil 2021
‘Best NGOs 2023’ Award
Periferia Viva
ATP Prize
Papel Solidário Network
What you develop.
93 per cent
Relationships and teamwork
they have improved the way they work as a team, with more listening and collaboration
89 per cent learnt how to mediate conflicts and mobilise people; 85 per cent began to act with the collective impact of their choices in mind
54 per cent
Leadership and career
made a career change after the GSA
80 per cent identified new skills that are now key to their professional practice; 79 per cent gained the confidence to lead
96 per cent
Listening and emotional wellbeing
they began to exercise leadership with greater attentiveness and sensitivity
78 per cent have become people who listen more and judge less; 70 per cent report greater emotional balance and a clearer understanding of their boundaries
89 per cent
Method and network
say they have been given practical tools to build communities
International training, using an award-winning and replicable method.
Impacto Vivo Survey, Instituto Elos
Who is the GSA for?
For anyone who feels the call to take action and wants to do so collaboratively, with purpose and method. Open to anyone aged 18 and over, from any profession or field of study.
Community transformation
“Amidst the difficulties, I found strength in the community’s unity. Together, we turned challenges into dreams come true.”
Priscilla PereiraGSA 2014, social entrepreneur with the Eco-Community Project
Career transition
“It has shown me a path and provided me with a range of tools to make a real difference and set me on the path to transforming my reality.”
Ariane Mates, GSA 2007, designer
Impact entrepreneurship
“It helped me organise my ideas for setting up ACBG Brasil, and I also used it as a framework at Politize!”
Gabriel Marmentini, GSA 2014, co-founder of ACBG Brasil and Politize!
Education and people management
“It taught me to really listen, to trust in what already exists, and to walk alongside people, not ahead of them.”
Augusto Lima ConteGSA 2019, social projects manager
The GSA also welcomes young leaders, artists, public servants and dreamers, people who are willing to take action using what they have, wherever they are, and with those around them.
Where the Elos Methodology can be applied.
First, second and third sectors
Businesses and the government
Organisations that need to address organisational culture, employee engagement, ESG, social innovation and conflict mediation.
Community mobilisation
Territories
Local communities and networks, where the focus is on strengthening ties and creating a lasting impact. The result is autonomous leadership, public policies that have been shaped by these efforts, and vibrant networks.
Entrepreneurship and management
People management
The method in organisational management and culture, as a daily practice of consistency and empathetic leadership.
The GSA Global Network
The training comes to an end. The method goes with those who leave.
Those who complete the GSA programme join the Global Network of Warriors Without Weapons and bring the Elos Methodology back to their own organisation, company, community or public policy. The list below shows what has grown out of the programme, carried out by people who do not work at Elos.
800+
trained leaders
17
editions
60
countries where the method has already been introduced
GSA Report 2026
What the network did with the method
2009
Seventy Oasis Games in a single year
Most of these sessions are led by the participants themselves, who have been trained by Elos, rather than by the organisation’s staff. This is the moment when a tool developed here began to be used by those who had learnt how to use it.
Crosspact Organisational Diagnosis, 2026
2010 · Guinea-Bissau
A school that continues to uphold this method to this day
An Oasis Experience brought the methodology to Bissau. More than ten years later, the Amizade São Paulo Educational Centre is run by Guinean educators trained in the method itself, and the awalé has spread to schools across the country through teachers in the state education system.
2012 · Newham, United Kingdom
Oasis’s debut in a new country
The first run of the Oasis Game in the UK was organised by people from the network, without any Elos staff present.
2014 · Zarzalejo, Spain
An Oasis created through crowdfunding
GSA Madrid and Elos Netherlands launched a campaign and organised the Oasis event themselves. It was led by women who had trained in different groups.
2023 · Katlehong, Johannesburg
An Oasis Tournament bringing together four countries
People from the network across four countries came together in South Africa to run the game with the local community.
GSA 2007 · São Vicente
From the tenement to the formulation of public policy
Jackson Nunes grew up in difficult circumstances in Paquetá, joined GSA in 2007, graduated with a degree in Social Work and went on to do a postgraduate degree in Urban Studies and Planning. He now works to promote public policy.
GSA Report 2026
Where to find the network
The podcast
Discussions amongst members of the network about the work they are carrying out in their own local areas, across various countries. It is an initiative organised by Elos in collaboration with the network, and the best way for anyone wishing to get to know these people before undertaking the training.
The talent pool
A map of who knows what within the network, so that someone in Mozambique can find someone who has already sorted that out in Peru. Elos provides the impetus, and it is the network itself that fills it in and uses it. Under construction.
“The GSA has shown me that it is possible to make a real, tangible impact, where you can see the contribution each person makes to that achievement. This acts as a driving force for our own achievements.”
Leonardo Duarte GSA 2011
“Having done the GSA programme has helped me a great deal in my professional life, and I’ve formed friendships that will last a lifetime. I see the world as a more beautiful place than I did before.”
Carolina Gouveia Martins Araujo GSA 2017
“Having a sense of community and connecting with the deeper aspects of our humanity. I wasn’t aware of it at the time, but a few years later I came to value GSA even more and was able to recognise and acknowledge the real impact.”
Rinesh Raghoenath GSA 2011
‘Warriors Without Weapons’ on the move
Twelve months, divided into three modules and a selection process.
recruitment process
online, free of charge
The Path to ‘I Do’
The selection process is a journey of personal development that invites each person to act within their own context. It is on the basis of what happens there that the selection is made.
01
9.00 pm, online
Pre-immersion
Preparation and practice, using the Game of Abundance: mobilising people and real resources to realise a collective dream. This is where many people make their own participation a reality.
02
4 weeks, in Santos
Immersion
You learn by doing, alongside people from different countries, co-creating dreams and initiatives with your group and with communities in the Baixada Santista region.
03
108 hours, online
Expansion
Support to help you implement the Elos Methodology around the world. You create your own project and join the Global Network of Warriors Without Weapons.
What you pay for, and what’s included.
Total investment
R$ 16,000
Payment by instalments
in up to 12 instalments, interest-free
Enrolment fee
R$ 160, deducted from the total amount
Application and selection
free of charge
Including
Classes and practical sessions across the three modules, with support from facilitators at every stage, and a learning platform featuring content, activities and forums. For the immersion programme in Santos: full board, all daily meals, local transport to all activities, teaching materials and a team of first-aid specialists on the expeditions.
Not included
Tickets to Santos, transfer from the airport or coach station to your accommodation, visa and passport for those coming from abroad, and travel insurance.
Scholarship Fund
Instituto Elos also invests in you. These are affirmative action scholarships covering 70 per cent to 100 per cent of the course fee, awarded to around 40 per cent of participants in each intake, nearly sixteen per class. The criteria are based on social, regional and racial equity.
You apply for the scholarship after being accepted onto the ‘Caminho do Sim’ programme, which is the selection process. Successful applicants receive the application form along with their results, and a Scholarship Committee assesses each case. Application and selection are free of charge.
Raising funds is also part of the method. The Game of Abundance, which forms part of the online module prior to the immersion, includes guidance on fundraising, and many people are able to fund their own participation through it.
Frequently Asked Questions.
How long does the programme last?
Twelve months, comprising over 400 hours of online sessions and a four-week in-person immersion programme.
Who can take part?
People aged 18 and over, from any profession or field of study, who are interested in bringing about social change through dialogue and collaboration.
When and where does the immersion take place?
In July 2027, in Santos, São Paulo, with activities taking place at the accommodation venue and at other locations in the Baixada Santista region.
How many vacancies are there?
Forty.
How does registration work?
Pre-registration is done online. Once you have completed this, you will receive an email asking you to fill in the full form.
How does the selection process work?
The programme is called Caminho do Sim: an online personal development course that invites each person to take action within their own context. Based on the results, we select those who will progress to the next modules. To join Caminho do Sim, please complete the registration form at the bottom of this page.
Is there a certificate?
Yes, certification from Instituto Elos, whose methodology is used in over 60 countries.
Is the GSA a volunteering programme?
The GSA is an international training programme in mobilising leadership, combining theory and practice. Activities in local communities form part of an experiential learning strategy.
Why does the programme cost money?
The fee covers professionals, teaching materials, the online platform, speakers, accommodation, transport and meals. It also includes the Game of Abundance, which helps to raise funds to make your participation possible.
How do payments work?
The selection process is free of charge. Once selected, participants pay a registration fee of R$160, which is 1 per cent of the total cost of the programme and is deducted from the outstanding balance. During the pre-immersion phase, as part of the Game of Abundance, we will agree on a personalised payment plan, with the possibility of a partial or full scholarship, depending on your circumstances.
Are there any scholarships available?
Yes. These are merit-based grants covering between 70 per cent and 100 per cent of the participation fee, awarded to around 40 per cent of participants in each intake. The criteria are based on social, regional and racial equity, and each application is assessed by a Grants Committee.
How do I apply for a scholarship?
The application is made following successful completion of the ‘Caminho do Sim’ programme. Those who pass receive the form along with their results and have around a week to complete it. The full criteria are set out in the Scholarship Policy.
Come and join the Warriors Without Weapons.
Registration and the selection process are free of charge. The immersion programme takes place in July 2027 in Santos, and there are 40 places available.