This course introduces the theory and practice of conflict analysis, the methodical assessment of conflict – its history, causes, structure, actors, and dynamics.
Conflict analysis is the fundamental tool of peace operations, especially peace-building, development work in areas of conflict, and medium to long-term humanitarian assistance. It provides the necessary understanding of the context in which these interventions take place, and point towards possible entry points where conflict dynamics may be affected by them. As such, conflict analysis should – ideally – be the basis of planning, implementation, and monitoring. Furthermore, it complements other types of analysis, such as needs analysis, or functions as precursor to others, like Do No Harm analysis. This course will concentrate on conflict analysis in the context of peace-building but the general principles, skills, and methods are applicable across the wider set of activities conducted in conflict-affected areas indicated earlier.
This course will introduce students to the relations between the environment, natural resources, and peace and conflict.
We will discuss the concepts of Global Environmental Change, Sustainable Development, and Environmental Security. Specific focus will be given to Climate Change and Deforestation, and to the different approaches to development inside the sustainable development discourse. Environmental Security will be analyzed emphasizing the underlying neo-Malthusian ideas that still prevail in much of the literature.
Specifically, we will look at the linkages between natural resources and conflicts focusing not only on environmental scarcities, but also on the resource curse and resource abundance approaches to so-called “environmental conflicts”.
We will take an in depth look at the role of the environment and of natural resources for sustainable peace, and how natural resources can or could be used in initiating a peace process.
The students will examine the Rwanda genocide and the different approaches used to analyze and explain this conflict. This case study will serve to bring all the concepts of this course together and to draw general conclusions.
Capacity building and project implementation may be complex and sometimes difficult. Certain methods that may apply to certain communities may not be applicable to other communities because of cultural, religious, climate conditions, gender, sexual orientation and many other differences among them. It is important to take into consideration such differences and reflect on how they should affect our selecting of methods.
The course will provide tools for recognizing possible complexities and means to diffuse them. We will investigate and analyse case studies, attempt to identify possible intersectional-intercultural challenges and discuss ways to improve our methods. We will also discuss success stories and learn from them how we can better ourselves.
By the end of the course, students will have a broader view of capacity building and projects implementation issues and they will be able to better analyse new situations and improve the results of their work.
The 21st century is described as the age of globalization, a phenomenon which is increasingly affecting human beings in every aspect of their lives. While globalization has undoubtedly resulted in significant economic and social integration at the global level, the pace at which it is occurring has also brought with it several unintended consequences for the respect and promotion of human rights at other levels. The principal institutions facilitating this phenomenon such as the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and the World Trade Organization, have often been accused of keeping human rights issues out of their respective domains. The critical challenge, therefore, facing the present world order lies in ensuring that the vehicles of globalization are oriented towards development and promotion of human rights, through appropriate laws and policies. This course will introduce students to the major themes and debates concerning these different linkages between globalization and human rights and explore the new streams of critique that have enabled a confluence as well as a questioning of the globalization-human rights interface.
This course introduces participants to the international law dimensions of peace and conflicts. It explores the international legal standards, both in treaty law and in customary international law, that underpin the prevention, management and resolution of inter-state and intra-state conflicts. The course adopts a diverse range of approaches to examine the rules, procedures, successes and failures of key international organizations, including the United Nations, as well as regional organizations, in responding to peace and conflict situations. Several case studies of actual policy responses, or lack thereof, will be explored in the course. Participants will also learn about the limits that international law places on States and non-state actors in peace and conflict situations, before moving into a critical discussion on the debates surrounding lack of enforcement of those standards in international law. Finally, the course will explore how international law intersects with other areas of inquiry related to peace and conflict studies, in order to promote multi-pronged responses to peace and conflict situations.
This course provides a comprehensive introduction to global politics and international relations with focus on historical evolution of the field with introduction to the major concepts, themes and theoretical frameworks and institutions. The course emphasizes on major concepts of international relations and international security and examines the evolution of international affairs in the 20th and 21st centuries. The course combines the study of concepts and theories with implications to the challenges of the current international system such as civil wars, terrorism, transnational organized crime, dysfunctional international systems including United Nations etc. These and other central questions about the nature of global political relations are examined in this course.
One of the most important tasks of the media is to inform. Objectivity, neutrality and truth are three of the core terms of reference for this task, but in respective to conflicts this is not that easy. How is objectivity possible when it comes to crimes? How can one stay neutral when people suffer?
It is quite easy to state that the media are not neutral enough, and that they take sides and manipulate. Indeed, journalists are not necessarily immune towards propaganda – and yet, it would be short sided to see only this side of war journalism. There is much more to detect than only that. In Peace Journalism reporters are invited to take sides, to write in favour of Human Rights and to look for other perspectives than the usual negative ones. Thus, also Peace Journalism has its clear ethical rules.
During this seminar we will look at different forms of journalism in conflict situations. Ethical frameworks will give us an idea of the regulations that reporters have to deal with. At the same time this is only one part of the reality. Journalists in war situations and political conflicts are in constant danger. The space for the freedom of expression seems to diminish constantly. How is it possible to work under these circumstances?
Another challenge is the lack of money that the majority of the international media outlets have to deal with, which results in less and less official war correspondents. For journalists this means to work on a freelance basis and be less protected but freer at the same time. What does this mean for the daily work?
This seminar will give us a glance into a world that is often described in a far too romantic or adventurous way. We will look at examples of text, photography and videos, from mainstream media to bloggers and grassroot journalism, which we will try to analyse from diverse sides, bearing in mind that journalism finally is mostly this: a modern form of storytelling.
The course constitutes an advanced course dealing with central structural arrangements conducive towards war, militarism, hegemonic masculinities, Femininities, nationalism, conflict creation and resolution, greed, and competitiveness and its consequent violence, including violence against women. The impediments specifically created by lack of gender equity will be analyzed, an analysis that is seen as pivotal for peacekeeping in times of rapid globalization.
Some of the material assigned for the course offers specific strategies for empowerment and achieving gender equity, while representing the necessity for these strategies to be connected to a structural changes and a drastic shift away from the discourses concerning women with the terms “vulnerabilities” and victimization and about males as innately aggressive. It examines the complex relationships between gender, biology, race, class, ethnicity, nationalism, religion, sexual orientation, militarization, both in the domestic and the public spheres. The former is analyzed as a pillar for the latter. Global gender indicators will complement the above material.
The definitions of what constitutes human security have been shifting, specifically when analyzed from a clear gender perspective, assuming that: a) there is no clear boundary between war and peace for women worldwide; and b) security considerations go beyond that of relationships between States and focus on the human. The course will thus focus on peace building and peace education, as well as Gender analysis to Security and peace building.
Terrorism and Transnational organized crime will be a defining issue of the 21st century for policymakers - as defining as the Cold War was for the 20th century and colonialism was for the 19th. This course is divided into 2 parts. The first part will focus on Terrorism while second part will focus on the concept of transnational organized crime (toc). Even though both Terrorism and Transnational organized crime are two independent topics but recently many research suggests shows a very strong nexus between terrorists groups and organized criminals. We will try to deal both of these topics individually as well as collectively in terms of how terrorism and transnational organized crime goes hand in hand.
Terrorism is one of the most elusive concepts to define. Definition of Terrorism is controversial for reasons other than conceptual issues and problems. Because labeling actions as terrorism promotes condemnation of the actors, a definition may reflect ideological or political bias. Once freedom fighters like Mahatma Gandhi or Nelson Mandela were also labeled as terrorists.
Among the diverse conflicts that have led to divisions and violence in historical times and in the contemporary world, some clearly involve peoples who belong to different religions or faiths. Such conflicts have popularly created the assumption and conclusion that religion or faith has been or is a primary "cause” of violence and even wars. However, on careful analysis of the dynamics and complexities of the conflicts, this perspective is now being increasingly challenged. Drawing on exemplars from diverse regions and societies, this course seeks to clarify how religious and faith identities, beliefs and practices can motivate followers to engage in violent conflicts, albeit often in intersections with diverse economic, political and social factors. The potential for exclusivist interpretations of religious or faith "truths” to fuel extremism, intolerances, discrimination and even violence, including "terrorism”, will also be critically analyzed . On the other hand, there is a widening recognition that religion, faith and diverse spirituality traditions can play a positive role in building a culture of peace at local, national and global levels of life. The course hence will highlight the creative nonviolent contributions of faiths and religions in resolving and transforming conflicts and violence . Insights and lessons from strategies such as the expanding movements of interfaith and intra-faith dialogue as well as faith-based initiatives in peacebuilding will also be explored. The course will be especially relevant to peacebuilders working in contexts of cultural and faith or religious complexities and diversities.
In this course we will become familiar with contemporary issues regarding climate change adaptation and critically analyze key debates in the field. Students will learn about relevant theory and how to apply this in practice. We will engage in a shared critical analysis of climate change adaptation, we will examine international successes, and identify challenges in the field. Throughout our course students will examine contemporary issues through a critical review of the published literature and through real world case studies.
Environmental degradation, humanitarian crisis, immigration, financial meltdowns or military interventions do not recognize any geographic boundaries and challenge the political borders on which the international politico-legal system is founded. Nevertheless, while the importance of territory and inter-state boundaries is perceived as diminishing in the globalized world of the 21st century, many of the contemporary conflicts are inseparable from their territorial roots. Hence, establishing and managing limits between sovereign states and neighboring countries constitute today an unlimited source of tension around the world. Against the violent background of political borders, this class brings a critical perspective with respect to the role of modern international law in matters of peace and stability.
International law is founded on territorialized concepts such as state, sovereignty, effective control and territorial jurisdiction. Nonetheless, this legal system seems to be inherently paradoxical as it incorporates rules and principles which break through the territorial configuration of the very same system - self-determination, human rights, contingent sovereignty, responsibility to protect and claims of universality are a few examples. The course will raise the following questions: What is the structure of the international legal argument regarding borders? Is the pluralistic legal system chaotic and contradictory, or is there an overarching legal pattern bringing coherence to the legal system related to political borders? What does this system say and what kind of impact does it leave on the globe. Also, the most theoretical questions are combining with the answer that international law presented to some of the issues raised along the course: delimitation, demarcation, territorial control, among many other concepts.
The courses focus the analysis on case studies, from a historical and actual agenda in the international community.
This course provides a basic introduction to the concept of “Security Sector Reform” (SSR) which is widely recognized as a vital component of building sustainable peace in societies in post-conflict contexts. Such reform is necessary to enhance the security and safety of people and for preventing emerging or recurring crises and conflicts. Through a critical analysis of policies, procedures, programs, activities and case studies in global, regional and local contexts, the course will clarify how Governments and intergovernmental agencies can improve the provision of security, safety and justice to citizens and institutions based on the rule of law and related standards or principles of human rights, gender equality, human security, transparency, accountability, democratic participation and good governance. Specific security sector reforms to be examined include disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration (DDR) programs vital in the transition from the ending of armed conflict to a peaceful societal order; reform of various law and order and defense agencies (e.g. armed forces; police; justice, national security) and the establishment of effective civilian oversight of the security system. Emphasis will also be placed in this course on major UN policy and operational areas for supporting SSR, including peacekeeping, DDR and post-conflict peacebuilding, and the role of the United Nations Inter-Agency Security Sector Reform Task Force (IASSRTF) to “promote an integrated, holistic and coherent United Nations security sector reform (SSR) approach that envisages to assist States and societies in establishing effective, inclusive and accountable security”. The civil society-led initiative of a United Nations Emergency Peace Service (UNEPS) will also be explored in terms of its potential positive contributions to international Security Sector Reform.
The contemporary global order is founded upon the principle of sovereignty of States and non-interference in each other’s domestic affairs. At the same time, there is an ever-increasing push for 'global governance' as the key to resolving issues of common concern to humanity, especially those which are transboundary in nature. But how should global governance work in the absence of a global government? Is global governance a good thing or a bad thing for humanity and the planet anyway? Recent world events have demonstrated that while elements of global governance on issues such as climate change and forced displacement might be necessary, grassroots organizations and civil society have simultaneously pushed back against ‘too much’ global governance in other areas such as trade and finance. Should we then move towards more global governance by identifying the gaps and plugging them? Or should we rather move towards restricting global governance because it is invasive and shrinks ‘governance space’ of States?
This course introduces students to the various dimensions of global governance, debates on its lack of effectiveness in some areas, as well as debates on its over-regulation in some others. The course adopts a multi-disciplinary approach to unpacking this important and emerging area of global policy making. It also adopts a dynamic pedagogy included readings, multi-media content, lectures, and discussion forums.
Over the past decades, transitional justice has emerged as an interdisciplinary field of research and practice that aims to understand and advance a complex range of goals, from strengthening democratic transitions and peacebuilding processes to enabling reconciliation.
The objective of this Course is twofold: to analyse the mechanisms and trends of transitional justice in the UN post-conflict peacebuilding processes, and to clarify some of their possible impacts on the international legal order. From an inter-disciplinary perspective, the course will briefly analise the different approaches to transitional justice along with its mechanisms including trials, truth commissions, compensation programs, apologies and commemorations.
Similarly, the course will address the investigate normative utilised by transitional justice processes and assess its effects and efficacy of the transitional justice processes. The course will finish examining the always controversial subject of amnesty.
The central goal of this course is to provide an introduction to a variety of research approaches and methods in the social sciences. The aim of the course is to enable students to develop their own research designs as well as be able to critique the research designs of others. Students will be exposed to different research methodologies (quantitative and qualitative), and data analysis techniques.
The student in this course will be required: to read compulsory readings and optional ones, to interact with fellow participants and instructors, listening to weekly presentations by the Instructors and most importantly, critical self-reflection.
At the end of the Course, the student will have a research design that should be conducted as part of their professional work and is an academic requirement for a course.
Revolutionary armed conflict was once considered the only way for oppressed peoples to change severe injustice and oppression. Bloodshed was deemed necessary, often justified by the cliché that what was taken by violence can only be retrieved by violence. In the last decades of the 20th century, however, it became clear that armed insurrection is not the only choice for aggrieved groups and societies, and that nonviolent civil resistance, relying on a variety of forms of nonviolent action, could bring some impressive results. Some failures also occurred. Although this phenomenon has been coherently utilized to achieve political and social change for well over a century by groups, peoples, and societies in differing cultures and political systems, only recently has it gained respect as a potentially formidable strategic force by policy makers, political analysts, scholars, peacemakers, and international specialists of many fields.
Contemporary dictatorships and tyrants have collapsed from the pressure exerted by popular mass movements of nonviolent action, in countries such as the former Czechoslovakia, Chile, East Germany, Georgia on the Black Sea, the Philippines, Poland, Serbia, South Africa, or Ukraine, to name a few. In 2010–11, national nonviolent movements in Tunisia and Egypt changed the face of North Africa and the Middle East. Evidence shows that countries that experience bottom-up, grass-roots nonviolent struggle are more likely to sustain human rights and democracy once established than when armed insurrection is used, and that nonviolent movements succeed more often than violent insurrections. Given this record, it is important for would-be peacemakers to explore systematically the theories, methods, dynamics, and strategies of such movements
On 25 September, 2015, the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted a new and ambitious collective global plan of action for transforming our world by 2030 through the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The SDGs, which are part and parcel of the 2030 Agenda, replace and build upon the previous Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) which ran their course in 2015. The advancement of the SDGs over the MDGs is not only in its scope – there are now 17 Goals as against the previous 8 – but also in some of the known structural shortcomings in the design of targets and indicators of the MDGs.
The global agenda for development, including development aid, financing, and international cooperation, for the next 15 years will likely gravitate around the SDGs. Indeed, the 2030 Agenda calls for a convergence around the SDGs of responses to several contemporary issues of global concern, whether related to climate change, human rights, peace and security, gender equality, migration, safe cities, rule of law, good governance, education, health, multilateral trade, investment, amongst others. However, a successful implementation of the SDGs can only result from learning the lessons from the MDG story where despite admirable progress in some goals, some others unfortunately remained off-track.
In this course, we critically examine gender in environment and development. We review the process of gender mainstreaming, we analyze its historical challenges, and we propose innovative frameworks to better address these challenges. Using case studies, we take on some of the most pressing environment and development issues including: food security, climate change. We critically examine males as allies to achieve gender equality. Furthermore, we apply our new knowledge to the field of environmental justice. This class is relevant to students and professionals working in education, research, programming and policy that want to deepen their understanding of gender and to acquire tools to address gender in environment and development.
All social interactions, from personal relationships to international arena, experience opposing preferences. Hence an introductory course on the theory and practice of negotiation and mediation is essential for understanding topics as diverse as marital disputes, organizational relations, community conflicts, group decision-making and international relations. It will enhance one's ability to critically review situations in order to find and adopt a mutually accepted solution to a given situation. This course is therefore designed to serve as a broad introduction to the nature, scope, theories and practices of negotiation and mediation. The course will examine the complex and yet essential roles of negotiation and mediation as part of the main procedures of dealing with opposing preferences and as models of constructive conflict transformation. The course will set the context with a discussion on the nature, assumptions, emotions and decision-making approaches involved in negotiations, the dynamics revolving around it and the gender perspective to it. It will also examine the various objectives, considerations, essences and processes of mediation. The course utilizes participatory and interactive pedagogies.