This course provides a basic introduction to the principles, conceptual underpinnings and creative design of curricula relevant to peace education and related fields in both formal and nonformal contexts. The course will initially review a range of theories of schooling and paradigms in curriculum theorizing, the debates that exist within, and their implications for the design of curricula. Emphasis is placed on curriculum development approaches that promote conflict transformation, transformative learning, critical pedagogy, and education for a holistic culture of peace. For many years, most countries in the Global South have simply reproduced curriculum materials from previous colonizers or adopted curriculum designs from the “West” or other colonial powers without due consideration to local needs and contexts. During the past decade, there have been efforts by ministries of education of many South countries to engage in a national process of curriculum development from basic to higher levels to make their educational system and curricula more responsive to the existing social, economic, cultural and political conditions of the country. Similarly, national and local development NGOs have designed educational programmes and resources more aligned with the aspirations of peoples organizations and grassroots movements. Students will explore practical ideas for appropriate, effective and creative teaching of peace-related curricula for all levels of formal schooling, nonformal peace education programmes of government and nongovernment agencies and community organizations. Finally, participants will write a curriculum relevant to their own areas of interest, work, and commitment to peace. While this course has been designed with a significant emphasis on the "educational" dimensions of peace and development, the course will be equally useful to non-teachers and non- professional educators.
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.
The course discusses how Internet based social media can be utilized for community empowerment, advocacy and peace. It looks at the media landscape, its main actors, the architecture of the Internet and its available platforms and tools. Using several case studies, it is demonstrated how social media is applied today by governments, NGOs and individuals to drive narratives on according to their agenda. The course aims to connect the theory to the practice with introductory exercises in journalistic storytelling, building evidence through photography /video and by visualizing data and networks flows. The importance of IT security is also explored by discussing online threats as well as concepts of anonymity and privacy. By the end of the course students will be familiar with the state of social media today, its usage for peace building and its advantages and limitations. They will have been introduced to several disruptive, yet easy to use technologies that are essential assets for the peace practitioner. In addition they will gain practical knowledge to use tools such as Twitter and Storify.
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.
The six-week course “Gender mainstreaming in peacekeeping operations and in humanitarian assistance” is designed to provide theoretical as well as field-based knowledge on the gender dimension of peacekeeping and humanitarian assistance. Throughout the six weeks, the students will be exposed to the major trends that have been used for the incorporation of a gender perspective in peacekeeping and humanitarian fields, as well as in post-conflict reconstruction. Policies, programmes and practical case studies will be shared with the students with the aim of getting a thorough understanding of the positive and negative aspects of peacekeeping operations and humanitarian activities in different environments worldwide. At the end of the six-week course, the students shall be able to understand the cost of ignoring gender in peacekeeping operations and the delivery of humanitarian assistance as well as its long-term consequences, and analyze current situations with a gender perspective. The last week will sum up the entire course with a focus on post-conflict reconstruction through a gender perspective.
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.
The course discusses the complex role and functions played by the media, both traditional and new - and the problems they face in conflict situations, whether before, during or after the actual conflict. It also addresses the clashing relationships that often occur among media and governments, the military, other armed players and NGOs, international agencies and humanitarian organizations in these circumstances. The course provides a broad understanding of the history of media in conflict and war situations, and draws the distinction between information and propaganda, while explaining the ways in which media work and produce information and discusses the different roles and functions they actually play - and the possible ones they could play.
The course is intended as a general introduction to these topics. It draws lessons from contemporary experience, with an emphasis on new media, social networks and the role they have played in revolutions and contentious politics against authoritarian regimes in recent years. How do new media and the concept of Web 2.0 affect the relationships between traditional media, audiences and various State and non-state actors? Do social media reinforce narratives of war, conflict and extremism or are they a force for tolerance and conflict resolution?
This course seeks to provide an overview of the relationship between conflicts and social justice at local and global levels as well as peacebuilding initiatives to transform such conflicts in both South and North contexts. Various conceptual frameworks for understanding global and local social justice will be analyzed and critiqued. Drawing on case studies in diverse regions in the Global South, seven specific themes or sectors will be critically examined, including paradigms of development and globalization, rural poor, women, child labour, migrant workers, indigenous peoples and ecological sustainability. The impact of unjust social structures and relationships at international, national and local levels in catalyzing conflicts will be analyzed. Various exemplars of grassroots peacebuilding initiatives and movements to transform these conflicts towards realities that reflect the values and principles of social justice will also be explored. The course also provides a forum for understanding the roles played by NGOs, other civil society organizations and social movements in the building of a just world community.
This short course provides an introduction to the multi faceted issues of leadership and women and leadership. It explores established theories on leadership in general and perspectives on women leaders and leadership globally; and the capacity for women leaders and potential leaders to lead changes and manage conflict, building peace and education for a better future.
The course examines literature, articles and essays and short media presentations on the subject of leadership broadly and specifically on women and leadership. It encourages participants to develop and share outlooks and information from their world view, reflecting on theory and practice, including their own leadership development.
Through presentations, reading, reflections and debate and engagement in straightforward practical tasks, participants will review established views on leadership; and investigate issues of gender in leadership, self and organisational development. Participants will begin to consider strategies for the development of women leaders and potential leaders within their working environment and spheres of influence.
Participants will begin to critique recognised ideas about leadership and determine why women and leadership remains a subject for reflection; the presence and participation of women leaders, and where women leaders are to be found, and the influences upon their leadership journey. Participants will deliberate the impact of leadership styles and of gender in organisational effectiveness and strategies for the advancement of women as leaders, capacity building for organisational change, and developing women leaders in a changing world.
This course seeks to clarify theoretical and conceptual frameworks for understanding the role of education in times of emergencies as well as educational strategies and practices essential in helping to prevent and/or overcome such emergencies, including armed conflicts and "natural” disasters.It is now recognized that although basic needs (e.g. water, food, shelter, physical security) are vital for emergencies-affected peoples and communities, education is likewise crucial. Drawing on exemplars from diverse regions, the course will examine a range of purposes that education can and should fulfill in emergency situations as part of a holistic humanitarian response and the broader challenge of building a culture of peace relevant for refugees, internally displaced peoples, ex-combatants and other vulnerable groups such as women and children to overcome physical and psychosocial trauma and suffering caused by displacement and loss of regular educational provision. Both formal and non-formal educational approaches and contexts, as well as curriculum and teaching-learning processes will be considered.
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 offers a deeper understanding of the change processes that lead to more effective projects and impacts within organizations. It is intended to increase the students’ capacities to formulate strategies and to design, implement and evaluate projects within a development and conflict prevention perspective. The students learn and critically discuss the theories of change as well as the processes of strategic planning, and project design and evaluation. They apply these notions to the study of concrete cases and to the preparation of their own strategic development and projects. The course delves deeper on such tools as: all the steps leading to the formulation of strategic plans; context, problem and stakeholders’ analysis; project cycle; logical framework; outcome
mapping; adaptive management; project implementation; phasing out; project monitoring and impact assessment.
Rights of Human Beings forms one of the most important branches of international law in the contemporary world. The experience of the 'scourge of war' during and in the immediate aftermath of World War II brought about a new international recognition and focus to the rights of human beings. Today, there are several international treaties guarenteeing a wide range of rights to human beings, both in times of peace and in conflicts. These instruments also impose obligations upon States to respect, protect and fulfil those rights. Under the aegis of the United Nations and regional organizations, several bodies have been established to monitor violations of rights of human beings. Despite these efforts, we continue to live in a world where these rights are rampantly abused. The events of 9/11 have also seriously exacerbated the challenges faced by rights protection. Today, like never before, there is an amplified need for students and professionals from all spheres of life to not only understand and mainstream rights of human beings into their activities, but also to be prepared to meet the growing challenges posed by current and emerging global issues.
This course introduces participants to the international legal regime for protection of rights of human beings. We will focus on both international human rights law and international humanitarian law. The course is divided into two parts. In part one, we will cover a broad spectrum of issues in human rights protection, beginning with the history and philosophical foundations of human rights and ending with contemporary challenges thereto. We will explore the core human rights instruments, the enforcement mechanisms established under international law and will also give special attention to the rights of vulnerable persons and groups. In Part two, we will focus on international humanitarian law which covers rights of human beings, and obligations of States and organized armed groups, during armed conflicts. In both parts, we will have a strong blend of contemporary challenges to the existing protection regime with insights drawn from case studies.
The course will adopt a dynamic pedagogy including required and optional readings, interaction with fellow participants and instructor, listening to weekly presentations by the Instructor and most importantly, critical self-reflection. The course will be covered in ten weeks and each week's theme will require a minimum of three hours of devotion by participants
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.
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.
This course explores contemporary trends in sustainable food systems with a focus on agrarian political economy and agroecology. The course begins by building a framework of the different ways in which sustainable agriculture is practiced. We relate these contemporary practices to the capitalist transformation of agriculture in the 20th century. We then explore the politics of international assessments on food security and agriculture asking whether proposals to address food security will be successful. The last two sessions explore different pathways towards greater sustainability and interrogates whether and to what extent they may improve our food system. We examine certification schemes including organics and fair trade. We also analyze the emergence of the local food movement, development-oriented interventions such as farmer field schools, and end with a critical discussion of the food sovereignty movement.
This course explores contemporary trends in sustainable food systems with a focus on agrarian political economy and agroecology. The course begins by building a framework of the different ways in which sustainable agriculture is practiced. We relate these contemporary practices to the capitalist transformation of agriculture in the 20th century. We then explore the politics of international assessments on food security and agriculture asking whether proposals to address food security will be successful. The last two sessions explore different pathways towards greater sustainability and interrogates whether and to what extent they may improve our food system. We examine certification schemes including organics and fair trade. We also analyze the emergence of the local food movement, development-oriented interventions such as farmer field schools, and end with a critical discussion of the food sovereignty movement.