Peace, War and ConflictModule Details

Rationale 

This course introduces theories and concepts related to conflict and peace studies as seen through an international lens. Students will receive a thorough grasp of a number of core conflict and peace ideas, allowing them to examine and analyse contemporary conflict and peacebuilding scenarios. The complexity surrounding the discipline of conflict, as well as the most widely employed conflict resolution tactics in the political sphere, will be examined. Students will be led through an examination of the international community's reactions to war and of the major disputes concerning the alleviation of human suffering during war and conflict. The course concludes with a brief overview of conflict in Africa and addresses issues including the causes of conflict, peacebuilding processes and post conflict statehood trajectories.
    
Learning Outcomes

At the end of the course students will be expected to:

(i)    Describe general terms of peace and conflict.
(ii)   Distinguish the different types of conflict. 
(iii)  Describe the roots of conflict at interpersonal, community, national and international levels.
(iv)  Describe methods for managing disputes and promoting peace.
(v)   Determine current controversies on the causes of war and peace.
(vi)  Assess alternative strategies for peace making, peacebuilding and peacekeeping. 
(vii) Describe a range of conflict resolution techniques, nonviolence techniques and techniques of conflict analysis and mapping.
(viii) Discuss the relationship between perception, religion and power with conflict and peace. 
(ix)  Identify human rights violations in conflict settings and crisis situations.
(x)   Explain the most common causes of conflict in Africa.
(xi)  Describe successful and failed post-conflict peacebuilding attempts in Africa.