PPR420: Conflict Management in Contemporary Conflicts

Objectives

The course aims to explore a variety of approaches to conflict management in contemporary conflicts, by third parties and parties in conflict, and critically assesses their effectiveness and potential. The course draws its theoretical foundations from peace and conflict research but is aimed at enabling students to learn to assess the scope for conflict management and peace-building in practice. The module includes both academic literature as well as policy relevant papers.

The focus of the course is on analysing peace processes and practical problems of conflict prevention, conflict management and peace-building in a range of contemporary international, internal, ethnic, community and environmental conflicts.

Structure

Students will be divided up into groups of two or three, and each group will take responsibility for identifying and investigating a specific approach to conflict management in a conflict of their choice. The choice of cases will vary with the interest of students. In recent year topics included Afghanistan, Chechnya, Georgia, Kashmir, Kosovo, Macedonia, Northern Ireland, Liberia/Sierra Leone, Timor Elste, conflict prevention and the emergent global climate change negotiations, and peace-building in contemporary Africa and Asia.

The course is taught in 10 2-hour lecture  seminars, with the first half devoted to the lecture and the second half dedicated to  substantial presentations by the student / group.

Select Bibliography

Barash, David P. & Webel, Charles P. (2008) Peace and Conflict Studies, London: Sage.

Darby J & Mac Ginty, R, Contemporary Peacemaking (Palgrave Macmillan, 2002)

Eriksen, T. H., Ethnicity and Nationalism (Zed, 2010).

Kaldor, M., New & Old Wars (Polity Press, 2006)

Lyons, T. (2008) Conflict Management and African Conflicts – Ripeness, Bargaining and Mediation, London: Routledge, 2008)

Misra, A. Afghanistan: The Labyrinth of Violence (Polity, 2004).

Misra A., Politics of Civil Wars (Routledge 2008)

Paris, R., At War's End (Cambridge Univ. Press. 2005)

Ramsbotham, O, Woodhouse T. & Miall, H, Contemporary Conflict Resolution – 3rd edition (Blackwell's, 2010)

Rupesinghe, K, Civil Wars, Civil Peace (Pluto Press, 1998)

Zartman, I.W., Peacemaking in International Conflict (USIP, 2005)

European Centre for Conflict Prevention, People Building Peace (1999)

Wallensteen, P., Understanding Conflict Resolution (Sage, 2006)

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