INTS 373 | MLA 540 Negotiating Peace: The Practice of Local & Global Peacebuilding |
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Course Content
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Why study Peace? According to the World Bank, 80 percent of the world's 20 poorest countries have suffered a major war in the past 15 years. On average, countries coming out of war face a 44 percent chance of relapsing in the first five years of peace. Without efforts to repair the schisms within local communities, development initiatives in war-torn and conflict-ridden parts of the world are often ineffective. This course explores the causes and complexities of contemporary conflict, examining methods that respond to conflict without perpetuating cycles of revenge, hostility, and division. Participants will learn through practical, hands-on experience how to identify common bonds and bridge perceptual differences. Reflecting on forgiveness and reconciliation in their own communities, students will learn about worldwide endeavors in the field of conflict transformation that heal the wounds of entrenched division and war. What will we do? This course will use an Experiential Learning framework to create a hands-on, interactive learning environment that combines reflective practice with participatory evaluation and problem-solving. Experiential Learning is based on the following premise: Tell me and I will forget ~ Show me and I may remember ~ Involve me and I will understand. Students will engage in a range of creative and kinesthetic activities (games, role plays, story-telling, practice mediations) to make these issues come alive and become relevant to their own lives and communities. In addition to examining conflicts in Africa, the Middle East, and Iraq, students will be asked to consider conflicts in the U.S.—race relations, domestic violence, the immigration debate, the impact of 9/11 and the resulting 'war on terror'. How do US-based conflicts affected military expenditures, educational programs, urban planning? What segments of the population are most affected? Is conflict always negative or does it pose opportunities for learning and growth? Working collaboratively, students will enhance their skills as peacemakers and design holistic strategies for increased intra- and intercultural understanding. What are our goals? |
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Required Reading |  |
What kinds of things will we read, see, hear? This course is designed to acquaint students with best practices in peacebuilding, both from a theoretical and practical perspective. In an effort to keep the course as affordable and up-to-date as possible, I will put most of the readings and materals on our website. This means, of course, that the class is a work in progress. We will address many issues as they unfold and discuss possible solutions to continued and emerging conflicts. Please feel free to contribute information you discover throughout the course. I am happy to post additional materials to WebCT that are relevant and informative. In addition to shorter video and documentary segments, we will be viewing several full-length feature films. I would prefer to watch these films as a group. If we cannot found a mutually agreeable time outside of class, I will put the films on reserve for viewing within Ramsey library. It is extremely important in a class of this kind to hear from the experts, ie. those who are out in the streets doing the work of peacebuilding. I am working to bring in a number of guest speakers to talk about their experiences. These will include activists in the anti-war movement, specialists in race relations, local and international mediators, and filmmakers. Please be open to changes in our timetable. We may have to shift a few things around to accommodate our guests. |
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Contact Info |  |
Please feel free to arrange an appointment with me if you wish to discuss any aspect of the course. I encourage you to drop by during my office hours or at a mutually convenient time. You should also feel free to call (251-6277) or email me. Email is best, between 9 am and 5 pm Monday-Friday. Emails sent over the weekend may not answered until Monday. You are responsible for any missed classes; I cannot re-create our weekly meetings. In the case of an absence, please (1) consult the course website for assigned materials (2) contact a classmate to discuss in-class activities. Upon students' approval, I will provide a list of telephone numbers at the beginning of the semester for easy reference. |
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Class Projects |  |
The course will be conducted as a workshop, with both small- and large-group activities. In addition to short in-class free writes, students will complete three major assignments: (1) a reflective journal of approximately 250 words per week (2) a research paper of 10-12 pages (3) a creative activity. Reflective journals ~ Journals will be graded according to the quality and thoughtfulness of the weekly entries, as well as adherence to the word limit. You are encouraged to experiment, take risks, be creative. You may, for example, want to draw in your journal, write a poem, add photographs, or paste news articles. This is your creative space to ponder and respond. You should begin writing in your journal the first week. For each entry, be sure to specify the week, the weekly topic, and a word count. Your final journal grade will be based on the following criteria: • thoughtful, thorough, well-articulated responses to the course readings and discussions • integration of course materials into personal reflections • awareness of the opportunities and challenges of peacebuilding • intellectual maturity in processing complex and subtle issues from multiple learning environments The hallmark of effective peacebuilding is teamwork. For this reason, both your research paper and creative project will be completed in groups of three. I realize that some of you prefer to work alone; others have had bad experiences working in groups. Despite these preferences and pitfalls, a major goal of this course is to build a toolkit for cooperation, facilitation, negotiation, and collaboration. It is essential that we practice these skills in a serious way, but also leave ourselves open for discovery and fun. This may well be one of your biggest learning experiences in the course—about yourself and others. To help keep each team on track, I ask that you use the following rubric to gauge each other's performance. You will be assessed by your teammates in the following categories: (1) workload (2) organization (3) participation (4) deadlines (5) showing up (6) providing feedback (7) receiving feedback. You will submit these rubrics along with your completed assignments. You will be asked to provide a draft of your research paper no later than two weeks before the due date. It is vital that you submit your research paper and creative project on the day they are due. In fairness to your classmates, a late penalty will be applied to all tardy assignments (5 points per day late). • Create a mediation toolkit; you may want to focus on a specific topic, age group, racial/ethnic group, gender, location • Create a local advocacy campaign; you can publish a brochure, film a public service announcement, organize a march • Design a course on peacebuilding; choose a target audience (community leaders, schoolchildren, church group) • Write a booklet of peace poems • Write a one-act play • Compose a series of peace songs • Interview a peacemaker Creative projects will be assessed on two primary criteria: (1) written/visual content (2) presentation on the last day of class. MLA Students Students seeking graduate credit will write a longer research paper (15-20 pp.) and provide a more extensive scholarly bibliography. I also would like to arrange a weekly group tutorial. This is our opportunity to discuss the course materials in more depth and allow you more time for questions. Finally, graduate students will asked to help facilitate class activities, welcome guest speakers, and serve as mentors as needed. |
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Speaking Out |  |
| The only way you will do well in this course is to come prepared and be an active participant in every class. The quality of your contribution to the class will be evaluated according to the following standards: |
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Contributes consistently, regularly and enthusiastically to class activities. States ideas clearly. Volunteers for activities and assignments. Does not dominate. Takes the lead in engaging others in discussion. |
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Contributes to each class meeting. Does not dominate. Maintains an active presence in class activities. Sometimes engages others in dialogue. |
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Contributes only sporadically. Rarely engages others in discussion. |
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Physically present and actively listens, but does not contribute with any regularity. |
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Absent. Frequently unprepared or inattentive. Makes unproductive comments. Talks while others have the floor or engages in other disruptive behaviors. |
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Showing Up |  |
Attendance is essential for a successful class, especially in an upper-level seminar of this kind. Because the course meets only once a week, you are expected to attend all classes. Absences will figure into your class participation mark, which is 25 percent of your final grade. In addition to being present in class, please arrive on time. On days when it is necessary for the University to delay or cancel classes due to inclement weather, a annoucement will be posted on UNCA's homepage. |
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Spring Break |  |
UNCA's Key Center, in cooperation with the UNCA Habitat Chapter and the SGA, have planned an 'alternate' spring break trip to New Orleans. Student participants will work with Habitat for Humanity in post-Katrina reconstruction work. The group will travel to New Orleans by bus and will stay in Camp Hope, a converted elementary school. The trip is heavily subsidized to enable more students to attend. Students will be asked to pay $75 to cover expenses—half the amount required by New Orleans Habitat. The Key Center hopes to offer financial assistance to those students who could otherwise not participate. This trip is particularly relevant to our discussion of race relations. Equally important, it represents a vital example of grassroots activism and community empowerment. For additional information contact Dr. Merritt Moseley of UNCA's Key Center (251-6583/moseley@unca.edu). An additional opportunity for spring break is the peacemaking workshop offered by Creating a Culture of Peace. The training program, available nationwide, is open to schools, civic organizations, veterans, congregations, and other groups seeking peaceful personal and social change. The goal of the program is to provide individuals with the skills to replace violence with peace—at home, in their communities, across the country and around the world. The event will be held in Elizabethton, Tennessee from March 7-9. The cost per individual is $20, for couples $30, and for youth (14-18) $10. I plan to attend and am happy to arrange group transportation if others are interested. Please see me if you would like additional information. |
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Course Grade |  |
| preparation & participation | 25 |
93 - 100 | A |
| reflection journal | 25 |
90 - 92 | A - |
| research paper | 25 |
87 - 89 | B + |
| creative project |
25 |
84 - 86 | B |
| Course Grade | 100 | 77 - 79 | C + |
| 74 - 76 | C - | ||
| 60 - 69 | D |
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Academic Honesty |  |
All students are held to the standards of academic honesty as described in the 2007-2008 catalogue (heading "Academic Procedures"; subheading "Student Requirements"), where academic misconduct is discussed. A breach of academic honesty will result in the unacceptability of the work under question and possible failure of the course. If you are unsure about what constitutes plagiarism, please come talk to me. Better safe than sorry! |