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74558-01 - Seminar: Inclusive Peacebuilding: Societal Participation in Conflict Prevention and Peace Processes (3 CP)
| Semester | spring semester 2025 |
| Course frequency | Once only |
| Lecturers |
Michael Aeby (michael.aeby@unibas.ch, Assessor)
Jamie Pring (jamie.pring@unibas.ch) |
| Content | Abstract There is a growing agreement among peacebuilding, human rights, and development practitioners on the importance of inclusivity in conflict prevention and peace processes (Bell, 2019). Rather than striking peace deals among a small circle of political and military elites, inclusive peacebuilding aims to build peace through “a dynamic, co-constituted, emergent and necessarily adaptive process that includes multiple knowledges and actors” (Danielsson, 2020: 1087). Peace researchers and practitioners assume inclusive process designs to translate into greater ownership of both the peace process and its outcome. (Barnes, 2002; Donais and McCandless, 2017; Vogelaar, 2018) Inclusivity is expected to render conflict early warning and preventive interventions, peace negotiations, peace agreements, and the implementation of transitional mechanisms more legitimate and sensitive to human security concerns (Arnault, 2014; Barnes, 2002; Belloni, 2001; Lehti, 2019; Nilsson, 2012). Theories of change that underpin inclusive peacebuilding interventions assume that inclusive peace process designs will establish the foundations for sustainable peace by producing more inclusive and stable political settlements among competing elites (Bell 2019, 16), as well as resilient social contracts among the members of a society. (Zahar and McCandless, 2020). The findings of the inlusive peace research paradigm have entered the policy realm, where inclusivity has emerged from a buzzword into a policy mainstreamed in various peacebuilding programmes of intergovernmental, governmental and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) (Bell, 2019; Hellmüller, 2019b). This entails, amongst others, policies and programmes for gender, youth, civil society and minority inclusion in conflict prevention, management and transformation. However, the research, policy and practice of inclusive peacebuilding are characterised by an implementation gap. Exclusionary power-sharing pacts continue to be struck among elites and violence-makers, whilst stakeholder groups who lack coercive power are marginalised in peace processes. Furthermore, state-centric approaches to security management often disregard the concerns of marginalised societal groups, leading to violent unrest. The seminar offers an introduction to the flourishing research on inclusivity in conflict prevention and peace processes, with a focus on violent conflicts and peace interventions in Africa and the Global South. Using case and comparative studies, it examines polices and conflict intervention of the United Nations, African Union and other intergovernmental organisations, as well as national governments and NGOs. Covering the full peacebuilding spectrum, the course discusses strategies to promote inclusivity in conflict early warning and prevention, mediation, negotiations and peace agreements, implementation mechanisms, as well as local peacebuilding and transitional justice processes. Drawing from several literatures that together constitute the inclusive peace paradigm, the course discusses research on women, peace and security, youth inclusion, civil society participation, public engagement, minority rights, and the involvement of a range of societal stakeholders in peace processes. The two thematic blocks of the seminar, firstly, discuss inclusivity in different conflict intervention types across the peacebuilding spectrum and, secondly, the inclusion of a variety of societal stakeholder groups in peace processes. The seminar meetings discuss each topic based on comparative literature and case studies to convey both conceptual knowledge on peacebuilding strategies, as well as empirical knowledge about recent conflicts and peace processes. By requiring students to write an essay and do a presentation on a case study, participate in a peace process simulation, and engage in group discussions, the seminar teaches transferable analytical, writing, presentation and teamwork skills. Seminar meetings Part A: Inclusion in what? 21.02.2025 08:30 – 10:00 01 Introduction: Course overview and modalities Course overview: inclusion in conflict prevention and peace processes; inclusion of actor groups Course modalities: attendance, essays, presentations, group exercise, allocation of assignments 10:30 – 12:00 02 The buzzword of inclusivity and the emergence of an international norm Topics: The emergence of the norm of inclusivity in peace processes; the peacebuilding spectrum Case studies (student presentations): UN: (New) Agenda for Peace; European Union (EU): Instrument for Stability 28.02.2025 08:30 – 10:00 03 Inclusivity in conflict early warning and prevention Topics: Conflict early warning systems, national peace infrastructures Case studies: West Africa Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP) and ECOWARN; Liberia: National peace committee structure 10:30 – 12:00 04 Inclusivity in peace mediation and negotiations Topics: inclusive mediation design, national dialogues Case studies: South Sudan: negotiation of the Agreement to Resolve the Conflict (ARCSS), South Africa: national dialogue process 07.03.2025 08:30 – 10:00 05 Inclusivity in peace agreements and implementation mechanisms Topics: Agreement provisions for inclusion; participation in reform mechanisms Case studies: Colombia’s Comprehensive Peace Agreement, South Africa: constitutional and security sector reforms 10:30 – 12:00 06 Inclusivity in transitional justice and national healing programmes Topics: Truth and reconciliation processes; local dialogue programmes after violence Case study: Kenya’s Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commission, Colombia’s Commission for the Clarification of Truth Part B. Inclusion of whom? 21.03.2025 08:30 – 10:00 07 Inclusion of non-state armed groups Topics: Spoilers in mediation processes; negotiating with “terrorists”; AU policy on unconstitutional changes to government; Case studies: South Sudan’s Revitalised Agreement and non-signatories; Mindanao (Philippines) Moro Islamic Liberation Front 10:30 – 12:00 08 Inclusion of civil society Topics: Concepts of civil society; civil society in IGOs, mediations and implementation processes Case studies: Syria Civil Society Room; Lesotho Political Dialogue 04.04.2025 08:30 – 10:00 09 Gender inclusion and the Women, Peace, and Security agenda Topics: the Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) agenda Case studies: Liberia: National Action Plan on WPS; Swiss National Action Plan to Implement UNSC Resolution 1325 10:30 – 12:00 10 Inclusion of Youth, children and people with disabilities Topics: Youth, Peace & Security; protection of children in peace processes; inclusion of people with disabilities Case studies: AU Youth for Peace Programme; UN Committee on the Rights of the Child; UN Human Rights Office Rapporteur on the Rights of People with Disabilities 25.04.2025 08:30 – 10:00 11 Religious groups and traditional authorities Topics: Inclusion of religious groups; religious and traditional leaders in peace processes. Case study: South Sudan: traditional leaders in the Revitalised ARCSS ; South Africa: Congress of Traditional Leaders in transition 10:30 – 12:00 12 Simulation and wrap-up: What works where to include whom in what? Group exercise: Simulation of peace process in which students represent different stakeholder groups Group discussion: What works where to include whom in what? |
| Learning objectives | Learning objectives - Acquire expertise on the policy trend of inclusivity in peacebuilding, and how measures to promote inclusion are implemented by intergovernmental, governmental and non-governmental organisations. - Acquire foundational knowledge on conflict prevention, management and transformation approaches. - Acquire basic knowledge on contemporary and historic conflicts and peace processes in the Global South. - Acquire analytical skills by analysing organisational designs, interventions and conflicts. - Improve writing skills by writing an essay and an optional seminar paper. - Improve presentation skills by presenting an essay and comparative findings in a group presentation. - Learn about different types and purposes of academic and policy research publications on the reading list. |
| Bibliography | A detailed seminar programme, list of assignments, essay template will be emailed to you at the beginning of the semester. You will receive and email with the essential readings prior to the relevant seminar meeting, and all readings and resources are available on ADAM. |
| Admission requirements | MA students in Changing Societies and Political Science are given priority if more than 20 students renrol for the course. |
| Language of instruction | English |
| Use of digital media | No specific media used |
| Course auditors welcome |
| Interval | Weekday | Time | Room |
|---|---|---|---|
| wöchentlich | Friday | 08.30-12.00 | Bernoullistrasse 14/16, Seminarraum 02.004 |
Dates
| Date | Time | Room |
|---|---|---|
| Friday 21.02.2025 | 08.30-12.00 | Bernoullistrasse 14/16, Seminarraum 02.004 |
| Friday 28.02.2025 | 08.30-12.00 | Bernoullistrasse 14/16, Seminarraum 02.004 |
| Friday 07.03.2025 | 08.30-12.00 | Bernoullistrasse 14/16, Seminarraum 02.004 |
| Friday 21.03.2025 | 08.30-12.00 | Bernoullistrasse 14/16, Seminarraum 02.004 |
| Friday 04.04.2025 | 08.30-12.00 | Bernoullistrasse 14/16, Seminarraum 02.004 |
| Friday 25.04.2025 | 08.30-12.00 | --, -- |
| Modules |
Modul: Vertiefung Politikwissenschaft M.A. (Master's degree subject: Political Science) Module: Conflicts and Peacebuilding (Master's degree program: Changing Societies: Migration – Conflicts – Resources) Module: Fields: Governance and Politics (Master's degree program: African Studies) |
| Assessment format | continuous assessment |
| Assessment details | Student assignments and participation requirements To pass the course and be awarded 3 ECTS, students are required to: - Attend at least 5 of 6 seminar meetings - Read three to four key readings that are provided on ADAM in preparation of each meeting. - Actively participate in plenary discussions. - Write and present an essay of ca. 1,300 words on a specific case study in a seminar meeting. - Participate in a group exercise in the final meeting - Students may earn an additional 5 ECTS by writing a seminar paper on a relevant topic. |
| Assessment registration/deregistration | Reg.: course registration; dereg.: not required |
| Repeat examination | no repeat examination |
| Scale | Pass / Fail |
| Repeated registration | no repetition |
| Responsible faculty | Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, studadmin-philhist@unibas.ch |
| Offered by | Departement Gesellschaftswissenschaften |