Negotiating Peace: From Conflict to Coexistence

How do violent conflicts end? Are conflicts ever truly resolved, or are they managed? Negotiating Peace is a hands-on, interactive program where students will learn about the conflict resolution process in two different countries, each at very different stages of the process: Ireland and Syria. In this 8-week course, students gain negotiation experience through mock mediations. For each case study, students hear from guest lecturers who have had first-hand experience in peace negotiations and from individuals affected by the conflict. Guest lectures are delivered by experts from around the world and conflict participants. Students are introduced to theories related to ethno-national conflict regulation and engage with the various methodological approaches to conflict resolution. Students then apply these theories and approaches in analysis of modern case studies.

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Program Features

Education Abroad Program Name	UNL Global Experiences: Negotiating Peace
Number of Credits for Course	3
Number of Credits for Education Abroad Program	3
Does this course carry major/minor credit? Elective credit?	Major, minor, elective
Typical Enrollment	15
Language of Instruction	English
Duration	8 weeks
Time Spent On-Site	Virtual
Last Taught	Summer 2021
Curriculum Strong Points/Innovations	1) Incorporates elements of on-site faculty-led programs abroad into a virtual space; 2) utilizes innovative "mock mediations" and role-play to give students hands-on experience in negotiating peace agreements; 3) the virtual nature of the program allows students to hear from people all over the world, including high-level individuals, such as the former Irish Prime Minister, who may otherwise be unavailable for such meetings

 

Faculty Bios

​Dr. Emira IbrahimpasicAffiliation: University of Nebraska - Lincoln
Dr. Emira Ibrahimpasic works as Assistant Professor of Practice and Assistant Director for Global Studies at University of Nebraska - Lincoln. She writes, "Although my Ph.D. is in Cultural Anthropology, I have a strong interdisciplinary background, which influences my teaching and research. I have multiple roles here at Global Studies. The first role is serving as the Assistant Professor of Practice and the second is serving as the program’s Assistant Director. In addition to teaching GLST 201: Introduction to Global Studies and GLST 494: Capstone, I also developed and supervise GLST 395: Internship in Global Studies. I also lead a number of special topics courses abroad. So far, I've taken students to Belize, Belgium & Netherlands, and India. My other duties include helping students with planning for short and long-term opportunities and I work closely with those students in our major who are applying for nationally competitive fellowships and scholarships like Critical Language Scholarship, Boren Scholarship, Fulbright Award and many others. I am also responsible for helping schedule Global Cafés and I welcome any ideas you may have."​

Katelyn Kunzman, M.A.Affiliation: University of Nebraska - Lincoln | [email protected]

​Katelyn Kunzman works as Education Abroad Coordinator at University of Nebraska - Lincoln. She holds an M.A. in Conflict Resolution in Divided Societies from King's College London, School of Security Studies and a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Nebraska - Lincoln. Before returning home to Nebraska, Katelyn gained experience as a programs officer for an international conflict resolution NGO in London, an intern for the U.S. Department of State Consulate in Peshawar, Pakistan, and worked on the floor of the U.S. Senate. Katelyn's academic interests are interdisciplinary and draw on area studies, political science and conflict resolution, and critical security studies, with a particular focus on the Copenhagen School of International Relations and Securitization Theory. Katelyn has lead groups abroad in Ireland, Israel, and Turkey. As an Education Abroad Coordinator, she advises students from the College of Arts & Sciences who are planning an education abroad experience and works with faculty to develop their faculty-led programs abroad.

What are the learning objectives for this course?

​By the end of this program, students should:
1. Understand the basic theories of conflict management and resolution, peace processes and negotiations, and historical failings that have led to conflict.
2. Develop analytical, verbal, and mediation and negotiation skills by presenting complex and abstract issues.
3. Be able to analyze and compare the three cases of conflict resolution, discuss the events that shaped the peace processes, and explain the similarities and differences.
4. Engage in self-reflection and consider their own place and role in the apparatuses that contribute to war and peace, and to provide avenues for a more concerted and thoughtful engagement with societal and political forces that dominate or emancipate their subjects.

How do you measure student learning and development outcomes?
Knowledge Checks – 10pts (5%): Quizzes over videos, readings, etc.; submission of reading notes; check-ins during class time.
Class Participation – 30pts (15%): This includes attendance, active participation in discussions and evidence you have done the readings, and high-quality engagement with guest lecturers. Students are expected to do all assigned reading prior to class and to have several points to bring to the discussion of each discussion question. When there is a guest lecturer, students are expected to read the biography of the speaker and prepare thoughtful questions.

Discussion Boards – 30 pts (15%): There are 5 online discussion board responses throughout the course. Students are expected to respond to the prompt and reply to two classmate’s responses as a continuation of and reflection on the in-class discussions.
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Mock Mediations – 60pts (30%): There are two case studies and mock mediations (each mediation is worth 15% – 30pts) throughout the program. Students are divided into groups and assigned a role to play for the mediation. Each student is expected to do their own research to understand the positions of their assigned person, party, or organization prior to meeting as a group to prepare for mediations. Students will be provided with a role briefing and required reading. Each student will submit a positions/interests/needs outline for their role prior to the mediation, and each group will submit their opening statement detailing such positions and interests. On the day of the mediation, students are provided a schedule for how the session will play out and will negotiate issues from the perspective of their assigned role.
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Final Essay – 70pts (35%): The final essay gives students the opportunity to dive deeper into a topic from the class. They are given broad themes and are asked to develop a research question from the theme, or they can choose from a list of preset questions.

How does the curriculum support participants’ understanding of the social, historical, political, economic, linguistic, cultural, and environmental contexts?

The course begins with a discussion about colonialism, native lands, and the historical conflicts in the United States before moving on to modern-day conflicts abroad. To understand the conflict, students must first understand the social, historical, political, economic, linguistic, cultural, and environmental contexts. With each case study, students hear directly from people who lived through and were involved in the conflict. The course ensures students have a grasp on the context of the conflict through guest speakers, virtual museum tours, and documentaries. Because all these contexts are involved in conflict, they all must be covered in the curriculum.

How do the curricular and co-curricular programming, including assigned readings, excursions, and guest speakers, include diverse perspectives and practice inclusive pedagogy?

Conflicts are not one-sided. Students are presented with differing views on the conflicts and hear from those on differing sides.
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– When studying the Northern Ireland conflict, students heard from a panel of ex-political prisoners from both sides, a former British Army Officer who was stationed in Northern Ireland, and the former Prime Minister of Ireland who was a key figure in negotiating the peace agreement.
– When students learn about theories of conflict, they are assigned readings from multiple scholars who present different arguments and ideas about the origins of conflict.
– During the Syrian case study, students heard from a former US diplomat who was involved in peace negotiations and from a young woman close to the students’ age who was a refugee from Syria, now living in our city and attending our university.
– The students also heard from Israeli and Palestinian parents who lost a child in the conflict. They hear both perspectives and hear how these parents are now working together to end the conflict.
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I practice inclusive pedagogy by utilizing the “brave spaces” framework. On day one, we talk about what a brave space is and cover ground rules for discussing sensitive topics.

What are your policies and procedures related to evaluation, awarding and/or transfer of credit, grade conversions, grade appeals, research ethics, and academic integrity? How do you make them accessible to interested parties?

Because this is a course offered by the University of Nebraska – Lincoln, I follow all university policies related to grade appeals, academic integrity, and evaluation. This course does not have a research component, but the university’s research ethics policies would apply as well. No transfer credit is needed. All policies are available on the university website and in the course syllabus.
1. Grading: Letter grades will be assigned following the distribution: A+ (100-98) A (93-97), A- (92-90), B+ (89-87), B (86-83), B- (82-80), C+ (79-77), C (76-73), C- (72-70), D+ (69-67), D (66-63), D- (62-60), F (59 and below)

2. Submission of Late Work: All assignments must be turned in on time. For every three days an assignment is turned in late, students will lose 10%. This includes weekends. If a student thinks they will not be able to complete an assignment on time, please reach out to the instructor at least one day prior to the deadline.

3. Academic Honesty: Academic honesty is essential to the existence and integrity of an academic institution. The responsibility for maintaining that integrity is shared by all members of the academic community. The Student Code of Conduct addresses academic dishonesty. Students who commit acts of academic dishonesty are subject to disciplinary action and are granted due process and the right to appeal any decision.​

Did you consult any resources on education abroad that were particularly helpful in designing this course? If so, please describe.

I participated in SIT’s certificate program “Designing and Leading Global Experiential Programs: On-site and Online.” Throughout this program, I worked on the program design and consulted with my small group of peers who offered feedback in the course components. Their feedback and the certificate program was incredibly helpful! I also utilized “The Guide to Successful Short-Term Programs Abroad,” from NAFSA and consulted courses listed in Forum’s curriculum toolbox.