Home

PACS4500 Section 1 Course Homepage Spring 2013

Printer-friendly versionPrinter-friendly versionPACS4500-001 Spring 2013
Senior Seminar in Peace and Conflict Studies
Course Homepage


Section 001: Guy Burgess, Instructor; TTh 12:30-1:45 PM Muenzinger 439

Urgent Contact Form | Web Form System Closed for the Sememster. Use Urgent Contact Form. All-Purpose Web-Form (for Reading Notes and Attendance Makeups) 
Major Assignment File Upload | Shortcut to Course Schedule | Class Activity Notes | Research Browse

General Course Information 

Peace and Conflict Studies Certificate Program:  Website with information on PACS Certificate program requirements and sign-up procedures.

Course: PACS 4500-001: Senior Seminar in Peace and Conflict Studies

Instructor: Guy Burgess

Main Campus Office: Norlin Library Room S423

Primary, Main Campus Office Hours:  8:45--9:15 Tuesday/Thursday (I'm also usually available after class, just talk to me at the end of class. I can also, by appointment, often meet between 11:00 and 12:15 and at 1:50 on Tuesday and Thursday.  Office hours can be a time for informal conversation.  Don't feel like you have to have a problem.

Norlin Office Phone:  303-492-6708  Used only during office hours. Use quick response e-mail (not voice mail) for messages.

East Campus Office:  ARC building, 3100 Marine St, East campus, [2nd floor (excluding basement), south "Annex" wing, Guy: A228, Heidi A222.
Take the Stampede bus. for relatively quick access.

Secondary, East Campus Office Hours:  We are usually around Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Call first, however, to make sure we are available!

East Campus Office Phone: 303-492-1635 (for both of us).  -- Use (email,  not voice mail)  for messages.

Class Periods / Classrooms: Tuesday/Thursday 12:30 PM - 1:45 PM  Muenzinger 439

Primary Course Web Site:  http://pacs-courses.colorado.edu/pacs_courses/pages/pacs4500-section-1-course-homepage-spring-2013 This site will be continually updated as the course proceeds. Check frequently for updates. (I will also send out e-mail notices whenever a significant update is posted.)

Secondary Course Websites: For grades only -- Desire to Learn (D2L): learn.colorado.edu

Class E-mail: Updates about the class will be sent out to your official University e-mail address. You are responsible for routinely monitoring mail to this address.

Back-Ups: You are responsible for making backups of all of your work. This is easy to do. Use flash drives or e-mail yourself copies of draft and final assignments. This will protect you in case something terrible happens to your computer.  Every semester I have several students who run into serious trouble because of computer failure. Don't be one of them. Protect yourself!

Quick Response E-mail: For urgent questions, use our personal e-mail: guy.burgess@colorado.edu  and write "Guy--PACS4500 Urgent" in the subject line. I check this constantly. You can also call me at our office phone, 303-492-1635 (MWF primarily.)  (For example, you should use a quick response e-mail to report any problems with the website.)

Assignment Submission:

  • Note: I am setting up a Web Form system that will soon replace this approach. In the meantime, however, use this.
  • Send all e-mailed assignments to guy.burgess@colorado.edu. Do not simply reply to an existing message from me. Your message will get lost.
  • Include PACS4500 and the assignment name in the subject line.
  • Put your name, class, and assignment in every file that you attach and in the filename of each attachment!
  • Save and submit all assignments in a standardized format. Use either Microsoft Word (.doc, .docx) or Rich Text Format (.rtf). Don't use Portable Datafiles (.pdf). I makes it harder for me to insert comments. If you need to use a different file format, check with me first to make sure that I can read it.
  • Leave the extensions on your filenames (These are the letters that follow the period at the end of the filename, such as .doc .docx, etc.). Without those letters that can be difficult or impossible for me to read your document.
  • Keep backup copies of all assignments submitted. If your assignment is lost I will ask you to resend your original e-mail. The time stamps on the e-mails will be used to determine whether or not assignments were submitted on time.


 

Course Description

This course is about the biggest problems facing our communities, our nation, and our world today.  Ones that quickly come to my mind—and probably yours—are the economy (jobs, deficits, budgets, debt ceilings, housing, poverty, etc.), security (freedom from the fear of war and/or terrorism, as well as unmet fundamental needs), social services (health care, education, the justice system, etc.), and the environment (particularly climate change, energy and resources, and air and water quality, etc.). Our communities, our nation, and the world have proven remarkably unable to “solve” any of these problems.  Why?  We assert it is because they are all underlain by a more fundamental problem—the inability to constructively deal with difficult and intractable conflicts.  These conflicts prevent us, as individuals, our governments (at all levels), and our commercial and civil society organizations, from making wise and equitable decisions or taking effective action that will address any of these pressing problems.  We are stuck, in almost every case, in what William Zartman calls a “hurting stalemate” where combatants battle each other instead of the problem, and we all go down the drain together.
 
While “traditional conflict resolution” which, somewhat ironically, was named 30 years ago “ADR” for “alternative dispute resolution,” is well able to settle or resolve a vast majority of “tractable” conflicts and disputes, there are a significant number of really difficult problems that seem largely unresponsive to standard ADR techniques. In a provocative new book, Columbia professor Peter Coleman asserts that these are the “5% conflicts” – the 5% that he (and we) call “intractable.” (We actually think the number is higher than 5%.)
 
Many mediators purposely shy away from these conflicts.  Several years ago, the predecessor to the Association for Conflict Resolution then called SPIDR (Society for Professionals in Dispute Resolution) put out a “definitive” (for the time) handbook on mediating environmental conflicts.  A large part of the handbook was spent explaining which conflicts could be mediated and which not.  SPIDR members were advised to avoid the ones that were unlikely to respond positively to mediation because it would be a waste of everyone’s time, and a threat to the mediators’ (and the field’s) reputations.  If it can’t be mediated, the implication was, stay away from it!!  Unfortunately, in much conflict resolution scholarship and practice, this attitude has changed remarkably little.
 
That advice long intrigued us, and like an adolescent who refuses to listen to his or her parents,  we were drawn toward such conflicts.  If they can’t be mediated, doesn’t that suggest we ought to be doing something else?  What? Is there really no solution but to suffer through?  Will we ever be able to get to the other side of these conflicts? At what cost? In this class, we will work individually--and together--to address these (and related) questions.

Course Goals
  • To give you a set of "lenses" and skills that will enable you to analyze complex conflicts effectively.
  • To give you a sense of how difficult conficts can be constructively addressed.
  • To prepare you for further work in this and associated fields--either in grad school, a job, or civic and volunteer activities.

Course Design and Expectations

  • This class is an advanced graduate school-style seminar for people who take the peace and conflict field seriously.
  • It is for people who want really want to learn a lot about, and potentially get involved in, peace and conflict issues in the future.
  • This doesn't mean we expect everyone to become a mediator-- but we hope you will all become active citizens, and perhaps take on volunteer and/or professional roles working to solve any of the myriad problems facing our communities, country, and world today.
  • Our primary focus will be on society-wide (or at least community-wide) conflict. That said, many of the insights and procedures required for dealing with these large-scale conflicts are also applicable to smaller-scale interpersonal conflicts. We are willing to modify assignments somewhat for students who are primarily interested in interpersonal conflict. (The overall workload and level of sophistication required will, however, be comparable.)
  • We interpret peacebuilding and conflict resolution as a very broad field which includes conflict resolution and the traditional peace movement, as well as the full range of dispute resolution and peacebuilding roles.  Also included are "adjacent fields"  such as human rights, development, security, and social justice advocacy.
  • We do not use tests. Instead, we ask you to come to class prepared to engage with the materials, us, and each other. The class will emphasize discussion and problem-solving. 
  • In addition to our in-class group work, the primary focus of the class will be a major project you will undertake individually (see below).  As part of that project, you will be expected to demonstrate your mastery of class ideas by incorporating them into your project.   We are very flexible about the nature of these projects,  hoping to encourage you to focus your individual work on those aspects of the course that you find most valuable.

Course Goals

  • Goal #1: Give you an initial set of skills that will enable you to be a valuable part of whatever volunteer or professional peace and conflict resolution-related efforts you might decide to become involved in.
  • Goal #2: Give you a framework for acquiring the additional skills and experiences that you will need to be successful in this field.
  • Goal #3: Help you determine what activities are most likely to be consistent with your personal goals, personality, and background.
  • Goal #4: Demonstrate how a complexity-oriented approach to peacebuilding (with its focus on "practical theory)" can make it possible to realistically address the world's many intractable conflicts.

Class Format

In general, the class will be divided into two major sections. The first, general-presentation section lasting about 30-40 minutes,  will include time for lectures, media presentations, and questions and answers. The second part of the class (approximately 35-45 minutes) will focus on small-group, problem-solving activities in which I expect everyone to actively participate. These will include discussions, problem-solving exercises, and simulation games. 

Individual seminar sessions will consist of many (but usually not all) the following segments.

  • A brief lecture with instructor reflections on the topic of the week,
  • Large and small group discussion of the significance of the key theories and research findings contained in each week's readings,
  • Short audio and video materials that frame a discussion and give a human face to topics that are sometimes overly theoretical,
  • Exercises and simulation games,
  • Opportunities for students to receive assistance from one another (and their instructor) on their seminar projects, and
  • Student presentations.

Texts 

Making Peace Last: A Toolbox for Sustainable Peacebuilding by Robert Ricigliano 

Online Knowledge Base on Complexity-oriented Peacebuildng -- The other primary text for this class is not a text at all, but rather a custom gateway to the major online knowledge-base systems based at the University of Colorado Conflict Information Consortium. These include:

  • CRInfo, the Conflict Resolution Information Source (www.CRInfo.org)
  • Beyond Intractability, the web site of the Intractable Conflict Knowledge Base Project (www.beyondintractability.org),
  • As well as other Web-accessible resources.
Readings drawn from these sources will include:
  • Summaries of some of the key books in the peace and conflict resolution fields,
  • Articles describing key conflict dynamics and intervention strategies
  • Interviews with professional peacebuilders,
  • Inspirational stories, and
  • Case studies.
This online text will be supplemented with online news articles and editorials offering the latest information on major peace and conflict issues of the day, as well as a variety of sometimes-controversial opinions on how to make sense of these events.
   
Website and Online Textbook Access:  In this course, we will be using the Beyond Intractability-based  online text somewhat less than we did in PACS 2500.  As a result, we are not requiring PACS 4500  students to purchase a Textbook-Access Voucher. Still, we would appreciate a donation equal to perhaps half of what you would have expected to pay for supplemental textbooks for a course like this.  In a world of chronically tight funding, this support allows us to continue to develop and operate these systems.  The money does not go to your instructors. however; it goes to the Conflict Information Consortium programmer and student assistants who maintain the site and the web-hosting company that operates our servers.)  In most cases, you will be able to use the username and password that you had for PACS2500. If this doesn't work, for some reason, will set up a new username and password for you.   The assignment submission system will require that you are logged in. 

Lost Online Text Password:  If you lose or forget your password, simply enter the e-mail address that you used to register your online text using the Request New Password link in the upper right-hand corner of the Web site.  A new password will be immediately e-mailed to you.  (Try this before contacting us with password problems, please. It immediately solves the problem 95% of the time.)

Reading Assignments and Class Activities

Day-to-day assignments will be posted on the continually updated Course Schedule (see link at the top of this page), which will be updated as the course proceeds (in order to focus on current events and areas of more intense student interest).  Since plans for the course may vary significantly, you should talk to your instructor before working ahead.  This schedule page will include links to readings as well as class discussion PowerPoints and audio when available.  

PowerPoints and .MP4 Podcasts

To help you get the most out of lectures and class sessions, we will both try to post the PowerPoints immediately before class and, when appropriate, Guy will often post .MP4 video with the PowerPoints and accompanying soundtrack shortly after class. (Heidi is not this technically astute.  However, we will be covering largely similar material, so you can listen to Guy's .MP4s if you miss one of Heidi's classes, and you will get related, if not identical content to what we covered in Heidi's class.)  The course schedule includes links to these Power Point and .MP4 files. NOTE:  These links will not work until the files are posted shortly before and after class.)  Also note, Guy's and Heidi's power points are likely to be at least slightly different, so make sure you get the right ones. We both post the power points and Guy's audio to help you make up for any classes that you may have to miss. (See attendance policy below.)  Students should also assume that there will be occasions when the Power Points and Podcasts are not available or that class sessions that feature materials (such as DVDs) that cannot be posted online. In such cases, it is your responsibility to get the notes from one of your fellow students.

Get Acquainted E-mail

To make it easier for us to get to know you and to familiarize you with the online submission system, we are asking everyone fto send us a get-acquainted message by Thursday, January 27 with the following information.

  • Full name
  • Name that you prefer me to use
  • Major / year (freshman, sophomore, junior, senior)
  • Career aspirations
  • Reason for taking the course
  • Related courses that you’ve taken
  • Anything else about yourself that you think I should know
  • We also ask that you cofirm that you have read the rules on the syllabus regarding expectations, grading, make-ups, etc. and  that you agree to abide by them.  We will consider this to be our contract with you.  We will uphold our part, and we expect you to uphold yours.  If there are questions about grades or policies at the end of the semester, the policies on this website will be used to make decisions. 


Grading / Assignments

Grade Posting

Frequently, throughout the semester, your grades will be uploaded to D2L--Desire to Learn (learn.colorado.edu).  I will send out an e-mail when I do this along with a request that you check your grades and let me know about anything that might be incorrect.   I only use D2L to post grades – everything else is handled on this website. 

Grade Problems

If you become sick or encounter other problems that may prevent you from completing coursework in a timely fashion, talk to us as soon as possible. We will work out a reasonable solution. Similarly, if you find your grades are not meeting your expectations, talk to us promptly and we will figure out what needs to be done to correct the situation. Don't leave it until the end of the semester when there is very little that we can do.

Assignment Due Dates

If you need a little extra time, send a request for an extension BEFORE a particular component is due and we will try to be helpful (within the confines of University rules). Don't feel like you need to miss class if your work isn't quite done.  Since I would rather have something a little late and good rather than rushed and not so good, I will somewhat flexible in granting short, occasional extensions as long as people don't abuse this flexibility.

Assignment Submission Guidelines

In the spirit of "none of us is as smart as all of us," we will both include, in many class sessions, opportunities for students to raise problems that they are encountering with their project and ask for suggestions from the class. The hope is that such sessions will provide an opportunity for joint problem-solving and the sharing of seminar insights. From time to time, I will ask each seminar participant to be prepared to offer, for small group and/or full class discussion, one aspect of their seminar project that they find especially challenging. The goal is to see if, by working together, we can find better ways of meeting each challenge.

Semester Long  Conflict Mapping, Analysis, and Intervention Project 55% of Your Grade

The major required assignment for the semester is a linked series of conflict maps, documentation, analyses, and intervention plan(s) for a particular complex and long-lasting (intractable) conflict.  

In a sense, this set of assignments is comparable to a typical, senior-level term paper.  However, rather than asking you to submit the paper once, at the end of the semester, we are asking you to submit it as a series of installments. (This helps to assure that everyone makes continuous and steady progress and that you get feedback at key milestones along the way.)  We are also asking you to follow a relatively tightly-defined, conflict mapping rubric that builds on the latest ideas emerging from the fields of conflict resolution and complexity studies on strategies for dealing with complex, intractable conflicts.  We will be working with these mapping strategies in class too, so they will not be as foreign or difficult as they might seem now.

While the sections that follow seem to focus more on the graphical elements of "mapping," the accompanying commentary (documentation and analyses) are equally important and probably more time-consuming.  It also more closely tracks with the kind of conventional term papers with which you're familiar.  The focus on mapping is a way of helping you to organize your thoughts, forcing you to consider what is important and what isn't, and how things are related.  Mapping also provides a way understanding, keeping track of, and engaging with complexity, without losing sight of where one is, and what needs to be done.
 
This assignment may be done alone, or may be done in groups of two or three (three is max). We have done a similar assignment in several classes in the past, and students seem to appreciate having a partner or two to brainstorm mapping strategies with.  However, if you do not like working in teams, you can choose to work independently.  The amount of work expected (in terms of numbers of maps and level of detail, as well as length and detail of analysis) will be proportionate to the number of people in the group. (In other words people in groups of three do not get to do one third the work of people working alone.)  

Some clarification of terminology is useful; 

  • "Conflict maps" are graphical descriptions of some (not all) of the elements shaping a conflict system. We will be presenting several different approaches in class to help you with this step;
  • "Documentation" is prose -- which can be done in the form of lists or paragraphs -- describing what appears in the maps and why it is included, and why it is shown where it is; and
  • "Conflict Analyses" are theoretical analyses of WHY things are happening as they are or as they did in the past.  
In other words, the documentation and maps show (to the best of one's ability to understand complex systems) WHAT system elements are most important, HOW these elements interact and thus HOW the system "works." The analysis uses theory to explain WHY the system is as it is or works as it does, and what might be done to change that.

The last part of the paper is a intervention plan or policy brief explaining one "micro-level" intervention or activity that might help bring about positive conflict transforrmation.  

More on each of these elements is found below.


First "Deliverable"
Short Project Description  
Due 9 am Tuesday, Feb. 5.

By 9 AM Tuesday, Feb. 5 each individual working alone and each team must submit a one-paragraph to one-page proposal which describes the conflict you want to study and the members of the team, if you are working as a  team.

In most cases, you will need to do more than submit a few words or a sentence that simply gives the conflict name.  Rather, you need to also describe what aspect of the conflict you are going to be looking at. For example, if someone were to say that they wanted to look at the conflict in Syria, I would need to know what time frame you are looking at. Are you  looking at the events of the last two years (the current uprising that began in March 2011), or are you going to look at Syria since Bashar al-Assad assumed office in 2000, or since his father Hafez al-Assad assumed control of the country in 1970?  Alternatively, do you want to look at Syria's relationship with Israel? And if that, over what time frame? Since Israel's birth in 1948?  Since the Six-Day War? Since the Yom Kippur (1973) war? 

Don't bite off more than you can chew! At the same time, however, don't choose a conflict that is too simple and short-lived. You will not be able to do an adequate analysis if you don't do a relatively long-running,  complex conflict.

That said, you may find it helpful to focus your project around a particular "decision point" or dispute within a longer-running conflict.  (Remember from PACS 2500, disputes are the episodes that are resolved; the conflict is the long-running problem that often continues -- sometimes for decades -- after a particular dispute is resolved.) You could, for example, look at the long-running conflict between Republicans and Democrats in this country, focusing on the "Fiscal Cliff" as the focal dispute.  Such disputes could be resolved through a variety of processes--including negotiation, an election, a legislative vote, a judicial decision, a military confrontation, or any of a wide variety of other possibilities.  (In this case the dispute was resolved through negotiation followed by a legislative vote and a Presidential signature.) However, that vote did not come out of the blue--it had a long background leading up to it, and it did not resolve the long-running conflict--the debt ceiling negotiations are a reprise that are coming right up!  So the idea is to work out both directions from you focal dispute, to understand what is going on with that, and with the underlying intractable conflict. 

Grading:  This is required, but not graded independently from the rest of the project.  People and teams who turn a clearly written description of their proposed project in on time will receive the full credit. There will be a penalty for lateness.

Second "Deliverable"
First Installment of your "CMDA" -- Conflict Map, Documentation, and Analysis
Due 9 AM Monday, February 25

Power Point Power User Guide I .MP4

Here you should plan on a series of interlinked maps with accompanying documentation and analysis.  Together, these materials should show (1) the primary conflict parties; (2) secondary parties and alliances; (3) possible third parties; and (4) the primary parties' attributes: the way they self-identify, their values, positions, interests (genuine and tactical), needs, frames, grievances, internal divisions  etc.  Your interlinked maps should include a macro-level map showing the primary parties, alliances, and hostilities, and a meso or micro level map for each party showing that parties' attributes. 

Accompanying the maps, you need to submit documentation that explains each of the maps' elements in prose, explaining what each of the elements is, why you put it where you did, and how it is connected to the other elements in the map. You should also clarify how each of the multiple maps is connected to each other. Some students find it easiest to mark each map element (box, circle, or line) with a number or letter and then have a description of each number or letter in the documentation.  Others prefer to simply describe the map elements in a prose essay.

Finally, you should begin an analysis – which will become much more comprehensive later – of elements in the map that indicate "problem areas" (items that are maintaining the destructive nature of the conflict, or even making it worse) which then imply areas that you might want to focus on for intervention (a topic which you will expand on much more later.)    You might also want to identify constructive areas that might be encouraged.

Grading: This installment is worth 8% of your grade. Grading criteria include:
  1. Number of the requested elements that are included on the maps  and in the prose documentation (Did you include most of the important factors, while not including extraneous factors)
  2. Clarity and accuracy of the maps (Did the elements and relationships shown illustrate a good understanding of the conflict?)
  3. Clarity of the prose documentation -- again showing a good understanding of the conflict and adequately explaining the maps.
  4. Quality of the analysis -- this is very preliminary, so it isn't a major requirement; however, papers that draw interesting analytical conclusions will get some extra credit. 
  5. Quality of the writing -- good organization, grammar, and spelling is expected.
Note Important Change the Second and Third Installments of the "Map" Have Been Combined

March 18 Email Clarifying and Superceeding Prior Information on the Now Combined Second CDMA Map and Transformation Assignments

For this week, there are no Reading Notes required (though there are two items from PACS 2500 that are worth reviewing).  Instead, I would like you to really, really focus on getting the next phase of the semester project done by the deadline which is now 9am April 2.  
 
Given the changes implicit in combining the second and third installment of the project, I thought that it was worth reiterating and, perhaps, clarifying the overall strategy for the course and the semester project.  What we are trying to do, in a way that fits into the chaotic complexity of the real world, is offer you a composite strategy (based on some of the most important ideas in the field) for 1) analyzing conflict problems, 2) identifying things that are going wrong (or could go better), 3) considering options for making those things better, 4) evaluating assessing the feasibility of successfully implementing those options (given realistically available personnel and resources), and 5) ultimately selecting, advocating for, and pursuing those options that are likely to have the greatest positive impact.
 
We do not see this as, primarily, another academic, term paper writing enterprise.  We see it as an absolute precondition to being effective.  In case after case people, hoping to make a difference, devote enormous energy to ill-considered projects that are inefficient (unnecessarily costly), ineffective (fail to achieve the desired results), and, occasionally, counterproductive (making things worse rather than better).  The framework that we are presenting constitutes what we see as the best collection of ideas for avoiding these problems.  It also identifies opportunities for people and organizations with a very wide range of backgrounds, skills, and resources to make a difference. 
 
While this kind of analysis could obviously be done through a process of solitary introspection, we think that there is real value in being able to explain the problem and possible solutions to others (hopefully, as part of the process of securing their support and participation).  While this could be done in a prose, term-paper format, we think that a graphical, PowerPoint/Prezi-based format has a the advantage of forcing sharper thinking and making it harder to get away with  muddled approaches to the problem.
 
So, for this next installment of the project I would like you to revise and expand your conflict  map.  Remember, you have two broad options.  First, you can organize things as a coherent presentation that ends with a hyperlinked, "index" page that readers could use to access and explore the in-depth information you have supporting your initial summary/presentation slides. Note that the presentation part of your presentation need not include all of your slides.  It should focus on emphasizing the big points.  In this model, which corresponds closely with what many of you have done, the links go to additional reference slides written in a more, paragraph-oriented style.  
 
Alternatively, you could produce a conventional paper organized in the same way with inset graphics taken from an accompanying PowerPoint presentation.  For this model, the hyperlinked index page is not needed and is replaced by the paper and commentary.  
 
Remember also that the level of effort should be comparable to the number of people working on the project.
 
Whichever option you pursue should include the following elements:
  1. A clear title indicating the overall conflict (and perhaps related conflicts) that you are interested in, the dispute episode or decision point within that conflict that is your focus (this could be something that you are trying to get people decide to do), the perspective from which are approaching the problem (generally that of an advocate or of an intermediary).
  2. A series of slides/section introducing the principal parties to the conflict along with their key attributes.  (Full profiles should be included with the in-depth materials).  This you should already have completed.
  3. A second series/section of slides highlighting the important relationships between the parties culminating in a summary slide with a full set of "arrows."  You should focus on relationships that make a significant difference.  Don't feel like you need to map everything.  Still, you should map the major alliances and enmities.  This is also something you should have already completed.
  4. A series of slides/section highlighting the principal past and anticipated future disputes that directly affect your core issue.  Don't spend too much time on long, CIA factbook-style histories.  Note the power arena in which each dispute was/will be played out, the actual or expected outcome, and the role that each dispute plays (or is likely to play) in precipitating future disputes.
  5. A series of slides highlighting, from your perspective, options for making things better based on the many ideas presented in readings and class discussion including transformation strategies, theories of change, etc. Focus on things that you are considering as the focus of the last phase of the project where you develop a policy brief or proposal for a project that would make a significant contribution.  For a short list of things to think about consider the following meta-question: "Are there things that I (my project/organization) might be able to do to help: 1) limit or reverse destructive escalation; 2) overcome the wrongs (some of them unrightable) of the past sufficiently to allow the parties to pursue a more positive future relationship; 3) limit misunderstandings with respect to fact, value, and action-based issues; 4) explore opportunities for mutual gain; and 5) constructively confront one another with respect to irreconcilable differences.
Third "Deliverable" 
Second Installment of your "CMDA" Conflict Map, Documentation, and Analysis
Now Due 9 am Tuesday April 2

This time, you will definitely need to do more than one map.   These set of maps should show:  (1) the nature of the relationships between the parties including their "attitudes" in Ricigliano's "SAT"sense, (2) The structural elements of the conflict system that are influencing its destructiveness and/or intractability, (3) the power elements (sources of power and power strategies) being utilized by the parties, and finally, a timeline showing dispute episodes within the longer-running conflict.

Also, as before, these maps should be accompanied by documentation that explains in prose form what the maps show-- what the elements are and why they are placed as they are, as well as any information about relationships, structure, power, and timelines that didn't fit on the maps, but is still important for your analysis.

In addition, this installment should also include an expansion of your earlier analysis, discussing what "problem areas" or "pathologies" are illustrated in these maps, constructive elements or dynamics exist, and what, if any, implications you see here for intervention opportunities. 

Grading: This installment is worth 14% of your grade (because it has more elements than the earlier assignment.) Grading criteria include:
  1. Number of the requested elements that are included on the maps and documentation (did you include most of the important factors, while not including extraneous factors)
  2. Clarity and accuracy of the maps (did the elements and relationships shown illustrate a good understanding of the conflict?)
  3. Clarity of the documentation -- again showing a good understanding of the conflict.
  4. Quality of the analysis--did you draw interesting conclusions about the situation from the mapping exercise? Did you identify pathologies and/or constructive elements that explain why the system is operating as it is?
  5. Quality of the writing -- good organization, grammar, and spelling is expected.
Combined with Second Installment. Note Changes to be explained in class March 19.
Conflict Transformation Circle and Assessment

This map and prose description is different from the others:  it follows the rubric laid out by John Paul Lederach in his article on Conflict Transformation. Draw and explain a "map" or "diagram" that applies the circle of conflict transformation to your conflict--showing the current situation and the factors that got it there now (you can draw on your earlier maps to do this); formulate a "horizon of the future" that shows goals worth working for (you might want to consider the macro-level goals of peace, truth, justice, and mercy, as well as more micro-level goals of individual change; and then discuss alternative change processes (personal, relational, social, cultural) that might help get to the desired future.  

In this project installment, we will start "zooming in" from the macro-level to meso level or even the micro-level.  Ultimately, for the last installment of the project, you will be proposing a specific project or recommending a specific policy action that will help to counteract specific destructive conflict dynamics (pathologies) and/or strengthen and reinforce positive constructive dynamics.  Here you want to start talking less about the big conflict and more about the nuts and bolts of making a difference in a specific situation.

 Grading: This installment is worth 8% percent of your grade. Grading criteria include:
  1. Number of the requested elements that are included diagram and prose description. (did you include most of the important factors, while not including extraneous factors)
  2. Clarity and accuracy of the diagram (Did the elements and relationships shown illustrate a good understanding of the conflict?)
  3. Clarity of the documentation -- again showing a good understanding of the conflict.
  4. Quality of the analysis--Did you exhibit a good understanding of Lederach's approach and do a sensible analysis of possible change processes and outcomes?
  5. Quality of the writing -- good organization, grammar, and spelling is expected.

Last Deliverable:
Intervention Plan or Policy Brief  
Due 9 AM Monday, May 6
 
This paper should draw from all of your past maps, documentation, and analyses and present a formal, well-documented and supported policy brief or action plan advocating a particular course of micro-level action that is likely to change your conflict-- or some aspect of it-- for the better. You need to justify why you think that your approach can help change the system--both at the micro level and the macro level (hence what your "scale up" plan is)  how your plan is better than alternatives.  As another option, you could write a letter of Inquiry to a potential funder outlining a specific project that you'd like to undertake to promote peace and justice--and justify it in the same way as described above. Make sure your plan is realistic-- coming back to the Syria example, for instance, don't say that United States should invade and oust Assad.  After our experiences in Iraq and Afghanistan, that is simply not going to happen. Also consider ways in which your recommendation s could be implemented-- how would they be "sold?" Who would pay for them? Why would the funders and/or actors want to do what you recommend?  What would the local response likely be? What steps could be taken to increase the likelihood of success?
  1. A project proposal: Here you are asked to prepare a  letter of inquiry to a real or realistic funding agency, asking for support for a specific a  conflict or peacebuilding project (which may be focused on  and international conflict or some domestic US issue). The request could also be made to some large, national or international organization overseeing intervention of a particular case. For the purposes of this project, you can take on the role of a project development officer for a governmental, intergovernmental, nonprofit, or even commercial organization involved in peacebuilding work. You may represent either an existing organization or an imaginary, but realistic, organization that you would like to see created. For this type of project, you would first need to identify a formal or informal "request for proposal" that you might want to pursue. (This may require you to modify your initial project idea in order to better fit within funder constraints and priorities.) You would then need to write  a brief letter of inquiry explaining what your organization would do, how they would do it, why it would work, and how it would advance the interests of the "client." During the course of the semester, we will spend some time talking about how to identify and pursue funding opportunities. Useful sources of proposal writing advice include information from the University of Wisconsin and the UN.
  2. A policy brief: An alternative format allows you to prepare a policy brief (with supporting documentation) for a governmental, nongovernmental, or intergovernmental decision-maker, considering options for dealing with a specific difficult or intractable conflict. The brief should make it clear for whom it is being written and the decision that is being considered. It should provide the information that the decision-maker needs to understand available options, the advantages and disadvantages of each option, and why the proposed option is best. You must also clarify and adapt to the political context in which the policy brief would be used. Example Example2 Sources of advice and examples of policy briefs include:

If you desire, you may also turn in a draft of this paper by Monday, April 22 for feedback in time for you to do revisions before the May 6 due date.

Grading: This installment is worth 20% of your grade 200 points. Grading criteria include:

  1. Were your action proposals sensible and realistic? Did you show how it developed from your previous analyses?
  2. Did you explain it clearly and justify it well?
  3. Quality of the writing -- good organization, grammar, and spelling is expected. You should also follow an appropriate policy brief or letter of inquiry format.

Class Attendance, Discussion, and Activities -- 45% of Your Grade 

 The second major component of course will be a series of readings and in-class activities which require you to explore, develop, and discuss the basic insights presented in class and in the readings.   We will also use simulation games to give you an opportunity to actually apply class insights.

Given the importance of these activities, we both give those who attend and enthusiastically participate credit for doing so. In fact, it is impossible to get a decent grade in this class without attending regularly. If, for reasons beyond your control, you miss a significant number of classes, talk your instructor as soon as possible about options for making up this crucial part of the course.

The 45% of your grade stemming from these activities will consist of three parts.

Attendance – 15%
We realize that everyone is likely to have to miss a few classes. That is why I post .MP4 recordings of class sessions wherever possible.  To do a makeup assignment I ask you to do a 500 word write-up of the class that you missed based on the .MP4 recordings, any videos that we may have listened to (usually web accessible), and your reflections on any exercises that we did.  Unless you receive special permission, you need to do this within two weeks of the class that you missed.  Everyone gets 2 free sick days and 3 automatic makeup opportunities.  If you need more than that, talk to me and we will work out some appropriate arrangement.  Don't feel like you have to come to class sick. 

Special Circumstances -- There are a variety of good reasons for missing class – religious holidays, major field trips associated with other classes, illness, family emergencies, etc.  In these cases, our policy is to provide ample time to do the appropriate attendance makeup assignments.  This includes providing additional attendance makeup opportunities if needed.  Note, however, I do not count the missed classes as having been attended unless a makeup assignment is received.

Reading Notes -- 15%
Since this is a graduate-style seminar, it is expected that everyone will conscientiously do the readings on time and that there will be no need to have tests on the material.    Still, I recognize that everyone is super busy and that things that don't have to get done often get dropped.  For this reason I am requiring weekly reading notes highlighting at least 15  "bullet point" insights from that week's readings.  These notes need to be submitted online, using the web form system before class.  No credit will be given for notes submitted after class, since it would be a simple matter to just write down what everyone else says.   Recognizing that people get sick and there are extenuating circumstances, I will let everybody submit late notes for two weeks.    If you run into some sort of serious problem that prevents you from doing this, let me know and we'll talk about options.
 

I have now posted grades for the first round of reading notes on D2L along with a few cryptic comments (see codes below) that are intended to give you some guidance as you prepare future notes.  I apologize for the impersonal personal nature of this.  The D2L system limits me to 50 characters. 

These general comments will, I hope, make things a bit clearer.  As I've indicated before, the purpose of this assignment is to provide an “action forcing mechanism” that encourages you to put the readings in an appropriate place on your priority list.  The assignment is also designed to give you the freedom to explore those ideas that you find most useful and interesting (rather than trying to guess what I think is interesting enough to put on a test). 

Also, as I indicated earlier, grades for the first round of reading notes won't be included in your average for this semester (unless they improve your grade).  This assumes that you turn the first set of notes by notes in by the Tuesday Jan 29 deadline. 

As a general rule, your note should focus on your personal reaction to points made in the readings and should be written up in a couple of short sentences or phrases.  You need to do more than just highlight interesting points from the readings.  You should aim for about 15 insights each week which are explained with a couple of sentences for a total of about 1000 words.  These insights should be reasonably evenly distributed among the various readings and not just concentrated on one or two.  Also, remember that these are notes.  Don’t feel like you need to spend much time word smithing and proofing – just make it understandable.

Notes should be written in your own words.  While you can study with someone else, you should not hand in the same notes.  If you want to copy and paste something from an article, you can do so as long as it’s clearly cited and you don’t figure it into the word count for the assignment. 

The above guidelines are for the A-/B+ level that I indicated was my primary expectation for the assignment.  You can, of course, do more than that and expect a higher grade.  Somewhat less will still yield you a B. I hope that nobody wants to do work of lower quality than that.  Failure to submit the notes in a timely fashion is, of course a bigger threat to your grade. 

If you run into difficulties which make it hard to meet a particular deadline, let me know and we will work out something reasonable.
 
The D2L codes are as follows:
  • Length / Number of Topics: About Right: L/T = ok
  • Length / Number of Topics: More Than Expected: L/T = +1
  • Length / Number of Topics: Much More Than Expected: L/T = +2
  • Length / Number of Topics: Somewhat Less Than Expected: L/T = -1
  • Length / Number of Topics: Much Less Than Expected Degree: L/T = -2
  • Personal Reflections:  About Right: PR = ok
  • Personal Reflections:  More Than Expected PR = +1
  • Personal Reflections:  Much More Than Expected: PR = +2
  • Personal Reflections:  Somewhat Less Than Expected: PR = -1
  • Personal Reflections:  Much Less Than Expected: PR = -2  
January 26, 2013

Individual Participation Grade – 15%
The final element of the in-class activities grade will be an individual participation grade, which will bump up the grades of those who are enthusiastic, engaged, and insightful and lower the grades of those who may be just coasting.  There will be major penalties for students who spend class time surfing the web, doing e-mail, working on other classes, text messaging, or distracting other students.  A major feature of the class will be the series of small group discussions, exercises, and other activities.  Since I can't participate in every group I will generally ask each group to submit group notes indicating what you talked about and who participated.  Your grades on these will contribute to your individual participation grades.

 



Online Textbook, Reading Assignments, and Course Schedule

PACS 2500, PACS 3800  Pre-Requisite Readings
While there are no formal prerequisites for the course, it is assumed that, as the Senior Seminar for the Peace and Conflict Studies program, students will have taken PACS 2500 (the only other required course for the PACS certificate).  It is also understood that many students will have taken PACS 3800 an optional, but highly recommended, course.  This course will build off concepts presented in these other courses.  For review and, for students who may not of taken the earlier courses, the most important prerequisite material is included in the reading list and marked with as either PACS2500 and PACS3800 Review Reading.  If you remember the ideas, you can obviously skip these.  If not, you should be sure to include them in your weekly reading assignments.

Required / Optional Readings

  • (R) = Required
  • (O) = Optional

  
 

Week 1: January 15, 17: Course Overview -  What's the Point (of Taking This Class or Caring about Conflict)?

  • Lecture Topics:
    • Course Overview
    • Participant Introductions
    • The evolution of Peace and Conflict Studies:  the advancing frontier of the field
    • Why conflict is The #1 problem of our time
    • What's to be done about it?  Find better ways of dealing with intractable complexity
    • Systems-based, holistic approaches to conflict; very large-scale peacebuilding
    •  Conflict is an information problem, Beyond Intractability and  the collaborative learning community concept
  • In-class Activities:  
    • Introductions
    • Definitions: "Conflict" and "Dispute" & the Intractable Conflict Continuum
    • Definitions: "Peace," "Justice"
    • Public Perceptions of Peacebuilding and Conflict Resolution: Is the problem product or marketing?
  • Required Reading - due before Thursday's class.
  • Written Assignments
    • Personal introduction due Friday 5 :00 pm.
  • Class PowerPoints/Audio:

Week 2: January 22, 24: Conflict and Peace Around the World - Are Things Getting Better or Worse?

Week 3: January 29, 31: Conflict and Peace in the US -- Are we REALLY a peace-loving country?

Week 4: February 5, 7: Complexity and Introduction to Conflict Assessment, Conflict Mapping, and Conflict Analysis (CAMA)

  • Lecture Topics:
    • Dealing with complexity, the central, recurring theme of the course.
    • Complex systems, general systems theory
    • Engineering versus medical model, complicated vs complex (vs simple)
    • Alternative views of change (See. Figure 4.1 on MPL p. 69)
    • Levels of analysis & action -- micro, [meso], macro (RR: S&A are macro, T micro)
    • Table-oriented vs. "directory oriented" peacebuilding
    • Width and depth of focus (hawk and prairie dog analogy)
    • BI as a systemic approach
    • Ricigliano's "SAT" approach to systemic CAMA.
    • Differentiating between terms:  assessment, mapping, and analysis (CAMA)
    • Linear vs Complex (Systemic) CAMA
    • Introduction to Complexity-Based CAMA 
    • K. Boulding's Skeleton of Science
    • Conflict process market share and the scale-up problem
  • In-class Activities: 
    • Question/answer about readings
    • Full-Class Mapping Exercise I
    • Team / Individual Mapping exercise I
  • Required Reading: (See Reading Guide; Reading Notes due before Tuesday's Class)
    • R: Ricigliano Chapters 2 - 4 (63 pages)
  • Written Assignments:
  • Class PowerPoints/Audio:

Week 5: February 12, 14:  Conflict Mapping Basics: Parties, Attributes and Basic Relationships.

  • Lecture Topic:
    • Maximizing the promise mapping while working within its limits.  (The TMI / Analysis Paralysis / Law of Diminishing Marginal Utility)
    • Things to map:
      • Parties 
      • Disputants
      • Lederach Triangle
      • Conflict 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th parties w/ heirarchies and arenas
      • Parties' attributes (self-identity, values, positions, interests, needs, frames, grievances) and basic relationships (allies, opponents) 
      • Excuses, reasons, cooperative vs. competitive cultures
    • Ways to map
      • Ricigliano - SAT approach
      • G Burgess approach
        • Zoom Levels (Macro, Meso, Micro), Layers, & Time Series, Risks
      • Statics and dynamics
        • Feedback loops
        • Changes over time
        • Ricigliano's Process (T) elements.
  • In-class Activities:
    • Question/answer about readings
    • Power Point Based Mapping Primer
    • Full-Class Mapping Exercise - II
    • Team / Individual Mapping Exercises - II
  • Required Readings: (See Reading Guide; Reading Notes due before Tuesday's Class)
  • Written Assignments:
    • Nothing due this week.
  • Class PowerPoints/Audio:

Week 6: February 19, 21: Conflict Mapping Part II:  Mapping Relationships and Structure

  • Lecture Topics:  
    • Mapping Relationships:
      • Alliances, hostilities
      • Consideration of Ricigliano's attitudinal/relational elements
        • History of violence vs tradition nv dispute res.
        • Rigid group identities vs porous social boundaries
        • Voice participation/engagement vs. isolation
        • Openness to change vs. inflexibility 
        • Level of trust
        • Compatibility of frames (HB)
        • Relative negation (into-the-sea framing)
        • Nature of differences (fundamental, non-negotiable, vs. negotiable) (HB)
        • victim-oppresser relationship
        • competition for scarce resources
      • Consideration of Structural Elements
        • Governance structures
        • Security structures
        • Economy
        • Rule of Law / Human Rights
        • Environmental/Natural Resource issues
        • Media Role
        • Civil Society role
      • Consideration of pathologies 
      • Consideration of positive elements & dynamics  
  •  In-class Activities:
    • Question/answer about readings
    • Full class mapping exercise
    • Team / individual mapping exercises
    • Begin looking for "hubs, energy centers, and leverage points" 
  • Required Reading: (See Reading Guide; Reading Notes due before Tuesday's Class)
    • R: Ricigliano Chpt. 7 & 8  (70 pages)
  • Written Assignments Due:
  • Class PowerPoints/Audio:

 Week 7: February 26, 28: Conflict Mapping Part III:  Mapping Power and Dispute Episodes


Week 8: March 5, 7: Justice, Empowerment, and Nonviolence


Week 9: March 12, 14: Conflict Transformation and Theories of Change


Week 10: March 19, 21:  Many Ways to Make a Difference: The Multiplicity of Peacebuilding / Advocacy Roles


Spring Break: March 25 - 29


Week 11: April 2, 4: Unrightable Wrongs and Conflict Healing


Week 12: April 9, 11 Democratization / Civil Society

Week 13: April 16, 18


Week 14: April 23, 25: To Be Determined


Week 15: April 30, May 2: Presentations


Political Diversity Statement

This class, by its very nature, addresses controversial political issues. In fact, Peace and Conflict Studies is widely seen as offering a liberal, progressive approach to foreign policy and social issues. While there is some truth to this perception, it is not as well-founded as many people think. Over the course of the semester we will explain what appears to be a major convergence in views of those who approach issues of war and peace from perspectives commonly associated with the military and the religious right, as well as the diplomatic and secular left. Still, it is impossible to do justice to this topic without critically reviewing politically sensitive arguments on all sides of the issue.

While we may gently push students to consider alternative ways of thinking about things, we will not, in any way, penalize students on the basis of the political beliefs expressed in their work. Anybody who feels uncomfortable about any of these issues is encouraged to talk to us. You will find that we will be quite accommodating and open to alternative views and interpretations.  We do expect you, however, to know and understand (though not necessarily agree with) the arguments made in the readings, lectures, and other course materials.
 

Apology for Voice Recognition Errors

Guy and I both use voice recognition software because of orthodeic problems we each have.  Occasionally, this results in spectacular and often inexplicable typographical mistakes. We try to proofread what we type, but sometimes, due to the volume of grading and the speed with which we are trying to accomplish it, we miss something. We apologize and ask you to please let us know if we ha've written something that is difficult to understand.


University Policies

Disabilities: If you qualify for accommodations because of a disability, please submit to me a letter from Disability Services in a timely manner so that your needs may be addressed. Disability Services determines accommodations based on documented disabilities. Contact: 303-492-8671, Willard 322, and
http://www.Colorado.EDU/disabilityservices

Religious Observances: Every effort will be made to reasonably and fairly deal with all students who, because of religious obligations, have conflicts with scheduled exams, assignments or required attendance. Contact your instructor to work out the details. Information about University policies regarding religious observances is available at
http://www.colorado.edu/policies/fac_relig.html.

Unacceptable Classroom Behavior: Students and faculty each have responsibility for maintaining an appropriate learning environment. Those who fail to adhere to such behavioral standards may be subject to discipline. Professional courtesy and sensitivity are especially important with respect to individuals and topics dealing with differences of race, culture, religion, politics, sexual orientation, gender, gender variance, and nationalities. Class rosters are provided to the instructor with the student's legal name. I will gladly honor your request to address you by an alternate name or gender pronoun. Please advise me of this preference early in the semester so that I may make appropriate changes to my records. See polices at http://www.colorado.edu/policies/classbehavior.html and at
http://www.colorado.edu/studentaffairs/judicialaffairs/
code.html#student_code

Discrimination and Harassment: The University of Colorado at Boulder policy on Discrimination and Harassment, the University of Colorado policy on Sexual Harassment and the University of Colorado policy on Amorous Relationships apply to all students, staff and faculty. Any student, staff or faculty member who believes s/he has been the subject of discrimination or harassment based upon race, color, national origin, sex, age, disability, religion, sexual orientation, or veteran status should contact the Office of Discrimination and Harassment (ODH) at 303-492-2127 or the Office of Judicial Affairs at 303-492-5550. Information about the ODH, the above referenced policies and the campus resources available to assist individuals regarding discrimination or harassment can be obtained at 
http://www.colorado.edu/odh.

Honor Code: The Boulder campus has a student Honor Code and individual faculty members are expected to familiarize themselves with its tenets and follow the approved procedures should violations be perceived. The Honor Council recommended syllabus statement:

All students of the University of Colorado at Boulder are responsible for knowing and adhering to the academic integrity policy of this institution. Violations of this policy may include: cheating, plagiarism, aid of academic dishonesty, fabrication, lying, bribery, and threatening behavior. All incidents of academic misconduct shall be reported to the Honor Code Council (honor@colorado.edu; 303-725-2273). Students who are found to be in violation of the academic integrity policy will be subject to both academic sanctions from the faculty member and non-academic sanctions (including but not limited to university probation, suspension, or expulsion).

Other information on the Honor Code can be found at:
http://www.colorado.edu/policies/honor.html and at
http://www.colorado.edu/academics/honorcode/.