CURRICULUM FOR POST-GRADUATE DIPLOMA IN PEACE BUILDING AND CONFLICT TRANSFORMATION (GPC)

This course will introduce the fellows to an understanding of the notions and theories of Peace Building and Conflict Transformation. Basing on the Institute of Economics and Peace (IEP) framework, the course will also introduce fellows to essential theories of positive peace. This will be done by providing a deeper understanding of positive peace and its pillars plus their contribution to societal development and resilience. In addition, fellows will explore conventional Conflict Analysis Frameworks and Tools, which will be key in the understanding of the causes, actors, positions, needs and interests of conflicting parties. Drawing on examples from Africa, fellows will also be exposed to the African Philosophy of Peace and Indigenous mechanisms for Conflict Transformation. Lastly, the course will equip fellows with knowledge and skills that will prepare them to deal with psychosocial needs in conflict situations that affect them as individuals and the communities they work in..

The Course will enable fellows to critically interrogate the main issues and factors that have led to mass forced migration in Africa, with a particular focus on violent conflicts. It will also evaluate the relationship between refugees on the one hand, as well as the conflicts between refugees and refugee host communities on the other, with the aim of promoting positive peace and social cohesion among the two groups. Special focus will be put on the status, practical needs and protection of refugee adolescents, especially the girls. Given the global challenge of the youth bulge, the course will explore avenues/options/ mechanisms for working with the youth as agents of positive peace and sustainable development in their communities. Fellows will be able to conceptualize, experience and demonstrate a paradigm shift through the application of new knowledge and skills of working with forced migrants and host communities as they engage with conflict affected communities as well as in implementation of their projects in their locations.  Lastly, fellows will be exposed to models, approaches and skills for resilience building, which will equip them with the requisite skills to enable them contribute towards building resilience and constructive pathways for communities to be restored to normalcy after manipulation, incitement and violence so as to promote positive peace and development.

This course is built around the conceptual and theoretical background of the Institute for Economics and Positive Peace framework. Adopting this is crucial especially because of the strategic partnership existing between the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP) and Rotary International. The essentials of positive peace are therefore designed to focus on the framework of Positive Peace, integrating IEP’s empirical research on the attitudes, institutions, and structures that contribute to more peaceful societies and also bring case studies from communities across the globe.  A critical part of is this essentials of positive peace is the participatory and outcome-oriented workshop expected to hold on day four to assist participants to develop bottom up approaches for building positive peace using their institutional affiliations or communities’ realities.

It will be taught in three phases:

Phase I: Preparation for the training and workshop including designing of course material, evaluation and reflective pieces that will allow active participation of fellows. This includes the process of collection of data and feedback from participants on the course & workshop.

Phase II: Implementing the training for four (4) days (training and workshop). The workshop will specifically focus on interactive exercises that encourage the participants to imagined localised positive peace indicators that can serve as pathways for building inclusive functional societies and communities.

Phase III: compilation of training report and submission of such to aid in improving future trainings.

This course will examine how ethnic, religious and racial identities shape and continue to underlie a big percentage of conflict conditions and processes often resulting into violence in Africa. The course will prepare fellows to mitigate identity-based conflicts for posterity and work towards promoting positive peace. This course will also focus on the notions of gender, vulnerability and social justice paying attention to the deteriorating conditions of women, PWDs, the elderly, adolescents and other socially marginalized groups, with the aim of giving the overall implications on conflict prevention, mitigation and development in emerging economies. The exploitation of natural resources across Africa has often ended in conflict and violent confrontation, because of this, this course will examine cases of natural resource-based conflicts, their effects on livelihoods and propose possible measures for mitigating them. In the recent past, climate change has emerged as a major development challenge, affecting countries in varied and intricate ways, often resulting into conflict. This course therefore, seeks to critically examine how climate change induced conflicts can be addressed.

This course draws on David Kolb’s model of learning that emphasizes experiences built along four thematic areas “concrete experience, reflective observation, abstract conceptualization and active experimentation”. The model challenges the mainstream academic approach of classroom-based learning and emphasizes field-based learning not as an alternative but one that augments learning in many disciplines where peace studies fits. Visits to conflict epicentres, peace studies actors and engage with the beneficiaries of both community-based support and international aid. The site visits are carefully aligned with the other courses allowing a more pragmatic learning process. During site visits and excursions, students learn from practitioners and technocrats in peace studies across different institutions. They engage with different groups and with the help of their lectures, they practice key aspects of their courses. site visits and excursions provide first-hand experience and the activities designed will be in line with the different courses. These site visits are an incredible source of learning and allow more diversified explorations and nuances of peace building and post conflict transformation.

This course provides students with the requisite research methods that are important in preparation for their Social Initiative Field Attachment.  The course covers research designs, approaches and data collection methods that are relevant in peace and post conflict transformation studies. The students are able to draw on these multiple methods to design their individual projects as well as field-based activities. Emphasis on the Participatory Rural Appraisal and Rapid Rural Appraisal (PRA/RRA) is premised on the need to be cognizant of the different development interventions by key players in this area and develop a critical view of such interventions and their intentions. The dominant paradigms around the conventional data collection methods vis a vis the PRA/RRA are also examined with a view to assess which approach works based in this area of studies. Ethical consideration is key in research or in Social Initiatives and these are discussed with particular focus on the importance of cultural appropriateness and consent in use of information gained. Assigned readings and reflection sessions are built in every week to enable students discuss cultural adjustment, key learning points and evaluations of different field study methodologies.

The course will focus upon the identification, formulation, and design stages of the project cycle. It provides guidance regarding setting project objectives and reviewing alternative approaches to solve a given development problem. It emphasises the involvement of stakeholders from the outset of project identification. A logical framework (‘Logframe’) is introduced as a tool for project formulation, appraisal and management. Other tools are introduced for assessment of sustainability and for planning implementation.

This part of the course provides an opportunity to fellows to implement their Social Initiatives and a way to apply and test the concepts and skills gained in experiential learning and other courses on the program. Fellows are able to apply their skills in dealing with communities afflicted by conflicts and its consequences. They are able to multitask and address challenges that emerge in project implementations. Fellows gain a hands-on experience with implementing emergency and development projects with minimal supervision.

Probably the best part of the entire program. The fellows write their project reports on the Social Initiative project and draw on all the courses to obtain insights and perspectives that are relevant. The Experiential Learning course will have provided the fellow with hands-on experience together with the project implementation practice at an NGO or an institution of the fellow’s choice will be instructive. The project is written individually with the supervision of a mentor who may be faculty or an officer where the fellow is conducting the project.