Conflicts, Peacebuilding and Development

This course aims at providing students with basic knowledge of the conflict phenomena (especially armed one but also conflict limited to political and economic dimensions), peacebuilding processes and development mechanisms, including short introduction into the social and historical background of selected multidimensional clashes. The course also provides the knowledge about practical measurements of conflict resolution and practical implementation of development aid. Course is composed of lectures and in-lecture workshops/discussions.

Main topics of the course

1. Conflict (Conflict as a phenomena, dimensions of conflict, peace and violence, main theoretical approaches to the concept of conflict/war and their practical implications)

• Galtung J., Violence, Peace, and Peace Research, Journal of Peace Research,Vol. 6, No. 3 (1969), pp. 167-191

2. Conflict Resolution & Diplomacy (Basic principles of modern diplomacy, examples of success, failures and catastrophes, Diplomacy as a process and a tool of policy making)

• Coleman P., Deutsch M. and Marcus E., (ed.) The Handbook of Conflict Resolution, Chapter 56: International Conflict Resolution From Practice to Knowledge and Back Again, San Francisco 2012, pp. 1-36

• Bercovitch J., Conflict Resolution in the Twenty-first Century: Principles, Methods, and Approaches, Chicago 2009, pp. 2-16

3. Peacebuilding and Statebuilding (Main theoretical approaches and their evolution, limitation of peacebuilding theories, the trap of statebuilding)

• Mac Ginty R.(ed.), Routledge Handbook on Peacebuilding, London 2013, Chapter 3 The Limits of Peacebuilding Theory pp.36-50, Chapter 26 Statebuilding pp.336-344

4. Development and Aid (General principles of development extracted from case studies, aid industry, controversies on the subject and practical implementation)

• Van Bilzen G., The Development of Aid, Cambridge 2015, pp 1-62

• D. Moyo, Dead Aid, Allen Lane 2009, pp 3-68

5. Asymmetric Warfare and Insurgency (Modern warfare and budget/mass media/elections, PTSD and warrior code, Insurgency and counterinsurgency, popular mobilization vs. apathy, ragged armies and Kalashnikov culture)

• International Review of the Red Cross, Vol. 88, no# 864 December 2006, pp. 729-778,

6. Case Study: Afghanistan 1

• The U.S. Army, Marine Corps Counterinsurgency Field Manual, The University of Chicago Press 2007, pp. 1-77

7. Case Study: Afghanistan 2

8. Case Study: Iran

• S. Haghighat (ed.) Six Theories About the Islamic Revolution’s Victory, Alhoda Publishers 2000, pp. 5-41

9. Case Study: Kurdistan/Iraq

• M. B. Salter, Barbarians & Civilization in International Relations, Pluto Press 2002, pp. 8-63

10. Case Study: Examples of successful PB

IMPORTANT NOTE: As the course is intended to be closely connected to reality and current situation in case of important events (i.e. new war, revolutions or breakthrough in a conflict) the topics of some lesson may be changed. Possible changes are intended to provide the best possible and up-to-date information background.

1. Galtung J., Violence, Peace, and Peace Research, Journal of Peace Research,Vol. 6, No. 3 (1969), pp. 167-191

2. P. Porter, Military Orientalism- Eastern War Through Western Eyes, Hurst & Company 2009, pp 23-84

3. Coleman P., Deutsch M. and Marcus E., (ed.) The Handbook of Conflict Resolution, Chapter 56: International Conflict Resolution From Practice to Knowledge and Back Again, San Francisco 2012, pp. 1-36

4. Bercovitch J., Conflict Resolution in the Twenty-first Century: Principles, Methods, and Approaches, Chicago 2009, pp. 2-16

5. Mac Ginty R.(ed.), Routledge Handbook on Peacebuilding, London 2013, Chapter 3 The Limits of Peacebuilding Theory pp.36-50, Chapter 26 Statebuilding pp.336-344

6. Mac Ginty, R., Richmond O., The fallacy of constructing hybrid political orders: a reappraisal of the hybrid turn in peacebuilding, International Peacekeeping Volume 23, 2016 - Issue 2

7. Lidel K., Introduction: Beyond Northern Epistemologies of Peace: Peacebuilding Reconstructed? International Peacekeeping · November 2009

8. Van Bilzen G., The Development of Aid, Cambridge 2015, pp 1-62

9. D. Moyo, Dead Aid, Allen Lane 2009, pp 3-68

10. International Review of the Red Cross, Vol. 88, no# 864 December 2006, pp. 729-778,

11. The U.S. Army, Marine Corps Counterinsurgency Field Manual, The University of Chicago Press 2007, pp. 1-77

12. S. Haghighat (ed.) Six Theories About the Islamic Revolution’s Victory, Alhoda Publishers 2000, pp. 5-41

13. M. B. Salter, Barbarians & Civilization in International Relations, Pluto Press 2002, pp. 8-63

14. J. Goodhand, Aiding Violence or Building Peace? The Role of International Aid in Afghanistan (w:) S. Barakat (ed.) Reconstructing War-Torn Societies, Third Wold Quarterly, Palgrave 2004

Additional lectures (not required for exam)

• P. Calvocoressi, World Politics since 1945, 9th edition, Harlow 2009

• Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations 1961

• A. M. Ansari, Confronting Iran, Foundation Books 2006

• J. Nye, Understanding International Conflicts: An Introduction to Theory and History, various editions.

• W. R. Polk, Violent Politics- a History of Insurgency, Terrorism & Guerrilla War

From The American Revolution to Iraq, Harper Collins 2008

• K. Matinuddin, The Taliban Phenomenon- Afghanistan 1994- 1997, Oxford University Press, 1999

• H.J. Poole, Tactics of the Crescent Moon- Militant Muslim Combat Methods, Posterity Press 2009

• D. Chandler, Empire in Denial: The Politics of State-building, Pluto Press 2006

• Peacebuilding: The Twenty Years’ Crisis, 1997-2017 (Rethinking Peace and Conflict Studies), David Chandler

• I. Buruma, A. Margalit, Occidentalism: The West in the Eyes of Its Enemies, Penguin Books 2005

• P. Porter, Military Orientalism- Eastern War Through Western Eyes, Hurst & Company 2009, pp 23-84

• Carbonnier G., Official development assistance once more under fire from critics, International Development Policy Vol. 1 2010, pp. 137-142

• Narozhna T., Failed Expectations or What is Behind the Marshall Plan for Post-Socialist Reconstruction, Kakanien Revisited 29.11.2001

• Cohen R., Language and Conflict Resolution: The Limits of English. International Studies Review, Vol. 3, No. 1 pp. 25-51

• M.J. Stephan (ed.), Civilian Jihad- Nonviolent Struggle, Democratization and Governance in The Middle East, Palgrave Macmillan 2009

• B. Woodward, Obama’s Wars, Simon & Schuster 2010

• B. Woodward, Bush at War, Simon & Schuster 2009

• B. Hurn, B. Tomalin, Cross-Cultural Communication: Theory and Practice, Palgrave 2013

IMPORTANT NOTE: As the course is intended to be closely connected to reality and current situation in case of important events (i.e. new war, revolutions or breakthrough in a conflict) the topics of some lesson may be changed. In consequence of such change the list of the lectures may also be adjusted to the updated topics. Possible changes are intended to provide the best possible and up-to-date information background.