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Conflict in its many forms has been a permanent feature of human history. While not all conflict is destructive, violent conflict has caused innumerable deaths and intense suffering. Over the centuries, inter-state war has been the major concern of the international community. The Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries are widely regarded as the most violent and destructive period of the modern era. As a result of the massive loss of life over the past two centuries, the study of conflict has developed considerably. Many books and articles have been written on the causes of war and the prospects for peace among sovereign states in world society.
Today, however, the vast majority of conflicts and potential conflicts of concern to the international community are internal conflicts, most often in states or across regions undergoing major political, social, and economic transition and dislocation. These conflicts generally have different causes from inter-state war, as well as different effects and dynamics. A major challenge is to improve our understanding of such conflict in order to develop new approaches to conflict management and prevention.
Tools for Conflict Analysis is designed to examine the various practical tools that have been developed to map, understand and analyze conflict in its different forms with a particular focus on contemporary conflicts and civil wars. The course will also provide an opportunity to apply these tools to specific cases of conflict. To this end, students will be required for their final assessment to choose one case study of contemporary conflict and conduct an analytical description of the chosen conflict, notably using conflict mapping instruments.- Teacher: Elise Feron