About Conflict Analysis, Policy Research, Writing and Advocacy

This course is for you to learn the basics about conflict analysis and policy development. You may live (1) inside a conflict zone to interact with people on the opposite side, or with others in similar situations; or you may live (2) outside these areas wanting to learn more about conflicts and help facilitate constructive conversations toward peace. This is a step toward creating a virtual university in conflict resolution through the Center for Citizen Peacebuilding at the University of California, Irvine. This course presents skills in conflict analysis, policy research, writing and advocacy. Students will read textbooks, online materials, and interact with the instructor and guest lecturers to: engage in conflict analysis of several case studies involving disputes over territory and sovereignty; participate in moderated forums for constructive dialogue to generate new ideas for effective policies leading to confidence-building, creative problem-solving, sound policy design, and conflict transformation in the Georgian-Abkhaz conflict and comparable conflicts involving disputes over territory and sovereignty; refine research and writing skills for policy design and advocacy in the field of conflict resolution.