Past

Foundations for Christian Peacebuilding is a course designed to equip Christian peace practitioners with the essential tools and knowledge to build peace in their communities. Rooted in the teachings of the Bible, this course emphasizes the importance of reconciliation as a core ministry of Christians. The Sermon on the Mount is used as a practical guide to instruct peace practitioners on how to operate in their assignments on earth. As subversive agents of change, peace practitioners are taught to view conflict as an opportunity to make a choice for peace. Through this course, participants will gain the capacity and creativity to transform the world by being the salt and light in their communities.

This course delves into the theory and practice of reconciliation, exploring ways to satisfy human needs and promote peace. Through a multidisciplinary approach, participants will examine the key theoretical concepts underpinning justice and reconciliation and explore their contemporary applications in post-war settings both locally and globally. The course will also critically analyze various popular expressions of societal justice and reconciliation, including the International Criminal Court, Truth and Reconciliation Commissions, Restitution/Reparations, and Reintegration Strategies. Participants will study and compare parallel and collective indigenous justice efforts with dominant justice systems. The course will also focus on new hybrid justice models that aim to satisfy the collective needs of traumatized societies, and ways to ensure a future transmission of generational justice embedded with a concern for the common good and reconciliation.

Many democracies have been plagued by accusations of election fraud and manipulation. An aspect of peacebuilding includes ensuring the integrity of electoral processes as a foundation for productive conversation among rival groups and as a pivotal measure for hearing the ‘voice’ of the people. This module will deepen participants’ understanding regarding fair elections and the necessary conditions for holding free elections. But elections are not enough in themselves. There must also be capacities for good governance. Participants will explore these capacities and how the citizenry can work to ensure that they enjoy good governance.

This course provides students with the theoretical and practical tools necessary for third-party intervention in social conflicts, from both an African and global perspective. Drawing from conflict theory and case studies from Africa, students will learn how to identify, analyze and intervene in social conflicts at different levels, from personal to community to inter-state conflicts. The module also explores the challenges of intervention, including the impact of cultural context on intervention models, and how to navigate these challenges in practice. Through interactive dialogue and case studies, students will engage with different intervention frameworks and processes and compare them to intervention models from non-African cultures. By the end of the course, students will have the skills and knowledge necessary to make effective interventions in social conflicts, based on an understanding of the relevant cultural context and theoretical frameworks.

This course offers an in-depth exploration of conflict management and resolution within religious organizations, with a particular focus on religious sectarianism and its role in fuelling conflicts. Students will examine the complex relationship between identity, religion, and conflict, exploring how different identities and interpretations of religious beliefs can lead to misunderstandings and violence. Through readings, lectures, case studies, and practical exercises, students will learn strategies for identifying and addressing identity-based conflicts, including those related to ethnicity, culture, and historical formation of identity. The course will also cover the political and psychological perspectives on identity and religion, major religious traditions, and views about war and peace. By the end of the course, students will have gained practical skills for intervening in religious conflicts and promoting peaceful resolution of conflicts within religious organizations.

This course delves into the philosophy and practice of nonviolence as a transformative force for social change. Through readings, lectures, case studies, and practical exercises, students will examine the theoretical and historical foundations of nonviolence. The course will also analyze the practical application of nonviolence in various contexts, such as conflict resolution, social movements, and peacebuilding initiatives. Students will analyze case studies of successful nonviolent movements and learn how to apply nonviolent strategies in their own lives and work. By the end of the course, students will have gained a comprehensive understanding of nonviolence as a tool for social change and developed practical skills for implementing nonviolent strategies in their own communities and beyond.