** Please Note: The following class schedule is the tentative schedule for the academic year 2022-2023 and is subject to change without prior notice on the website.
Fall Semester
| Course | Instructor | Day | Time |
| Building Consensus: Basic Negotiation, Mediation and Facilitation Skills* | Dr. Ran Kuttner | Mon | 12-16 |
| Theories and issues in intergroup conflict: A multi-disciplinary perspective* | Dr. Eman Abu Hannah Nahhas | Tue | 12-16 |
| Research Methods in Peace and Conflict Management* | Dr. Carmela Lutmar | Tue | 16-20 |
| Community Conflict and Civil Society |
Dr. Harry Frey |
Wed | 16-20 |
| Broadening horizons in the peacebuilding field: Meeting practitioners and scholars (7 meetings)** | Dr. Ran Kuttner | Mon | 16-20 |
| Ethics, War and Diplomacy (Diplomacy Program) | Prof. Michael Gross | Thu | 12-16 |
| Theories of Diplomacy (Diplomacy Program) | Prof. Ben Mor | Thu | 16-20 |
Spring Semester
| Course | Instructor | Day | Time |
| Paths to Peace: Conflict Management, Conflict Resolution, Peacebuilding and Reconciliation* | Dr. Ran Kuttner | Mon | 12-16 |
| Professional Workshops (7 meetings)** |
TBD
|
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| Arab Israeli Conflict | Prof. Zach Levy | Tue | 12-16 |
| Diplomacy and Communication (Diplomacy Program) | Prof. Avi Ben Zvi | Tue | 16-20 |
| Multi-Track Diplomacy: Transforming Violent Conflict | Prof. Edy Kaufman | Wed | 16-20 |
| Practicum (3 meetings in the semester)* | Mr. Ameer Fakhoury | Wed | 12-16 |
| Relational Approaches to Conflict Engagement: Theory and Practice | Dr. Ran Kuttner | Thu | 12-16 |
| Diplomatic Simulation (Diplomacy Program) | Dr. Carmela Lutmar | Thu | 16-20 |
Summer Semester
| Course | Instructor | Day | Time |
| The Digital Revolution: from Humans to robot (Diplomacy Program) | Dr Yaniv Levyatan | Sun | 14-18 |
| Addressing intergroup conflict: Theory and praxis (7 meetings) | Dr. Michael Sternberg | Tue | 12-20 |
* required
** required, but not for credit (Extra-curricular)
Course Descriptions
Dr. Eman Abu Hanna Nahhas
(Fall, Tuesday, 12-4 pm)
This is a core course intended to lay the foundations for studying inter-group conflicts of different levels. Inter-group conflicts have been studied by scholars from different disciplines, who offer differing perspectives on similar issues. In this course we will survey different approaches, and will also compare, contrast and relate them to each other in an attempt to arrive at an integrative understanding of the issues at hand. To allow such comparison and integration, the course is arranged by themes that recur in the scholarly literature about conflicts rather than by scholarly discipline. Throughout the course, we will use examples from actual cases of inter-group conflicts in various regions of the world.
Dr. Carmela Lutmar
(Fall, Tuesday, 4-8 pm)
The first half of the course is meant to develop the student's skills in effective and critical reading of a variety of academic research, and to become acquainted with research writing. The second half of the course will acquaint the student with a wide variety of research methods, describing the advantages and disadvantages of the different types of research questions. In particular, we will focus on studies in conflict resolution and intractable conflicts. The course is planned and constructed as a seminar in which most of the work is done by the student, guided and advised by the lecturer and other guest lecturers.
Building Consensus: Basic Negotiation, Mediation and Facilitation Skills
Dr. Ran Kuttner
(Fall, Monday 4-8 pm)
The emergence of the discipline of Peacebuilding and Conflict Management has involved the development of both theory and practices. This course focuses on best-practices in conflict management – mainly negotiation, mediation and group facilitation – aiming to equip students with basic skills for professional and personal usage. The students will be exposed to foundational theories and models of negotiation, mediation, and group facilitation/consensus building and will engage in practical experience through roleplays, simulations and exercises. Through reflective analysis of their performances, students will challenge some foundational assumptions regarding negotiation and conflict interaction, gaining first-hand experience of transformation of adversity into collaboration. Thus, students will gain proficiency in serving as third party neutrals who strive to build consensus in interpersonal and intergroup conflicts.
Dr. Harry Frey
(Fall, Wednesday 4-8 pm)
Community is a changing, dynamic and multifaceted concept which is gaining attention in conflict studies. Firstly, this course examines conflict in the light of 'context.' In the course, we consider unique aspects of community conflicts and the interplay with exterior macro factors. Various theories explaining the causes of local conflict involving groups and institutions are examined. Different community characteristics which exacerbate or ameliorate conflict dynamics are also examined with reference to examples from Israel, Northern Ireland and other locations. Secondly, we will look at community as 'agency.' The emergence and relevance of various models of community practice, such as development, organization, problem solving and transformation of relations, will be considered. Finally, we will consider the building of shared communities as a 'target' and mode of intervention in conflict resolution.
Dr. Ran Kuttner
(Spring, Monday 4-8 pm)
This core course will survey various approaches to dealing with intergroup conflicts: preventing escalation, minimizing harmful consequences, ending violence, improving intergroup relations and building stable peace. We will begin by discussing processes of conflict management, which take place during an ongoing conflict. We will then discuss various routes to conflict resolution and a formal ending of the conflict. Finally, we will address processes of reconciliation and peace-building, intended to improve intergroup relations in post-conflict settings and prevent conflict recurrence. Throughout the course, we will survey the works of scholars from different disciplines on each of these topics in order to become familiar with different perspectives and arrive at an integrative understanding. We will also discuss real world cases in which different approaches to dealing with conflict have been implemented with varying degrees of success.
Ameer Fakhoury
This course is a supervised practicum/internship. During the spring semester, students will conduct a project in the field. Each student can choose an organization (governmental or non-governmental) in the area of peacemaking, human rights, democracy, minority affairs, the Israeli-Palestinian question, or any other ethnic-national and international conflict problem in the Middle East or elsewhere. The choice of the project will be facilitated and approved by the instructor. In addition to the individual work and supervision, students
will engage in class discussions on their projects and all students must submit a final paper summarizing and analyzing the work and experience.
Prof. Edy Kaufman
(Spring, Wednesday 4-8 pm)
The goal of this course is to develop the knowledge and skills needed to facilitate transformation of interpersonal, organizational, community or complex societal conflicts, including ethnic, religious or cultural tensions, using techniques of multi-track and citizens’ diplomacy. These techniques, applicable at all levels of society, provide an essential complement to official (“first track”) diplomacy and police work, from conflicts in the workplace or community, to dealing with political instability, terrorism or insurgent activities, as currently in our work in the Middle East, South Asia, Latin America and elsewhere.
Relational Approaches to Conflict Engagement: Theory and Practice
Dr. Ran Kuttner
(Spring , Thursday 12-4 pm)
This course will explore the notion of dialogue as a relational practice on both analytical and experiential levels, under the assumption that it is important to touch on the deepest philosophical questions and underpinnings of various frameworks of dialogue in order to construct a clear understanding of the concept, and that it demands ongoing personal and interpersonal practice to cultivate mindfulness, presence of mind and other qualities of mind to help us develop dialogic skills. Each theory-based component will be followed by a practice-based session, in which we will explore through experiential learning and contemplative practices the characteristics of dialogue in action. We will follow a training model (Insight Dialogue) based on Buddhist philosophy and practice for the cultivation of a dialogic mindset.
Addressing intergroup conflict, theory and praxis.
Dr. Michael Sternberg
(Summer, Tuesdays 12-8 pm)
This workshop offers an exploration of the challenges and opportunities for constructive engagement with intergroup conflict. We focus on conflicts between social groups in the context of ethnicity, nationality, gender and the like. Participants will read academic sources, explore their personal involvement in intergroup conflicts, and engage in a dialogue between theory-based and personal experience-based knowledge. The workshop aims to contribute to the understanding of the interrelation between peacebuilding theory and praxis and provide a space for reflecting about the professional and personal dimensions of peacebuilding. The course will consist of 7 8-hour meetings, starting July 18.
