8TH PEACE AND CONFLICT RESOLUTION CONFERENCE [PCRC2021]
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5th-7th of November 2021 - VIRTUAL

PRESENTERS
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Friday - November 5th, 2021
Crisis Making and Making Sense of Crisis in the Time of Pandemic
In many places violence, in different forms, is experienced as a crisis. Several commentators use descriptions like a nation in crisis, crisis of democracy, social crisis or humanitarian crisis to express these concerns. This presentation examines some recent examples of violence through the lens of crisis, where the concept of crisis over time and across disciplines, has come to invoke notions of change, epoch and temporality in discussions of ends and beginnings, birth and death, apocalypse and portals of renewal. Crisis can be chronic, acute, cyclical but also manufactured for political ends. In making sense of two recent examples of crisis in the US and South Africa, we are asked to consider if such violence are new crises or an accumulation and rupturing of multiple crises in the time of corona-crisis? The somewhat hegemonic status of corona-crisis has led to the emergence of an array of crisis-coupling to draw attention to more long-standing crises, primarily about structural violence, that have been displaced by state and public preoccupation with the pandemic. A social justice perspective demands that we acknowledge a state of poly-crisis and that the burden of living with such multiple crises is disproportionately borne, both across nations and within. Also important is what consequences the interlocking of crises have in birthing new crises. Moving beyond analysis and understanding, to action, the final part of the presentation will explore the impact of the pandemic on peacebuilding interventions and the opportunities for educational responses to the crises we make and face.
Vaughn is a professor in the School of Education at UKZN with three decades experience in community-based and university-based peace education and scholarship. This engaged scholarship has been disseminated via more than fifty publications. After training as a research psychologist, Vaughn’s early career focused on monitoring political violence in KwaZulu-Natal, and supporting communities and organisations affected by this state-sponsored civil war. He subsequently led the development of South Africa’s first accredited national qualification in Conflict Transformation and served two terms as co-convenor of the Peace Education Commission of the International Peace Research Association (IPRA). He is a facilitator and board member of the Alternatives to Violence Project (AVP) in Kwazulu-Natal and co-convenor of the AVP International Research Committee
Mahri Peacekeeping
​The purpose of this proposal is to present the Mahri tribe’s unique, tribal traditioned approach to peacebuilding and peacekeeping. It will review their protocols to maintaining peace and living in tranquility. Geographically, the tribe extends from eastern Yemen (in Mahra Province) to western Oman, through the Dhofar Mountains, which even today in 2021 does not have modern highways or thoroughfares; in fact, Yemen’s desert borders with Oman and Saudi Arabia are sometimes undefined. Though the drive through the Dhofar Mountains from Salalah, Oman, to Mahra, Yemen, has breathtaking views, the ride includes many hairpin turns on gravel roads. Thus, one can project that tribal peace and tranquility are essential to survival in such a remote area. The Mahri code of conduct includes five complicated and complex rules for peacebuilding and  peacekeeping. Tribal solidarity means peacebuilding is supratribal; blood is thicker than water; bearing arms does not necessarily mean using arms; when there is conflict between Mahri tribes and others, the spoils do not go to the victor – the victor is responsible for helping to rebuild the non-victor; in tratribal mediation frowns upon violence and seeks limiting its use.
Please join me for an insight into the Mahri tribe and their peacekeeping protocols.
After working for various investment banks in NYC and Bangkok, Dr Susan Crosbie returned to academia and earned her doctorate in education from the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities Campus, USA in 2006. Her inspiration came after teaching at an adult literacy program in the Republic of South Africa from 1996-2001. She has been teaching in the Arabian Gulf for over seventeen years, and currently during the academic year, she acts as an educational consultant for K-12 schools. Her research interests include 1) academic integrity and the use of technology, including artificial intelligence, not only in the identification of academic fraud but also in guiding students how to use technology to build vocabulary to avoid plagiarism, and 2) MSALs (Modern South Arabian Languages) of Oman which are included in the UNESCO list of endangered languages.
Global Citizenship Education (GCED) in the Digital Era:
The Unexpected Tool for Peace Building - How 21st Century Fluencies Can Shape a Sustainable Global Security?
If education is unanimously recognized as a powerful and impactful tool for social advancement, its use in global affairs as a major component has not yet been fully acknowledged. The current world state, with multiplying challenges amidst a global crisis - caused by the fallouts of an unmanageable pandemic - exposed the limits of multilateralism, undermining international cohesion already struggling over geopolitical rivalries and bursting territorial conflicts. Growing gaps between citizens and governing bodies are threatening the very essence of democracy, the quintessence of people representation, the act of being a citizen. If such struggles arise even within states' borders, needless to say, that building a global citizenship feeling of belonging may prove difficult, requiring exceptional efforts and a strong driver, such as education, leaning on an innovative approach. Peacebuilding through education to global citizenship is one of the pillars of the UN 2030 Agenda. In this regard, this work is directly relevant to Sustainable Development Goal 4.7 (Education for sustainable development and global citizenship, and the promotion of a culture of peace and non-violence). GCED could be one of the strongest peace advancement tools to think globally and act locally, by integrating emotional intelligence, creating a common shared value, tackling climate change and gender equity, as women are often in the frontline of rising challenges. This work will investigate and analyze the paradigms of GCED in global security and peacebuilding policy using a cross-national analysis within the framework of digital humanities and peace studies research fields.
Public Officer-in-Charge of ICT in Education, Innovation, and International Relations, Nezha El Massoudi is part of the Ph.D. Executive Program at the Center for Diplomatic and Strategic Studies, specializing in Digital Humanities and Peace Studies. With a diverse background covering diplomacy, academia, strategic consulting, and international development, she coordinated international initiatives such as eTwinning and Erasmus + with a focus on intercultural dialogue, education for peace, and media literacy, in a cross-disciplinary approach. As a Teach SDGs Ambassador, she is also committed to associative and voluntary, non-profit actions for education to active global citizenship and international solidarity purposes. Previous experience includes working as UNESCO Coordinator for Associated Schools, sustainable development Project Leader, with over 12 years of progressive professional experience from in-field action to administration.
Water and Transboundry Conflict Resolution in South Asia: A Case Study of Bangladesh
The paper will try to understand the dynamics of Party Politics, tussle between Awami League and Bangladesh Nationalist Party affecting the conflict resolution process of Bangladesh with other nation states in Bangladesh, more specifically India such as aspects of federalism, center state relations from India have affected foreign policymaking through Concept resolution. The Paper will also attempt to understand the concepts such as Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) India water Partnership (IWP) and Bangladesh Water Partnership (BWP) about efficient water management and which have supported conflict resolution process.
Anjali Yogi is pursuing PhD at School of International Studies, Jawahar Lal Nehru University, Delhi. She is researching on Transformations in the Foreign Policy making process of South Asia and in Bangladesh. Her M.Phil dissertation was on Youth Politics in Bangladesh. She has also taught to undergraduate Delhi University Students for brief period. She did her graduation from St. Stephen's College, Delhi University.
Exapandables? Environmental Authoritarianism and Indigenous Communities
Why do many democratic states experience environmental authoritarianism? Why does it disproportionately affect minorities and indigenous communities compelling them to live under perpetual violence and discrimination? These questions have puzzled many researchers and policymakers, and this article aims to offer a prospective through the study on Protected Areas (PA) of Nepal. Three weeks intensive field research reveals that environmental authoritarianism needs to be understood from a historical perspective. In other words, states despite making transition to democracy, with their history of authoritarianism are likely to continue authoritarian forms of governance. This is so because a) states’ institutions and its bureaucracy take time to transform from authoritarian-suited behaviors to that of democratic principles and practices and b) legacy impacts on the communities, namely displacement and land dispossession because of the ways in which the authoritarian governments establish PAs over time become deeply complex that nascent democracies face compounding social and political challenges. These challenges often stem from weak democratic institutions and irresponsible or unaccountable political parties who make the community grievances as part of never-ending elector politics. The cumulative impacts of these different social and political dimensions help implicitly continue the authoritarian nature of governance.
Dhirendra Nalbo, PHD is the Co-Founder of the Open Institute for Social Science, a liberal arts college based in Kathmandu, Nepal. At OI, he Co-Directs its Writing and Research program and teaches courses on Critical Epistemology and Methodology, and Field Methods. Dr. Nalbo is also Adjunct Professor at the Department of Conflict, Peace and Development Studies, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu and Visiting Professor at Nepal’s Army and Armed Police Force’s Command and Staff Colleges.
Toward a New Model of Arms Control: A Blueprint for Regulating Software-Based Weaponry
The emergence of sophisticated software-based high-tech weaponry (SBW) renders existing arms-control practices ineffectual. The secretive nature of SBW development and the rapid tempo of SBW evolution pose serious threats to world peace while outpacing the capacity of nations to control these weapons with traditional regulatory mechanisms. We review the history and current state of arms control; describe major categories of SBW; and propose a new paradigm for arms control that can effectively address the threats posed by unconstrained deployment of SBW.
Haig Hovaness serves as New York Representative and Secretary of the Peace Action Committee of the Green Party of the United States. He has written and presented on a variety of arms-related issues, including military-industrial-congressional relations in the US. He holds an MBA from New York University.
Ryan Swan is a doctoral candidate in Peace and Conflict Studies at the Rhenish Friedrich Wilhelm University of Bonn in Germany. His research focuses on the effects of increasingly high-tech weapons capabilities on global security. He holds a Master's in International Relations and Politics from the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom and a Juris Doctor from the University of California, Los Angeles School of Law in the United States.
Conflict Sensitive Evaluation: Methods and Approaches
A ‘do no harm’ and conflict sensitive approach is essential when designing and implementing interventions in fragile and conflict-affected areas. This is also true for designing and conducting evaluations; if not carefully considered, evaluations can have a negative impact on both the conflict itself and on the reputation of the organisation leading the intervention. A key starting point is determining whether the organisation is working “in conflict,” i.e. implementing humanitarian or development programmes against the backdrop of conflict, or “on conflict,” i.e. seeking to address the root causes and drivers of conflict with a view to building sustainable peace. This includes assessing whether the organisation has a humanitarian, development or peacebuilding mandate, or is indeed multi-mandated, and then examining their approach to ensuring their work is conflict-sensitive. This paper will examine the importance of conflict-sensitivity for evaluations, including examples of methods and approaches to ensure conflict-sensitivity in designing and conducting evaluations, and lessons learned from the field. It includes models used in previous evaluations to assess the mandates of organisations working in fragile and conflict-affected areas, as well as models to determine how conflict-sensitive interventions are in practice. It examines how to ensure conflict-sensitivity throughout the evaluation cycle.
Sarah is a senior consultant focusing on the triple nexus, conflict and development. Her work includes conducting evaluations for multilateral organisations, bilateral donors and NGOs, as well as capacity strengthening and organisational development.
Rethinking Security: An analytical study to explore the correlation between Military Expenditure and Human Security in arms importing (developing) states
The following research seeks to identify a correlation between increasing military expenditure and the simultaneous changes observed in the levels of human security in arms importing states under the world military order. Identification of such trends is needed because leaders use the narrow understanding of security in terms of military strength to justify the higher global military expenditure. However, it is also understood that growing military expenditure increases insecurity amongst states. This paradox excludes consideration of other factors that impact human lives and need to be secured. The research uses case studies analyzed with quantitative data and analysis to determine any correlation between the two variables - military expenditure and human security. It is found that in arms importing states, there is generally an inverse proportionality, causing a negative correlation between military expenditure and human security. Therefore, higher military expenditure causes a drop in human security in importing states due to various structural factors of the global arms hierarchy. This illustrates a need to rethink the understanding of security to include other factors of human security: economic, political, personal, community, health, food, and environmental security for a holistic security approach to human lives in contemporary security studies.
Anant Saria is a Postgraduate in International Studies and Diplomacy from SOAS, University of London. His experience includes research in Arms Control, Strategic Studies, Defence Studies, and Open Source Research. He also has interests in humanitarianism, the world order, South Asian geopolitics, and postcolonial analysis of contemporary international relations.
Between Peace and Conflict: A Game Theoretic Model for Israel-Hamas Communications Over Gaza Strip
The Islamic Resistance Movement (AKA: Hamas) has taken control over Gaza Strip, Palestine, in 2007. Since then, the organization was in a continuous hit-run conflict against the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF). The conflict is very resistant to any sort of resolution, and Hamas and Israel engage frequently in what seems an endless cycle of resentment and violence. Despite numerous mediations by global and regional powers, this conflict appears to be further away than ever. This particular conflict can’t be addressed according to the common negotiation theories that based on rationality and hard politics, which seems not that functional. Instead, a model based on the game theory approach is presented here to explain this phenomenon. In this presentation, some facts about Israel - Hamas regional concerns are explained. Moreover, this study analyses the reasons behind Hamas enforcing calm in Gaza, even though Hamas considers Israel as its arch enemy. The presented model shows that whenever Israel and Hamas reach an agreement, both sides can collaborate in maintaining a state of calm. Moreover, results show that the proposed model is applicable to analyse a conflict in terms of actions, duration and terms of settlement.
Abdullah Hamida, born in 1987, from Palestine. He received his MSc. degree in Information and Communication Engineering from Beijing Jiaotong University, Beijing, China, in 2013. He is currently purchasing his Ph.D. degree in Management Science and Engineering at Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications. His research interests include game theory applications and the Arab-Israeli conflict.
Saturday - November 6th, 2021
Conciliation: Culture Making Byproduct:
​Life Long Learning - Tangible/Intangible Skills Training - Mutual Care Understanding
Reclaiming public space at Oakland's Arroyo Public Park, a nexus of crime and illegal activities. A coalition of neighbors invited local performing artists to help animate city agencies, inspire repair of the amphitheater and create daytime performances in the summer, mostly by children. It gave voice to and represented many people. Reclaiming space for community was the impetus, structured curriculum activates were means. Safe public space and learning were two inseparable goals. Conciliation learning through specific responses, example: Crisis Of Perseverance acute among children and youth lacking role models or witnessing success through perseverance. Artists of all types are the embodiment of achievable mastery and completion. Taking place on redefined historic 1940 passenger-cargo/military ship for public peacetime use and as a cultural space. Mixt generations after and outside school programs: Children and Architecture project’s intention was to integrate children’s internal wisdom of playing with learning about the world of architecture (environment and co-habitability) as starting point was an inter-generational setting: 5-12 olds + parents and volunteers, twice weekly from 1989 to 1995 at the Museum of Children’s Art in Oakland, California. Concluding Examples Public celebration and engagements as inadvertent conciliation if prepared for before hand.
Slobodan Dan Paich native of former Yugoslavia was born 1945. He lived in England from 1967 to 1985. Slobodan taught the History of Art and Ideas, Design and Art Studio from 1969 through 1985 at various institutions in London, including North-East London Polytechnic, Thames Polytechnic and Richmond College-American University in London. Between 1986 to1992, he taught at the University of California at Berkeley. With a number of scholars, artists, and community leaders, he founded the Artship Foundation in 1992, and has been its Executive Director ever since. He also served as a board member of the Society of Founders of the International Peace University in Berlin/Vienna from 1996 to 2002, where he lectured annually and chaired its Committee on Arts and Culture
​Encircling Peace through Khaita - Joyful Dances
This presentation investigates how Khaita- Joyful Dances promote an understanding of peace from a transrational and in particular Buddhist perspective. The dances have been created by the Buddhist Dzogchen master Namkhai Norbu as a practice of presence and collaboration, promoting an inner attitude of peace spreading from the individual to the group. Peace is hereby understood as a multi-faceted, intra- as well as interpersonal, dynamic state perceived and experienced not only by the intellectual mind but also through the body and subtle energies. The presentation is structured in three parts. First, I will explore peace theory in the context of Khaita. Second, I will illustrate the peace understanding promoted by the Tibetan artists through examples from the Khaita songs. The Tibetan song lyrics thereby express the wish for unification amongst Tibetans and the desire for (world) peace. Third, I will investigate the principles of accessible participation, equality as well as collaboration as parameters for peace experiences through examples from the Khaita practice sessions as well as Khaita Kordros, circle dances. The circle dances thereby offer an easy, non-hierarchical immersion in a diverse group of dancers and require presence and self-observation.
Eva Leick is a PhD candidate at the institute of “Musik- und Tanzwissenschaften” at the University of Salzburg. Her dissertation "Benefits of Dancing Khaita Joyful Dances. The Promotion of Peace, Presence and Collaboration through Tibetan Modern Dances" uses methodology of ethnography, embodiment, cultural and dance analysis to investigate the translocal and cosmopolitan dance phenomenon of Khaita. She completed her teaching degree for German and English at the Karl-Franzes-University of Graz in 2017, then taught German at university in the United States and at high school before deciding to pursue her academic career further. Eva Leick lives in Graz, Austria where she is also a founding member of the contemporary dance company SubsTanz.
Conflict Resolution in Culture Wars: Some Historical Lessons
Even though the term "culture" war is relatively new - a century and a half old - we believe that the struggle for cultural dominance, which is the essence of any given cultural conflict, is as old as civilization itself. By analyzing several societal conflicts from historical past, we will set out to prove that culture war is, in fact, as old as humanity itself. Furthermore, it is our belief that the outcome of the current global cultural war, which revolves around issues such as mass immigration, globalism and, more recently, Covid-19 measures, can be assessed by drawing conclusions from similar previous historical events.
Marko is currently an employee and a student of Orthodox Theology, whose primary research interest in existentialist philosophy.
Multilevel interventions for the social inclusion of disadvantaged populations
Social inequalities are intensifying globally and failure to address the drivers of social exclusion has led to widening divisions between rich and poor and between diverse ethnic, religious and other social groups, linked to civil unrest, conflict and humanitarian crisis. Social relations as embedded in the formal institutions of society are a mechanism through which social exclusion operates. The role of public service systems such as healthcare, education and local government in reducing exclusion is, therefore, key. Addressing exclusion requires negotiation of political and social contexts, particularly as competition for work and resources is a key driver of social conflict. We have conducted seven pilot projects exploring how to reduce public service inequities, involving co-production work with stakeholders in Asian and African contexts. These projects have identified how public service inequities are created and maintained through, for example, unfair resource allocation, poor quality or non-existent data and the absence of excluded groups in decision-making that affects their lives. Studies have also explored sustainable interventions at institution, policy and societal levels that could target the multiple drivers of exclusion for disadvantaged populations in diverse contexts. Key factors for the development of such interventions are: equitable involvement of excluded communities, stakeholder capacity building and the development of equity-focused data systems and policies.
Dr Ghazala Mir is Associate Professor of Health Equity and Inclusion at the University of Leeds with research interests in health and social inequalities. Her research focuses on the experience of people underserved by health and other public services and she has led work to highlight key research priorities in this field. She leads the multidisciplinary Inequalities Research Network and the international Partnerships for Equity and Inclusion, which bring together academics, advocacy organisations, public services practitioners and policymakers to help reduce the inequalities that affect disadvantaged groups. Her research has been published by the UN Research Institute for Social Development and as case studies of good practice by the Chief Medical Officer and the Economic and Social Research Council.
Reflections on Preliminary Fieldwork:
The Militarisation of Public Space in Srinagar and its Impact on Rhythms of Everyday Life
This project focuses on the conflict in Indian administered Jammu and Kashmir (J&K). This conflict is characterised by the militarised occupation of the region and resistance for self-determination by indigenous populations. In 2019, there were over 500,000 military and police force stationed in the state of J&K and over the years the forces have become a permanent fixture of the day-to-day life of people in the region. The use of civilian infrastructure by the military apparatus to control the rhythms of everyday life has evolved to its current form as an integral aspect of the conflict itself. This paper is focused on two interrelated aspects i.e., the impact of militarisation, magnified by Covid-19 pandemic on the fieldwork itself and its relationship to the larger impact of militarisation on everyday life in Srinagar. The methodology is inspired by rhythmanalysis which focuses on space of interaction. The rhythmanalysis is in two parts, it explores the rhythms as viewed and investigated by the researcher as opposed to the rhythms of everyday life for research participants. The aim here is to contextualise the questions of ethics and positionality as a researcher, conducting fieldwork during covid 19, in a militarised conflict region.
Arshita (She/Her) is a Doctoral researcher and a Graduate Teaching Assistant at the school of politics and International Relations, University of Kent. Her current research is in the field of International Conflict Analysis and explores the spatial-temporal dynamics of military occupation and resistance in India Administered Kashmir. Other fields of research interest include; anti-colonial solidarity building in post-conflict regions, embedded ethnography, the utilisation of art in resistance movements and critical theory. She is also a volunteer and honorary trustee at Books2Africa( UK registered Charity). Arshita has previously worked as a research assistant with Centre for Critical Thought, University of Kent and National institute of Education Policy (New Delhi, India). Arshita holds two masters degrees; an International Joint Degree in Peace and Conflict Studies (M.A.) from the University of Kent and Philipps-Universität Marburg and a (M.A) Political Science from University of Delhi. She also holds a bachelor’s degree; (B.A. Hons.) Political Science from University of Delhi.
Making the Soft Power Hard: Nepal’s Internal Ability in Safeguarding National Interest
Nepal creates an exemplary image in coping with the internal and external threats even during the major political transitions in 1950, 1990 and 2006. In all these power sharing mechanisms, the immunity that galvanized internal forces with minimum experience of indirect influence from the neighboring countries shows that soft power values in Nepal became the major component for managing internal tensions and mitigating external interests. At one hand, the sources of soft power rests on ancient value system and on the other, Nepal celebrates new political system confronting the values earlier regime survived on. Political crisis before 2015 and the natural disaster after it plunged Nepal into a serious threat. During the time of crisis it is need and the value that functions compared to the interest. This paper posits a central question that how soft power became a variant during the war to peace transition from 2006 to the period of implementation of constitution stipulated in 2015 with the result of a stable government. The first part of the paper explores the dimensions of soft power in Nepal- both perceived and practiced- after Jana Aandolan II. The effectiveness of soft power in maintaining the geostrategic importance through a constant coupling of soft power diplomacy adopted and endorsed in Nepal by the external powers and Nepal’s own soft power standpoint will be analyzed in the second part of the paper. The last section of the paper analyzes the challenges for effective implementation of soft power diplomacy in meeting the national interest.
Pitambar Bhandari is currently working as Head and Assistant professor at the Department of Conflict, Peace and Development Studies, Tribhuvan University.
Pitambar completed his Master’s degree in Conflict, Peace and Development Studies in 2009 and currently pursuing his PhD at Tribhuvan University. His core research interest is on peace and conflict, power and politics and power sharing.  He is engaged in university teaching, supervision of thesis and research works of students, designing the curricula and arranging academic seminar and conferences. He is also involved as a trainer of negotiation, mediation and dialogue in the trade union and security agencies in Nepal. Teaching and research is the major domain that he is involved in peace building.
Game theory and dealing with water conflicts
Game theory is one of the most common methods used by researchers to manage water conflicts and water allocation in shared and transboundary river basins. Despite the special place of game theory in reductionist sciences, the application of this theory to dealing with conflicts in complex water systems faces challenges. Whereas, the critique of the effectiveness of the game theory method in water conflict management has been neglected. Accordingly, the purpose of this study is to investigate and analyze the capacity to apply the game theory to deal with water conflicts. In order to achieve this purpose, while using library resources, the basics of game theory and the capacity to apply it in the management of water conflicts are analyzed. The results reveal that following the theory of rational choice and rationalism in the game theory method has led to ignore many dimensions and factors affecting the water conflict formation and the way to deal with complex water conflicts.
I'm Simin Mirhashemi. I was born in 1991, Iran. I have graduated from the water and engineering group, Isahan University of technology, and now I’m a Ph.D. candidate in water resource management at Tarbiat Modares University, Iran. My field of study is hydropolitics and my dissertation focuses on water conflict and cooperation in Zayandehroud river basin as one of the tensest basins in Iran. I try to go beyond the usual framework for water conflict and cooperation and, while analyzing and reviewing existing methods, examine the possibility of using new methods of international relations in this field.
Confronting Extended Bullying: A Spectacle of Violence in the Digital Age
This presentation discusses the work of Bradley Evans, a critical theorist who writes on the problem of violence in the digital age. I am using the work of Evans to explore the phenomenon of extended bullying. The prominence and visibility of physical bullying being filmed and extended into cyber space, immerses us into a relentless stream of real and virtual violence, and brings into focus extended bullying. In this paper, I discuss Evans’ concept of the spectacle in terms of its socio-technological formations and by engaging with the spectacle as a representation of violence to explore extended bullying. Given the technological advances in social communication, how we come to explore extended bullying in the 21st century becomes significant. I believe Evans offers a useful theoretical framework for exploring this form of school violence for the following reasons: it deepens the understanding of the complex nature of extended bullying; it explores physical bullying in schools with the view to offering solutions beyond traditional approaches, thus narrowing the gap between online violence and lived realities. Finally, Evans work helps to sharpen the usefulness of critical pedagogy for studying violence, for making connections between violence and education, and for the design of appropriate interventions to address extended bullying in schools.
I am a qualified school teacher by profession. I have a passion for teaching learners with special needs, in particular, teaching learners with visual conditions, including the blind. Enjoying being in the field of education and learning, I went on to obtain a Master’s degree, spending at least two years in the remote and politically war-torn communities of Richmond. My research focus and efforts contributed to investigating the role of health-care workers in delivering HIV education programmes in the form of home-based care to People Living with AIDS. In 2016, I embarked on a different kind of conquest, where I took to successfully summiting Mt Kilimanjaro. The next mountain on my horizon was to embark on more educational studies.  I am currently a PhD student at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, School of Education. My research focus is: School Bullying in the Digital Age. 
Theory of Institutional Peace and Peacebuilding in Transboundary River Basins
Social developments have led to prompt the significance of concentrating on peace and the factors influencing it throughout history. In order to analyze this concept, various theories have been proposed in the field of international relations and peace and conflict studies. Institutional peace theory is one of the prominent theories that emphasizes the role of international institutions to achieve meaningful change and cooperation among governments at the international level. Most researchers in the field of environmental challenges in general and water challenges in particular have also based liberal institutionalism in their research at the international level. Attention to the role of institutions in dealing with water conflicts and peacebuilding in transboundary river basins has led to the need to analyze the theory of institutional peace in the management of water conflicts. Accordingly, the purpose of the present study is to analyze the capacity of institutional peace theory in dealing with water conflicts in transboundary river basins. Based on the analyses, it can be acknowledged that despite the positive effect of water institutions in relieving water conflicts in some river basins, there are significant criticisms of this theory.
Reihane Nofeli Born in Iran Bs. Water Science and Engineering, Tehran University, Tehran, Iran. MSc Student of Water Engineering and Management, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.
Sunday - November 7th, 2021
Tending to the Devastating Wounds of Nigerian Girls and Women
Safiya founded Empowering Women for Excellence Initiative with a mission to provide multisectoral interventions for the empowerment and enlightenment of girls and women in 2008. Safiya is also Director of Institutional Learning at Generations For Peace, Jordan overseeing the Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning and Training units supporting peacebuilding in 51 countries globally. Safiya is a member of the International Association of Facilitators, International Society of Female Professionals, TheBoardRoom Africa; and is an OnFrontiers Expert. In 2020, Safiya was awarded a Desmond Tutu Reconciliation Fellowship for her contributions to empowering women and gender reconciliation, the Apostle Hayford Alile Humanitarian Award from the prestigious Community and Human Rights Awards by CSR in Action
A Decolonial Exploration of a Technical and Vocational Education and Training Curriculum: Towards Epistemic Justice
Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges are a critical vehicle for producing the much needed competencies required to take the South African economy forward. Though evidence abounds that curriculum change in TVET Colleges recognises the broader transformation and developmental agenda adopted by the post-apartheid government, little can be found on attempts to decolonise TVET curricula. A decolonial exploration of the epistemic relations between knowledge and the students that the knowledge is about, and the conditions under which access can be gained or limited to that knowledge, will make a valuable contribution to the body of knowledge on vocational education provisioning in South Africa. More importantly, such a study could shed light on the importance of having curricula which not only prepares TVET college students for the world of work, but also addresses the injustices of the past in order to address both the economic and social aspects of vocational education. Such a decolonial agenda seeks epistemic justice and ways to allow the TVET curriculum to provide a holistic education that can humanize students, valorize their cultures and indigenous knowledges, and contribute to the broader peace and justice efforts in South Africa. This paper, therefore, sets out the knowledge gaps in this area of scholarship, shares the design of a study planned to contribute to filling such gaps and reports on some preliminary findings of such a study at two TVET colleges in South Africa.
Josephine is currently studying towards a Doctor of Philosophy (Adult Education) at the University of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa. Her passion lies in human resource development through education and training of vulnerable groups such as youth and women. Her current focus in her studies is on Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) in South Africa with a specific aim of exploring the curriculum with a decolonial lens. Josephine believes that if TVET colleges are to be a vehicle that bridges education and training for previously disadvantaged youth and women, then the importance of having curricula that not only prepares the TVET college student for the world of work but also addresses the injustices of the past is not only necessary but cardinal.
UNAMID: A Path Towards Hybrid Peacekeeping?
In 2007, the UNAMID was established as the first joint peacekeeping operation UN PKO, with the African Union in Darfur, Sudan, which became known as the first hybrid PKO, bringing together two of the largest international organizations. We want to understand the purpose of this bilateral relationship, since this hybrid operation opened a window of opportunity for future operations to adopt this typology. Firstly, the responsibility of managing certain conflicts is distributed among other regional organizations. Secondly, the “burden” – human and financial – of the UN is somehow eased. To this end, we will gather and process the data with the help of a SWOT analysis, to find clues and bring evidence to light that demonstrate the possibility of this model being replicated in future situations, while respecting the due differences inherent to each mission and each country and region. We concluded that the hybridization of more PKOs could be a reality, albeit dependent on a greater investment by regional organizations in adapting to UN procedures, namely through diverse types of training. In addition, it will always be necessary a prior and careful analysis regarding the implementation of a PKO of this typology, with a concrete and clear definition of the roles of each organization.
PhD candidate in History, Security Studies and Defense at Iscte-IUL (PT). MsC in Police Science at ISCPSI (PT). Postgraduate in Globalization, Diplomacy and Security at FCSH-UNL (PT). Police Commander at Polícia de Segurança Pública, Portugal. Research Assistant at ICPOL/ISCPSI.
​Study on the Situation Between France and the South China Sea from the Perspective of Balance of Power Theory
With the rise of China and the escalation of tension between China and the US, European countries led by Britain, France and Germany pay increasing attention to the regional situation in the Asia-Pacific (now known as "Indo-Pacific"). Among them, the South China Sea (SCS) is one of the main disputed areas. Western countries are worried that the rise of China's military power will break the stability of the situation in SCS and alter the balance of power among major powers. Therefore, they tried to balance China's rise through alliance. In France's Indo-Pacific strategy, France aims to build a regional order with the alliance of France, India and Australia as the core, and regularly carry out military exercises targeting SCS with the United States, Japan and Southeast Asian countries. This presentation aims to study the activities and motivation of France in SCS, and put the situation in SCS under the perspective of Balance of Power Theory, focusing on China, America and France. It will be argued that great powers are carefully maintaining the power balance in SCS, and it is highly possible that this trend would still last in the middle and long term, particularly via military deployment and strategic alliances.
Zhenyi CHEN is an undergraduate in University of Nottingham Ningbo China (UNNC), majoring in International Studies with French, and is expected to graduate in 2023. Her current research interests are Sino-US relations, International Relations theory and European history. This is her first completed independent research. Before that, she had several essay writing experiences in university, and served as research assistant for 4 times. Her exposure to research topics included Trilateral relations between China, the United States and Europe, Marine technical cooperation between China and ASEAN, Counterfactual and Foreign Policy, and Archives arrangement for the History of World War II on the China-Myanmar border.
WORKSHOP
„What I really want...“ - the yearning behind conflicts
An interactive, light and energizing workshop exploring a way of communication how to understand the conflict playfully & lovingly so that your heart opens and create amazing results in peace with each other and in your life. I am working with the powerful “Living from Vision” techniques, proved over 30 years to help you become the powerful version of yourself. Specially, we will discover that communicating with (inner) pictures is a phenomenal tool to learn from problems, shift from fighting to integrating and manifesting results like never before in your life (I tried it ;).
Christina Wessendorf is a joyful Intercultural communication & Peace Coach. She is a guide for intercultural, polyglot visionaries to reconcile with inner and outer fights in relationships so that you can freely move forward your unique gift to heal and help people. The world needs your vision to become real and be a role model and inspiration for the next generation. Her TedX talk „feel anywhere at home in the world“ shares her major learning & wisdom gained when her calling collided with being in a relationship as 2nd wife in Egypt. Christina is in mission for intercultural understanding and peace as a contribution to finish wars between brothers & sisters. For a 1-Person Coaching and group discussions, she offers her „Sound-to-Image (SIM) translations“ which is a revolutionary visual tool visualizing the feelings behind the spoken words for creating a open heart-to-heart communication among the participants.
Human Rights and European Ontological Security:  The “Crisis” That the Refugees Gave Rise To
Straightforwardly, the EU does not indicate merely a well-defined territory in a Westphalian sense; rather, it is a political being with an identity included those routines and narratives which constitute the EU's self-identity. Therefore, it can also enter into ontological security-seeking activities. Considering this, the paper aims to demonstrate that the so-called refugee crisis has been essentially an existential dilemma, so a matter of ontological security in terms of the EU. To support this claim, this paper examines the peculiarities of the existing refugee dilemma regarding the issue's racial, cultural, and historical dimensions. Besides, the question of how far human right is enough to restore the EU's sense of ontological security after the refugee influx is specifically addressed.
Social Scientist MA student at Humboldt Universität zu Berlin Work on mainly modernization and development, ethnicity, governmentality-related topics, and migration.
The American Perception of the Palestine-Israel Conflict
I conducted this research during my pre-academic program at University of Arkansas. The research paper aimed to find the American perception of the Palestine-Israel conflict and try to find correlations between what Americans believe about the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and some demographic features. The research was using a primarily Likert scale survey, asking Americans from different backgrounds different questions on five variables. It is important to know what the American perception is when approaching to a solution to the conflict because of the vital role that the U.S. is playing in this conflict. The presentation will talk briefly about the history of the conflict and then will explain the purpose of the research, why it is important, the Methodology used in the research, the results with the analysis, as well as the implication and limitation of the research.
"I am a LLM student at University of Missouri-Kansas City, focusing on international law. I have a bachelor's degree in law from an Najah-National University, Nablus-Palestine. I was a visitor student at University of Malta, Malta. I am a trainee lawyer at the Palestinian Bar Association. I am a member of the Palestinian Center for Policy Research and Strategic Studies, Palestinian Center for Peace and Democracy, and Women Center for Legal and Social Counseling."
Improving social capital, a solution to manage water conflicts
Water systems are categorized as coupled human-natural systems. It is argued that extreme events are primarily associated with the natural component of the system, while conflicts are considered as part of the human component of the water systems. Since the system is coupled, both human and natural components interact with each other. For instance, extreme events such as droughts can trigger conflict among societies. What needs to be noted here is that such disturbances in both systems are, to some extent, inevitable. However, by using the proper mechanisms and leverages, they can be alleviated. Enhancing social capital among stakeholders is one of those leverages to reduce the conflicts' likelihood or at least intensity. Social capital reflects people’s collective level of awareness on the issues, their reciprocal relationships, and public participation. In other words, social capital captures three concepts of “Public Justice,” “Public Cohesion,” and “Public Participation.” This paper aims to descriptively analyze the effect of social capital in social conflicts in the context of water systems. The results of this study indicated that social capital is effective in alleviating water conflicts, but requires large and long-term investments. Therefore, it can be used to alleviate conflicts to reduce vulnerability, and achieve development.
"My name is Behavar Deylami and I recently graduated from Tarbiat Modarres University in Water resource engineering. In my dissertation, I worked on Adaptive policy-making and evaluated Iran's water policies."