Conflict Analysis

[Jedburgh]

Certificate Course in Conflict Analysis offered free-of-charge by USIP.

Professionals in conflict management face extraordinary challenges in all phases of their work, whether rebuilding in the aftermath of conflict, stopping conflict in progress, or preventing conflict before it begins.

In these efforts, successful practitioners follow a simple precept: effective action depends upon insightful analysis.

This course presents an introduction to the subject of conflict analysis, illustrating analytical tools used by practitioners with reference to two extended case studies, the conflict in Kosovo and the genocide in Rwanda.

Course Objectives
In completing this course, you will gain proficiency in the following skills:
- Classifying phases of conflict using the curve of conflict
- Identifying interventions appropriate to different phases of a conflict
- Analyzing the conflict in Kosovo and the genocide in Rwanda using terms and concepts from the curve of conflict
- Generating a thorough set of characteristics for describing conflict using an analytical framework
- Analyzing the conflict in Kosovo and the genocide in Rwanda using terms and concepts from the framework
- Analyzing unfamiliar conflicts using terms and concepts from the curve and framework

[BScully]

I took the course a little while back. It's very basic, but not bad for someone with minimal experience like me.

Brian

[Culpeper]

I love this sort of stuff. I once took all the free FEMA courses. I don't know why. I just love to get certificates. Then I put them in a closet.

[Stan]

Analyzing the conflict in Kosovo and the genocide in Rwanda using terms and concepts from the framework

This course includes numerous perspectives on the subject of conflict analysis, as well as on the conflict in Kosovo and the genocide in Rwanda. These perspectives come in the form of audio clips culled from over twenty hours of interviews that we have conducted with Institute trainers, other noted specialists, grassroots organizers, military professionals, and individuals who were personally affected by the conflicts.

Sorry, you got me there !
I was personally affected and may still be !

Bodies stacked on the road like cordwood, blood and feces all over, horrific smell and expensive beer, while journalists moved bodies around for the evening news.

Tom and I had some terms for these, but no concepts. 20 hours ? How 'bout months on end with no clips (thank God).

We were however interested in getting out of there

[Tom Odom]

I am a fan of USIP and have participated on a panel for them--April 2004--to commemorate the genocide. Their books and studies are generally quite good.

I did part of this course just out curiosity and I never finished it. I quit with mixed feelings because:

A. It is very basic and should so state its own parameters. the last thing a "graduate" should think is that he/she has been given tthe keys to resolving conflicts

B. On the other hand it is clearly needed because it does offer insights on classifyong conflicts. In this regard, it would be most useful for those without a military background and secondarily useful for military who have never dealt with the concepts of peacekeeping, peace enforcement, etc.

Tom

[Steve Blair]

I find this kind of stuff very interesting, provided that people understand that it's really a starting point and not an end in and of itself. I took the FEMA courses as well and found some of them very interesting (the exercise design one in particular was good), but others were basic in the extreme.