DL2 - Addressing Intractable Conflict

Complex intractable conflicts present, by definition, the toughest of challenges facing those working in the conflict and peacebuilding fields. While daunting, these conflicts are also the most important. They are the ones that are causing misery for millions of people around the world; they contribute to worsening global problems (such as economic stability and climate change) and they prevent constructive decision making and governance from occurring at all levels—from local to international. So learning how to transform these conflicts into ones that are less destructive and more constructive – even before they can be resolved – is of utmost importance.

This course draws on the Beyond Intractability Knowledge Base and Learning Community to help students understand (1) what causes some conflicts to be more intractable than others, (2) what dynamics sustain the destructive character of these conflicts, (3) and what can be done to reverse these dynamics to make intractable conflicts less damaging and ultimately open to transformation and resolution.

Students will also learn how to utilize systems thinking to analyze a conflict of their choice, and they will apply a variety of conflict resolution theories to develop intervention strategies designed to transform their chosen conflict from a destructive one to a more constructive one. They will also learn how to evaluate such intervention plans to assess their likelihood of success.
 
Throughout the course, students will be encouraged to engage with the BI Knowledge Base and Learning Community—learning how to draw information from it –for the purposes of this class and over the longer term--and they will also be encouraged to contribute ideas and written materials to the knowledge base, as a step towards becoming active in this long-standing, world-wide learning community.