Unit rationale, description and aim
Students working as development professionals need to understand the history of peacebuilding, strategies for peacebuilding and develop the capacity to analyse effective interventions that ensure the human rights of all parties.
This unit addresses the many strands of peace-building within development processes: conflict management, conflict prevention, conflict resolution, conflict transformation, peace-building, peace keeping, peacemaking and reconciliation. Analysing case studies from United Nations peace operations, and interventions by local communities and regional bodies, this unit focuses on development projects and local community responses implemented in situations of conflict, whether before, during or after. The unit explores the important roles local communities, civil societies and diaspora communities play in peace-building including Aboriginal and Torres-Strait Islander communities in Australia.
The aim of this unit is to explore the long-term process of building peaceful, stable communities and societies that support the rule of law.
Campus offering
No unit offerings are currently available for this unit.Learning outcomes
To successfully complete this unit you will be able to demonstrate you have achieved the learning outcomes (LO) detailed in the below table.
Each outcome is informed by a number of graduate capabilities (GC) to ensure your work in this, and every unit, is part of a larger goal of graduating from ACU with the attributes of insight, empathy, imagination and impact.
Explore the graduate capabilities.
Identify different ways in which international pea...
Learning Outcome 01
Analyse the ways in which conflict resolution mech...
Learning Outcome 02
Analyse and compare a range of approaches to resol...
Learning Outcome 03
Critically examine the major causes of conflict, e...
Learning Outcome 04
Content
Topics will include:
- The drivers of political and social conflict with the focus on the developing world
- The functions and scope of UN and other peacekeeping operations
- Unilateral interventions, regime change and the privatisation of war and peace
- Transitional justice, memory, history and reconciliation in post-conflict peace-building
- Integrating peace-building strategies into development and humanitarian projects.
- The role of civil society in peacebuilding – both in conflict-affected countries and in the diaspora
- Indigenous approaches to peacebuilding (e.g. Aboriginal and Torres-Strait Islanders in Australia)
Assessment strategy and rationale
The assessments in this unit allow students to engage with the scholarship surrounding peace building and conflict studies, with the case study assignment encouraging students to think critically and reflectively about the course content. The tutorial presentation allows students present on theoretical approaches to peace building and conflict management. The critical essay allows students to critically examine the major causes of conflict and peacebuilding efforts, especially in the context of developing countries. The schedule provides scaffolded learning with opportunities for students to monitor their own progress, practise their skills and receive feedback.
Overview of assessments
Case Study This assignment allows students to an...
Case Study
This assignment allows students to analyse and evaluate a particular case, thinking critically and reflectively about course content including the part played by local communities
30%
Tutorial presentation Students are able to resea...
Tutorial presentation
Students are able to research a particular area of peace building and conflict management and present these to the class.
30%
Critical Essay The purpose of the essay is to cr...
Critical Essay
The purpose of the essay is to critically exam the major causes of conflict and peace building efforts in the context of developing countries.
40%
Learning and teaching strategy and rationale
Students encounter ideas in lectures and discuss and explore these ideas in tutorials. This unit engages students in active learning activities, such as reading, writing, discussion and problem-solving to promote analysis, synthesis and evaluation of class content. Students construct personal meaning and mutual understanding of peace and conflict through cooperative and collaborative learning in group tutorial presentations.
This is a 10-credit point unit and has been designed to ensure that the time needed to complete the required volume of learning to the requisite standard is approximately 150 hours in total across the semester. To achieve a passing standard in this unit, students will find it helpful to engage in the full range of learning activities and assessments utilised in this unit, as described in the learning and teaching strategy and the assessment strategy. The learning and teaching and assessment strategies include a range of approaches to support your learning such as reading, reflection, discussion, webinars, podcasts, video etc.