Organization: US Institute of Peace
Registration deadline: 05 Jul 2015
Starting date: 06 Jul 2015
Ending date: 02 Aug 2015
The United States Institute of Peace is launching their new Global Campus this fall offering a new suite of instructor-led online courses that feature real-time interaction with your instructor, presentations by international experts and webinars, forums and interactive exercises involving other students around the world.
Mediating Violent Conflict
Designed for practitioners working in or on conflict zones, this course will improve participants’ ability to understand the motivations and objectives of the various parties, promote ripeness, develop effective relationships, increase leverage and strengthen mediation capacity.
Working in a conflict situation often demands mediation skills, whether you are working at a grassroots level or in state capitals. Mediation is both an art and science, and requires skilled analysis, careful planning and effective communication. Participants will practice skills through simulations, role-play and case studies.
Week 1: Introduction to Mediation
One of the most perplexing challenges in the area of conflict management and peacebuilding is how to help parties to a conflict stop fighting and to come to a sustainable agreement. Mediation, in its simplest form, is a three way process by which a third party helps the parties to a conflict find a solution they cannot find by themselves. In this first week, you will be introduced to mediation and its complexities. Through a decision making scenario you will be exposed to its complexities while learning about the importance of listening, analytical and persuasive skills that help the parties find common areas and thus, ideally, a settlement.
Week 2: Conflict Analysis, Ripeness and Readiness
Conducting a conflict analysis is the cornerstone of mediation and without a proper analysis the chances of reaching a mediated agreement are extremely slim. This week will explore how to conduct a thorough conflict analysis answering the basic questions of: *who, where, what, why, when*and*how,*and the players involved, both directly and indirectly. Additionally, you will be immersed in a scenario that will help you decipher if a conflict is ripe and/or ready and the importance of these concepts in the field of mediation.
Week 3: Mediation Skills
Mediation requires commitment, humility, humor and endless amounts of patience. This week touches on the skills of an effective mediator. Understanding issues on both sides is critical. What are their sources of leverage? What are the incentives and disincentives? Are the parties ready to meet or are they reluctant to talk? Who talks? Who talks first? Do you have equal access to all parties involved? These are all questions that will be explored. This week’s decision-making scenario aims to build your confidence in your skills as a capable and effective mediator.
Week 4: Constructing a Strategy for Mediation
How do you develop an implementable agreement in the culture in which you are mediating?, What is meaningful to the parties? How do you deal with spoilers? This fourth and final week will be spent investigating how to develop a strategy, effectively engaging with parties and reaching an agreement. You will be able to glean what you have learned during this 4-week course by being immersed in a comprehensive, decision-making scenario.
Details and More Information
- Price: $395 (4 week duration)
- Contact Leah Cullins: lcullins@usip.org
- Call us: (202) 429-7178
How to register: