Arms Control and the Nonproliferation Regime
Course Number: 640.751
Focuses on the process of negotiation as applied to arms control and disarmament on both nuclear and non-nuclear matters, with particular attention to the evolution of the nonproliferation regime. Examines the special problems of negotiating in this area along with the substantive issues and problems encountered. Students select a topic for a paper dealing with theoretically interesting lessons learned from a given set or sets of arms control negotiations. (This is a cross-listed course offered by the Conflict Management Program that also can fulfill a requirement for the Strategic Studies Program.)
Course Evaluations: Fall 06; Fall 05
Offered Fall 07
Scheinman Causes and Prevention (and Control) of War
Course Number: 640.846
Built around a crisis-diplomacy simulation, this course requires students to relate their dilemmas and moves during the simulation to the basic literature in the field of security studies. Seeks to develop an understanding of the kinds of situations, pressures and motives that drive countries (and political movements) into large-scale violent conflict and of the means available for avoiding, limiting or terminating such conflict. Also works to sensitize students who aspire to hold positions of leadership in world affairs to the practical and value choices they are likely to face.
Course Evaluations: Spring 07
Not Offered 07–08
S. Brown Conflict Management Field Trip
Course Number: 640.709
Twelve students selected through an essay application process participate in a research trip to a designated conflict or post-conflict-region during the intersession. Students plan and coordinate the trip in close cooperation with Dr. Zartman. Background readings and weekly briefings with local experts take place during the fall semester. During the trip, students interview local government officials and representatives of the international community, NGOs, academia and the media in order to assess the role of the international community and prospects for progress in the region. Students select a specific area of focus and write a separate analysis and review of their findings to present in a final report at SAIS during the spring. Preference is given to second-year Conflict Management students, but students from all concentrations are encouraged to apply.
No evaluations are available for this course.
Continues Over Both Semesters
Zartman Conflict Management Toolkit Workshop
Course Number: 640.840
The team develops conflict management applications for the program’s Web site, www.sais-jhu.edu/cmtoolkit. Limited to four second-year students. Work is concentrated in the fall, but may extend into the spring semester, though credit for one semester is earned. See www.sais-jhu.edu/cmtoolkit for more information.
No evaluations are available for this course.
Continues Over Both Semesters
Zartman Contentious Politics in Asia: From Genocide to Terrorism
Course Number: 755.703
Analyzes different forms of political identity and social divisions in Asia—nationalism, ethnic and class conflict and gender differences. Examines a variety of conflicts in the region, including peasant rebellions, violent and nonviolent class and ethnic clashes, contests over resources, terrorism and genocide. Studies how citizens in Asia empower themselves and the responses of governments/states to different forms of opposition and various types of grievances. Concludes by focusing on strategies to resolve conflict and achieve “justice” in the wake of violent conflict. (This is a cross-listed course offered by the Asian Studies Program that also can fulfill a requirement for the Conflict Management Program.) Limited to 20 students.
Course Evaluations: Spring 05
Not Offered 07–08
Welsh Contentious Politics in Sub-Saharan Africa
Course Number: 780.712
Explores the basis of protest and revolt in Africa, in the context of developing societies. Considers formal and informal sources of protest, disengagement and resistance. Examines civil society and interest groups, social movements and dissident networks. Considers rural revolt, guerilla warfare and banditry. Discusses nationalist, insurgent and warlord rebellions. Looks at sources and resolution of conflicts. (This is a cross-listed course offered by the African Studies Program that also can fulfill a requirement for the Conflict Management Program.)
No evaluations are available for this course.
Offered Spring 08
Copson Democracy, Human Rights and Conflict Prevention
Course Number: 640.748
Considers the role of democracy and human rights in preventing violent conflict. Reviews the contribution of human rights to the theory of just war, humanitarian intervention and the conflict between reconciliation and justice. Evaluates the democracy promotion polices of international actors including the United States, the EU and NGOs. Provides opportunities to discuss policy issues with guest lecturers. Students make an oral presentation and write a policy memo and a research paper. Limited to 15 students.
Course Evaluations: Spring 07; Spring 06, parts 1 2
Not Offered 07-08
Brimmer Dispute Settlement Methods
Course Number: 640.753
Examines hands-on tactics of dispute settlement and mediation on both the local and international scenes. Although relating to conceptual approaches to mediation and negotiation, focuses primarily on interpersonal aspects and the business of bringing people to an agreement. Also looks at ethical aspects of mediation and conflict resolution.
Course Evaluations: Spring 07; Spring 06, parts 1 2 3
Offered Spring 08
Murray Economic Negotiations
Course Number: 640.738
Analyzes negotiations on economic subjects as a category of problem-solving and conflict-management processes. Examines multilateral negotiations under the aegis of the WTO; regional trade negotiations, including NAFTA and FTAA; bilateral trade and investment negotiations conducted by the United States; and negotiations aimed at solving specific economic disputes. Also explores emerging issues and players in economic negotiations.
Course Evaluations: Fall 06; Fall 05; Fall 04, parts 1 2
Offered Fall 07
Patterson Ethnicity, Identity and Politics in Africa
Course Number: 780.754
Examines the nature of ethnicity, nationalism, communal identity and other forms of social cleavage in Africa and their influence on the politics of the region. Also examines the formation of identities, the role of communal mobilization and the effects of social divisions on political instability and conflict. Analyzes ethnic demands upon the state and the various responses to these demands. The genesis of communal violence and conflict and strategies for mitigating instability provide an important theme. (This is a cross-listed course offered by the African Studies Program that also can fulfill a requirement for the Conflict Management Program.)
No evaluations are available for this course.
Offered Spring 08
Lewis Global Security, Peacekeeping, Alliance and Canada
Course Number: 840.704
Explores the nature of security in the 21st century. Looks at sovereignty and intervention. Focuses on the processes of peacemaking and peacekeeping as well as the problem of failed states, rogue states and nuclear proliferation. Considers the idea of alliance, coalitions of the willing and multilateral participation. Examines case studies in Afghanistan, Asia, Kosovo and Latin America. Canada has participated in virtually every U.N. peacekeeping operation since the Suez Crisis. (This is a cross-listed course offered by the Canadian Studies Program that also can fulfill a requirement for the Conflict Management Program.)
No evaluations are available for this course.
Offered Fall 07
Richter The Implementers of Peace
Course Number: 640.737
Examines the mandates, institutional structures and modus operandi of diverse players who shape peace implementation processes: U.S. bilateral agencies; the United Nations, especially with regard to peacekeeping operations and overall political supervision; the World Bank; regional bodies; the International Criminal Court and related initiatives; and independent NGO monitoring and advocacy groups. Limited to 15 students.
Course Evaluations: Spring 07; Spring 05, parts 1 2; Spring 04, parts 1 2
Not Offered 07–08
Morrison International Bargaining and Negotiation
Course Number: 640.719
Examines bargaining from theoretical and policy perspectives and considers various types of negotiation in transnational and transgovernmental contexts. Simulations and case studies include Cuba, Forest Hills and the Panama Canal.
Course Evaluations: Fall 06; Spring 05, parts 1 2; Spring 04, parts 1 2
Offered Fall 07
Zartman International Conflict Prevention
Course Number: 640.745
Focuses on measures that may be taken by international actors, individual states and/or NGOs to prevent the outbreak or reoccurrence of violence in inter-state or intra-state disputes. It is widely recognized that violence complicates or even undermines the ability to resolve conflicts and create stable peace, so preventive diplomacy is often superior to conflict resolution after violence. The seminar examines international efforts to improve early warning of potential violence and enhance early action by IGOs, states and NGOs to head off incipient violence or prevent violence from erupting anew in frozen conflicts. Also evaluates alternative approaches to conflict prevention in an effort to identify techniques most likely to prevent violent conflicts. Features numerous case studies of conflict prevention from wide-ranging global settings and includes simulated exercises in conflict-prevention techniques. (This is a cross-listed course offered by the Conflict Management Program that also can fulfill a requirement for the Global Theory and History Program.)
Course Evaluations: Spring 06, parts 1 2; Spring 04
Offered Spring 08
Hopmann Intervention and Preemption: From Africa, Haiti and the Balkans to Iraq and Lebanon
Course Number: 640.712
Examines the concept of forceful intervention as a means of containing, ending or preventing conflict and threats to stability. The course has three parts: the theoretical basis for intervention, preemption and the surrounding debate; the United Nations, NATO and NGOs as primary actors in interventions; and case studies. Each case study is selected as an organic element of the course; case studies focus on Haiti, Iraq, Kosovo, Lebanon and Somalia-Rwanda.
Course Evaluations: Fall 06
Not Offered 07-08
Joseph Legal Problems in the Arab-Israeli Conflict
Course Number: 650.761
What does international law have to say about this intractable dispute? Was there a right of self-determination of Palestinians in 1917? What was the legal force of the Balfour Declaration and the League of Nations mandate? Of the 1948 Partition Plan? Of the act of Israel’s admission to the United Nations? What were the legal rights and wrongs of the conflicts in 1948, 1967 and 1973, and of the invasion of Lebanon in 1982? Can a country continue to occupy land taken in a defensive war? Do displaced refugees have an intergenerational right to return to their ancestral homes? Is the Israeli fence legal? Are suicide bombings consistent with international law? What happens when a terrorist group is elected to office? Can international law contribute to the settlement of this dispute by clarifying the claims of the parties? Examination or paper option. (This is a cross-listed course offered by the International Law and Organizations Program that also can fulfill a requirement for the Conflict Management Program.) Limited to 15 students.
Course Evaluations: Spring 05
Offered Fall 07
Wedgwood Multilateral Negotiation
Course Number: 640.717
Bilateral negotiations are often difficult, but multilateral negotiations are much more challenging. Yet a growing number of international issues now require agreement among several or many actors. The course aims to provide an understanding of multilateral negotiations within the context of international politics. First discusses theoretical approaches to the analysis of multilateral negotiations, then examines cases of negotiation on economic matters, political-security issues and peacemaking. In conclusion, assesses the effectiveness of multilateral negotiation as a policy instrument. Uses simulations, with students playing roles of negotiators, to help illustrate some of the realities of the process.
No evaluations are available for this course.
Offered Fall 07
Singh Negotiation Practicum
Course Number: 640.749
Negotiation practitioners will develop insights into the negotiation process, interspersed with negotiation simulations. Prerequisite: International Bargaining and Negotiation. Limited to 10 second-year students.
Course Evaluations: Fall 06; Spring 05, parts 1 2; Fall 04; Spring 04
Not Offered 07–08
Zartman PeaceKidZ Workshop
Course Number: 640.750
The PeaceKidZ program aims to develop children’s ability to understand, analyze and manage conflicts in their everyday lives. The program is based on the three “Rs”: Recognize—understand and analyze conflict; Respect—attitudes and awareness; and Resolve—skills and strategies. A team of second-year students develops lessons and materials for the PeaceKidZ program. Students then teach the PeaceKidZ program once a week for a period of nine weeks to children of middle-school age at a local public school or through an after-school program. Work begins in the fall and extends into the spring semester for teaching, though credit for one semester is earned. The PeaceKidZ program is open to non-Conflict Management concentrators, but a Conflict Management course is required.
Course Evaluations: Fall 06; Spring 06, parts 1 2; Spring 05, parts 1 2
Continues Over Both Semesters
Zartman Principles and Practices of Conflict Management
Course Number: 640.718
Studies policies used to move conflicts toward a point of negotiation and resolution. Builds a conceptual base, then focuses on questions of early warning, missed opportunities, preventive diplomacy and state restorations. Considers specific cases from Africa, Asia, Europe and Latin America.
Course Evaluations: Fall 06; Spring 06, parts 1 2
Offered Fall 07
Seybolt Post-Conflict Reconstruction: Issues, Actors, Dilemmas
Course Number: 640.752
The international community continues to grapple with the challenge of stabilizing and reconstructing failed states and war-torn societies, from Haiti to Afghanistan, Liberia to Iraq. This course examines the assumptions, actors, challenges and dilemmas in contemporary nation-building exercises. Drawing on the historical record and recent experiences, seeks to clarify the nature of the enterprise; identify requirements for sustainable reconstruction and peace-building; assess the evolving roles of the United States, United Nations, host governments and other key actors; and analyze the determinants of success or failure. Limited to 20 students.
Course Evaluations: Fall 06; Spring 06, parts 1 2
Offered Spring 08
Patrick State Collapse and Nation-Building
Course Number: 640.754
Why do states fail? Can we anticipate where and when collapse might occur? The course examines stages of decay, principle drivers of violence, ingredients for reversing decline and challenges for international security. Includes seminar-based discussions of readings led by students. Provides opportunity to conduct systematic research on actual case studies using CAST, a diagnostic methodology of state failure. Students work in teams for oral presentations and paper. Limited to 20 students.
Course Evaluations: Spring 07; Spring 06
Offered TBA
Baker The United Nations and International Security
Course Number: 650.752
What is the role of the United Nations in maintaining minimum public order? Is it capable of effective action in crisis, and how should it work with other multilateral structures such as NATO and regional groups? The course looks at the crisis in Kosovo, the Dayton process in Bosnia and recent wars in Africa, as well as the work of the United Nations on weapons of mass destruction and human rights law. Discusses the current reform process, the competition for power between the General Assembly and Security Council and the role of the secretary-general and International Court of Justice. (This is a cross-listed course offered by the International Law and Organizations Program that also can fulfill a requirement for the Conflict Management and Strategic Studies programs.)
Course Evaluations: Spring 05, parts 1
Offered Spring 08
Wedgwood and Okun Water: Conflict, Negotiation and Cooperation
Course Number: 680.738
With availability of water resources an increasingly critical international issue, explores problems of managing transboundary river basins, and associated health and ecological issues in several regions of the world. Gives particular attention to how institutional frameworks are developed. Includes multiple case studies from Latin America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia. (This is a cross-listed course offered by the International Policy Program that also can fulfill a requirement for the Conflict Management Program.) Limited to 20 students.
Course Evaluations: Spring 05, parts 1 2; Spring 04
Offered Spring 08
Dinar Suggested Electives Offered by Other Programs
Students concentrating in Conflict Management may enroll in one of the following courses offered by other programs to fulfill a Conflict Management course requirement. International Protection of Human Rights (International Law)
Behavioral Sociology of Sectarian and International Conflict (Middle East Studies)
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