Thu, May 27, 2004
Online Course in International Conflict Management and Negotiation
This free course offered by the Inter-American Defense College, in association with the Institute of World Affairs, is a ten-unit, self-study introduction to International Conflict Management and Negotiation. Combining both academic theory and practical case studies, the curriculum provides a broad overview of the field and illustrates ways in which various concepts can be applied by practitioners in the field. The course begins with an overview of theories of violent conflict, catalogues current communal conflicts in the world, and addresses issues of crisis intervention. The second section outlines the many tools available for resolving international conflict and looks at both official and non-official approaches. The third section deals with international negotiation and covers the process of preparing for negotiations, different techniques and approaches used by negotiators, and ways to improve negotiation dynamics. The course ends with a unit on post-conflict peace building that addresses the range of issues facing post-conflict societies as they struggle to build sustainable peace.
Fri, May 21, 2004
University Facilitator’s Toolkit
The University of Wisconsin Madison’s Office of Quality Improvement provides training and coordination for a volunteer facilitator pool that is available to help with strategic planning and meeting facilitation more generally. As part of this service, they have developed a very nice Facilitator’s Toolkit available for download as a pdf file. Of related interest is an article on Strategic Planning in the University by Kathleen Paris.
PeaceJam Youth Curriculum - Learn About Nobel Laureates
Learn about the Nobel Laureates is a section of the PeaceJam website that includes curriculum to introduce students to the lives and work of Nobel Peace Laureates.
PeaceJam is an international education program built around leading Nobel Peace Laureates who work personally with youth to pass on the spirit, skills, and wisdom they embody. The goal of PeaceJam is to inspire a new generation of peacemakers who will transform their local communities, themselves, and the world. Since the PeaceJam program was launched in March of 1996, almost 100,000 teenagers worldwide have participated in the program. Each student has had an average of 45.5 contact hours with their teacher, mentor, community leader, or PeaceJam staff member. Through the PeaceJam program, 140,000 new service projects have been developed and implemented, and thousands of new volunteer opportunities for youth have been created.
Searchable CrisisWatch Database
The International Crisis Group, hosts of the [url=http://www.crisisweb.org]http://www.crisisweb.org[/url] news and information site, now offers a searchable database of conflicts reported in their CrisisWatch reports. You can search by world region, conflict or keyword. An RSS feed is also available.
The International Crisis Group (ICG) is an independent, non-profit, multinational organisation, with over 100 staff members on five continents, working through field-based analysis and high-level advocacy to prevent and resolve deadly conflict. ICGÌs approach is grounded in field research. Teams of political analysts are located within or close by countries at risk of outbreak, escalation or recurrence of violent conflict. Based on information and assessments from the field, ICG produces regular analytical reports containing practical recommendations targeted at key international decision-takers. ICG also publishes CrisisWatch, a 12-page monthly bulletin, providing a succinct regular update on the state of play in all the most significant situations of conflict or potential conflict around the world.
Wed, May 19, 2004
India/Pakistan: A History of Conflict - Flash overview
Canada’s CTV news has a flash-based timeline and overview of the dispute between India and Pakistan. It includes maps, and interactive timeline, and information on the key players in the ongoing dispute.
Viking Feud Saga - Dispute Animation Ancient Style
Jesse Byock, a scholar of Norse History, includes a brief flash-animated depiction of the traditional Saga Feud format found in ancient Viking sagas. Byock notes: “The pattern of this feud is the most basic and most frequently repeated progression of conflict in saga narratives and exemplifies some of the workings of social memory in the sagas.” Find out more at his Viking Site.
Sun, May 16, 2004
Debate the Headlines using Washington Journal Directed Questions
Using this C-SPAN Debate the Headlines site, you can have students watch a portion of the Washington Journal in which viewers answer a directed question, thereby exposing the students’ to a variety of opinions from across the country. C-SPAN’s teacher tips suggests you ask students, while watching, to note the strongest arguments. Then, conduct a classroom debate on the directed question. (You may wish to instruct students to conduct additional research that will allow them to evaluate and defend their positions.)
The Cyber-Terrorism Crisis: Liberty vs. Security
The Cyber-Terrorism Crisis sheds light on Canada’s past to illuminate a present-day debate that has gained special significance following the events of 9/11. What is more important: individual rights or collective security? How far can a democratic government go in suspending individual rights, in order to ensure collective security? Complex questions at the best of times, difficult ones in times of crisis. An interactive social sciences tool for teens, it can be used in courses in Canadian history, Ethics, Psychology, Sociology, Law and Government, English Composition and Interactive Projects.
Big Picture Small World - seeing the big picture re our place in the world
The BigPicture SmallWorld flash movie explores the world around us by showing how things would be divided up if there were only 100 people in the world, spread across it as they are today.
Tue, May 11, 2004
Video Folktales of Peace from Early Autumn Pictures
These Early Autumn Pictures videos of short dramatic stories about peace-making, reconciliation and friendship provide an engaging medium for promoting thoughtful reflection on relationships, self-worth and mutual concern for others. Through the use of dramatized ethnic folktales the five basic modes of conflict management/resolution are illustrated and explored. They are available for viewing online by clicking on the “high bandwith” link found in each items description. Titles include:
Strength
Argument Sticks
Two Foxes
Showdown
Night and Day
Old Joe and the Carpenter
The Monk and the Samurai
The Mediator - Episode I - the Angry Neighbors
This flash animation from Zapdramatic puts you in the middle of a dispute between two neighbors, and you intervene periodically to try to help them resolve their conflict productively. While a bit rough around the edges, it is interesting as a way to get into the experience of mediation.
Learning Modules - Meeting the Needs of Children and Youth with Challenging Behaviors
The flash slideshow modules contained in this series on Meeting the Needs of Children and Youth with Challenging Behaviors were first published in Reaching Today’s Youth: A Community Circle of Caring Journal, published by the National Educational Services in Bloomington, IN. The original modules were designed to enable individuals to facilitate one-to-two hour training sessions appropriate for teachers, other professionals, and parents who want to increase their understanding of how to work effectively with students with challenging behaviors. After receiving much positive feedback about how valuable the modules had been, Lyndal Bullock and his special education colleagues decided to adapt them for on-line viewing. The modules were not designed to provide “indepth” training in any area, but rather to provide preliminary information on the topic presented. In all cases, they have provided lists of additional resources that may be consulted to broaden the learner’s knowledge and understanding of the subject. Available modules include-
module 1: Developing a Better Understanding of Student Behavior
module 2: Assessing Problem Behaviors
module 3: Group Intervention Strategies
module 4: Individual Intervention Strategies
module 5: Enhancing Self-Respect
module 6: Promoting Personal and Interpersonal Responsibilities
module 7: Developing Social Competence
module 8: Teaching Anger Management
module 9: Peer Mediation
module 10: Peer Tutoring
module 11: Systems of Care
module 12: Advocacy
module 13: Student Participation in Treatment Planning
module 14: Service Learning
module 15: Student Support Teams
module 16: Conducting a Functional FBA
module 17: Methods of Data Collection
module 18: Behavioral Intervention Plans and Supports
module 19: Avoiding Power Struggles
Mon, May 10, 2004
Everyone a Leader - Flash-based Tutorials with Accompanying Handouts
The “Everyone a Leader” professional development site provided by the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services offers a nice collection of training handouts and workbook packets on topics that include conflict resolution, dialogue, brainstorming, meeting management, problem-solving, team-building and social oppression. The online workshops, developed for staff of a new comprehensive family services initiative (which uses cross-disciplinary teams), include a flash-based presentation, and a downloadable handout called a script that you follow along with while watching the flash-driven presentation.
Managing Conflict: A Biblical Pathway for Growth
This tutorial, presented using flash, explores conflict resolution within a Christian context, providing references and frameworks to support positive conflict resolution. Managing Conflict: A Biblical Pathway for Growth was developed by Ron Brown for the Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware.
Sun, May 09, 2004
Conflict Map - Flash-based map of Armed Conflicts since 1901
The website of the Nobel Foundation has added a new feature that seeks to educate visitors to the scope and severity of war. As the description notes: “In the course of the 20th century, mankind experienced some of the most devastating wars of all times. Where did these wars take place? Have some regions experienced more wars than others? Who were the main protagonists in these conflicts?” This flash-based conflict map gives you the opportunity to answer these questions. It displays wars with at least 1,000 military battle deaths. Alongside the map on wars you will find statistics showing the geographical distribution of Peace Prize nominees and Laureates since 1901.