COURSE OUTLINE AND READING LIST - POLI 455: POST-CONFLICT PEACEBUILDING AND TRANSITIONAL JUSTICE

DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL SCIENCE

UNIVERSITY OF GHANA

FIRST SEMESTER, 2013/2014

 

LECTURER: A. K. D. FREMPONG

COURSE TITLE	POST-CONFLICT PEACEBUILDING AND TRANSITIONAL JUSTICE
COURSE CODE	POLI 455
PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVES	The task of building peace after violent conflict is more arduous than prosecuting the war itself. The situation is made worse particularly in post-Cold War Conflicts in Africa characterized by violation of all tenets of war,  high civilian casualty and displacement, proliferation of warring factions each carving a colony for itself and demanding a seat at the peace conference table, long periods of ‘no war, no peace’ situations, the use of Child Soldiers, etc Upon completion of this course students should be able to: Understand of the tasks of post-conflict peacebuilding and the various approaches in dealing with them Examine related basic concepts Understand the nature of post-Cold War Conflicts and Peace Settlement as well as Post-Conflict Societies. Critically discuss specific aspects of post-conflict peacebuilding with case studies - Elections, Reintegration (of the displaced, child soldiers, women, etc), Security and Transitional Justice. To sensitize and enhance the ability of students to contribute to discussions on issues of Post-Conflict Peacebuilding and Transitional Justice On each of the topics, worst case scenarios and best practices will be examined. Readings on some case studies are assigned to give student practical meaning to the theoretical issues discussed.
WEEK NO	Date	Lecture Course	Tutorials	Venue	Assessment
1-3		Understanding Post Conflict, Peacebuilding & Transitional Justice	Meaning and features of Post Conflict, Peacebuilding & Transitional Justice	Lecture: JQB 19 Tutorial: DLR
4-6		Nature of Post Cold War Conflicts and Overview of Post Conflict Societies	Major feature of Post Cold War Conflicts & Post Conflict Societies	Lecture: JQB 19 Tutorial: DLR
7		Peace Settlement	Prospects and Challenges of Peacebuilding	Lecture: JQB19 Tutorial: DLR
8		Post-Conflict Elections	Prospects & Challenges of Post-Conflict Elections	Lecture: JQB 19 Tutorial: DLR
9-11		Reintegration of the War Affected: The Displaced, Women, Child Soldiers	Challenges and Solutions to Reintegration of the War-Affected	Lecture: JQB 19 Tutorial: DLR
12-13		Transitional Justice	Role of Transitional Justice in Peacebuilding	Lecture: JQB 19 Tutorial: DLR

 

Reading List

Michael W. Doyle & Nicholalas Sambanis (1999) Peacebuilding : Challenges and Strategies After Civil War http://www.worldbank.org/research/conflict/papers/building.pdf

* Eugenia Date-Baah (2007) Challenges of Post-Conflict Reconstruction: Some Reflections, Accra: Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences (GAAS) Inaugural Lecture.

*Priscilla B. Hayner (2002) “Confronting Past Crimes”, in Unspeakable Truths, New York/London: Routledge, Chapter 2, pp. 10-23

Goliath Business News (2007) “Intra-State Conflicts in the Post-Cold War Era”, International Journal on World Peace Online, 1 December, http://goliath.ecnext,com/coms2/gi_0199-7634177/Intra-state-conflicts-in-the.html

*E. H. Bombande and Z. S. Takwa (2007) Ouagadougou Peace Accord: A Break-Through At Last? WANEP Policy Brief.

*M. Ndulo and S. Lulo (2010) “Free and Fair Elections, Violence and Conflict”, Harvard ILJ Online, Vol. 51, July.

*S. Michailof, M. Kostner and X. Devictor (2002) Post-Conflict Recovery in Africa: An Agenda for the Africa Region, World Bank African Region Working Paper Series, No. 30.

*C. A. Crocker, F. O. Hampson and P. Aall (2004) “Recipes for Securing Settlement” and “Making Settlement Stick”, Taming Intractable Conflicts: Mediation in the Hardest Cases, Washington D. C: USIP Press, Chps. 7 & 8, pp. 149-184.

*W. Kune (2010)  The Role of Elections in Emerging Democracies and Post Conflict Countries: Key Issues, Lessons Learnt and Dilemmas, FES International Policy Analysis.

*K. D. Loetzer and A. Casper (2011) After the Presidential Election in Cote d’ Ivoire, KAS International Report.

*Priscilla B. Hayner (2002) “Why a Truth Commission?”, in Unspeakable Truths, New York/London: Routledge, Chapter 3, pp. 24-31.

*Overview of the Sierra Leone Truth and Reconciliation Report

Examination

There will be a two-part assessment of Students: a Mid-Semester Examination (30 Marks) and an End of Semester Examination (70%)

The Mid-Semester Exam will take the form of take-home assignment to be submitted in the middle of the semester

The End-of- Semester Examination will consist of six essay questions out of which students must answer three; a compulsory question and two others.