COURSE OUTLINE AND READING LIST FOR POLI 347: INTERNATIONAL CONFLICT, CONFLICT RESOLUTION AND HUMAN RIGHTS, FIRST SEMESTER 2019/2020 ACADEMIC YEAR

DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL SCIENCE

UNIVERSITY OF GHANA

POLI 347: INTERNATIONAL CONFLICT, CONFLICT RESOLUTION AND HUMAN

RIGHTS

1^st Semester, 2019/2020

Lecturer: Dr. Seidu M. Alidu

Office: Room 12 Political Science Dept.

E-mail: seidualidu@gmail.com

Venue: JQB 23

Time: Thursdays 7:30 – 9:20pm

Course Title	INTERNATIONAL CONFLICT, CONFLICT RESOLUTION AND
	HUMAN RIGHTS
Course	POLI 347
Code
Course
Overview	This course introduces students to the nature, types, structure and dynamics of
	international conflicts as well as the mechanisms used in addressing them. It
	will explore the conflict behaviour of states at the international arena, the
	impact of such behaviour and the likely conflict resolution mechanisms needed
	to address them. Also, the course aims at keeping students abreast with post-
	conflict peace building strategies; the role of international institutions such as
	the International Criminal Court, the International Court of Justice and ad-hoc
	tribunals in addressing human rights violations during periods of transitions
	and the general role of culture in these endeavours. The latter part of the course
	involves demonstrating some of the concepts and theories discussed in class
	via case studies.
Outcomes
	At the end of the course students should be able to understand, discuss and
	differentiate between the basic terminologies of international conflict; identify
	and explain the sources, dynamics and types of conflict within the national and
	international levels, and prescribe relevant strategies for attending to them.

Week No.	Lecture Course	Reading List
1	THE NATURE AND	·  Miall, Ramsbotham, O. and Woodhouse, T.
	DYNAMICS OF	(1999) Contemporary Conflict Resolution,
	INTERNATIONAL	Cambridge : Polity Press (Chapter 1
	CONFLICT	“Introduction to Conflict Resolution” pp.5 –
		22; Chapter 3 “Understanding Contemporary
		Conflicts” pp.65 – 91)
		·  Woodhouse, T. and Duffey, T. (2000)
		Peacekeeping and International Conflict
		Resolution, New York: UNITAR-POCI
		(Lesson 2 “The Nature of Conflict” pp.19 -27;
		Lesson 4 “Contemporary Conflict Dynamics”
		pp.60 – 71)
		·  Mitchell, C (1981) The Structure of
		International Conflict, London: Macmillan
		·  Harbom, L. and P. Wallensteen (2010) “Armed
		Conflict, 1946 – 2009” Journal of Peace
		Research, 47(4):501 -509
		·  Stewart, J.G. (2003) “Towards a single
		definition of armed conflict in international
		humanitarian law: a critique of
		internationalized armed conflict” IRRC,
		85(850): 313-350
2&3	FUNDAMENTAL	·  Woodhouse, T. and Duffey, T. (2000)
	CONCEPTS OF	Peacekeeping and International Conflict
	CONFLICT	Resolution, New York: UNITAR-POCI
	RESOLUTION	(Lesson 3 “Key Concepts of Conflict
		Resolution” pp.31 – 53)
		·  Barash, D.P. and Webel, C.P. (eds.) (2009)
		Peace and Conflict Studies, 2nd edition,
		Thousand Oaks, California, Sage Publication
		(Chapter 11, “Diplomacy, Negotiations and
		Conflict Resolution” pp.243-262)
		·  Miall, Ramsbotham, O. and Woodhouse, T.
		(1999) Contemporary Conflict Resolution,
		Cambridge : Polity Press (Chapter 1
		“Introduction to Conflict Resolution” pp.5 –
		22; Chapter 3 “Understanding Contemporary
		Conflicts” pp.65 – 91)
		·  Barash, D.P. and Webel, C.P. (eds.) (2009)
		Peace and Conflict Studies, 2nd edition,

		Thousand Oaks, California, Sage Publication
		(Chapter 11 “Diplomacy, Negotiations, and
		Conflict Resolution” pp. 243 – 262)
		·  Williams, P. W. (ed.) (2008) Security Studies:
		An Introduction, Oxon: Routledge
		·  Avruch, K. (1999) Culture and Conflict
		Resolution, Washington, USIP Press
4&5	TECHNIQUES &	·  Harris P. and B. Reilly (eds.) (1998)
	APPROACHES TO
	CONFLICT	Democracy and Deep-Rooted Conflict: Options
	RESOLUTION	for Negotiators, Stockholm: IDEA (Chapter 3
		“Negotiation Processes”  pp.59- 120 )
		·  Last, D. M. (1995/96), "Peacekeeping Doctrine
		and Conflict Resolution Techniques", Armed
		Forces & Society, 22(2): 187-210.
		·  Woodhouse, T. and Duffey, T. (2000)
		Peacekeeping and International Conflict
		Resolution, New York: UNITAR-POCI
		(Lesson 3 “Key Concepts of Conflict
		Resolution” pp.31 – 53)
		·  Barash, D.P. and Webel, C.P. (eds.) (2009)
		Peace and Conflict Studies, 2nd edition,
		Thousand Oaks, California, Sage publication
		·  Williams, P. W. (ed.) (2008) Security Studies:
		An Introduction, Oxon: Routledge
		·  Avruch, K. (1999) Culture and Conflict
		Resolution, Washington, USIP Press
6&7	CONFLICT	·  Woodhouse, T. and Duffey, T. (2000)
	MAPPING AND	Peacekeeping and International Conflict
	TRACKING	Resolution, New York: UNITAR-POCI
		(Lesson 5 “Conflict Mapping” pp.75-90)
		·  Miall, Ramsbotham and Woodhouse (1999)
		Contemporary Conflict Resolution, Cambridge
		: Polity Press (Chapter 3 “Conflict Mapping
		and Conflict Tracking” pp.91-4)
		·  Harris P. and B. Reilly (eds.) (1998)
		Democracy and Deep-Rooted Conflict: Options

			for Negotiators, Stockholm: IDEA (Chapter 2
			“Analysing Deep-Rooted Conflict” pp.29-58)
8&9	PEACEKEEPING &	·  Woodhouse, T. and Duffey, T. (2000)
	INTERVENTION IN		Peacekeeping and International Conflict
	WAR-ZONES		Resolution, New York: UNITAR-POCI
			(Lesson 7 “Peacekeeping and Conflict
			Resolution in War Zones” pp.115-133)
		·  Hansen, W. Ramsbotham, O. Woodhouse, T.
			(2001) “Hawks and Doves: Peacekeeping and
			Conflict Resolution” Berghof Research Centre
			for Constructive Conflict Management, March.
		·  Aksu, E. (2003) New Approaches to Conflict
			Management: The United Nations, intra-state
			peacekeeping and Normative Change,
			Manchester: Manchester University Press
		·  Lund, M. (1996), Preventing Violent Conflicts.
			Washington, DC: United States Institute of
			Peace.
		·  Peck, C. (1998), Sustainable Peace: The Role
			of the United Nations and Regional
			Organisations in Preventing Conflict. Lanham,
			NJ: Roman and Littlefield.
		·  Miall, Ramsbotham, O. and Woodhouse, T.
			(1999) Contemporary Conflict Resolution,
			Cambridge : Polity Press (Chapter 5 “Working
			in War Zones” pp.128 – 151)
10&11	HUMAN RIGHTS	·  Siatitsa, I. and Titberidze, M. (2011) "Human
	AND
			Rights in Armed Conflict From the Perspective
	HUMANITARANIAN		of the Contemporary State Practice in the
	LAWS IN ARMED
			United Nations: Factual Answers to Certain
	CONFLICT		Hypothetical Challenges", ADH Research
			Paper
		·  Bassiouni, M.C. (2002) (ed.) Post-Conflict
			Justice, New York: Transnational Press Inc.
			(Chapter 1 “Accountability for Violations of
			International Humanitarian Law and Other
			Serious Violations of Human Rights, pp. 3 –
			54; “International Law Principles on
			Accountability, pp.89 – 96; “Universal

		Jurisdiction for International Crimes: Historical
		Perspectives and Contemporary Practice,
		pp.945 – 1002)
		·  Cordula, D. (2007) “The Interplay between
		International Humanitarian Law and
		International Human Rights Law in Situations
		of Armed Conflict”, Israel Law Review, 40 (2)
		p. 310.
		·  Doswald-Beck, L. (2006) “The right to life in
		armed conflict: does international humanitarian
		law provide all the answers?”,
		864 International Review of the Red Cross,
		·  Hampson, F. and Salama, I., “Working paper
		on the relationship between human rights law
		and international humanitarian law”, UN Sub-
		Commission on the Promotion and Protection
		of Human Rights, E/CN.4/Sub.2/2005/14 (21
		June 2005).
		·  Lubell, N. (2005) “Challenges in Applying
		Human Rights Law to Armed Conflict”, 860
		International Review of the Red Cross,
12&13	INTERNATIONAL	·  Akande, D. (2003) “The Jurisdiction of the
	HUMAN RIGHTS	ICC over Nationals and Non-parties: Legal
	INSTITUTIONS	Basis and Limits” Journal of International
		Criminal Justice, 1(3), pp. 618 – 650
		·  Benzing, M. (2003) “The Complementarity
		Regime of the ICC: International Criminal
		Justice between State Sovereignty and the
		Fight against Impunity” in von Bogdandy, A.
		and Wolfrum, R. (eds.) (2003) Max Planck
		Yearbook of United Nations Law, Vol. 7,
		pp.591-632
		·  Cronin-Furman, R. K. (2006) “The
		International Court of Justice and the United
		Nations Security Council: Rethinking a
		Complicated Relationship” Columbia Law
		Review, 106(435), pp.435 – 463
		·  Kammerhofer, J. and de Hoogh, A. (2008) “All
		Things to All People? The International
		Criminal Justice and its Commentator” The
		European Journal of International Law, 18(5),

pp. 971 - 984

·         Andreas, Z. Tomuschat, C. and Oellers-Frahm, K. (eds.) (2006) The Statute of the International Court of Justice: A Commentary, Oxford: Oxford University Press

14                            REVISION

Key Readings

·         Barash, D.P. and Webel, C.P. (eds.) (2009) Peace and Conflict Studies, 2^nd edition, Thousand Oaks, California, Sage publication

·         Williams, P. W. (ed.) (2008) Security Studies: An Introduction, Oxon: Routledge

·         Avruch, K. (1999) Culture and Conflict Resolution, Washington, USIP Press

·         Woodhouse, T. and Duffey, T. (2000) Peacekeeping and International Conflict Resolution, New York: UNITAR-POCI

·         Lederach, J.  P.  (1997)  Building  Peace:  Sustainable  Reconciliation  in  Divided

Societies, Washington DC: USIP Press

·         Lederach,  J.  P.  (1995)  Preparing  for  Peace:  Conflict  Transformation  across

Cultures, New York: Syracuse University Press

·         Bassiouni, M.C. (2002) (ed.) Post-Conflict Justice, New York: Transnational Press Inc.

·         Miall, Ramsbotham and Woodhouse (1999) Contemporary Conflict Resolution, Cambridge : Polity Press

Grading: There will be one end of semester examination and one mid-term or interim assessment (IA) which will be 30% of your final grade, while the final exam will make up 70% of the final grade of 100%. Details will be given at lectures. As a matter of course, the exam will cover class and assigned readings and class discussions.

Note: Academic Dishonesty will not be tolerated in this class. (See Student Handbook for penalties).