Please contact 202-885-1622 for location information closer to the date of the institute.
SIS 639.001
Running an NGO (Eldridge) 2/22-2/24/2008
This course will provide participants with hands-on exposure to the challenges of running an NGO or activist organization. It will focus on developing basic skills needed to organize an effective NGO “from the ground up.” Equal emphasis throughout the course will be given to practicalities of management that keeps an organization afloat and the dynamics of leadership that move it forward. Topics to be covered will range from nuts-and-bolts issues such as goal-setting, fund raising, strategic planning and organization design, to the more mindset-oriented skills of motivating, momentum-building, using power, and winning hearts-and-minds. The course will be team-taught by instructors with extensive experience in both nonprofit and private sector management and they will draw from the best practices of both sectors.
SIS 639.002
Human Rights Monitoring: From Basics to Innovation
(Blatter) 2/29-3/2/2008
This institute will provide students with the necessary skills to monitor human rights violations in global armed conflicts. This highly participatory class will instruct students on all forms of human rights monitoring, from the traditional preparation of reports, advocacy and interventions to the newest innovations in the use of satellite technology, Google Earth, cellphones/videophones and conflict Blogging. Participants will gain theoretical and practical knowledge on the principles and methods of human rights monitoring in conflicts, both rapid onset and protracted. Students will learn, through current case studies, how to recognize and address human rights concerns such as refugee displacement and increase of Internally Displaced Persons, presence of humanitarian catastrophe, increased incidents of violence against civilians, arms transfers and clampdowns on freedom of expression and civil liberties. Students will also gain a solid understanding of the laws of war, in order to apply these standards to monitoring and responding to the egregious crimes of Genocide, Crimes against Humanity, Aggression and War Crimes.
SIS 639.003
Trauma and Transformation (Good Sider) 3/28-3/30/2008
Combining theory and experiential learning, this course is designed to provide participants with an overview of trauma, trauma healing and transformation. Participants will explore the social-psychological-physical-spiritual processes of responding to deep personal loss, pain and suffering in settings of protracted, traumatic conflict, as well as examine recently developed healing approaches of individuals and communities who move from violence to trauma healing and resilience. Understanding the complex issues that trauma surfaces, this course highlights the importance of integrating traumatic study into the field of peacebuilding, since unhealed trauma often continues the cycle of violence Participants will explore the theoretical bases through case studies from a variety of international settings and engage in practical exercises to demonstrate approaches to trauma resilience and recovery.
SIS 639.004
The Self as an Agent of Change and Care in Conflict Habituated Systems
(Diamond) 4/4-4/6/2008
Conflict-habituated systems are those in which the dynamics of a seemingly intractable conflict have become deeply embedded in society. When peacebuilders attempt change in these systems, either from the inside or externally, they must not only deal with the specific conditions of the conflict but must also understand how the system affects them and how they affect the system. This institute will address these questions by studying the nature of systems in general and of conflict-habituated systems in particular. The course will also consider how the peacebuilder’s presence and interventions can change the system’s dynamics, as well as how the system expresses itself through the peacebuilder, often unconsciously.
The course will focus on how to manage these processes in ways that sustain the well-being of the peacebuilder, the peace partners in the system, and the peacebuilding process itself. The course will touch on matters of psychological impact, self-maintenance, ethics, and systems thinking, as well as practical change strategies and intervention skills. This course is highly experiential, and will mix academic understanding with personal reflection and exploration to produce new tools and insights for the theory and practice of peacebuilding, and for the care of the peacebuilder.
SIS 639.005
Grantwriting and Proposal Development
(Harris) 4/11-4/13/2008
This course is geared for those who wish to understand how to match their proposals to the guidelines of donor agencies and begin writing grants that will result in procuring funding for their projects. Participants will understand how to navigate the world of grant procurement, focus on the key sections of successful proposals and demonstrate that their projects merit the excellence and innovation that bring them to the top of other submissions. They will also understand the diversity of the funding community and how to respond to various guidelines. The course will cover the overall strategic plan of grant-writing, including, but not limited to, a needs statement, mission, goals, objectives, activities, evaluation, key personnel and budgets. All sessions engage the students in interactive exercises, writing, lectures and discussions so that all participants will leave the class understanding how to research, write and develop their specific project.
For more information: www.american.edu/registrar
or e-mail Elli Nagai-Rothe at
ipcrskills@american.edu
Please view course descriptions below:
Descriptions TBA Soon
International Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR) at American University is a multi-disciplinary program in the School of International Service designed for students and faculty concerned with the causes of war and the conditions for peace. 