Document Type

Graduate Syllabus

Date

Spring 2022

School

Diplomacy

Course Number

DIPL 6004

Course Description

This course combines a thematic and case study approach to peace operations and their role in maintaining peace and security in the world. We will look at UN and non-UN peace operations, broadly defined to include peacekeeping, peace enforcement and post-conflict peacebuilding. We begin with an introduction to some fundamentals: theories about the nature of conflict; the UN Charter framework; and the types of peace operations. We then explore selected case studies of missions since the end of the Cold War to draw out common themes and to familiarize students with the evolving nature of peace operations. We weave in sessions that specifically address some broader issues, such as the law, policy, and ethics of humanitarian intervention, the role of regional organizations and subcontracting, and transitional justice. At the end of the course, students will participate in an exercise in which they develop and present aspects of an ideal peace-building operation, designed to draw on knowledge garnered from the cases, themes and issues studied earlier.

In terms of the learning goals and student outcomes the School’s Faculty have identified as key for students, students will:

• increase their knowledge and understanding of

o key concepts, models, theories, and debates in international relations

o the institutional backdrop underpinning international politics, including international organizations and international law

o the normative aspect of international relations as reflected in international law, including human rights

o the prevailing global issues, such as international conflict, global health, and environmental challenges;

• develop skills to

o collect, sort, and evaluate information

o analyze complex situations and synthesize information

o integrate different fields of study in analysis of a complex world

o communicate effectively in oral and written form;

• develop a sense of global citizenship and to employ a global perspective to:

o recognize and understand differences among a diversity of cultures and viewpoints

o employ a global perspective and self-awareness regarding their own culture and responsibility as world citizens

o demonstrate leadership qualities and other essential skills of diplomacy.

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