Post-Conflict 101

Post-Conflict 101 – How do we build peace after war? Extensive conflict episodes destroy the fabric of society— dismantling government institutions and their legitimacy, disrupting basic social service provision, enabling injustice and human rights violations, and tearing apart communities and families. Repairing such damage is a tumultuous and complicated endeavor that has critical long-term implications for the stability of a country. In the course, we explore the nuances of how states move forward after conflict. The course is separated into four modules: 1) defining and measuring peace, 2) containing and ending conflict, 3) institutional and economic solutions to war, and 4) bottom-up and local approaches to peace. We consider what “peace” is and how it can be measured

and evaluated and discuss the challenges in ending conflict. The class explores how humanitarian interventions, peacekeepers, and internationally mediated peace processes can facilitate peace, as well as discuss the important role of post-conflict institutional arrangements, security sector reform, reintegration programs for ex-combatants, and transitional justice in promoting peace. Finally, the course will conclude with a focus on local initiatives to promote peace.