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Peace and Reconciliation Studies: Northern Ireland

Program Title: Peace and Reconciliation Studies: Northern Ireland
Academic Credits: 3 credits in social work and 3 in global service-learning for undergraduates, 3 in social work for graduate students
Location: Northern Ireland
Instructor: Tony Novosel
Dates: June 2 – June 20, 2008

Amizade Student Application (pdf)

Peace and Reconciliation Studies in Northern Ireland is particularly relevant for students studying social sciences, political science, communication studies, and other majors where an understanding of communication models for building community consensus and resolving intense community conflicts is needed.

This course examines different forms of public engagement including Public Deliberation and Sustained Dialogue. First, students will learn about conducting public deliberative forums where citizens can develop common ground for working together rather than having discussions that end in fractious debates. Additionally, students will learn Sustained Dialogue, a model developed by Dr. Harold Saunders, former Assistant to Secretary of State Henry Kissinger. Sustained Dialogue will be examined as a form of talk used to facilitate the resolution of deep-rooted conflict. Currently sustained dialogue is being used on a number of university and college campuses to address deep-rooted issues and has been used in the international arena to address world conflicts.

While students are learning these two dialogic and deliberative methodologies they will also familiarize themselves with the political, historical, and cultural background associated with the “Troubles” in Northern Ireland. Students travel to Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland to examine communities now in a post-conflict era after centuries of conflict between the Catholic Nationalists and the Protestant Unionists. Students will examine the implications of social conflict on individuals, families, and communities and how such communities are using methods of dialogue and deliberation to further and maintain the current peace process. Students will meet, interview and interact with peacemakers, antagonists, victims, survivors, peace and reconciliation centers, former paramilitary and British military members, members of the Northern Ireland Assembly, as well as Members of Parliament at Westminster. In these interactions students will be asked to develop empathy for the various positions. Additionally, students are asked to pay particular attention to the language used in and among the communities visited. This is not in reference to the English and/or Celtic languages, but what are the differences in the language used to describe the conflicts and/or peace process. Additionally, students will be expected to develop an understanding of how history, cultural differences, can be used as barriers to or instruments for change.

The Division of Social Work is committed to service-learning as a model of education and is applied in a variety of graduate and undergraduate course offerings. As a teaching method; service-learning is an opportunity to put into action what is learned in the classroom by serving communities in need. The Division’s commitment to service-learning is one which compliments a virtue of Social Work -- service, but also through this commitment; we aim to foster citizenship.

This course is a service-learning course offering. Upon returning to the U.S. students will fulfill a 40-hour service phase within their home communities by developing and implementing community dialogues. The aim of this service component is to apply what is learned through the academic and in-country experiences by creating a venue for public talk in one’s home community regarding what may be difficult issues requiring difficult decisions that result in addressing the needs and desires of the whole.