290135 VU Armed conflicts and conflict resolution in Southeast Asia - Theoretical and practical perspectives (2018S)

The course will be taught by Shadia Marhaban from Aceh, Indonesia, and Gunnar Stange, Department of Geography and Regional Research. Shadia Marhaban is an internationally renowned expert in conflict transformation and has been working as a mediator and trainer in conflict and post-conflict settings with several international organizations and armed groups, mainly in Southeast Asia, since more than a decade. She was part of the negotiation delegation of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) during the Helsinki peace talks with the Government of Indonesia in 2005 that ended thirty years of armed conflict in Aceh.

The course will focus on armed conflicts in Southeast Asia and mediation/facilitation; internal conflict and separatist sentiment, religious minorities and long-standing military rule. The course will be divided into three parts; the first day will deal with the histories of separatist movements in Aceh (Indonesia), Mindanao (Philippines), Patani (Thailand) and Myanmar. The second day will be about the dynamics of the movements, conflict mapping, understanding types of conflicts, drivers of conflict as well as stakeholders. The third day will look at efforts of mediation and negotiation facilitation in the region. Students will be introduced to national and international mediators and peace builders who have effectively used mediation to foster peace within their communities and countries.

The students will gain knowledge on inter-cultural communication and how different approaches to and methods of conflict transformation and conflict management are being applied in the region.

• The teaching will be informed by the practical experiences and knowledge gained by Shadia Marhaban during her work in Southeast Asia.
• The students will actively apply listening, summarizing, checking in and reframing skills.
• The students will “experience” how to support parties in making decisions to solve their conflicts through role plays.
• The students will learn and understand key terms often used in mediation and dialogue practice.
• The students will gain knowledge on conflicts in Southeast Asia and their complexities.
• The students will gain knowledge on conflict mapping as well as characteristics and drivers of ethnic and religious divide.

The teaching methods that will be applied in the course will include preparatory readings, interactive discussions, group work, role play, and learning documentation.

In-class assignments:

Assignment 1: Peace Accords in Southeast Asia

a. Identify parties involved: communities/countries in conflict!
b. Describe key issues of conflict!
c. Name the facilitators and mediators!
d. List the key events in the conflict/peace process and its duration!
e. Describe key elements of the agreement.

Assignment 2: Organizations

a. Identify a mediation center/organization that has worked to resolve conflicts within their communities, nationally or internationally! You may use one of the identified centers in class or one of your choosing.
b. Briefly describe the context in which the mediation center is located!
c. Briefly describe the mission of the center!
d. Describe the types of conflicts addressed!
e. Which communities did reach out to their services?
f. Describe outcomes/impacts that the mediation and dialogues have had on the identified communities served!