Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution

Navy chaplain works to build international peace

Shayla Brown — Thu, 15 Aug 2024 16:52:48 +0000

Navy chaplain works to build international peace Shayla Brown Thu, 08/15/2024 - 12:52

U.S. Navy chaplain Andrew Hoyle studied hard in the classroom to complete his master of science in conflict analysis and resolution at ��AV in one year, but he hasn’t stopping learning and gaining more experience. This summer, the active-duty officer interned at the U.S. Institute of Peace (USIP) in Washington, D.C.

For his internship, Hoyle researched religions in Africa, China, Russia, and Rio de Janeiro, among other areas, looking at how the diversity of religions are embedded in cultures throughout the United States and internationally. His work culminated in an extensive article analyzing how the Russian Orthodox Church is expanding in Africa as part of Russian international relations efforts.

U.S. Navy Chaplain Andrew Hoyle. Photo provided.

Hoyle said one of his favorite internship experiences was collaborating with the U.S. Department of State and U.S. Agency for International Development representatives, sharing their research and knowledge on peace building.

“The U.S. Ambassador to Suriname met with our team and talked about how indigenous peace building in Surinam helped address some of the nation’s biggest concerns,” said Hoyle.

“That was so phenomenal because I not only saw collaboration between the State Department and USIP on an official level, but on a really personal level. Seeing them address how we can do things better really reinforced to me that’s what international relations is about.”

USIP also frequently hosts forums and guest lectures on specific topics in the peacebuilding field. Hoyle’s academic advisor at George Mason’s Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution, David Smith, encouraged him to attend as many as he could during his internship, he said.

“I learned so much about peace building in Africa, post-conflict societies for women in Ukraine, and how they relate to the wars happening,” Hoyle said.

“There were all kinds of interesting topics that really expanded my understanding of peacebuilding and conflict resolution on an international level.”

The United States has active-duty service members all over the world working to deter wars and build positive relationships that create stability and security, explained Hoyle.

“Those relationships happen on the international and grassroots levels, and as a military chaplain, I have a unique opportunity to be there and build those relationships through religious actor engagement,” said Hoyle.

Hoyle was able to complete his master's program in one year through the Naval Postgraduate School Civilian Institutions program.

At USIP, “I was assigned to work with the Religion Inclusive Societies Team frequently doing research on the role of military chaplains in international peace-building endeavors and how chaplains could be better leveraged to engage in those capacities,” said Hoyle.

Hoyle said his course with Carter School professor Douglas Irvin-Erickson, CONF 600 Foundations of Conflict Analysis and Resolution, laid the framework of what to expect in this field.

“The course was really foundational in my understanding of what this field is all about,” said Hoyle.

Hoyle also earned course credit with a Carter School study-abroad trip, Cambodia: Post Genocide Community Development, and Spirituality, from December 2023 to January 2024.

“We visited Buddhist monks and a monastery college, and we saw Buddhism in action culturally and did some comparison. This study-abroad experience really gave me an appetite for seeing more peacebuilding in the international community,” explained Hoyle.

Hoyle said his time with USIP will also influence his work as a chaplain.

“Throughout this internship, I observed the importance of interfaith collaboration,” he said. “One of the action guides that the team has put out is called Religion and Reconciliation, which focuses on intra- and inter-religious dialogue, and it’s something I see every day on a local level. I think that's going to be nuts and bolts for my next duty station assignment with the Navy.”

In This Story

Douglas Irvin-Erickson

David Smith

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Engineering, Carter School students give peace a chance

Nathan Kahl — Tue, 23 Jul 2024 18:51:26 +0000

Engineering, Carter School students give peace a chance Nathan Kahl Tue, 07/23/2024 - 14:51

Learn More About the Minor

In This Story

Incoming college students are increasingly concerned with social justice, conflict resolution, and sustainability. These are byproducts of being raised in an interconnected, interdisciplinary world, where they’ve been taught to consider the downstream consequences of their actions and decisions.

Engineering students like the Engineers for International Development group pictured here on a clean drinking water project in Ecuador served as inspiration for the new minor. Photo provided

In response, the ��AV College of Engineering and Computing (CEC) and Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution are now collaborating on a minor in peace engineering. The minor’s germination comes from numerous places but was pushed forward initially by Liza Wilson Durant, CEC’s associate provost for strategic initiatives and community engagement, and Alpaslan Özerdem, dean of the Carter School.

"I advised students in Mason’s Engineers for International Development chapter on developing engineered solutions to community problems in remote lands in Central America,” said Durant. “The engagement with community members and the work to understand the needs of a vast number of community stakeholders was as important as the final engineered solution. It occurred to me that we could bring that kind of understanding to the classroom for more engineering students through collaboration with the Carter School.”

Jane Walker, director of undergraduate student services for the Carter School, said the minor is ideal for students of both colleges. “The engineering students will better understand culture, people, and the complexity of their interactions, and Carter School students will better understand systems thinking and engineering design. Understanding design process helps with problem solving.”

Walker noted that their students have shown interest in adding to their expertise in conflict analysis with skills in project management and technical considerations, which they could get from classes that make up this minor.

Durant was inspired watching students tackle problems in Central America.

According to the university website, the minor “brings together expertise in systems-level science, engineering principles, and conflict resolution practice to support conditions for peace. It prepares students to engage in projects with conflict sensitivity and to understand the engineering technologies and approaches impacting human systems.”

“When I pursued my civil engineering degree in Istanbul during the late 1980s, our curriculum offered limited engagement with socio-economic and cultural issues,” said Özerdem. “Although we had the opportunity to select a few electives that touched upon these topics, the primary focus remained on the technical and structural aspects of civil engineering.”

Rajesh Ganesan, an associate professor in the Systems Engineering and Operations Research Department, explained how systems engineering approaches are useful. “As we look at conflict on the whole from a global perspective, and think of all the huge factors that play a role in any crisis, we want to incorporate systems thinking into conflict analysis," he said. "It’s important for our students to have those systems thinking approaches.”

Özerdem, an engineer by training, wants students to develop holistic approaches to problems.

Özerdem said, “The disciplinary focus has evolved from a narrow technical lens to a more holistic approach that embraces flexibility and interdisciplinary learning. This shift has been a response to the growing recognition that the challenges we face today—ranging from climate change and urbanization to social equity and global peace—cannot be adequately addressed by any single discipline alone.”

Ganesan added that increasingly students are asking for courses related to things like climate change, global conflicts, energy sustainability, and more. He said, “These words were nonexistent previously. If you had asked me six or seven years ago, nobody spoke about these things, but now the students are asking for them, and we have other pushes, like from the Dean’s Advisory Board.” He said the advisory board, students, and alumni are the key sources of feedback on curriculum change.

For students looking to graduate on time, the minor only requires 15 more credits, of which eight are unique. A student may complete the minor by adding three classes and no more semesters.

Özerdem has a strong vision for the minor. “In the coming years, we hope to see it become a flagship program attracting a diverse and dynamic cohort of students from across the university,” he said. “Our goal is to build a robust and supportive learning environment where students from different disciplines can collaborate and learn from one another, fostering a culture of innovation and interdisciplinary excellence.”

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This Senior of the Year found ‘true community’ at George Mason

Colleen Rich — Thu, 09 May 2024 21:24:11 +0000

This Senior of the Year found ‘true community’ at George Mason Colleen Rich Thu, 05/09/2024 - 17:24

Senior of the Year Celine Apenteng has made an impact during her time at ��AV, and she isn’t done. After graduating this spring with a bachelor’s degree in conflict analysis and resolution with a concentration in global engagement, and minor in intelligence studies, the Silver Spring, Maryland, native will continue to pursue her master’s degree in international security at the Schar School of Policy and Government through the university’s accelerated master’s program.

Senior of the Year Celine Apenteng. Photo provided

Senior of the Year is awarded annually by the George Mason Alumni Association. In nominating Apenteng, her academic advisors at the Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution—Isaac Jasper, Jane Walker, Averi Jordan—wrote: “From her academic to her professional success, Celine has shown she is leaving the university as an ambassador of the best George Mason has to offer.”

Throughout her college career, Apenteng, who is a member of the Honors College, was active in Student Government, serving as Student Body Vice President in 2022-23 and as Speaker of the Student Senate. She also was a member of President Gregory Washington's Student Advisory Board and co-chair of the Student Advisory Council for the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia.

Outside of the classroom, Apenteng held several internships that she said helped shape her as a person and a professional. She interned at the White House in the Office of Public Engagement and U.S. Department of State.

She also started out as an intern at the Carter School’s John Mitchell Jr. Program for History, Justice, and Race, which focuses on promoting a more informed public, political, and academic dialogue on the intersections between historical memory, justice, and racial reconciliation. She continues her work with the program as a fellow, documenting the impact of lynching incidents on African American communities and conducting historical archiving to preserve evidence of racial terror.

How have you grown while at George Mason?

Mason has helped me create a life of collaborative relationships instead of competitive ones. When I look for friendships, workspaces, and all other types of connections, I find myself gravitating toward people who want the same, a life filled with supportive people, doing their best, whatever that looks like, and wanting the best for the people around them. I can’t say that wanting that has changed since coming to Mason, but my efforts to seek it out certainly have.

Senior of the Year Celine Apenteng with Carter School Dean Alpaslan Özerdem. Photo by Evan Cantwell/Office of University Branding

How did your internships affect your career path?

[The internships] have all offered me different perspectives on what progress looks like for the world. Without a doubt, I can say that the key players are the local leaders we see every day who help us when no one is looking. As people look for opportunities, solutions, and answers, don’t overlook what your local or regional efforts can do for the people you know and the people you don’t.

What’s your best memory at George Mason?

During my junior year, I was Student Body vice president. Although the entire year is filled with great memories, one that sticks out the most is the fall farmer's market. So many people had come out to support the local vendors we had brought to campus, Student Government members were out in full force, and we were all having a great time. We danced to music, played games, and of course ate really good food. Seeing everyone out just happy to be in that environment made me really happy, and I hope that event continues with the same excitement that made so many people feel the presence of true community at Mason.

What is your best piece of advice for incoming students?

You are on time. If you think you’re behind, you're not. There’s no science to living life and college is just one chapter of a (hopefully) very long book! It can be easy to feel like everything is passing you by, but just think back to high school and where you thought you’d be now. Your hopes will change, your dreams will change, and you will change. And that’s all just a part of the process of being alive. So don’t stress about what you can’t control and enjoy what you can.

Join the Mason Nation

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Dean Özerdem speaks with WJLA about the life and legacy of Rosalynn Carter

Paul Snodgrass — Tue, 21 Nov 2023 16:34:16 +0000

Dean Özerdem speaks with WJLA about the life and legacy of Rosalynn Carter Paul Snodgrass Tue, 11/21/2023 - 11:34

WJLA ABC 7News interviewed Dean Özerdem about the life and legacy of former First Lady Rosalynn Carter on Sunday, when she passed away.

Excerpt from the video and article, DMV leaders, organizations react to the death of former first lady Rosalynn Carter, published on November 19th, 2023:

“Considering the scale of mental health challenges and problems we face in our society today and considering she’s been working at this since the 1980s, it really shows her foresight and her deep engagement with our society,” said Alpaslan Özerdem Dean of the Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution.

“She wasn’t just a first lady, she was very close to her husband in different policy-making issues and initiatives, and for example, in the late 1970s during the Camp David Peace Accords between Israel and Egypt, she was there throughout that process and we know that she helped Jimmy Carter in his difficult negotiations,” Özerdem said. “She was with Jimmy Carter on various missions for peace and conflict resolution in the Middle East in Panama and different places.”

When asked to put into words the impact Rosalynn will continue in the DMV, Özerdem said, “Her impact will live with us.”

“I don’t know of many people who really did so much for public service, and we really need to recognize this,” Özerdem said. “In our classrooms at the Carter school, we always underline that.”

If you are a peacemaker, you’ve got to work with communities to make that change, whether that’s in Arlington or Afghanistan,” Özerdem continued. “So yes, Rosalynn Carter and her legacy will live with us here at the Carter school.

- Alpaslan Özerdem

Watch the video and read the full article.

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Remembering Rosalynn Carter: Humanitarian and Global Health Advocate

Paul Snodgrass — Mon, 20 Nov 2023 00:57:18 +0000

Remembering Rosalynn Carter: Humanitarian and Global Health Advocate Paul Snodgrass Sun, 11/19/2023 - 19:57

The Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution at ��AV remembers Eleanor Rosalynn Carter, 96, former first lady, as an agent of peace, champion of human rights and advocate of mental health research. We send our deepest condolences to former President Jimmy Carter and their family.

The Carters’ dedication to peace and human rights was a beacon to peacebuilders and mediators. Their tireless work inspired the renaming of Mason’s School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution in their honor in 2020.

“America has lost a public service icon in Rosalynn Carter’s passing,” said Mason President Gregory Washington. “We mourn a world without her, but also marvel at the life she led and the legacy she leaves. Few public figures in America have lived so long and contributed so much as Mrs. Carter did, and she leaves us with a charge to make good on her name in the work of the Carter School.”

“We mourn the loss and celebrate the life of former first lady Rosalynn Carter,” said Carter School Dean Alpaslan Özerdem. “She was an inspirational humanitarian and peacemaker. The Carter School, shaped and inspired by Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter’s legacy, stands as a beacon in today’s turbulent times, and their name signifies more than just a legacy—it's a torch, a commitment, a promise.”

Former first lady, mother, wife, author, and activist, Rosalynn Carter was named "second most powerful person in the United States" by Time Magazine during her time in the White House. However, her humanitarian work extended far beyond her years in the White House. Together with her husband, Jimmy Carter, 39th president of the United States, she championed democracy and human rights around the globe, from monitoring free elections to working with Habitat for Humanity, with which they worked for more than 35 years. It was with these goals in mind that she cofounded the Carter Center in 1982.

Rosalynn Carter was also a vocal advocate for global heath and campaigned to de-stigmatize mental health issues. She served as a board member emeritus of the National Mental Health Association and was an Honorary Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association. Rosalynn Carter was also the president of the board of directors for the Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregivers, which promotes policies and programs to address the needs of family caregivers.

She received many awards, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom. In 1997, The National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID) established The Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Humanitarian Award to honor “individuals who have made significant and lasting contributions to public health through scientific achievement, philanthropy, and policy work.” In 2023 Rosalynn and Jimmy Carter received the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s Goalkeepers Lifetime Achievement Award.

About the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution

��AV’s Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution is a community of faculty, students, staff, alumni, and partners with a fundamental commitment to building peace. Through the development of cutting-edge theory, research, education, and practical work, we seek to identify and address the underlying causes of conflict and provide tools for ethical and just peacebuilding on the local, national, and global stages.

About ��AV

��AV is Virginia’s largest public research university. Located near Washington, D.C., Mason enrolls more than 40,000 students from 130 countries and all 50 states. Mason has grown rapidly over the past half-century and is recognized for its innovation and entrepreneurship, remarkable diversity, and commitment to accessibility. In 2023, the university launched Mason Now: Power the Possible, a one-billion-dollar comprehensive campaign to support student success, research, innovation, community, and sustainability. Learn more at gmu.edu.

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Gregory Washington

A Celebration of Legacy and Impact

On October 16th and 17th, the Carter School commemorated Jimmy and Rosalyn Carter as peacemakers and leaders for change.

Watch the Celebration of Legacy and Impact

DMV leaders, organizations react to the death of former First Lady Rosalynn Carter: WJLA

Carter School Partners with U.S. Department of State to Provide Research on International Conflicts

Paul Snodgrass — Fri, 10 Nov 2023 16:20:27 +0000

Carter School Partners with U.S. Department of State to Provide Research on International Conflicts Paul Snodgrass Fri, 11/10/2023 - 11:20

Carter School to become an Academic Center of Conflict Anticipation & Prevention Partner

The Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution at ��AV and the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Conflict & Stabilization Operations (CSO) have signed an agreement, along with a select number of other universities, to become an Academic Center of Conflict Anticipation & Prevention (ACCAP) partner. As part of this public-private partnership, the Carter School will provide research on “current, real-world conflict-related issues” as identified by CSO offices in the interest of supporting conflict resolution and stabilization efforts.

Under this new initiative, research will be conducted by select students, at both the graduate and undergraduate levels, with oversight from Carter School faculty. Students will be able to select from different projects that have been requested by CSO offices. Developed under the supervision of Carter School Dean Alpaslan Özerdem, Dr. Susan Allen, and Dr. Karina Korostelina, this partnership will not only allow Carter School students to contribute to international peacebuilding efforts with actionable research, but it will also provide valuable insight as to how the State Department considers approaches to conflict prevention or mitigation in regions around the world.

Carter School Dean Alpaslan Özerdem stated, “This is an excellent partnership for building bridges between policymaking and academia on a myriad of topics in conflict prevention. We are proud to work with the US Department of State on this exciting initiative.”

Dr. Susan Allen, who is also the Director of Graduate Programs at the Carter School, added, “I am pleased that when the U.S. State Department sought out leading university research centers in conflict analysis and resolution, they approached the Carter School. Our diverse student body comes from all over the world, and our faculty focuses on peace and conflict resolution from diverse methodological approaches.”

When asked about the benefit to students, Carter School professor and Director of Peace Lab on Reconciling Conflicts and Intergroup Divisions, Dr. Karina Korostelina commented, “This initiative will not only advance students’ research skills but also develop their capacities to write policy-oriented papers and briefs. The access to vast databases and localized data is essential for the understanding of conflict dynamics and complexities of peace and justice processes.”

��AV is a Tier 1 research institution.

About the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution

In This Story

Alpaslan Özerdem

Susan Allen

Karina Korostelina

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Using hip-hop for conflict resolution and peacebuilding

Colleen Rich — Wed, 16 Aug 2023 14:20:10 +0000

Using hip-hop for conflict resolution and peacebuilding Colleen Rich Wed, 08/16/2023 - 10:20

As hip-hop celebrates its 50th anniversary, many people are focusing on the artists and discussing how the art form has influenced culture, but few know about its role in conflict resolution and diplomacy.

Mason professor Arthur Romano (in tan blazer) has taught "hip-hop diplomacy" around the world. In 2016, he hosted a workshop in Northern Virginia. File photo by Ron Aira/Office of University Branding

In the late 2010s, ��AV professor Arthur Romano was working with a program called Next Level, which teaches “hip-hop diplomacy” and is sponsored by the Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.

The program is intended to develop “programming to engage young people and effectively convey conflict resolution strategies through hip hop and urban arts,” according to its website.

In 2016, Romano, who teaches in Mason’s Carter School of Peace and Conflict Resolution, conducted one of these workshops in Northern Virginia, which brought together hip-hop DJs, MCs, beatmakers, and dancers from conflict zones around the world, including Uganda, El Salvador, Tanzania, Thailand, and Honduras.

The idea, Romano said, was to build on the participants’ creativity and leadership to change attitudes at home and amplify the voices of young people. They were selected because of their leadership skills and their desire to make a change through their music.

During their session, the artists were challenged to employ critical thinking about theories of conflict, inequality, and “how power functions, and how to shift those dynamics,” said Romano.

Mason professor Arthur Romano conducting a workshop on "hip-hop diplomacy." File photo by Ron Aira/Office of University Branding

The last workshop Romano conducted was in Mongolia in 2019, but the Next Level program continues to this day.

Romano said that he believes hip-hop resonated for these peacebuilding activities because of its origin.

“I think hip-hop from its inception shaped the lives of Black and Brown people in the U.S.,” said Romano, who has been teaching about peace and social justice-related themes with artists and musicians for more than 20 years. “And it has resonated with people all over the country and eventually all over the world.”

Romano also said that the arts allow people to reflect on their inner emotional lives, which can help when dealing with what he calls destructive emotions, as well as healing from trauma.

Romano believes the arts play a critical role in peacebuilding. In his recent book Racial Justice and Nonviolence Education (Routledge, 2022) he wrote about how community educators in some of the United States’ most violence-affected cities use the arts.

“The arts provide an effective and creative way to make meaning about conflict and violence in one’s life and to envision a nonviolent society,” he said. “The arts can help participants take familiar aspects of their everyday lives and see them in new ways.”

Listen to Romano talk about the workshops

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Carter School hosts activist whose organization documents war crimes in Ukraine

Mariam Aburdeineh — Mon, 13 Mar 2023 15:31:57 +0000

Carter School hosts activist whose organization documents war crimes in Ukraine Mariam Aburdeineh Mon, 03/13/2023 - 11:31

In This Story

Karina Korostelina

Alpaslan Özerdem

Daniel Rothbart

On February 24, the one-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, ��AV’s Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution hosted “One Year After: Ukraine War Analysis and Prospects,” an all-day virtual event to discuss the effects of the war and potential post-war contexts.

The event featured Romantsova Oleksandra, executive director of the Center for Civil Liberties, the first Ukrainian organization to win a Nobel Peace Prize. The recognition, which the human rights organization received in 2022, was due in part to their work documenting war crimes against civilians in occupied areas of Ukraine.

Karina Korostelina (left) and Romantsova Oleksandra during the virtual event, "One Year After: Ukraine War Analysis and Prospects."

Oleksandra spoke about her work to an audience of about 50 people, and answered questions about the war via Zoom. The discussion was moderated by Karina Korostelina, professor and co-director of Mason’s Program for the Prevention of Mass Violence.

“The war in Ukraine has presented a real challenge to those who favor negotiated outcomes,” said Carter School Dean Alpaslan Özerdem in his opening remarks. “However, even if the political space is constrained for negotiations at the moment, we shouldn’t write off what conflict resolution could achieve in the future.”

Oleksandra began by explaining how her work started in 2014—around the time Russia invaded Crimea—and explained how they started with a hotline where they gathered questions about Crimea and Donbas before starting field work there.

After summer 2014, and the disputed Crimean status referendum, their mobile teams on the ground were blocked, Oleksandra said.

“They don’t give the possibility of Ukrainian human right defenders of going into the territories,” she said. “So, we collect[ed] information using the help of our partners from Belarus, from Russia, and from other countries.”

Oleksandra described various ways her team collects information, including gathering testimonials from individuals or relatives of those who have been prosecuted. The team also investigates sites where crimes occurred, and documents the aftermath with photos and video.

Other times, the Center for Civil Liberties uses data from institutions, such as hospitals.

“We have a lot of evidence that sexual crimes happened, too, like thousands of cases. People [don’t] very directly speak about that with prosecutors or police, but they easily speak with doctors,” Oleksandra said. “That’s why we have some statistics, and we have a national line where the people can call and speak about that.”

Oleksandra’s organization has used all this information to create databases and maps of where human rights violations have occurred.

“We have now more than 33,000 cases [of] potential war crimes against humanity and crimes of genocide,” she said. “Why ‘potential’? Because at the end, only courts can give this characteristic and classification.”

“[The] International Criminal Court is working now in Ukraine,” Oleksandra said. “We support them. We give them information, but they will cover maybe 20 cases.”

Despite a backlog of cases waiting to hit the courts, the work is still worth pursuing. Oleksandra said documenting evidence is important to punish those who committed atrocities, bring justice, protect human rights, promote public awareness, influence policy, and move toward sustainable peace.

Oleksandra said their ideal is to create a new model to deal with the thousands of other cases that demand attention. She also hopes an international tribunal against crimes of aggression would be assembled to hold Russian leaders accountable, including President Vladimir Putin.

“I’m really glad to speak with people who are thinking about what happened in Ukraine and trying to understand what kind of experience Ukraine now can give all the world about war crimes,” Oleksandra said.

The session was also meaningful for attendees.

“The presentation was outstanding,” said Carter School Professor Daniel Rothbart.

“The selection of [Oleksandra’s] Center for Civil Liberties for the Nobel Peace Prize demonstrates just how vital her work is for bringing peace to this war-torn nation,” he said. “The center represents an inspiration to all of us hoping for a peaceful end to this tragic violence in Ukraine.”

Click here to watch recorded sessions from "One Year After: Ukraine War Analysis and Prospects."

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Carter School leads by listening, as Congolese partners construct their own peace.

Mariam Aburdeineh — Wed, 15 Feb 2023 17:33:14 +0000

Carter School leads by listening, as Congolese partners construct their own peace. Mariam Aburdeineh Wed, 02/15/2023 - 12:33

In This Story

Alpaslan Özerdem

Charles Davidson

It’s been a year since ��AV’s Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution touched base in the war-torn Democratic Republic of the Congo. Their goal? Accompany locals in creating their own sustainable peace—something the country has not experienced in more than 30 years.

In December 2021, a unique peace accord was signed in the province of South Kivu, with representatives from armed groups, the Congolese government, military, police, intelligence services, religious leaders, civil society groups, and peace advocates, including several female peacemakers.

Carter School Dean Alpaslan Özerdem, and Charles Davidson, PhD ’19, Carter School research faculty and alumnus, visited the Congo in October 2022 to check in on the “Peacemaking + Initiative,” funded by Milt Lauenstein, and assess the direction for its next phase.

Özerdem and Davidson spoke over Zoom with updates from the trip:

What have been the major successes of the initiative so far?

AÖ: The most important success is that the peace process is still there. Considering such processes tend to be so fragile in their first few years, it was wonderful to see that not only was it still sustaining, but also the way that the local actors and all the stakeholders owned the process.

Also, the reduction of violence that we’ve seen over the last six months, particularly in inter-community violence, but also in terms of the number of combatants from the bush start to go back to their communities.

Former armed group members strategizing next steps in the peace process. Photo provided by the Carter School.

What does “the bush” refer to?

CD: There are local defense forces, which remain in their villages and take up arms when they’re threatened. Then there are mobile armed groups that live in the wilderness and fight as a mobilized armed group of tribal and ethnic interest. To go back to the bush means to go back fighting full-time, although there are groups who remain in the bush who are not fighting. They’re just waiting to demobilize and reintegrate when the time comes.

How many people have demobilized?

CD: We have 300 registered demobilizations thus far, and 1,000 people have expressed their willingness to demobilize [and are going through a certification process with the government to make it official].

Why do you think this has been so successful?

CD: I’ve been working in the Congo for almost eight years and have seen a lot of processes not really hit the mark, because you’d see NGOs and other peace prospects go to individual armed group members and try to achieve peace through the individuals.

We asked, “How do we achieve this from the community level, so that not only do the armed group members have the ability to go home to a more sustainable environment, but that environment can nurture that process and therefore reduce recidivism and new recruitment?”

The community level considers the perspectives of all the people who are experiencing this conflict and looking for solutions from this dynamic panorama.

“The peace process was innovative in the sense that many actors were involved: Combatants themselves, women leaders and wives of the combatants, youth [active actors in conflicts], representatives of communities and tribes, involvement of the politicians and government officials at different levels, demobilization programs, religious and civil society organizations, [the] media, [among others]. The peace process was largely inclusive and nobody was left behind without being listened to.”

—Sudi Yahudi Longuet, peace facilitator and independent consultant expert in peace and conflict transformation

Women from local communities analyzing and voting on next steps in the peace program. Photo provided.

How has the community-based approach made an impact?

CD: By engaging from the community level and even the tribal level, we’re getting large groups of people who were fighting each other on the regular saying, “We’re going to stop fighting, and we’re going to officially declare forgiveness of the groups that have been fighting.” That’s so not only the groups can experience forgiveness toward one another, but the individuals who were fighting feel forgiveness as people when they return to their home community.

Forgiveness sounds easier said than done. How does that process work?

CD: We’re investing in a literal ceremony of forgiveness where public crowds come together to watch their tribal leaders pronounce forgiveness with each other. They will do so over the radio so everybody in the province hears, and so all the individuals under their leaders’ authority can join the group and say, “We’re done fighting and we forgive you.”

What’s the importance of publicly declaring forgiveness?

AÖ: When an ex-combatant is registered by the government, that registration legally is important because whatever crimes they may have committed during the war, it gives them amnesty. The support of the Congolese government has been so important.

What also matters is whether or not you are forgiven by your receiving communities—that’s the social-cultural aspect.

Özerdem (left) meets with members of AJDC in their offices in South Kivu. Photo provided by the Carter School.

What is Mason’s role in the peace process?

CD: The Carter School is championing a truly effective model of peacemaking accompaniment.

We didn’t go in and dominate the process, lead everything and make demands. Instead, we’re leading by listening. We’re promoting local leadership and making it to where the locals feel that it is their peace process because it is their peace process.

AJDC is the local peacemaking organization that’s led by a former child soldier. They’re the ones who are in the grind, but we’re sticking to what we’re good at, and that’s peacemaking scholarship at the intersection of peacemaking practice, and lending our skills and expertise in a way that nurtures, grows, and accompanies the process rather than dominating.

“The fact that AJDC was created by former child soldiers allowed us to have a mastery and deep understanding of the armed groups’ logic, desires, needs, and requirements, and allowed us to have no fear in finding them in their stronghold [their post of command in the bush]. Becoming an ambassador for peace is building positively our history which will [distinguish] us across generations. We would like to see our community inclusive, stable, nonviolent, peaceful and developed.” —AJDC

What’s next?

A community reintegration fishing project in Mboko, South Kivu employing former armed group members and community members.

CD: Number one, we’re going to focus on the four armed groups that continue to fight for reasons other than intercommunity violence, mostly based on economic interest. We’re going to bring those groups to the table to look for a solution to bring a total peace to the armed group situation in South Kivu.

Number two is the official ceremonies of forgiveness.

Third, we’re continuing to set the example of community reintegration investments. Throughout South Kivu, 21 villages are being given investments toward creating community-level industry. These are not only creating jobs for the armed group members who are coming home, but for the people in the community who never left. These investments will grow economic sustainability and stability for those communities, which lie at the nexus of ethnicities that have traditionally been hostile to one another.

What are you most proud of with this initiative?

AÖ: Making claims is one thing, but making them happen and showing the world that as an academic institution, we can facilitate a peace process with our local partners is another. On its first-year anniversary, peace is being owned by local actors, and now we are entering the next stage, strengthening what we achieved over the last year. It’s a very proud moment.

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Richard Rubenstein attends conference in Rome on peacemaking in Ukraine

Mariam Aburdeineh — Tue, 28 Jun 2022 19:20:16 +0000

Richard Rubenstein attends conference in Rome on peacemaking in Ukraine Mariam Aburdeineh Tue, 06/28/2022 - 15:20

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Richard Rubenstein

��AV Carter School professor Richard Rubenstein attended a workshop conference at the Pontifical Academy for Social Sciences at the Vatican on June 6-7 to discuss peacemaking in Ukraine and other global conflict sites. The conference was organized by the U.N. Development Solutions Network headed by Columbia University professor Jeffrey Sachs.

Carter School professor Richard Rubenstein speaks on peacemaking in Ukraine at the Vatican. Photo by Gabriella C. Marino.

“The purpose was to produce a statement that would be given to the pope and that might also influence the parties to the conflict in Ukraine,” Rubenstein said.

“The meeting addressed the question of how to prevent the conflict in Ukraine from becoming a ‘frozen conflict,’ and the need for early peace negotiations,” Rubenstein said. “While the issue of what kinds of concessions might need to be made by both parties was discussed, the experts were in agreement that trust needs to be built on both sides and that a guarantee of peace in Eastern Europe is a necessity.”

About 40 VIPs were in attendance, including Romano Prodi, former prime minister of Italy and 10th president of the European Commission; Jeffrey Sachs, university professor at Columbia University; Michael von der Schulenburg, former United Nations assistant secretary-general in UN Peace Missions; Mario Marazziti, former deputy and president of Human Rights Committee, Italian Parliament; and Nina Khrushcheva, professor of international affairs at The New School.

Attendees each gave a 10- to 15-minute presentation, Rubenstein said, which included open discussions.

“The statement is now getting more signatories,” said Rubenstein. “It was a good meeting, and it may have some results. We’ll see.”

What do you hope the impact of the statement will be?

“What we want to happen is to get the document into places where it will be discussed by decision makers.”

What was the pope’s reaction?

“Pope Francis has already made a statement on this. The pope says to stop dramatizing, stop trying to turn this into some type of titanic struggle about the fate of an autocracy—that’s not what it’s about. It’s a very interesting statement by the pope and, I think, partly, that’s a response to our discussion.”

What was your role at the conference?

“One of my roles there was to raise the question of when this is all over, how do these people learn to live with each other again? What kind of reconciliation is going to be possible considering how many people are getting killed and how much bitterness has been created by the war?”

What does this say about the Carter School and Mason to be represented at the meeting?

“It’s a really good sign. It’s not just our expertise in negotiation that's being recognized, but our independence of mind and our ability to think about the possibilities of peacemaking even in a wartime atmosphere. Everyone at the conference understood that peacemakers may be blessed, but this doesn’t mean they will be popular.”

Attendees at the Pontifical Academy for Social Sciences outside of the Vatican. Photo credit: Gabriella C. Marino

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Why do you think this has been so successful?

—Sudi Yahudi Longuet, peace facilitator and independent consultant expert in peace and conflict transformation

How has the community-based approach made an impact?

Forgiveness sounds easier said than done. How does that process work?

What’s the importance of publicly declaring forgiveness?

What is Mason’s role in the peace process?

What’s next?

What are you most proud of with this initiative?

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Richard Rubenstein attends conference in Rome on peacemaking in Ukraine

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What do you hope the impact of the statement will be?

What was the pope’s reaction?

What was your role at the conference?

What does this say about the Carter School and Mason to be represented at the meeting?

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