Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution

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��AV honors former President Jimmy Carter with honorary degree

Colleen Rich — Mon, 30 Sep 2024 20:53:18 +0000

��AV honors former President Jimmy Carter with honorary degree Colleen Rich Mon, 09/30/2024 - 16:53

In recognition of former President Jimmy Carter’s 100th birthday on Oct. 1, ��AV’s Board of Visitors (BOV) voted to award President Carter an honorary doctor of humane letters.

Former President Jimmy Carter. Photo by The Carter Center

James “Jimmy” Earl Carter Jr. was the 39th president of the United States and was awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace in 2002. This recognition, approved at the BOV meeting on Sept. 26, celebrates Carter’s legacy of selfless dedication to peace and a more just and peaceful world.

In 2020, ��AV renamed its School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution in honor of Carter’s diplomacy and human rights activism. The Carters were married for 77 years before Rosalynn’s death in 2023.

“The ��AV Board of Visitors is proud to offer this honorary doctorate to a man who has given so much to his country as a submarine officer in the Navy, in a lifetime of public service, and in his humanitarian works around the world,” George Mason Rector Charles “Cully” Stimson said.

“When your university offers a school that bears the Carter name,” George Mason President Gregory Washington said, “you’re announcing to the world: This university wants to make a difference. This university stands for making the world a more just place. This university is committed to a good greater than its own. For a century, President Carter has led the kind of life we aspire for our graduates to lead. We are proud to present him with this honorary doctorate and deepen the Carter legacy at ��AV.”

Carter was elected President in 1976. His presidency is defined in large part by successfully mediating a peace treaty between Israel and Egypt with the 1978 Camp David Accords and, with Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev, signing the Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty II (SALT II) in 1979.

Since leaving office in 1981, the former president has been best known for his humanitarian work, including with Habitat for Humanity and through The Carter Center, which he founded in 1982 to work for peace and human rights around the world, including overseeing elections in young democracies, eradicating disease and conducting peace negotiations.

“Throughout his life, President Carter has exemplified the values of compassion, service, and justice,” Carter School Dean Alpaslan Özerdem said. “His tireless efforts to promote human rights, resolve conflicts, and alleviate poverty have inspired generations of peacebuilders, and his enduring legacy continues to guide the mission of our school. We are privileged to carry his name and uphold his commitment to making the world a more just and peaceful place.” Read more from the dean.

Members of the community are invited to participate in a special digital birthday card for President Carter, where they can express gratitude for his lifetime of public service and for his extensive work for peace.

The Carter School encourages the public to share their stories and memories of President Carter’s legacy using the hashtag #Carter100.

Also, on Friday, Oct. 4, the Carter School will host an outdoor screening of the documentary “Rock N' Roll President” at Mason Square Plaza at 7:30 p.m. This documentary offers a unique look at how music and culture intersected with President Carter’s leadership during his time in office.

“As we celebrate President Carter’s 100th birthday, we are reminded that peace is not just a goal but a practice—a practice that requires dedication, collaboration, and hope,” Özerdem said. “Together, we can continue to build on President Carter’s legacy, working toward a world where peace, justice, and equality thrive.”

Learn more about the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution

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Campus News

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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internships

Conflict Analysis and Resolution

study abroad

Military

Summer Internship

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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Conflict Analysis and Resolution

Civil Engineering

minors

CEC Global Engagement

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.

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Senior of the Year

Graduation

Schar School of Policy and Government

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Schar School News for May 2024

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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Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution

In the Media

In This Story

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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peacemaking

Campus News

In This Story

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

Susan Allen

Karina Korostelina

Topics

Conflict Analysis and Resolution

Peacebuilding

State Department

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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Campus News

hip-hop

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

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."

Topics

Russia-Ukraine war

Ukraine