School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution

Collected Resources on the Ukraine Invasion

Paul Snodgrass — Thu, 07 Apr 2022 17:28:28 +0000

Collected Resources on the Ukraine Invasion Paul Snodgrass Thu, 04/07/2022 - 13:28

In This Story

Point of View Statement on Conflict in Ukraine: Negotiate Peace Now

The Carter School has collected articles and seminars written and presented by our faculty to help researchers, peacebuilders, and knowledge seekers understand the scope and impact of Russia’s war on Ukraine. As new resources become available, they will be added to this page.

Student Initiative

The Carter School Peace Engineering Lab and students of the “CONF 695- Peace Engineering and Participatory Approaches to Narrative” course have launched Sensemaking in Ukraine to bring to light the experiences of everyone who has been affected and better understand what can be done to improve the situation in the short term and prepare for peace.

Seminars

Karina Korostelina spoke at a web conference hosted by Al Jazeera Center for Studies on March 28 and 29, 2022 entitled “Redrawing Spheres of Influence: The Dynamics and Implications of the Russian-Ukrainian War.”

Karina Korostelina co-organized a panel entitled Conflict, politics and crisis in Ukraine Implications for EiE, an Education in Conflict & Emergencies Seminar on Monday April 11, 2022.

On April 6, 2022, the Russian and Eurasian Studies Program at ��AV held an online discussion featuring Karina Korostelina on the Current State of Russia's War on Ukraine with the participation of faculty with specializations in history, politics, and conflict analysis and resolution

Articles

Karina Korostelina was featured in Mason News on March 4, 2022: The conflict in Ukraine is fueled by Putin’s information war, Carter School expert says. Here’s what needs to be done.

Richard Rubenstein wrote The Ukrainian Conflict and the Imperial World System for CounterPunch on March 4, 2022.

Alpaslan Özerdem wrote an article for The Conversation entitled, What the Montreux Convention is, and what it means for the Ukraine war, published March 1, 2022.

Susan Allen and Paula Garb are signatories to the letter Independent American and Russian Women Call for Peace published in The Nation and in Russian at Новые известия on February 15, 2022.

Social Media Image Credit: Image by M.Bitton is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license via Wikimedia Commons.

Updated April, 12, 2022

Topics

Ukraine

School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution

Peacebuilding

Violence

Negotiation

International Relations

Freshman with global worldview ready to tackle her next adventure at Mason

Mariam Aburdeineh — Thu, 27 Aug 2020 00:05:00 +0000

Freshman with global worldview ready to tackle her next adventure at Mason Mariam Aburdeineh Wed, 08/26/2020 - 20:05

Celine Apenteng aboard a boat moving through Hamburg, Germany. Photo provided.

Celine Apenteng may only have one biological sibling, but she regards nearly a dozen people from around the world as her sisters. This “extended family,” as she calls them, and Apenteng’s travels abroad, have had a profound impact on her view of education.

“There’s always something for you to learn,” said Apenteng, whose family has hosted exchange students from France, Moldova and Germany since she was 10. “Even if it’s not something new, the way somebody says something could impact how you think about it.”

The incoming freshman from Silver Spring, Maryland, said she is looking forward to continuing her learning and growth at ��AV, where she will be a member of the Honors College and a University Scholar majoring in conflict analysis and resolution with minors in intelligence studies and data analysis.

“I’m interested in seeing the different perspectives that people bring to the table and how that will shape me into my future self,” Apenteng said, adding that she hopes to work for the FBI or with Homeland Security.

Why conflict analysis and resolution?

“I’ve seen that a lot of new jobs today that are looking for people who know how to deal with conflict,” she said.

Part of resolving conflict can involve navigating cultural differences, and Apenteng has had experiences that could help position her for success, such as her participation in an exchange program to France in 2016.

Apenteng (left) with exchange student Mia Ola enjoy time in a park in Cella, Germany. Photo provided.

Most recently, Apenteng was awarded a scholarship in her senior year of high school to attend the prestigious Congress-Bundestag Youth Program, a U.S.-German exchange program hosted by the U.S. State Department.

“Being in Germany not only taught me different perspectives and different ways of thinking, but also different ways of solving problems that you don’t see in the United States,” she said. “That, and being able to make friends in different languages and understand people.”

The 11-month program where Apenteng was learning German (she also is fluent in French) was cut short by a couple months due to the coronavirus pandemic. Even so, she said it was worthwhile.

“I never thought that I could do what [the exchange students we hosted] were doing,” Apenteng said. “I learned I’m more resilient than I think.”

In addition to learning from her degree program at Mason, Apenteng said she is looking forward to being part of the virtual learning communities, and experiencing all the university has to offer.

“I’m happy to be at Mason,” she said. “I’m really glad I applied, and I can’t wait for the school year to start.”

Student Spotlight

Student Success

Honors College

Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution

Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution

School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution

Conflict Resolution

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Virtual Learning Communities (VLC)

Students

With Mason students to the rescue, Virginia Environmental Justice Summit is a go

Damian Cristodero — Thu, 26 Mar 2020 18:32:10 +0000

With Mason students to the rescue, Virginia Environmental Justice Summit is a go Damian Cristodero Thu, 03/26/2020 - 14:32

Topics

��AV

environmental and sustainability studies

Smithsonian-Mason School of Conservation

School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution

Honors College

coronavirus; COVID-19; News; Editorial

Students

Networking event extolls the value of good manners

Damian Cristodero — Fri, 13 Mar 2020 09:30:00 +0000

Networking event extolls the value of good manners Damian Cristodero Fri, 03/13/2020 - 05:30

More than 70 graduate and professional students from 14 different majors received advice and practice in networking at a recent event on ��AV’s Arlington Campus.

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Arlington campus

University Life Arlington

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Mason’s School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution to change name to champion Carter legacy

Colleen Rich — Tue, 10 Mar 2020 09:00:33 +0000

Mason’s School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution to change name to champion Carter legacy Colleen Rich Tue, 03/10/2020 - 05:00

In a move to emphasize its core values, ��AV’s School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution announced on Tuesday that it is dedicating itself to peace and social justice with the adoption of a name dedicated to the Carter legacy: the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution.

Rosalyn and Jimmy Carter. Photo provided by the Carter Center.

The name change serves as a tribute to the Carters’ steadfast commitment to peacemaking through nonviolence and the transformative role of dialogue and diplomacy in conflict resolution. It also serves to recognize that the school has grown and changed in reputation and scope since its birth in 1981. The move comes as an acknowledgment that the Carters’ devotion to peace and human rights reflects the values of both the school and Mason as a whole.

“By becoming the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution, we’ll be starting the next phase of our journey as an institution committed to furthering both the research and practice of conflict resolution and peacebuilding,” said Alpaslan Özerdem, dean of the school. “In this effort, we will be taking the Carters’ unwavering dedication to peace as our beacon and our guide. It’s a great honor to be leading a school named after one of the greatest peacemakers of our times.”

Mason’s Board of Visitors approved the change on Feb. 27. The school plans a series of events in September that will include other Mason colleges and schools to celebrate the new phase for the school and the Carters’ legacy on human rights, democracy, gender equality and global health.

“The renaming of our world-renowned peace and conflict studies school after Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter, two individuals with a storied legacy in conflict resolution, is a great honor for ��AV,” said Interim President Anne Holton. “Their commitment and contributions to social justice, freedom, human rights, and peaceful conflict resolution resonate with our university’s own dedication to accessibility, diversity, and academic excellence.”

As president, Jimmy Carter was key in the 1978 Camp David Accords, which paved the way for the signing of the 1979 peace treaty between Egypt and Israel. In 2002, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of his efforts to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts.

As a couple, Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter have dedicated their lives to serving others, whether it be through work with Habitat for Humanity or teaching Sunday school at Maranatha Baptist Church.

Mason has led the way in offering degree programs and dedicated studies in conflict analysis and resolution. Over the decades, its programs have expanded to offer undergraduate studies, master’s degrees, graduate certificates and the world’s first PhD program in conflict resolution.

The renaming is part of a $10 million campaign to support teaching, research and practice at the school. So far $4.4 million has been raised, including a $2 million gift from Steve Cumbie and Drucie French, who are among the school’s earliest and longest supporters.

“The number of graduates the school has produced is impressive,” Cumbie said at the time of the gift, “but we need even more people to go into this field.”

Students in the School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution, which will be renamed for Jimmy and Rosalyn Carter. Photo by Ron Aira/Creative Services.

How engineers and peacebuilders work together to construct harmonious futures

Damian Cristodero — Fri, 06 Mar 2020 19:28:21 +0000

How engineers and peacebuilders work together to construct harmonious futures Damian Cristodero Fri, 03/06/2020 - 14:28

Mason researchers study the complicated and cascading effects of Arctic ice melt

Martha Bushong — Sat, 22 Feb 2020 14:08:37 +0000

Mason researchers study the complicated and cascading effects of Arctic ice melt Martha Bushong Sat, 02/22/2020 - 09:08

The Arctic is warming at more than twice the rate of the rest of the planet, but for a team of researchers at ��AV that’s just the tip of the iceberg of the changes to come.

The team members, led by faculty from Mason’s Volgenau School of Engineering and the School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution, are diving into how melting ice in the Arctic will affect the people, habitats, and social fabric of this remote region.

The National Science Foundation grant, “An Expanding Global Maritime Network, Its Arctic Impacts and Reverberations,” provides the resources, time, and support to better understand this global challenge and to help mitigate its effects on the Arctic.

“Our project is not about whether climate change is real,” says Elise Miller-Hooks, professor, the principal investigator, and Bill and Eleanor Hazel Chair of Infrastructure Engineering at the Volgenau School. “We are considering the effects of the sea ice melting in the Arctic and the potential for this change to affect world trade flows and a myriad of things that connect to these flows.”

As previously ice-bound passageways open, shorter trade routes will save time and money in the transport of goods and services. Some call this route the new Northwest passage, referencing the path to China that explorers from European nation-states of the 15th century sought but never found.

“The opening up of this northwest route will affect trade in many ways,” says Miller-Hooks. “It will affect large nations and local economies. It will affect wildlife and the environment. It will affect transportation and infrastructure.”

As more traffic passes through the Arctic, the people who live there will experience both positive and negative effects. There will be changes in supply chains, increased pollution of the shipping lanes, and changes to the fragile arctic ecosystem. On the other hand, there will be jobs and the potential for economic growth, but these opportunities could disrupt the lives of indigenous people and threaten the survival of their cultures.

Sara Cobb, the grant’s co-principal investigator and director of the Center for the Study of Narrative and Conflict Resolution says, “The Arctic is sort of the canary in the coal mine.” Cobb brings her expertise in conflict and narrative studies as the team seeks to understand the impact of the coming changes and develop early warning systems for arctic communities.

“Those of us in the social sciences are good at qualitative work,” says Cobb, Drucie French Cumbie professor at Mason’s School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution. “Now the modeling work is so advanced that we need experts in that field.”

“The Arctic ice melt is a big problem. Big problems demand big answers and big teams. We are leading a team of experts from many different areas, including civil engineering, applied mathematics, anthropology, ice physics, coastal dynamics, and narrative approaches to conflict analysis and resolution.”

Elise Miller-Hooks

The study’s unique pairing of mathematical analysis with narrative studies aims to help develop tools that could lead to early responses to help mitigate the effects of the many changes in the Arctic.

Celso Ferreira associate professor in the Sid and Reva Dewberry Department of Civil, Environmental, and Infrastructure Engineering and a co-principal investigator on the grant, adds his knowledge of flood hazards to the team.

As it turns out, sea ice in the Arctic protects coastlines from erosion like the marshes and wetlands protect the Chesapeake Bay that he studies. “As the Arctic ice diminishes the coastlines are more vulnerable to storms and erosion,” says Ferreira. The team hopes to be co-producers of knowledge with the people who live in these areas as they develop sustainable solutions to the challenges of the ice melt.

“The Arctic ice melt is a big problem. Big problems demand big answers and big teams,” says Miller-Hooks. “We are leading a team of experts from many different areas, including civil engineering, applied mathematics, anthropology, ice physics, coastal dynamics, and narrative approaches to conflict analysis and resolution.”

Mason researchers will study the effects of Arctic ice melt in a five-year multidisciplinary grant funded by the National Science Foundation. The study blends quantitative and qualitative methods to provide a more complete understanding of the effects of melting ice on the people of the region. (Stock photo).

Ultimately the research team wants to develop a toolbox that will support research around the globe with Mason researchers at the center of the work. The toolbox will include mathematical techniques for modeling how the goods will be rerouted under different scenarios. It will also consider the risks associated with the new trade routes made possible by the melting ice.

The researchers will seek to understand the coastal dynamics, consider how to best build on the melting permafrost, investigate how to plan for emergencies when the ice breaks apart, and look at the cultural impacts.

Miller-Hooks says the team’s work has opened her eyes to the interconnectedness of our world. Although she has traveled around the globe, she never thought she would visit the Arctic—it seemed so distant and remote. “I realize now that we are all in this together. What happens in Nuuk, Greenland or Barrow, Alaska affects us all.”