The Center for Sustainable Peace and Development (SeeD), as part of its project Resources for Democracy* (www.resourcesfordemocracy.com), is pleased to announce the launch of the second online course entitled ‘The State, Citizenship and Divided Societies’. The course will be delivered online through the University of Nicosia’s online platform and will be available to everyone for free.
The online lectures will start on the 2nd of June 2015 and the deadline for registrations is the 9th of June 2015. University of Nicosia students can register directly through UNIC’s online platform. Other interested individuals can register by completing the application form found here: https://goo.gl/forms/uN4MoXporw .
This 8 unit course examines the causes and consequences of conflict between groups within the same territorial boundaries. The course will explore how these conflicts can be transformed or resolved on a theoretical level, looking at the current state of peace-building theories and on a practical level, studying specific case studies, like the long-running dispute in Cyprus. Particular emphasis will be given to a critical examination of ‘bottom-up’ peacebuilding efforts, which promote the importance of local or civil engagement in resolving disputes.
Throughout the course, students will be presented with questions of how conflicts arise, the perception of nationhood by various groups within a state and how divergent conceptions of nationhood can develop if there is competition among groups over who controls the state, or has access to citizenship. In this manner, students can enhance their understanding of the often complex and fraught relationships of groups in divided communities.
For any additional information or clarifications, please contact us at contact@resourcesfordemocracy.com.
* Resources for Democracy is a project implemented by the NGO Support Centre in collaboration with the University of Nicosia and the Center for Sustainable Peace and Democratic Development (SeeD) with the support of UNDP-Action for Cooperation and Trust.